Blue Skies in Camelot: An Alternate 60's and Beyond

[TheDetailer]

What will happen with Spitting Image ITTL?

 

[JamesHunter]

What will happen with Spitting Image ITTL?

Well that's a decade away. Probably very different people being parodied but its usual self otherwise?

 

[USS_Ward]

Did the RN get the funds to refit and modernize HMS Eagle and Ark Royal in this timeline? If so the Falklands may go differently for the brits this time.

 

[President_Lincoln]

What exactly is the structure of the reforming Chinese economy? Is Zhou trying a shift to locally-run cooperatives or some kind of heavily state-regulated semi-privatized thing going on?

One thing Zhou could do to fix the Chinese economy is to institute a form of workers' self-management. Basically, have the state-owned industries and the central planners open dialogue with representatives of various industrial and agricultural communities. The government essentially negotiates with the people to figure out how to go forward with the economy. Downside for Zhou is that this makes keeping control of the state more difficult long-term and is very much against the precepts of Stalinist/Maoist communism, and could limit the speed of industrial development, plus side is that it means much less energy needs to be wasted suppressing dissent and industrial development will likely be more stable and sustainable.

Another good idea would be a massive education initiative--one focused on educating the populace as a whole rather than re-instituting hypercompetitive exams. If he front-loads this with subtle government propaganda, he can probably mix this with self-management to raise the next generation as loyal and reasonably educated Party men. It won't last forever but it buys time for the Party and state without forcing them to borrow heavily to support a massive industrial program and nationalist propaganda initiative, and reduces the need for cartoon villain levels of repression.

Essentially, Zhou is performing similar reforms to the ones Alexei Kosygin and his supporters in the Soviet Union passed ITTL's Mid-1960's. Namely, Zhou is introducing reforms to move the PRC's economy toward the model of market socialism. What this means, in practice, is continued state ownership and supervision of the commanding heights of the economy: heavy industry; energy; and infrastructure; while simultaneously decentralizing decision making, which will give local leaders and managers more freedom to make decisions and respond to the actual needs of the people on the ground. (Similar to the programs you described above, @Worffan101!) Basic entrepreneurship and private ownership are slowly being experimented with in the service sector and other lighter industries, and the market is, for the first time in the PRC, allowed to set prices for consumer goods and agricultural products. No longer forced into harsh collectivization, farmers are allowed to sell some of their products on the open market, and even keep some of their profit as incentive to increase and improve their productivity. While you're right that this could lead to future difficulties controlling the state and is largely an about-face on Maoist Communism, Zhou has always been more pragmatic than ideological. While these reforms have not led to freely floating prices on all goods, they have already shown a marked improvement in output and growth over Mao's centralized, Stalinist model. Though this style of policy was overturned ITTL's Soviet Union during Yuri Andropov's takeover in 1968, just as they were starting to markedly improve the Soviet economy, Zhou hopes, as he slowly withers away from cancer, that his successors will leave his reforms in place, and allow China to grow in a more moderate, "sane" direction.

I do think Zhou would likely also institute major reforms in education, as you point out, Worffan. This will likely manifest as a "common school" movement, with a strong emphasis on technical literacy and, as you mention, more subtle government propaganda. Zhou was not perfect, nor was he above using force to put down protests, but it is definitely in line with his more serene methodology to try and prevent riots and protests before they occur. As TTL's 1970's reach their later half, Zhou's efforts to reform education in China have produced mixed results, as many in the more poor and rural segments of the country continue to lag behind the west (especially a dominant USA). That being said, the country is slowly, but surely recovering from the failures of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. By the time of Zhou's passing on January 8th, 1978, the People's Republic of China was already showing signs of renewed strength. His successor, Hu Yaobang, would continue to pursue market socialist reforms and increased political liberalization as the 1980's approached.

 

[Worffan101]

Oh boy, this is gonna be a fun ride...

 

[Darth_Kiryan]

Will Zhou do a better job than Deng OTL?

 

[AeroTheZealousOne]

Will Zhou do a better job than Deng OTL?

The better question to ask would be "Will Hu Yaobang do a better job than Deng OTL?", since it's been hinted at immensely that Zhou Enlai does not have all that long to live ITTL.

workers' self-management

And now I'll be resisting the urge to joke about the mere concept of "Titoist China", even if this isn't the most accurate label to apply to this world's China of the '70s and '80s.

 

[Bookmark1995]

One thing Zhou could do to fix the Chinese economy is to institute a form of workers' self-management. Basically, have the state-owned industries and the central planners open dialogue with representatives of various industrial and agricultural communities. The government essentially negotiates with the people to figure out how to go forward with the economy. Downside for Zhou is that this makes keeping control of the state more difficult long-term and is very much against the precepts of Stalinist/Maoist communism, and could limit the speed of industrial development, plus side is that it means much less energy needs to be wasted suppressing dissent and industrial development will likely be more stable and sustainable.

Another good idea would be a massive education initiative--one focused on educating the populace as a whole rather than re-instituting hypercompetitive exams. If he front-loads this with subtle government propaganda, he can probably mix this with self-management to raise the next generation as loyal and reasonably educated Party men. It won't last forever but it buys time for the Party and state without forcing them to borrow heavily to support a massive industrial program and nationalist propaganda initiative, and reduces the need for cartoon villain levels of repression.

So would it be Maoism with a Titoist flavor?

 

[Worffan101]

So would it be Maoism with a Titoist flavor?

More like a flimsy veneer of democracy and some legitimate concern for the people to cover for the state apparatus that is by now entrenched.

 

[Bookmark1995]

More like a flimsy veneer of democracy and some legitimate concern for the people to cover for the state apparatus that is by now entrenched.

"Yes, my comrades, you have a choice. A choice between....getting shot and not getting shot. Sound fair?"

 

[Worffan101]

"Yes, my comrades, you have a choice. A choice between....getting shot and not getting shot. Sound fair?"

More like "OK, tell me what you think what will be a good idea, and I'll think about it and tell you what we're gonna do".

 

[Bookmark1995]

More like "OK, tell me what you think what will be a good idea, and I'll think about it and tell you what we're gonna do".

I don't know. saying "the choice is between being shot and not being shot" seems to describe "people's republics" in a nutshell.

 

[Worffan101]

I don't know. saying "the choice is between being shot and not being shot" seems to describe "people's republics" in a nutshell.

Well yeah, but what I'm proposing is basically a veneer of "you can raise objections with me" over that choice between being shot or not being shot.

 

[Bookmark1995]

Well yeah, but what I'm proposing is basically a veneer of "you can raise objections with me" over that choice between being shot or not being shot.

Well, I find that more in the system of "complaint boxes" and "student surveys".

 

[Bbone91]

Well, I find that more in the system of "complaint boxes" and "student surveys".

“Please fill out the provided complaint forms and mail them to your local constabulary. Expect a response in three to five months saying you filled them out wrong, and have to redo your complaint. Thank you, your feedback makes this country greater!”

 

[Christian]

So compared to OTL, China's economic growth is gonna be slower than Deng's China?

 

[GSD310]

I’m just catching up on the situation in China ITTL. The prospect of a Chairman Hu Yaobang is an interesting and intriguing one. I’d like to see how he does economically but I’d like to see how he does in terms of political reforms even more with no Deng to put a check on him.

 

[President_Lincoln]

Pop Culture in 1976 - “We’re on a Mission From God!” ​

Above: John Belushi and Dan Akyroyd as “The Blues Brothers”; the pair made their debut as characters on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this year. Akyroyd, who was also beloved for his impersonations of President Bush, also capped off a tremendous year of playing the President when he “clashed” with Congressman Mo Udall (impersonated by co-star Chevy Chase) in a series of debates held every Saturday Night after their real-life counterparts.


Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1976 (Top Ten):

1. “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” - The Four Seasons
   
   
2. “Play That Funky Music” - Wild Cherry
   
   
3. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” - Elton John and Kiki Dee
   
   
4. “Silly Love Songs” - The Beatles
   
   
5. “Love Hurts” - Elvis Presley
   
   
6. “The Hustle” - Van McCoy
   
   
7. “If You Leave Me Now” - Chicago Transit Authority
   
   
8. “Rockin’ All Over the World - John Fogerty
   
   
9. “Evil Woman” - Electric Light Orchestra
   
   
10. “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” - The Ramones

News in Music​

January 5th - The Beatles’ road manager, Mal Evans, is shot and killed by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determined was an air rifle. Deeply mourning the loss of their friend, the band begin to question whether or not they should take another hiatus from touring.

March 9th - Keith Moon of the Who collapses onstage during a concert at Boston Garden. Though he is rushed to a nearby hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival of a drug induced heart attack. Though the other members of the band briefly considered disbanding, they decided that that wasn’t what Keith would have wanted. They instead hire former Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham to be their new drummer. Moon was only 29 years old.

RIP Keith Moon
Aug. 23rd, 1946 - March 9th, 1976​

April 17th - The Ramones release their eponymous debut album, which features the hit singles “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”; this effectively launches Punk Rock as we know it. The genre is largely seen as a rejection of mid 70’s excess in Rock music, and an attempt to bring Rock back to its more rebellious roots.


April 29th - Rock superstar Bruce Springsteen’s dreams come true when he is invited by his hero and idol, the King of Rock N Roll Elvis Presley to perform a once in a lifetime concert with him in Memphis to a screaming stadium of more than 25,000 fans. The nearly five hour, one and only joint performance of The Boss and the King was blessedly recorded for posterity and would later be released as a live album box-set, shared by their estates. Most notable on the record are their duets on “Suspicious Minds”, “Promised Land”, and “Born to Run”.

May 19th - Tragedy strikes rock music once again as the Rolling Stones’ lead guitarist Keith Richards, is killed in a horrific car crash northwest of London while severely under the influence of cocaine. In an effort to keep the band going despite their loss (and inadvertently taking a page from the Who), Richards would ultimately be replaced by former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Richards was 32 years old.

RIP Keith Richards
Dec. 18th, 1943 - May 19th, 1976​

June 18th - ABBA perform “Dancing Queen” for the first time on Swedish television on the eve of the wedding of King Carl XVI Gustav to Silvia Sommerlath.


July 4th - Many outdoor music festivals are held across the United States to celebrate its bicentennial. Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and others fill stadiums the nation over. This magnificent display of music inspires Springsteen to write one of his biggest hits, the poignantly patriotic “Born in the USA”.


August 5th - Guitar god Eric Clapton arouses immense controversy and is booed offstage in Manchester, UK, when during a concert there he announces his support for Enoch Powell’s positions on immigration, and uses multiple racial slurs and slogans, including “Keep Britain White”.


August 25th - Comprised of former M.I.T. student and Polaroid employee Tom Scholz as lead songwriter and guitarist, Brad Delp as lead vocalist, Barry Gordeau on Bass, and drummer Jim Masdea, Boston-based rock band Mother’s Milk released their eponymous debut album. Its hit songs “More Than a Feeling”, “Peace of Mind”, “Foreplay/Long Time” and others would see it become the highest selling debut record of all time.


September 25th - Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr. form the Irish Rock band Feedback in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. They would go on to become one of the preeminent bands of the following decade.


October 8th - English punk rock group the Sex Pistols sign a contract with Apple Records.


November 23rd - Early Rock N Roll star Jerry Lee Lewis is arrested after showing up drunk at Graceland in Memphis and demanding to see Elvis Presley. Presley declined his request, though he did meet with Lewis the following morning and helped to get his old contemporary checked into a nearby rehab center right away.


December 1st - Australian hard rock band AC/DC, whose blues inspired sound would make them rock legends throughout their career, release their first international album, High Voltage.

1976 in Film - The Year’s Biggest​

Rocky - Sports Drama. Directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Slyvester Stallone. Perhaps the most popular sports film of all time (not to mention one of cinema’s most inspiring stories ever), Rocky tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted working class Italian-American boxer, working as a debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. His life changes forever when world champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) challenges Rocky, an amateur club fighter, to a bout for the championship. Easily the highest grossing film of the year, Rocky would also win the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 49th Academy Awards the following year (1977), and cement Stallone as a major, totally unexpected Hollywood Star.

Midway - War film. Directed by Jack Smigt and starring an international cast of stars including Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Toshiro Mifune, Midway was the subject of mixed reviews upon its release, but was insanely popular at the box office. It was so successful that it launched the on-again, off-again trend in Hollywood of the big budget war picture once more. The film is also credited for pioneering the use of senusound to bring the engines, explosions, and gunfire closer to life than any war film before it.


A Star is Born - Musical/Romantic Drama. Directed by Frank Pierson and starring Elvis Presley and Olivia Newton-John. A beautifully told story about a self destructive rock star (Presley) and the up and coming young singer who both saves his life and falls in love with him (Newton-John), A Star is Born won both critical and commercial acclaim and launched the career of Newton-John while maintaining Presley’s film career.


Taxi Driver - Neo-noir/Psychological Thriller. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Robert Duvall, and Cybill Shepherd. Set in a decaying and morally bankrupt New York City in the aftermath of the Wars in Cambodia and Rhodesia, the film tells the story of a lonely, disenfranchised veteran (De Niro), working as a taxi driver, as he descends into insanity as he plans to murder both the Presidential candidate (Duvall) for whom the woman he is infatuated with (Shepherd) works, and the pimp of an underaged prostitute (Foster) he befriends. Dark, gripping, and inspired by a combination of Scorsese’s personal experiences and the testimony of Presidential assassin Arthur Bremer, the film is extremely controversial when it was released, and is widely ignored at the box office and condemned by some media outlets. It does win accolades at independent festivals however.

News in Television and Film Throughout the Year​

49th Academy Award Winners (March 29th, 1976):


Best Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Best Director: Milos Forman - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Best Actor: Leonard Nimoy - Randall McMurphy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Best Actress: Louise Fletcher - Nurse Ratched, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Best Supporting Actor: Burgess Meredith - Harry Greener, The Day of the Locust

Best Supporting Actress: Sylvia Miles - Jessie Halstead Florian, Farewell, My Lovely

Best Original Screenplay: Dog Day Afternoon - Frank Pierson

Best Adapted Screenplay: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - Bo Goldman and Lawrence Hauben, based on the novel by Ken Kesey.

Above: Leonard Nimoy, 1976’s winner of the “Best Actor” Award​

August 11th - The Shootist, arguably one of the greatest Western films ever made, is released. Starring Henry Fonda in the titular role as an aging gunslinger lamenting the end of the Wild West, the film would also star Jimmy Stewart, an old friend of Fonda’s as his character’s old friend as well. Today, the film is considered a fitting send off to the “Golden Age” of Hollywood westerns.


November 19th - Michael Eisner becomes President and CEO of Paramount Pictures.


Throughout the Year - Matsushita introduces the VHS home video cassette recorder to compete with Sony’s Beta-max System.

1976 in Sport​

Super Bowl X - The Dallas Cowboys, led once again by their Quarterback “Captain America” Roger Staubach, edged out Archie Manning’s Pittsburgh Steelers, 21 - 17.

Baseball​

April 17th - Mike Schmidt of the Phillies hit four consecutive home runs in a game against the Chicago Cubs.


World Series - The “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds win their second straight World Series championship, sweeping the New York Yankees in four games.

NBA Finals
​

The Boston Celtics beat out the Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 1.

Boxing​

“The Greatest of All Time” Muhammad Ali defends his World Championship belt in a globally televised match against Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium.

Hockey - The Stanley Cup​

The Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Philadelphia Flyers.


Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Mo Udall - The “Conscience of the House” managed to lead an insurgent, grassroots campaign to capture the Democratic nomination and thereafter the Presidency, and inspired a “people powered” revolution in American politics to do it.

Other Headlines, Through the Year:​

President Ricardo Balbin of Argentina declined to seek reelection in 1977, instead allowing his Vice President, Carlos Humberto Perette to run as the nominee of the centrist Radical Civil Union.

June 3rd 1976 - Philip K. Dick publishes his third and final Alternate History Novel, Without the Winters Rye. Set in a world where there is no Cold War, due to the Russian Revolution being narrowly avoided, the story follows reporter Todd Philips, who is in New York to cover the visit of newly crowned King Arthur I, son of the late King Edward VIII and Queen Anastasia Romanov. However, it soon becomes a race against time as Philips discovers a small-conspiracy, led by a group of individuals who practice a forgotten political ideology called Communism, who seek to assassinate the British monarch upon his arrival, while Philips is desperate to save him. An instant bestseller upon its release, the novel, often regarded by fans as Dick’s best work, is however quickly banned in the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, the novel would quickly cement Philip K. Dick’s legacy as the ‘Father of the Alternate History’ genre, inspiring various other authors to dip their feet in the genre, including a young 27-year-old author from Los Angeles, named Harry Turtledove and a 33-year-old Georgian by the name of Newt Gingrich, both of whom are known today for their works of alternate history, following in the footsteps of Philip K. Dick.

The CN Tower is completed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


The first commercial Concorde flight is completed in the United Kingdom.


The “Son of Sam” serial killer terrorized New York City. Mayor Herman Badillo swore that he would be brought to justice.


The $2 Bill, featuring an image of President Thomas Jefferson, is reissued in the United States as a cost-saving measure.

Next Time on Blue Skies in Camelot: ACT III BEGINS


​

OOC: And just like that, we come to the end of Act II of Blue Skies in Camelot! Thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart for your continued readership and ceaseless support. I had no idea when I began this project almost two full years ago that it would turn into such a major part of my life and I'm so thankful for each and every one of you for making it as successful and fun as it has been so far.

With this being the end of Act II, The Seesaw Seventies, expect the beginning of Act III, Progress and Prosperity, sometime within the next month or so. I'm hoping I can start the new thread (and Act III) on the Two Year Anniversary of Blue Skies as a whole. I will also be adding the completed Acts I and II to the "finished timelines" forum soon. In the meantime, please continue to use this thread to discuss the TL. I will continue to follow it and try to provide updates and answer questions as frequently/quickly as possible given my busy schedule. We also have a picture/prediction thread going on in chat. I look forward to talking with all of you and uploading new updates in the near future.

I wish you all the very best,
President_Lincoln

 

[cmakk1012]

Aw, no, not Keith Moon! IOTL he died from a tragic accidental overdose of anti-smoking medication, trying to quit his addictions IIRC. Did something similar happen ITTL?

 

[HesitatedEye]

Great update although you have just killed the only good joke in Wayne's World 2 and Johnny Depp's inspiration of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean but as I enjoy this story so much it's a small price to pay.