alternatehistory.com
McCain Administration- Summer 2014
Summer 2014
"Looks like Germany efficiency wins again..."
"What the hell over in Ukraine?! Those poor people..."
"RIP Robin Williams..."
While the protests of "Occupy Wall Street" was the dominant news over during the Summer, even if the coverage was relatively lackluster (either on negligance or on purpose out of concerns in regards to what the people were protesting), there were plenty of other events that took media attention in the summer. The big thing was the FIFA World Cup that was being held this year, in none other than Brazil. Unsurprisingly, there was plenty of hype and passion over for the sport going on in South America and many were predicting that Brazil would likely end up winning the the FIFA World Cup. However, the shocking news would come that Brazil would lose in the semi-finals over to Germany and to add salt to the wound, the one that Germany faced in the final round was none other than their archrival, Argentina. It was the first time Germany won the world cup since their reunification over back in 1990 and they were the first European team to win a World Cup staged in the Americas. Furthermore, the controversies surrounding the FIFA tournament, even before it actually started ran rampant. Beyond just issues over the calling of some referees, there were various issues with safety, including eight deaths of workers and a fire during construction, breaches into stadiums, an unstable makeshift staircase at the Maracanã Stadium, a monorail collapse, and the collapse of an unfinished overpass in Belo Horizonte. Furthermore, he houses of thousands of families living in Rio de Janeiro’s slums were cleared for redevelopments for the World Cup in spite of protests and resistance. Favela do Metrô, near the Maracanã Stadium, was completely destroyed as a result, having previously housed 700 families in 2010. Unsurprisingly, this rage in regards to conditions of poverty also ending up synching with Occupy Wall Street and the movements fed somewhat into each other for a bit, especially on social media.
Logo for 2014 FIFA World Cup.
However, not everything was positive this summer. Tensions involving Russia and Ukraine escalating more quickly when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777, crashes in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board are killed. However, the tragedy soon escalated into outrage when details about the crash revealed that the crash was not because of error, but because of a missile. According to the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) and the Dutch-led joint investigation team who were placed in charge of investigating the circumstances behind the crash, concluded that the airliner was downed by a Buk surface-to-air missile launched from pro-Russian separatist-controlled territory in Ukraine. Furthermore, according to the joint investigation team or JIT, the Buk that was used originated from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Federation and had been transported from Russia on the day of the crash, fired from a field in a rebel-controlled area and returned to Russia afterwards, the result of the War in Donbass. In fact, immediately after contact with the aircraft was lost, the rebel militia in Donetsk claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian An-26 military transporter. When it became apparent that the wreckage that fell near Hrabove was from a civilian airliner, the separatists withdrew this claim and denied shooting down any aircraft. With these revelations, the Dutch and Australian govenments held Russia responsible and the Americans quickly followed suit, encouraging various other nations to do the same. The Russian government denied involvement in the shooting down of the plane, and holds the Ukrainian government at fault for allowing civilian flights in a war zone, a notion that furthered outraged various other nations. As such, many saw the crash as the beginning of further tensions and escalations between Russia and various other nations.
9M-MRD, the aircraft involved, 2011
However, more tragedy was to follow, albeit one perhaps hitting closer to home and that was none other than the suicide of beloved American actor and comedian, Robin Williams. An examination of his brain tissue suggested Williams suffered from "diffuse Lewy body dementia" and his wife noted that the disease contributed to his suicide as those with the dementia would suffer anxiety and depression. Unsurprisingly, his death became global news as family, friends, fans and fellow comedians openly grieved for one of the most beloved actors of the modern era. President McCain released a statement on the loss of the actor, his talent and his legacy. Talk show hosts including David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to Williams on their shows. During the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards on August 25, 2014, close friend and fellow comedian Billy Crystal presented a tribute to Williams, referring to him as "the brightest star in our comedy galaxy.” Afterwards, some of Williams' best comedy moments were shown, including his first ever "The Tonight Show" appearance, indicating his legacy in making people laugh. Various tribute videos were posted all over online and many people mourned the loss of such a wonderful person. It led to a rise initially in dealing with depression and suicide, but later for the disease that ravaged his mind and played the main role.
The Los Angeles Theatre honors Williams on their marquee
"Looks like Germany efficiency wins again..."
"What the hell over in Ukraine?! Those poor people..."
"RIP Robin Williams..."
While the protests of "Occupy Wall Street" was the dominant news over during the Summer, even if the coverage was relatively lackluster (either on negligance or on purpose out of concerns in regards to what the people were protesting), there were plenty of other events that took media attention in the summer. The big thing was the FIFA World Cup that was being held this year, in none other than Brazil. Unsurprisingly, there was plenty of hype and passion over for the sport going on in South America and many were predicting that Brazil would likely end up winning the the FIFA World Cup. However, the shocking news would come that Brazil would lose in the semi-finals over to Germany and to add salt to the wound, the one that Germany faced in the final round was none other than their archrival, Argentina. It was the first time Germany won the world cup since their reunification over back in 1990 and they were the first European team to win a World Cup staged in the Americas. Furthermore, the controversies surrounding the FIFA tournament, even before it actually started ran rampant. Beyond just issues over the calling of some referees, there were various issues with safety, including eight deaths of workers and a fire during construction, breaches into stadiums, an unstable makeshift staircase at the Maracanã Stadium, a monorail collapse, and the collapse of an unfinished overpass in Belo Horizonte. Furthermore, he houses of thousands of families living in Rio de Janeiro’s slums were cleared for redevelopments for the World Cup in spite of protests and resistance. Favela do Metrô, near the Maracanã Stadium, was completely destroyed as a result, having previously housed 700 families in 2010. Unsurprisingly, this rage in regards to conditions of poverty also ending up synching with Occupy Wall Street and the movements fed somewhat into each other for a bit, especially on social media.
Logo for 2014 FIFA World Cup.
However, not everything was positive this summer. Tensions involving Russia and Ukraine escalating more quickly when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777, crashes in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board are killed. However, the tragedy soon escalated into outrage when details about the crash revealed that the crash was not because of error, but because of a missile. According to the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) and the Dutch-led joint investigation team who were placed in charge of investigating the circumstances behind the crash, concluded that the airliner was downed by a Buk surface-to-air missile launched from pro-Russian separatist-controlled territory in Ukraine. Furthermore, according to the joint investigation team or JIT, the Buk that was used originated from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Federation and had been transported from Russia on the day of the crash, fired from a field in a rebel-controlled area and returned to Russia afterwards, the result of the War in Donbass. In fact, immediately after contact with the aircraft was lost, the rebel militia in Donetsk claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian An-26 military transporter. When it became apparent that the wreckage that fell near Hrabove was from a civilian airliner, the separatists withdrew this claim and denied shooting down any aircraft. With these revelations, the Dutch and Australian govenments held Russia responsible and the Americans quickly followed suit, encouraging various other nations to do the same. The Russian government denied involvement in the shooting down of the plane, and holds the Ukrainian government at fault for allowing civilian flights in a war zone, a notion that furthered outraged various other nations. As such, many saw the crash as the beginning of further tensions and escalations between Russia and various other nations.
9M-MRD, the aircraft involved, 2011
However, more tragedy was to follow, albeit one perhaps hitting closer to home and that was none other than the suicide of beloved American actor and comedian, Robin Williams. An examination of his brain tissue suggested Williams suffered from "diffuse Lewy body dementia" and his wife noted that the disease contributed to his suicide as those with the dementia would suffer anxiety and depression. Unsurprisingly, his death became global news as family, friends, fans and fellow comedians openly grieved for one of the most beloved actors of the modern era. President McCain released a statement on the loss of the actor, his talent and his legacy. Talk show hosts including David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to Williams on their shows. During the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards on August 25, 2014, close friend and fellow comedian Billy Crystal presented a tribute to Williams, referring to him as "the brightest star in our comedy galaxy.” Afterwards, some of Williams' best comedy moments were shown, including his first ever "The Tonight Show" appearance, indicating his legacy in making people laugh. Various tribute videos were posted all over online and many people mourned the loss of such a wonderful person. It led to a rise initially in dealing with depression and suicide, but later for the disease that ravaged his mind and played the main role.
The Los Angeles Theatre honors Williams on their marquee
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