A World Of Laughter, A World Of Tears

[pnyckqx]

Cohn WAS pretty manipulative--as well as pretty vile, pretty corrupt, and pretty repulsive--but even he would have found it difficult to stage-manage the Susan Rosenstiel farce. Rosenstiel's "revelation" was published in 1993. Cohn died in 1986.

As far as this being a warning to Hoover, that's also just a bit unlikely, since Hoover himself had died 21 years earlier, in 1972.

Rosenstiel's credibility is suspect--she served jail time for perjury in another matter--and the unsubstantiated Hoover cross-dressing story, while it gave pleasure to a lot of people, seems pure fantasy.

I have to defer to you on this point: The OTL doesn't work out, as you've noted.

I do have the specifics of that case wrong, but again, I wouldn't be surprised if Cohn turned out to be the genesis of these rumors about Hoover.

Cohn's law practice consisted of one maxim:

"Don't tell me what the law says, just tell me the Judge's name."

​

Cohn was pretty successful until he was disbarred. The whole Hoover thing seems to carry his 'personal signature'. I also would not have put it past Cohn to strike from beyond the grave, or to strike against somebody already dead. The guy had a lot of personal scores to settle when AIDS finally did what the rest of the world couldn't.

 

[Wolfpaw]

I've said this before and I'll say this again: Cohn absolutely, positively would not betray J. Edgar Hoover. Period.

Yes, Cohn was a nasty, repulsive little creature, but the was loyal to people until the very end. Trust me, I've read two biographies of the guy (well, one was an autobiography) and own one of his books ("How To Stand Up For Your Rights And Win!"). I've also done extensive reading and research on Jedgar; it sorta comes with the territory of being a McCarthy and Nixon buff.

So let me again say that whatever the dystopia, Cohn's not going to betray Hoover. He idolized the man, even saw him as something of a father figure (Cohn always wanted a father who would be proud of him, and his biological one never was). He didn't care that Hoover was gay, and he knew that outing him would be just as dangerous to himself as it would be to Hoover. Heck, IOTL their relationship ended because Cohn was becoming a liability to Hoover. Cohn understood this and, instead of wrecking his former mentor, ended their relationship with civility.

Now, that being said, Hoover certainly might turn on Cohn and try and throw him under the bus; he was always more ruthless and Machiavellian than Cohn (he just didn't revel in it/wasn't as flamboyant about it as Cohn was).

But again, Cohn betraying Jedgar? Nuh-uh. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[Workable Goblin]

The addition of Bull Connor to the Cabinet makes me wonder who else might make it...Strom Thurmond as Secretary of the Interior? Attorney General? Thomas Power or William Westmoreland at defense?

Besides Westmoreland being somewhat junior, he's also an actual military officer. You don't see many military Secretaries of Defense due to the principle of civilian control of the military. While many have been ex-military, including most prominently Marshall and Forrestal, I can't think of any who were actually officers when nominated.

 

[Don Draper]

That's because you have to have been out of the service for ten years to be eligible to serve as SecDef.

 

[Snarf]

Wouldn't have been Westmoreland. At the time he'd be a Major General and the superintendent at West Point, having just completed a command tour with the 101st Airborne. A rather junior general, but a comer. He'd have needed to season a bit more.

That makes me wonder if somebody like Colin Powell stays in the Army (headed to Ft. Devins, MA at the time from 3rd Armored in Germany), or even manages to get into the Army as an officer, or even gets a chance to finish college.

Powell grew up in New York City, so he wouldn't have had the same pressures he may have experienced had he grown up in the South. Also, his parents were immigrants from Jamaica and he does have some white blood (which may be either an advantage or a liability, depending upon which side of the race divide you're talking to in this TL). The dynamic between West Indies blacks and African Americans (and for that matter between both groups and black Africans) is pretty complicated.

College is still a possibility for him although I doubt he'd find the Army as attractive as in OTL. If he does complete ROTC, he's probably tied down in Cuba with the rest of the military. Which means more of a chance for him to catch a bullet early on, unfortunately (Powell OTL wouldn't see combat until 1962-63, during his first tour as an advisor in Vietnam).

(another divergence: Bob Marley either stays home in poverty--but safety--in Jamaica or adds militant Rastafarianism to the already volatile mix in the USA)

 

[Snarf]

That's because you have to have been out of the service for ten years to be eligible to serve as SecDef.

In this TL the restriction was waived so MacArthur could serve as Disney's SecDef. With the precedent established, the restriction could be waived again for the right (i.e., most desirable to the adminsitration) person. That said, Curtis LeMay would be a really attractive candidate for this administration to draft to the post.

 

[pnyckqx]

In this TL the restriction was waived so MacArthur could serve as Disney's SecDef. With the precedent established, the restriction could be waived again for the right (i.e., most desirable to the adminsitration) person.

Marshall, Ike, MacAuthur, Bradley, Nimitz, would be exceptions to the rule, since being five star flag officers, they NEVER retire. The one exception was Ike when he became President OTL. Even then, Congress restored his commission to him after his term.

OTL, Kennedy reactivated MacAuthur to mediate a dispute between the AAU and the Olympic committee. It was an area where MacAuthur actually had a great deal of expertise.

It took a direct order from LBJ to get MacAuthur to Walter Reed for needed surgery in 64. He was 'escorted' by the Surgeon General of the US. The man had a pathological fear of doctors and hospitals. Since he died at Walter Reed --he didn't get there in time, perhaps it was justified.

 

[Arachnid]

I think Bomber Curt would make an appropriate SecDef for this TL. By the way what is the military situation in this tl, I'm guessing that the budget is higher than OTL with major combat operations in Cuba (how is that going) and without the Eisenhower restraint. I'm guessing SAC and the Navy are pretty much OTL but a larger (and less funding starved) Army due to MacArthur as SecDef and a ongoing war, ditto for the Marines.
However I also suspect that the (racially intergrated) Forces are suffering some internal problems similar to the OTL early 70's, i.e. unpopular guerilla war and racial and social tensions leaking over from Civilian Society leading to a weakening of discipline and poor morale.
I suspect that President Stennis (South African National Party) is going to resegregate the Military as one of his first orders of business, probably while blaming "Race Mixing" for the US's failure to win in Cuba.

 

[Sean Mulligan]

When did the U.S. get involved in Cuba?

 

[Don Draper]

In this TL the restriction was waived so MacArthur could serve as Disney's SecDef. With the precedent established, the restriction could be waived again for the right (i.e., most desirable to the adminsitration) person. That said, Curtis LeMay would be a really attractive candidate for this administration to draft to the post.

Sorry, I forgot that.

 

[Snarf]

I think Bomber Curt would make an appropriate SecDef for this TL. By the way what is the military situation in this tl, I'm guessing that the budget is higher than OTL with major combat operations in Cuba (how is that going) and without the Eisenhower restraint. I'm guessing SAC and the Navy are pretty much OTL but a larger (and less funding starved) Army due to MacArthur as SecDef and a ongoing war, ditto for the Marines.
However I also suspect that the (racially intergrated) Forces are suffering some internal problems similar to the OTL early 70's, i.e. unpopular guerilla war and racial and social tensions leaking over from Civilian Society leading to a weakening of discipline and poor morale.
I suspect that President Stennis (South African National Party) is going to resegregate the Military as one of his first orders of business, probably while blaming "Race Mixing" for the US's failure to win in Cuba.

LeMay would probably balk at some of the racist tendencies of this administration. He was highly resistant to being associated with George Wallace's segregationist policies OTL when he ran with Wallace on the American Independent ticket; LeMay supported Wallace's foreign policy proposals over Nixon's but that was as far as the relationship went (in fact, LeMay probably sabotaged the American Independent ticket with his rhetoric).

However, LeMay as the ultimate Cold Warrior would find the opportunity to reshape the armed forces along his line of thinking irresistible, so he'd hold his nose and take the job. This TL would see the B-70 Valkyrie and increased satellite surveillance (possibly even Blue Gemini and a military manned space program existing alongside the NASA-equivalent).

 

[Arachnid]

I think the fact that LeMay was even on the AIP ticket means he was more than capable of holding his nose and only talking about foreign policy, so I doubt he'd have any trouble taking the job. I'm just not sure it'd be offered.
In the OTL 50's SAC became the dominant branch of the US military, with the exception of the Navy's nuclear program almost everything else got cut to the bone, most especially the Army. The entire US military was orientated around a policy of "Massive Retaliation" and that was Eisenhower's baby, the rest of the Armed forces and the Pentagon hated it but Eisenhower, who has SACEUR knew what the Red Army was capable of, had the credibility to push through with it. Meaning that among other things the Army spent more money developing anti-aircraft weapons (Project Nike) than all Ground Combat Vehicles combined! This meant that SAC and its commanders had a lot of prominence, leading to access to top jobs.
In this TL I really doubt that Disney will be able to overrule his military advisor's in the way that Eisenhower did, so you are going to see not only a bigger military budget but more of it devoted to conventional arms. So while SAC is going to grow, its going to be much smaller slice of a bigger pie, instead the Navy will probably get another Forrestal and keep more of its older warships, the Army will get another Armoured division or two etc. This means that SAC people won't have the prominence that they did in OTL. One butterfly is that the US Army and Marines will do much better when this TL's Vietnam analogue comes around as they won't be Commanded by anti-aircraft experts and equipped with Korean War vintage gear (M-48, M-14). But most importantly the US military won't have gone through two complete policy reversals in 10 years; Conventional War (Korea)>Massive Retaliation>Balanced Force

 

[statichaos]

My fellow Americans,

I have asked our radio and television broadcasters to allow me to come before you tonight for what you could consider to be personal reasons. Mostly I wish to thank you all for what has been the proudest experience of my life, the chance to serve as your leader for the past eight years.

Over the course of my administration, America has faced challenges both at home and abroad unparalleled in the history of this great nation. We have experienced domestic turmoil, international tension, and the vagaries of the stock market that are inevitable in a free market economy. Through it all, I have always tried to face these challenges with a sense of what is right for our country. With a sense of stubbornness bred in me during my Missouri boyhood, with a knowledge that America's best days still lie ahead of us, and with an unwavering faith in God almighty, I have done my absolute best by this country, with the full understanding that I shall not pass this way again.

I will not say that we have fully succeeded in becoming the nation that I envisioned when we set out upon this course. Violence, both racial and otherwise, is still an issue in our communities. Our international relations remain fraught with tension, with old friends and allies now casting a skeptical eye on our desire to spread freedom to all shores. Our victory in Cuba is not yet total. It is evident that America has a long and uncertain road ahead before we become that "shining city on a hill" spoken of by our Pilgrim forefathers.

And yet when history writes its page on this defining moment in American history, let it not be said that we have fallen short for a lack of effort. Let it not be said that our intentions were less than noble, our hearts less than pure. Let it not be said that we aspired to anything less than greatness among the nations. Instead, let it be said that we strove for the stars themselves, and in the words of the poet, "Reached out our hands and touched the face of God".

-From the farewell address of President Walter E. Disney, 1/14/61


I knew who the cabinet picks were before the press did. Why? Roy Cohn has contacts, that's why. I knew people in both parties. Only place I didn't have any sway was the Vice-President's office because Kennedy had appointed that little shit of a brother of his as Chief of Staff, but who cared? Everyone knew that he was just going to use the office as a place for shtupping showgirls and smoking cigars while waiting for Stennis to fatally choke on his own bile.

Crazy choices for the cabinet, though. Thurmond as Attorney General, sure, that made some sense as a sop to the Klan sympathizers who boosted him in the first place, same went for Connor at Racial Affairs. McNamara at Defense surprised everyone, though. I knew that Kennedy would get a say in the cabinet makeup, but I wasn't expecting that serious a post. Of course, Bob and Stennis were simpatico when it came to boosting spending on the military, so it made a strange kind of sense. Gibbons at Labor...interesting. Strong Democrat, but it took about a thousand assurances from Hoover for anyone who had run on a tough on crime platform to okay him. Don't know how Stennis got the old man to go along with that, but I respected it. Besides, I was never as anti-union as Walt was, so I figured that maybe he'd be a good counterbalance to what we'd done over the past eight years.


It was the non-cabinet Surgeon General post that got into surreal territory, though. In the one nod to Democrats who still supported something like racial equality, he gave the spot to my old buddy and former civil rights worker Dr. Frederic Wertham. What with psychiatry becoming downright respectable--hell, fashionable--it made some sense. It was still a pretty controversial choice, but the country was so hungry for a change that they let it go.

Anyway, it came down to inauguration day, the big shebang that everyone was looking forward to if they didn't have a brain in their heads. Me, I got the hell out of town, holed up with an old friend, and got stinking drunk as I watched it all unfold on national television.

-Retired Senator Roy Cohn (R-NY), quoted in Land of Tomorrow: America In The 60s, by Studs Terkel


I was initially reluctant to join in the inaugural protests due to my fear that radical elements would intentionally perform extreme actions in the hopes of eliciting a violent response from the police and other security forces. However, as the leader of the SCLU, it was my responsibility to provide a face for the movement, and to attempt to maintain some semblance of order and discipline within our own ranks. I therefore arrived in Washington, D.C. approximately one week before the festivities were to begin, and spent the next several days attempting to organize our workers and volunteers in an effective manner.

-Liberation: A Memoir, by former President Jerry Brown


"My initial thought was that I would sit in an open convertible with President Disney. I was looking forward to waving at the crowd, and openly showing my face to the protesters in order to communicate the idea that I would not be intimidated by their empty rhetoric. However, the Secret Service convinced me that in that era of constant turmoil, it would be an open invitation to assassination. I was impressed by their ability to give an order to me despite the fact that they technically worked for me."

-President John Stennis, "One Year In The White House", Time Magazine, 1/20/1962


"And here comes the limousine carrying President Disney, Mrs. Disney, President-Elect Stennis, and Mrs. Stennis. The crowds are cheering loudly now as they round the corner."

-ABC Television, 1/20/69


I was proud of our people. They'd managed to form into a coherent group despite being shoved, insulted, and otherwise antagonized by Stennis supporters. Our group kept discipline, held their signs aloft, and made it clear to those who were watching the parade that not everyone in the country supported this shift towards government-approved racial intolerance. While I was attempting to maintain some sense of dignity, I could not help but smile at the extensive turnout by our group and other organizations. I was initially pleased to see Bernadine Dohrn, a young woman who I had thought lost to Tom's group. I had even heard rumors of distance between her and the rest of Tom's people due to what even they considered an overly militant stance. I was glad that I had been misinformed, or so I thought at the time.

-Liberation: A Memoir, former President Jerry Brown



"Hey, I was cool with the protests, and with showing who we really were in our leather jackets and t shirts, not trying to dress up like the squares and pretend to be something that we weren't like Jerry's crowd. But Bernie, she was a bad scene all wrapped up in one feisty teen package. She showed up with us to throw eggs and tomatoes and shit, yeah, but there was something real dangerous in her eyes, something scary. So I told Tom to watch this crazy chick, and he took her aside and talked with her, and oh boy...she took off right away, sputtering about how we were betraying the revolution. Me, I'm all about the revolution, but she wanted to get it through blood and sweat, while I thought that we could make it more fun than that."

-Abbie Hoffman, quoted in The YAF Uprising, Paul Potter, 1990


"And it looks as if the limousine is slowing now as it passes the demonstrators. I can't imagine that this is anything that the Secret Service approves of, so I can only assume that either President Disney or President-Elect Stennis has requested this. The vehicle is still moving, however, and shows no signs of stopping."

-ABC News Inaugural Coverage, 1/20/61


"I was with Kyle, he was a good friend of mine, and another Disney Defender. We decided to keep an eye on a bunch of red protesters, since they looked like they might be trouble. It didn't seem like much at first, since they were mostly just chanting stuff and yammering about peace and racial equality and shi-...er, stuff. But then the motorcade comes by, and they're yelling louder, and this wild-eyed girl pulls something out of her bag. I didn't see what it was, but Kyle was ROTC, and he yelled "Grenade!" and jumped on top of her. And the grenade, it fell, and bounced a little, and then...boom."

-Testimony of Reginald Reeves before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, 3/2/1961



Chaos. Confusion. It's been said that if you were not there, then you don't know what it was like. I've always found that phrase to be a bit trite, but then again, it does manage to sum up the utter futility of attempting to express the situation in words. What do I remember? Chaos. Confusion.

I recall a shout of a word that I couldn't make out, and a young man leaping onto Bernadine's back, taking her down to the ground. Something dropped from her hand and bounced, landing a few feet from her as both she and the man grasped for the object. I began to push my way through the crowd, thinking to summon a police officer to protect Bernadine, and then the explosion. And then nothing for several hours, until I awoke in the hospital handcuffed to a bed and watched over by two Secret Service agents.

-Liberation: A Memoir, former President Jerry Brown


NEWS BULLETIN

EXPLOSION IN CROWD AT INAUGURAL PARADE

EARLY REPORTS STATE PRESIDENT DISNEY, PRESIDENT-ELECT STENNIS UNHARMED.

CASUALTIES UNKNOWN

-AP Bulletin, 1/20/61


"They just waded on in, not asking questions. You had the stupid red on the ground, fuckin' gash blew herself up, and took down one of the tits with her. Hurt a bunch of other people in the process. Me? I ended up on the ground. Cops and Secret Service didn't care, though. They'd been on edge all day, and it was the excuse they needed to start bashing in all the heads they could find, even mine. Even though I was wearing my Stennis For President button!"

-Donald Brewer, quoted in Let Us Hold Our Banner High, Documentary Prize Winner at the Cannes International Film Festival, 2002


And the children cried for justice,
And the old men sat and stared
Till the anger was a righteous roaring flood
Then they traveled on the buses
To the city of despair
And the alabaster streets ran red with blood

-"City of Freedom", Phil Ochs, 1962



"President Stennis was taken with President Disney to an undisclosed location, where the oath of office was administered at 1:25 p.m. by Chief Justice Warren in accordance with law and tradition. Despite the actions of those who would attempt to destroy our way of life, the orderly transfer of power has occurred."

-White House Press Secretary Evan Mecham, 1/20/61



"Walter, I believe that Washington, D.C. can best be described as a city under siege. While the Secret Service is not making any comment at this time, this is obviously a major situation for them, and we can assume that they are being fully briefed on all developments.

"In the meantime, however, there seems to be some confusion about who exactly is in charge of the near-rioting that has broken out in the wake of the assassination attempt. There have been reports of Washington, D.C. police striking out indiscriminately. At this very moment, protesters have gathered in Lafayette Park across from the White House, but are being watched closely by what looks to be an entire division of Marines standing guard. Excuse me...

"Yes, I understand, but I'm with CBS News....

"Yes. Walter, we have a situation. One of the Park Service representatives is telling us that we have to move for security reasons.

"Do you have a supervisor I can speak with?

"Wait, wait! Hold on! Hold on! You can't do that! Walter, if you can hear me, I am being forcibly dragged away by two local police officers who are threatening to arrest me and my producer if we stay here. As you may be able to see...."

(TRANSMISSION ENDS)

-CBS News Report, 1/20/1961

 

[maverick]

(TRANSMISSION ENDS)

Holy Fucking shit!

*more later*

McNamara

Stennis appointing a Republican? Interesting. The influence of Papa Joe and Robert Lovett remain as IOTL.

Dr. Frederic Werthram

Werthram, I hate that guy

boom."

Holy fucking shit!

 

[Aranfan]

Well fuck.

 

[statichaos]

Holy Fucking shit!

*more later*



Stennis appointing a Republican? Interesting. The influence of Papa Joe and Robert Lovett remain as IOTL.

Yeah, pretty much. Besides, it's always good politics to appoint someone from the other side of the aisle to a cabinet post, just as long as it's one where you agree.

 

[Redem]

At this moment people from this timeline should be suprise if nothing disastreous happen when they go somewhere

 

[Japhy]

First reference of the YAF Revolt, figure thats what we're seeing the start of now? Or is this just a Prequel to something worse, and later?

 

[statichaos]

At this moment people from this timeline should be suprise if nothing disastreous happen when they go somewhere

Interesting thing, though, is that the vast majority of Americans are simply going about their lives like they always did, with only the issues that they see in the headlines to worry them. Of course, writing about them wouldn't make for as interesting a story.

 

[theReturner]

It's funny, but President Disney still sounds strange to me.

But, that I find most interesting is this.

-President John Stennis, "One Year In The White House", Time Magazine, 1/20/1962

I'm not sure if it mean Stennis serves at least one year, or just a year.