Thanks a lot, Sarge!
Great to have you reading.Goodyear's death was not an accident. Goodyear Junior just got sick of pops not dying (so Junior could take over the family business) so he decided to airship-keelhaul him at 1500 feet.
"What Madness Is This?" - A Timeline
- Thread starter Napoleon53
- Start date
Thanks a lot, Sarge!
Great to have you reading.Goodyear's death was not an accident. Goodyear Junior just got sick of pops not dying (so Junior could take over the family business) so he decided to airship-keelhaul him at 1500 feet.
Thanks a lot, Sarge!
Goodyear's death was not an accident. Goodyear Junior just got sick of pops not dying (so Junior could take over the family business) so he decided to airship-keelhaul him at 1500 feet.
No problem at all, I'm a big fan of your timelines on here, I've been meaning to get around to reading this for a while, but today I set aside everything to finally do it.
thanks for clearing it up, I had a suspicion, like father like son.
You know, when I first read the chapter were Goodyear dies, it didn't occur to me that Goodyear II killed his father. Did you hint at it in the chapter itself? It been a while since I read it.
I must say, the pattern of Union figures killing their families is erie, yet brilliant. It makes the Union figures even more evil, and it still does it without turning them into bland cartoon villains. Kudos.
Oh, and I must say, I really feel sorry for the guy who had to clean up Goodyear's guts.
I must say, the pattern of Union figures killing their families is erie, yet brilliant. It makes the Union figures even more evil, and it still does it without turning them into bland cartoon villains. Kudos.
Oh, and I must say, I really feel sorry for the guy who had to clean up Goodyear's guts.
You know, when I first read the chapter were Goodyear dies, it didn't occur to me that Goodyear II killed his father. Did you hint at it in the chapter itself? It been a while since I read it.
Oh, and I must say, I really feel sorry for the guy who had to clean up Goodyear's guts.
Yup! I made it rather funny, too, with Goodyear Jr. himself dropping every hint in the book that he just threw pops right over the edge.
He said he "unfortunately can't talk to the police or authorities because I am in a deep state of mourning." Indeed. Goodyear basically lived/died the song "Gory, Gory What a Helluva Way to Die."
Okay, this is fun stuff right here! This chapter covers the rise of the New Southron Youth Craze and the growing propaganda industry in the Union. The next part (Part II) will cover sports (like car racing). The third and final part will cover movies, comic books, and tv shows. Enjoy!
This chapter covers the rise of the New Southron Youth Craze and the growing propaganda industry in the Union. The next part (Part II) will cover sports (like car racing). The third and final part will cover movies, comic books, and tv shows. Enjoy!
THE GOLDEN AGE OF ENTERTAINMENT: PART I
"Hello, my fellow Americans!" An American family watches "The All-American Saturday Night Family Hour" on their Picture Box
In the late 1920s, engineers in several countries began experimenting with the idea of "theater screens in the home." By the early 1940s, some very rich families were buying "picture boxes." By the late 1940s, "PBs" were spreading to the middle classes, and it became a popular hobby with families across the globe. The first TV shows were nothing more than a few station employees cracking some jokes and doing other goofy acts, like juggling and tap-dancing. But in 1949, a Virginian station manager became popular enough to get his own show. The Buddy Bannerman Show came on every Friday night at 8. By 1951, he had a massive studio, famous guests, and a full orchestra. Big companies like Cokie Cola advertized on the show, and before long Buddy Bannerman was one of the most widely-recognized faces in all of Columbia, broadcast to millions of homes across the continent.
Still photo of Buddy Bannerman dressed in Union-style attire for his famous "Republican Union Talkie Box Listener" skit on his PB show, poking fun at Yankee propaganda
Still photo of Buddy Bannerman dressed in Union-style attire for his famous "Republican Union Talkie Box Listener" skit on his PB show, poking fun at Yankee propaganda
From that point on, Buddy Bannerman began controlling popular culture in Columbia. If entertainers made it on his show, they'd be popular. If he pulled the plug on them, their dreams were pretty much over. Out of all the entertainers who made it big on his show, none were more popular than one music group: Johnny Cashew and the Rebs.
The history of the most influential pop culture phenomenon since The Riverboaters band in the Roaring 'Teens began in the back-alleys of St. Augustine, in the Florida region of the Georgia Republic. Half-Hispanic Jonathan Spencer was a broke 17 year-old orphan participating in petty crime and pickpocketing, when one day he found a busted guitar in a trashcan. He took it back to the tenement he lived in and began trying to fix it up in his spare time. Soon, he learned he had a knack for the instrument, and he started playing for five bucks a night in saloons, bars, and nightclubs in St. Augustine. People loved him. His style was totally new, with a heavy twanging guitar and "backwoods yellin'" style singing. He started being able to afford nicer clothes, and then a nicer guitar. He started wearing his hair like the Cubans did, something which was considered very odd and unusual, and made him the target of several "Greaser" jokes, a derogatory term for Hispanics. He embraced the name, and so did the subculture he was about to create.
Then, he joined up with four other musicians: guitarist Joe Gunderson, pianist Larry Russo, saxophonist Mikey Lewis, banjo-player Chuck Carry, and drummer Mac "Hillbilly" Hooter. The team was formed, and Spencer, Gunderson, Lewis, Carry, and Hooter were about to take the world by storm. The one obstacle in Spencer's mind, though, was that he hated his name. So, following a joke from Lewis about how much Spencer loved eating nuts, Jonathan Spencer became Johnny Cashew, "which had a nice, Southron, down-home sound." Johnny Cashew and the Rebs were born.
The popular culture establishment hated the band. They liked spats, fedoras, top hats, and striped suits, and most of all much less "rambunctious" music. Nevertheless, Buddy Bannerman booked them for Friday, September 15th, 1951. Despite the fact that Russo and Carry were not able to attend due to getting involved in a minor traffic accident, the appearance was a huge success. That night, the entertainment world changed forever.
Then, he joined up with four other musicians: guitarist Joe Gunderson, pianist Larry Russo, saxophonist Mikey Lewis, banjo-player Chuck Carry, and drummer Mac "Hillbilly" Hooter. The team was formed, and Spencer, Gunderson, Lewis, Carry, and Hooter were about to take the world by storm. The one obstacle in Spencer's mind, though, was that he hated his name. So, following a joke from Lewis about how much Spencer loved eating nuts, Jonathan Spencer became Johnny Cashew, "which had a nice, Southron, down-home sound." Johnny Cashew and the Rebs were born.
The popular culture establishment hated the band. They liked spats, fedoras, top hats, and striped suits, and most of all much less "rambunctious" music. Nevertheless, Buddy Bannerman booked them for Friday, September 15th, 1951. Despite the fact that Russo and Carry were not able to attend due to getting involved in a minor traffic accident, the appearance was a huge success. That night, the entertainment world changed forever.
Footage of the original Rebs appearance on the Buddy Bannerman Show, Friday, September 15th, 1951: http://youtu.be/K8uZutr1avs?t=21s
The reaction from parents was immediate. Despite the fact that many of they themselves had been involved with the riverboater/honky tonk culture in their youth, they were trying to crush the new youth movement before it took off. But it was too late. "Cubabilly" music, as it was starting to be called, was there to stay. Half a year later, the first movie about Cubabilly street gangs in St. Augustine was out. "The Reckless Ones" was a smash hit motion picture starring Marlin Brander as a tough-as-nails ex-boxer, Johnny Valentine, trying to win the love of roadside waitress Patricia (played by Jeanette Vega) while keeping his position as head of the ultra-violent Skull Boys motorcycle gang. It was the number one movie in the South for two straight months.
Brander and Vega in a scene from The Reckless Ones (1952)
The next music hit for Cashew and the Rebs was "Tequila," which incited so much anger from parents that they held public burnings of the album. The Rebs continued to sell records and top the talkie box charts in the South, though, and then it spread across the waters to Gran Colombia and north to Quebec.
But the group soon found competition. Sprouting up all over non-Union areas of North America were copy-cat acts, like the anti-Churchill English immigrants who formed The Ferrymen in Quebec City. By late 1952, there were over 58 successful Cubabilly bands and solo artists, only one of which was from Cuba (Jose Vargas), and they were driving traditional honky tonk culture into extinction. Everywhere, young people were "going Cuban." Motorcycles became all the rage, and teen violence and gang participation sky-rocketed. Even the Negro population was getting into the subculture, and Georgia-born "Brother John" was the most popular, with hits like "I'm a Soul Man."
Brander and Vega in a scene from The Reckless Ones (1952)
But the group soon found competition. Sprouting up all over non-Union areas of North America were copy-cat acts, like the anti-Churchill English immigrants who formed The Ferrymen in Quebec City. By late 1952, there were over 58 successful Cubabilly bands and solo artists, only one of which was from Cuba (Jose Vargas), and they were driving traditional honky tonk culture into extinction. Everywhere, young people were "going Cuban." Motorcycles became all the rage, and teen violence and gang participation sky-rocketed. Even the Negro population was getting into the subculture, and Georgia-born "Brother John" was the most popular, with hits like "I'm a Soul Man."
The new nightly PB news hours showed "wild teenage violence in the streets." "St. Augustine is on the verge of collapsing into anarchy!" lamented one broadcaster. "These wild greasing so-called Cubabillies are mowing each other in drive-by shootings. Motorcycle accidents on every corner. Illegal street racing! Reckless endangerment of our fair, law-abiding citizens! These hoodlums must be stopped!"
Photo of a female Cubabilly sporting a necklace with Johnny Cashew's portrait in St. Augustine, Georgia (1953)
Stock car races like this one in Newport News, Virginia Republic, were dominated by greaser racing teams in the 1950s. At its height of popularity, racing was as popular as baseball itself.
Photo of a female Cubabilly sporting a necklace with Johnny Cashew's portrait in St. Augustine, Georgia (1953)
Stock car races like this one in Newport News, Virginia Republic, were dominated by greaser racing teams in the 1950s. At its height of popularity, racing was as popular as baseball itself.
As the South was trying to get its youth under control, the Republican Union didn't have any youth that needed controlling. They had carefully blocked out the subculture's influence and cracked down hard on youth gangs. The fashion didn't change; men still wore spats, top hats, parted their hair down the middle with bacon grease, and women still wore dresses down to their lower calves. The Union PB shows were entirely different from the Southern ones. Mild-mannered hosts showed "harmless" entertainment and comedy and singing acts, and every Sunday all the shows that came on were religious in nature. Every Saturday night at 6, starting in 1951, Joseph Steele himself would appear for the "All-American Saturday Night Family Hour." He would give "fireside chats" to rally the nation and address important issues from the comfort of his rocking chair beside his fireplace. He was always in uniform.
The above was a typical introduction of a Family Hour show. Steele would rant about whatever subject he wanted while still trying to come across as a lovable grandfather. Sometimes he would even be toasting smores as the camera focused in on him at the start of the show. There would be numerous guests that would appear after him, such as Joey Gobells, Second Chief Consul Roosevelt, generals, admirals, and Union celebrities like Max Cross, Richard Nixon, and Mary-Jane Mundy. The last ten minutes of the show were for CYB members only, and the CYB Headmaster-Marshal would show them a "Scouting Tip of the Week," such as how to start a fire, how to make a tent from branches, how to use a sundial, and how to sharpen a bayonet. It was a successful show, and almost every member of the Betters of Society tuned in... if they knew what was good for their health. It was the best thing to ever happen to the propaganda department in Philadelphia; at last, they could reach their citizens right in their houses every week for a solid brain-washing.
"Hello, my citizens! My fellow Americans, I have some important issues I'd like to discuss with you, if you have the time. I'd like to talk about work. You see, without hard work, a man just has, well, a dadgum empty place inside. We need to work harder, all of us! We need to be productive if we are going to fulfill our Manifest Destiny. Of course, there are those among us who seek to deter you from working. These snake-oil salesmen, these anarchists, promise better wages and better treatment... if you go on strike. *laughs* Well, I don't know about you, but if there's one thing I can't stand it's a striker. I hate those cretins. The recent events at the auto factory in Boston are absolutely unacceptable. The fifty assembly line employees who dropped their tools of Christian labor have proven themselves some sort of retarded tools to be used by anarchists and communists. Have no fear, they shall learn from their... mistakes... at our excellent reeducation facilities in the Ohio Country, where they shall be taught respect for authority, camaraderie, and a Christian work ethic by our wonderful, kind camp counselors. So, before we go to a commercial break, I'd like to tell you all to keep working hard! Work faster! Better! Stronger! Double your production! That's the American spirit! Stay healthy, so you can keep your country healthy with your manual labor. And remember, smoke Soaring Eagle Smokes! For a smoke that gives you a good taste, without irritating your throat! Recommended by 90% of doctors and dentists. Remember, ask for Soaring Eagle Smokes! God bless you, one and all! And God Bless America!"
The above was a typical introduction of a Family Hour show. Steele would rant about whatever subject he wanted while still trying to come across as a lovable grandfather. Sometimes he would even be toasting smores as the camera focused in on him at the start of the show. There would be numerous guests that would appear after him, such as Joey Gobells, Second Chief Consul Roosevelt, generals, admirals, and Union celebrities like Max Cross, Richard Nixon, and Mary-Jane Mundy. The last ten minutes of the show were for CYB members only, and the CYB Headmaster-Marshal would show them a "Scouting Tip of the Week," such as how to start a fire, how to make a tent from branches, how to use a sundial, and how to sharpen a bayonet. It was a successful show, and almost every member of the Betters of Society tuned in... if they knew what was good for their health. It was the best thing to ever happen to the propaganda department in Philadelphia; at last, they could reach their citizens right in their houses every week for a solid brain-washing.
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The alternate greaser subculture was the most interesting part of the update IMO. I love the names of the alternate bands, and all the butterflies were just interesting in general. Also as a Cuban-American, I loved the Cuban influence in the new Southron music. Speaking of which what exactly is Cuba like in this world?
Joe Steele sitting on his chair in front of a fireplace acting all kindly and everything instantly reminded me of Mom from Futurama (Anyone whos a fan will know what I'm talking about).
I'll fix the errors on the Napo III and IV info-boxes soon, but heres another one for the mean time. I made one for Leroy Walker, so why not his Napoleonic counterpart, Casmir Polanski? The pic I used was off Geert Adriaans Boomgaard, one of the last surviving veteran of the Napoleonic Wars IOTL.
Edit: Just fixed both Napo III and IV.
I love the names of the alternate bands, and all the butterflies were just interesting in general. Also as a Cuban-American, I loved the Cuban influence in the new Southron music. Speaking of which what exactly is Cuba like in this world? Joe Steele sitting on his chair in front of a fireplace acting all kindly and everything instantly reminded me of Mom from Futurama
(Anyone whos a fan will know what I'm talking about).I'll fix the errors on the Napo III and IV info-boxes soon, but heres another one for the mean time. I made one for Leroy Walker, so why not his Napoleonic counterpart, Casmir Polanski? The pic I used was off Geert Adriaans Boomgaard, one of the last surviving veteran of the Napoleonic Wars IOTL.
Edit: Just fixed both Napo III and IV.
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"Win one for the Dictator!"
The alternate greaser subculture was the most interesting part of the update IMO.
I'll fix the errors on the Napo III and IV info-boxes soon, but heres another one for the mean time. I made one for Leroy Walker, so why not his Napoleonic counterpart, Casmir Polanski? The pic I used was off Geert Adriaans Boomgaard, one of the last surviving veteran of the Napoleonic Wars IOTL.
Edit: Just fixed both Napo III and IV.
Cuba is probably a lot like OTL Cuba (only much more prosperous), but with a fairly large white minority and with a reputation as a great vacation area. By now it's likely fairly similar to Cuban population-heavy Florida towns from OTL. There will be probably be more on it in the future.
The infobox looks great!
Adriaans Boomgaard was a neat guy; I read about him not long ago.Tricky Dick himself finally stars in a chapter! This chapter was designed to be sort of darkly humorous-- a bit of levity in a pretty scary TL. Needless to say, however over-the-top, I wouldn't put anything mentioned in this chapter past the Union, realism-wise. If you think anything in this chapter would be too "morally reprehensible" for Americans to consider it part of their "golden age of entertainment," you must have missed the part where they freely elected murdering psychos to the highest offices in the land. And that was decades ago. They've been left alone to wallow in their own evilness for so long that nothing can be put past them now. Imagine what would happen if you took Nazi Germany and let them stay Nazi for 150 years... That should tell you what the Union is capable of and how warped their minds are.
This chapter was designed to be sort of darkly humorous-- a bit of levity in a pretty scary TL. Needless to say, however over-the-top, I wouldn't put anything mentioned in this chapter past the Union, realism-wise. If you think anything in this chapter would be too "morally reprehensible" for Americans to consider it part of their "golden age of entertainment," you must have missed the part where they freely elected murdering psychos to the highest offices in the land. And that was decades ago. They've been left alone to wallow in their own evilness for so long that nothing can be put past them now. Imagine what would happen if you took Nazi Germany and let them stay Nazi for 150 years... That should tell you what the Union is capable of and how warped their minds are.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF ENTERTAINMENT: PART II
Sports also were a part of the Golden Age of Entertainment. Baseball continued in popularity as always, but other sports were coming in. The foremost was the crazy world of auto racing. First started along the western Union-Virginia border, it had taken off in the 1940s, with the first official track being built in Louisville, Virginia, in 1948. It was a bloody sport, and it wasn't uncommon to see drivers die in balls of flaming wreckage. Rivals were known to deliberately sabotage and target each other. Upon the arrival of the Cubabilly culture, racing became the "it thing" to do to show off and make money... and settle rivalries.
In Europe, auto racing was also growing in popularity, but as with most sports, the Europeans insisted on being the most gentlemanly about the rules. If drivers tried multiple times to deliberately wreck other drivers, they could be banned for life. Many of the drivers were wealthy barons and noblemen, as they could afford the upkeep on the luxurious cars they were driving (unlike the jalopies driven in North America). In 1950, the Principality of Lucca and Piombino asked for permission to start an official European racing league. He approved in short order and the Pan-Imperial Prix was born. Despite the fact that it had been intended only for Imperial racers, Prussians, Danes, Swedes, and others soon asked for permission to participate. On August 12th, the first Pan-Imperial Prix was begun. Race autos lined up by the dozens for a 730-mile race for a grand prize worth 5 million dollars (paid for by the Principality). The race was scheduled to start in Piombino, and then pass through Livorno, Genoa, Turin, into Geneva, and then over to Dijon before ending in Paris.
In Europe, auto racing was also growing in popularity, but as with most sports, the Europeans insisted on being the most gentlemanly about the rules. If drivers tried multiple times to deliberately wreck other drivers, they could be banned for life. Many of the drivers were wealthy barons and noblemen, as they could afford the upkeep on the luxurious cars they were driving (unlike the jalopies driven in North America). In 1950, the Principality of Lucca and Piombino asked for permission to start an official European racing league. He approved in short order and the Pan-Imperial Prix was born. Despite the fact that it had been intended only for Imperial racers, Prussians, Danes, Swedes, and others soon asked for permission to participate. On August 12th, the first Pan-Imperial Prix was begun. Race autos lined up by the dozens for a 730-mile race for a grand prize worth 5 million dollars (paid for by the Principality). The race was scheduled to start in Piombino, and then pass through Livorno, Genoa, Turin, into Geneva, and then over to Dijon before ending in Paris.
The only non-European to participate was young Union millionaire real estate and sports mogul (and part-time daredevil and auto enthusiast) Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon. Racing in a luxurious car decked out in Union symbols and the number 35, he made quite an entrance, and within the first ten minutes of the opening ceremony every single driver present hated his obnoxious guts.
Before the race had begun, however, Nixon's mechanics had secretly broke into the garage and fiddled with the engine of Pierre DuPont, the most well-known French racer at the event. In the final stretch of the race, Nixon and DuPont were out ahead of the rest of the pack, with just ten miles to go till they reached the finish line in Paris. Turning on a special magnetic device in his car, suddenly DuPont's car burst into flames on the bottom of the chasis, sending the car careening into a fence. Ambulances on the scene pulled a severely wounded DuPont out of the wreckage as Tricky Dick completed the final leg of the race and won the first ever Pan-Imperial Prix. DuPont died at the hospital ten hours later.
DuPont (number 3) goes swerving off the road and into a fence thanks to Nixon (below, number 35)
Before the race had begun, however, Nixon's mechanics had secretly broke into the garage and fiddled with the engine of Pierre DuPont, the most well-known French racer at the event. In the final stretch of the race, Nixon and DuPont were out ahead of the rest of the pack, with just ten miles to go till they reached the finish line in Paris. Turning on a special magnetic device in his car, suddenly DuPont's car burst into flames on the bottom of the chasis, sending the car careening into a fence. Ambulances on the scene pulled a severely wounded DuPont out of the wreckage as Tricky Dick completed the final leg of the race and won the first ever Pan-Imperial Prix. DuPont died at the hospital ten hours later.
DuPont (number 3) goes swerving off the road and into a fence thanks to Nixon (below, number 35)
Despite the fact that he was under investigation for cheating, Nixon hosted a huge party in Paris and droves of Union officials and celebrities were flown in to join the celebration. Over the next two days, an investigation showed that the evidence did indeed point to foul play, and the magnetic device was quickly discovered in his car. Nixon was fuming at a press conference, where he famously and adamantly declared, "I am not a cheater!"
As Paris Police were about to come and arrest him on suspicion of manslaughter or murder, he rushed to the Union embassy in Paris, where he was held up for ten weeks before finally being smuggled back to America on a government airship, saying upon arrival "You won't have old Tricky Dick to kick around anymore, Europe." When asked about the DuPont affair by the Union press, he said, "I'm not going to say what my people may or may not have done. But make no mistake, we Americans are the modern Hebrews, the Chosen People. Those serving Pope and Caesar are the modern goyim. We can do whatever we jolly well like to them because they are rejecting God. And if I was cheating, I wasn't doing it for money. I'm rich already. I did it for the thrill of the sport." That line caused outrage in Europe, and the Principality of Lucca and Piombino banned Union racers forever. Nixon went out and bought his own racing league in the Union (which he named the Union Cup) and raced in that one (he almost always won) driving the number 3 Watergate Engines car. Deaths abounded, and it was wildly popular in the Union. In 1951, his racing league became the first ever to be shown on picture boxes. Citizens spent every Saturday watching the Union Cup with an almost religious devotion.
Nixon wasn't satisfied with the thrills from auto racing, though. In 1950, at his estate in Iowai, he hosted "dogfighting:" several pilots trying to down each other's very small, cheaply built planes with special weak bullets designed to only do very much damage to the primary target, the tail-fin. In 1953, the Union broadcasted the "3rd Annual Dogfighting World Cup," a 4-week event billed as having over 100 aces participating. Oddly, there was no lack of daredevil "volunteers" participating in what was, essentially, a real war. Rumors swirled about them actually being Union Aeroforce pilots being forced to compete to give them much-needed combat training.
It was bloody. Nixon himself, along with camera crews and hosts from all the major channels, stationed themselves in a giant armored airship in the countryside just outside of the Nixon Estate. From there, Nixon would "referee" the event. The folks at home watched the inglorious air-carnage unfold live before their eyes. The ratings were through the roof. The pilots were bailing out left and right with parachutes as their one-man planes tumbled to earth in a spiral of smoke and death.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another night of exciting and thrilling competition. The Knights of the Skies are going at it for the fifth consecutive day now."
"And Team Pennsylvania circles around for the first kill of day 12! The New York team captain deploys his parachute. Chalk up another one for Team Pennsylvania!"
Nixon wasn't satisfied with the thrills from auto racing, though. In 1950, at his estate in Iowai, he hosted "dogfighting:" several pilots trying to down each other's very small, cheaply built planes with special weak bullets designed to only do very much damage to the primary target, the tail-fin. In 1953, the Union broadcasted the "3rd Annual Dogfighting World Cup," a 4-week event billed as having over 100 aces participating. Oddly, there was no lack of daredevil "volunteers" participating in what was, essentially, a real war. Rumors swirled about them actually being Union Aeroforce pilots being forced to compete to give them much-needed combat training.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another night of exciting and thrilling competition. The Knights of the Skies are going at it for the fifth consecutive day now."
"And Team Pennsylvania circles around for the first kill of day 12! The New York team captain deploys his parachute. Chalk up another one for Team Pennsylvania!"
Miraculously, there was not a single death until the sixth day, when a Michiganian pilot failed to bail out of his fiery plane in time and died upon impact. From that point to the end of the competition, there were nine more deaths, three from malfunctioning parachutes. Pennsylvania ended up taking home the trophy for that year. Team New Jersey was considered the biggest loser, having had four of their five pilots die.
Behind the scenes, the whole event was just a Nixon shell shielding government operations. The Union loved the idea of breeding their citizens into blood-lusting war-mongers accustomed to death and battle without them even seeing it coming. After all, the "competition" was just simple military war games, with the bills being footed by Nixon (who wanted publicity for the sake of vanity). The pilots all knew how to crash, jump, shoot, and everything else, so casualties were kept to a minimum. If people tuned in for war games, that was fine with the government. It was free fascist brainwashing. The reaction from the rest of the world was immediate and furious: they demanded the event stop. The President of Virginia declared, "This is the day that we shall all look back on as the day when the Yankees finally snapped. When they finally lost all touch with reality and morality."
Instead of ending it, Joe Steele gave the event his official approval.
Behind the scenes, the whole event was just a Nixon shell shielding government operations. The Union loved the idea of breeding their citizens into blood-lusting war-mongers accustomed to death and battle without them even seeing it coming. After all, the "competition" was just simple military war games, with the bills being footed by Nixon (who wanted publicity for the sake of vanity). The pilots all knew how to crash, jump, shoot, and everything else, so casualties were kept to a minimum. If people tuned in for war games, that was fine with the government. It was free fascist brainwashing. The reaction from the rest of the world was immediate and furious: they demanded the event stop. The President of Virginia declared, "This is the day that we shall all look back on as the day when the Yankees finally snapped. When they finally lost all touch with reality and morality."
So now the RU has its own equivalents of the Hunger Games? Interesting. And those pictures of Nixon... priceless.
Nah, not evil enough. And when a used care salesman isn't evil enough, you know you're talking about a character akin to Satan.
So now the RU has its own equivalents of the Hunger Games? Interesting.
And those pictures of Nixon... priceless.
Sort of/basically, yeah.
Gotta give Zoidberg credit for the Nixon photos. He posted them in the "Things that look AH" thread back in February, and I've had this chapter planned so long that I saved them back then.
These sports truly show how messed up the majority of the Union population has become. Hard to believe Nixon killed a guy with NO remorse whatsoever, and the same goes for the dogfights. Give me car salesman Nixon any day. I imagine the non morally corrupt Unionites are too scared to come out, lest the ORRA gets on their heels.
Also, your welcome for finding those Nixon pics. So, how many more updates until all hell breaks lose?
Hard to believe Nixon killed a guy with NO remorse whatsoever, and the same goes for the dogfights. Give me car salesman Nixon any day. I imagine the non morally corrupt Unionites are too scared to come out, lest the ORRA gets on their heels. Also, your welcome for finding those Nixon pics. So, how many more updates until all hell breaks lose?
Hard to believe Nixon killed a guy with NO remorse whatsoever, and the same goes for the dogfights. Give me car salesman Nixon any day.
I imagine the non morally corrupt Unionites are too scared to come out, lest the ORRA gets on their heels.
So, how many more updates until all hell breaks lose?
That's what happens when people are raised in the Union. It's sort of an objectivism-meets-fascism nation, where everyone puts themselves ahead of others, and then justify themselves using state and cult doctrine and maintain outward religiosity. Almost like some sort of Fascist Satanism.
Pretty much, yeah. It'd be like not groveling before Big Brother in 1984. They know where you live, they know what you think, and they know what you say. Best to just roll with it to make sure you don't get sent to the reeducation camps. "Silence is Golden. Know your Place! Shut your Face!"
There should be two or three more updates before the war. Golden Age Entertainment Part III (movies, TV shows, comics, etc), a chapter about Northern Europe and Russia, and then the war.
I also have a surprise secret chapter that will shock all of you.Have you made any more progress with the Africa/Middle East guest chapters? If not, you could PM me to brainstorm for ideas, since you said you had writer's block. I'll need to know more about Arabia and Egypt before I can tell how the war breaks out.
That's Nixon, alright. Little details like that never cease to amaze me. Have you thought about having this made into a novel or even a TV miniseries? I suggest the simplified title: "Madness".
Don't forget about the Southrons, though; the Union can't really help quickly in Europe like OTL WWs thanks to the Columbian Alliance. If Caesar can crash through the borders quickly enough, it'll at least be a bloody, bloody, stalemate for a long time.
My God--the R.U. are actually turning into the Draka.
Oh, and they're going to get worse. And worse. And worse.
I am indeed planning a series of short stories set in the "Madnessverse."
And maybe when I'm an old experienced guy in 10 years (I'll be... a wizened 28 year-old then ) NBC or SyFy will pick up the pilot. Well, guys, it's my 18th Birthday (Oct. 1st)! Ol' Napo is finally an adult. I'll be seeing you all around the mysteriously vague office we adults all work and drink coffee at (that's how it works right? ).
Since I have all of today off unconditionally, I may put up two or three chapters while I'm stuffing my face with Oreo ice cream cake. I may also upload a couple posters if I can.
). Since I have all of today off unconditionally, I may put up two or three chapters while I'm stuffing my face with Oreo ice cream cake.
I may also upload a couple posters if I can.Well, guys, it's my 18th Birthday (Oct. 1st)! Ol' Napo is finally an adult. I'll be seeing you all around the mysteriously vague office we adults all work and drink coffee at (that's how it works right?
Since I have all of today off unconditionally, I may put up two or three chapters while I'm stuffing my face with Oreo ice cream cake.
Happy birthday!
Also great TL.