Thank you very much! It was tricky doing it, but worth it. And now things in the Middle East are pretty okay all things considered! Of course, this just leads to more attention ging elsewhere!
For a Gore Prosperous Tomorrow
- Thread starter CountDVB
- Start date
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- Tags
- 9/11 al gore alternate 2000s
Thank you very much! It was tricky doing it, but worth it. And now things in the Middle East are pretty okay all things considered! Of course, this just leads to more attention ging elsewhere!
Well, there's still plenty of stuff left to come. Look back at Spring 2014... and also wonder what has been missing that could make an appearance...
McCain Administration- Spring 2014
Spring 2014
"Looks like McCain is finally putting down the hammer on Russia..."
"Unsurprisingly, the GOP tried to mess with campaign finance regulations..."
"Boko Haram... just the next bunch of terrorists to take care of..."
Meanwhile, with the victory over in the Middle East giving some much needed assistance for the Republican Party's stance over in the United States with the failures of the domestic economic policies in dealing with the Recession. And other foreign affairs were giving the McCain Administration ample opportunites to try and divert the problems of the sluggish economy. And perhaps that was none other than Russia. With the Ukraine Revolution coming in and changing the game, Putin responded wit supporting the countermovements, up to where Russian forces try to reinforce the forces in and even plans came in to try to annex the Crimean peninsula. Despite the supposed coting, the rush of Russian forces made the whole thing seem like an invasion and furthermore, the Tatar people were not considered for counsel and were not happy with the Russians coming to say the least. Infuriated by such a bold move, the McCain Administration swiftly moved to impose harsh sanctions over on Russia as a result of their invasion along with prior actions in Georiga, including accusations of promoting insurgencies within nations. While they did affect Russia as a whole, the primary target were the businesses and associates related to Vladimir Putin and his associates. At the same time, the Americans began promoting ties over with Ukraine and the new administration. All the while, the McCain Administration was trying to convince Europe to follow along with it and sanction Russia, which most of them would go and do so. Other nations that dido so include Japan and Canada. The Americans were even making discussions over with leaders in the Middle East and even China for potential sanction ideas, the former in regards to the support of Syria and later the Arab Civil War while also in regards to Iran's past conflicts with Russia. With China, it was in regards to weaken the long time rival. This also carried some bigger messages. The McCain Adminsitration did adhere to the environmentalism of Gore to some degree and that angle assisting in the framing. Besides pointing out Russia's threat in cybersecurity, the portrayals of the nation as a cartel of oil helped out a fair bit. All in all, it was looking matters worsen for Russia.
Signing of the Treaty on the adoption of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia. Left to right: S. Aksyonov, V. Konstantinov, V. Putin and A. Chalyi.
Victory rang out over for the GOP in working to try and isolate Russia for their behavior, defeat rang for them in a court case over in the Supreme Court. Back in October of the prior year, a case was brought in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. The background involved McCutcheon, a businessman who was a self-declared activist for the Republican Party and donated plenty of money over in the past several years. At a 2011 Young Conservatives Coalition event, McCutcheon met attorney and campaign finance expert Dan Backer, who would play a major role in encouraging McCutcheon to file suit against the FEC. As of September 2012, McCutcheon had given $33,088 to sixteen federal candidates and over $25,000 in non-candidate contributions during the 2011-2012 cycle. McCutcheon intended on donating to an additional twelve federal candidates, bringing his contribution total over the federal aggregate limit on federal candidates. McCutcheon filed suit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC), where he was joined in his lawsuit by some members of the Republican National Committee. They hoped maybe that they could convince some of the Dems and use some different wording to convince their case. Unsurprisingly, the Supreme Court ruled that no, aggregate contribution limits to campaign finance did not violate the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. However, what this did succeed in was furthering the fissures and cracks within the GOP. McCain was not exactly pleased that some of the folk of his own political party tried to mess with campaign contributions and the newer blood were definitely upset to say the least. The divide between the neocons and the few successors they had left against the growing number of new ecoconservatives, former Blue Dogs and more centralists grew and the latter side was the dominant bit by this point. Furthermore, the showcase just made it a smear over on the Republican and worked to paint the party in a negative light, which the Democrats were eager to utilize on them in regards. McCutcheon meanwhile was given a bit of a disgraceful view.
McCutcheon approaching Supreme Court Case
With the Supreme Court case being pretty shown a loss for the Republicans, there came a desire to try and continue the successes in foreign affairs. Peace achieved in the Middle East was an upset for the warhawks since it meant one less matter for the citizens to utilize as a distraction from the sluggish economic recovery and that the Adminsitration in charge will be held responsible for the failures in doing so. Of course, while the Middle East was relatively stable and the stronger powers there worked toard reforms and squashing out the reforms, other nations weren't as lucky. Boko Haram would become a name known to the people, the name of an extremist terrorist cell over in Africa. On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. Responsibility for the kidnappings was claimed by Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria. The shocking news provided major upsets, especially the follow-ups in regards to some of the girls escaping and what has been happening. Non-Muslim students were forced to convert. The girls were forced into marriage with members of Boko Haram, with a reputed "bride price" of ₦2,000 each ($6/£4). Many of the students were taken to the neighbouring countries of Chad and Cameroon, with sightings reported of the students crossing borders with the militants, and sightings of the students by villagers living in the Sambisa Forest. The forest was considered a refuge for Boko Haram. Local residents were able to track the movements of the students with the help of contacts across north eastern Nigeria. A diary described how some girls escaped but were returned to Boko Haram by local villagers and even whipped. The British began preparations for Operation Turus in response though the Americans along with various other nations, including those in the Middle East lent financial support or even ground troops for it. The Royal Air Force offered rescue though while the Nigerian government initially declined due to matters of national issues, however, the Americans along with other support came in and insisted on helping, pointing out the successes in the Middle East along with the possible backlash the administration would receive. Furthermore, various Middle Eastern powers chimed in and additional economic pressure was added. It was all enough for them to accept the assistance while similar practices and workarounds were done to target Boko Haram in surronding nations like Cameroon, Chad and Niger and thus RAF augmented with American troops, Israel forces and others came in for Operation Turus. The next several weeks saw Boko Haram be hunted down through planes and spydroens while special forces came in. The affair was relatively quick and brutal, with the goal being the safety of the girls and the execution of Boko Haram. Most of the girls were rescued and those that weren't were given proper burials and their deaths avenged as Boko Haram began dwindling in numbers. As for the girls themselves, some were returned home while others would reject returning due to fears of being shunned by their communities for sexual assault. Those that refused would have differing fates, with some adopted by soldiers or taken in by churches or mosques. However, this served as the first chapter in for more American intervention against terrorism, this time in Africa.
Parents of some of the victims of the 2014 Chibok kidnapping mourn their losses.
...
...
...
...
"BREAKING NEWS! HUGE PROTESTS BREAKING OUT IN WALL STREET!"
"Looks like McCain is finally putting down the hammer on Russia..."
"Unsurprisingly, the GOP tried to mess with campaign finance regulations..."
"Boko Haram... just the next bunch of terrorists to take care of..."
Meanwhile, with the victory over in the Middle East giving some much needed assistance for the Republican Party's stance over in the United States with the failures of the domestic economic policies in dealing with the Recession. And other foreign affairs were giving the McCain Administration ample opportunites to try and divert the problems of the sluggish economy. And perhaps that was none other than Russia. With the Ukraine Revolution coming in and changing the game, Putin responded wit supporting the countermovements, up to where Russian forces try to reinforce the forces in and even plans came in to try to annex the Crimean peninsula. Despite the supposed coting, the rush of Russian forces made the whole thing seem like an invasion and furthermore, the Tatar people were not considered for counsel and were not happy with the Russians coming to say the least. Infuriated by such a bold move, the McCain Administration swiftly moved to impose harsh sanctions over on Russia as a result of their invasion along with prior actions in Georiga, including accusations of promoting insurgencies within nations. While they did affect Russia as a whole, the primary target were the businesses and associates related to Vladimir Putin and his associates. At the same time, the Americans began promoting ties over with Ukraine and the new administration. All the while, the McCain Administration was trying to convince Europe to follow along with it and sanction Russia, which most of them would go and do so. Other nations that dido so include Japan and Canada. The Americans were even making discussions over with leaders in the Middle East and even China for potential sanction ideas, the former in regards to the support of Syria and later the Arab Civil War while also in regards to Iran's past conflicts with Russia. With China, it was in regards to weaken the long time rival. This also carried some bigger messages. The McCain Adminsitration did adhere to the environmentalism of Gore to some degree and that angle assisting in the framing. Besides pointing out Russia's threat in cybersecurity, the portrayals of the nation as a cartel of oil helped out a fair bit. All in all, it was looking matters worsen for Russia.
Signing of the Treaty on the adoption of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia. Left to right: S. Aksyonov, V. Konstantinov, V. Putin and A. Chalyi.
Victory rang out over for the GOP in working to try and isolate Russia for their behavior, defeat rang for them in a court case over in the Supreme Court. Back in October of the prior year, a case was brought in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. The background involved McCutcheon, a businessman who was a self-declared activist for the Republican Party and donated plenty of money over in the past several years. At a 2011 Young Conservatives Coalition event, McCutcheon met attorney and campaign finance expert Dan Backer, who would play a major role in encouraging McCutcheon to file suit against the FEC. As of September 2012, McCutcheon had given $33,088 to sixteen federal candidates and over $25,000 in non-candidate contributions during the 2011-2012 cycle. McCutcheon intended on donating to an additional twelve federal candidates, bringing his contribution total over the federal aggregate limit on federal candidates. McCutcheon filed suit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC), where he was joined in his lawsuit by some members of the Republican National Committee. They hoped maybe that they could convince some of the Dems and use some different wording to convince their case. Unsurprisingly, the Supreme Court ruled that no, aggregate contribution limits to campaign finance did not violate the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. However, what this did succeed in was furthering the fissures and cracks within the GOP. McCain was not exactly pleased that some of the folk of his own political party tried to mess with campaign contributions and the newer blood were definitely upset to say the least. The divide between the neocons and the few successors they had left against the growing number of new ecoconservatives, former Blue Dogs and more centralists grew and the latter side was the dominant bit by this point. Furthermore, the showcase just made it a smear over on the Republican and worked to paint the party in a negative light, which the Democrats were eager to utilize on them in regards. McCutcheon meanwhile was given a bit of a disgraceful view.
McCutcheon approaching Supreme Court Case
With the Supreme Court case being pretty shown a loss for the Republicans, there came a desire to try and continue the successes in foreign affairs. Peace achieved in the Middle East was an upset for the warhawks since it meant one less matter for the citizens to utilize as a distraction from the sluggish economic recovery and that the Adminsitration in charge will be held responsible for the failures in doing so. Of course, while the Middle East was relatively stable and the stronger powers there worked toard reforms and squashing out the reforms, other nations weren't as lucky. Boko Haram would become a name known to the people, the name of an extremist terrorist cell over in Africa. On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. Responsibility for the kidnappings was claimed by Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria. The shocking news provided major upsets, especially the follow-ups in regards to some of the girls escaping and what has been happening. Non-Muslim students were forced to convert. The girls were forced into marriage with members of Boko Haram, with a reputed "bride price" of ₦2,000 each ($6/£4). Many of the students were taken to the neighbouring countries of Chad and Cameroon, with sightings reported of the students crossing borders with the militants, and sightings of the students by villagers living in the Sambisa Forest. The forest was considered a refuge for Boko Haram. Local residents were able to track the movements of the students with the help of contacts across north eastern Nigeria. A diary described how some girls escaped but were returned to Boko Haram by local villagers and even whipped. The British began preparations for Operation Turus in response though the Americans along with various other nations, including those in the Middle East lent financial support or even ground troops for it. The Royal Air Force offered rescue though while the Nigerian government initially declined due to matters of national issues, however, the Americans along with other support came in and insisted on helping, pointing out the successes in the Middle East along with the possible backlash the administration would receive. Furthermore, various Middle Eastern powers chimed in and additional economic pressure was added. It was all enough for them to accept the assistance while similar practices and workarounds were done to target Boko Haram in surronding nations like Cameroon, Chad and Niger and thus RAF augmented with American troops, Israel forces and others came in for Operation Turus. The next several weeks saw Boko Haram be hunted down through planes and spydroens while special forces came in. The affair was relatively quick and brutal, with the goal being the safety of the girls and the execution of Boko Haram. Most of the girls were rescued and those that weren't were given proper burials and their deaths avenged as Boko Haram began dwindling in numbers. As for the girls themselves, some were returned home while others would reject returning due to fears of being shunned by their communities for sexual assault. Those that refused would have differing fates, with some adopted by soldiers or taken in by churches or mosques. However, this served as the first chapter in for more American intervention against terrorism, this time in Africa.
Parents of some of the victims of the 2014 Chibok kidnapping mourn their losses.
...
...
...
...
"BREAKING NEWS! HUGE PROTESTS BREAKING OUT IN WALL STREET!"
McCain Administration- Occupy Wall Street 2014
Occupy Wall Street
Some traced the movement to the Adbusters call for it while others say it was born more because of the lack of visibility of certain running officials. However, at the core of it, it was all because of the frustration and anger at the people. Since the Great Recession starting in 2010, the economic recovery has been slow and sluggish for the Aemricans. While the Canadians managed to bounce back quicker thanks to Prime Minister Jack Layton, the US was not so lucky. The Republicans were reluctant tp push for stimulus and kept rpessing supply side economics and hoping the tax cuts would magically be the solution. Resentment and anger grew slowly but surely over time. However, the rise of social media also changed the name of the game. Smaller protests have broken out before, but this... this was meant to be something bolder and new. They bided their time, letting the anger grow and manifest. It could not just be a mere explosion... it would be an ongoing firestorm. As such, social media grew abuzz and preparations were made.
And so in the Summer of 2014, Wall Street became flooded with a massive protest along other locales of the United States. A large cry united the various peoples.'
'
"We are the 99%"
It was a reference to the massive income equality that was present within the system. On how 1% of the population held a massive bulk of the wealth disproportionate to the rest of the population. On how the various problems of banks and certain officials had failed them with the crashing economy and how the government failed in passing meaningful legislation to combat the problem. Additionally, scathing accusations and indictments were thrown at both parties for the corruption present, the lobbying and many more examples.
While initially loud and bombastic, it was also somewhat chaotic and outside a general sense of frustration, there was a seemingly lack of clear goals and meaningful direction in what change they wanted to see. And perhaps that the movement would've died down and splintered... if not for capturing the attention by various individuals who proceeded to influence the movement.
Chief among them was Senator Bernie Sanders, who brought the protest to his politicians and whenever he spoke. He pointed out the failures of the political system and to call for meaningful reform. For student loan forgiveness. For Medicare For All. For environmentalist policies that could also coincide with meaningful job growth and development. To break down the massive banks and corporations. Unsurprisingly, many of the movement would end up siding with Sanders although this would cause a division within the group, at least among the earlier folk who began in part because of supposed roots of anarchism within the Occupy movement (though as others noted, that the anarchist influences would've doomed the movement's potential in the long run because of the lack of large scale population support for it.) While some of his fellow politicians dismissed his ideas as pie in the sky fantasies, the people clamored. Furthermore, Sanders pointed to other nations and their successes and comparison to the failures within the United States.
How then could the United States even try and proclaim in being the best with their failures unaddressed, instead empty platitudes present? What message does that send?
Another prominent voice was more leninent toward the initial roots and that was Hunter S. Thompson. He became a form of support to the Occupy Movement and promoted his style of journalism amogn them and provided a different voice of fiery passion and commitment to it. But beyond that fire, he provided his experience and knowledge to give the movement some form of structure and continue on with their drive.
As June turned to July, the protests became more organized and their demands were coalescing into clear stances on healthcare, environmentalism, taxation, and various other factors that was a reflection of the lack of fairness and the faiure of the American system. Furthermore, with the year being one of elections, that framing was used. Many young current and potential politicians were invovled or referred to, noting that the their successes could only come with the power of the people and thus overcoming political chicanery with massive votes, especially within the primaries. It was a regimented force though one that did not go truly noticed by the media. After all, by the time of July, the initial wave of anger was dying down, but the mark was made.
The people were unhappy and they were letting others know. They did not have to put up with this. To be manipulated by powerful politicians backed up by greedy lobbyists, special interest groups, corrupt banksters and various other individuals they deemed a plague on the human collective unconscious. Of course, other politicians were not as happy and while some sympathized for the plight, others viewed them as troublemakers. Indeed, as more and more international attention was given to it and prominent figures were showing, the greater story was being played. It was the first sign of radicalism after decades of tepid waters.
Some traced the movement to the Adbusters call for it while others say it was born more because of the lack of visibility of certain running officials. However, at the core of it, it was all because of the frustration and anger at the people. Since the Great Recession starting in 2010, the economic recovery has been slow and sluggish for the Aemricans. While the Canadians managed to bounce back quicker thanks to Prime Minister Jack Layton, the US was not so lucky. The Republicans were reluctant tp push for stimulus and kept rpessing supply side economics and hoping the tax cuts would magically be the solution. Resentment and anger grew slowly but surely over time. However, the rise of social media also changed the name of the game. Smaller protests have broken out before, but this... this was meant to be something bolder and new. They bided their time, letting the anger grow and manifest. It could not just be a mere explosion... it would be an ongoing firestorm. As such, social media grew abuzz and preparations were made.
And so in the Summer of 2014, Wall Street became flooded with a massive protest along other locales of the United States. A large cry united the various peoples.'
'
"We are the 99%"
It was a reference to the massive income equality that was present within the system. On how 1% of the population held a massive bulk of the wealth disproportionate to the rest of the population. On how the various problems of banks and certain officials had failed them with the crashing economy and how the government failed in passing meaningful legislation to combat the problem. Additionally, scathing accusations and indictments were thrown at both parties for the corruption present, the lobbying and many more examples.
While initially loud and bombastic, it was also somewhat chaotic and outside a general sense of frustration, there was a seemingly lack of clear goals and meaningful direction in what change they wanted to see. And perhaps that the movement would've died down and splintered... if not for capturing the attention by various individuals who proceeded to influence the movement.
Chief among them was Senator Bernie Sanders, who brought the protest to his politicians and whenever he spoke. He pointed out the failures of the political system and to call for meaningful reform. For student loan forgiveness. For Medicare For All. For environmentalist policies that could also coincide with meaningful job growth and development. To break down the massive banks and corporations. Unsurprisingly, many of the movement would end up siding with Sanders although this would cause a division within the group, at least among the earlier folk who began in part because of supposed roots of anarchism within the Occupy movement (though as others noted, that the anarchist influences would've doomed the movement's potential in the long run because of the lack of large scale population support for it.) While some of his fellow politicians dismissed his ideas as pie in the sky fantasies, the people clamored. Furthermore, Sanders pointed to other nations and their successes and comparison to the failures within the United States.
How then could the United States even try and proclaim in being the best with their failures unaddressed, instead empty platitudes present? What message does that send?
Another prominent voice was more leninent toward the initial roots and that was Hunter S. Thompson. He became a form of support to the Occupy Movement and promoted his style of journalism amogn them and provided a different voice of fiery passion and commitment to it. But beyond that fire, he provided his experience and knowledge to give the movement some form of structure and continue on with their drive.
As June turned to July, the protests became more organized and their demands were coalescing into clear stances on healthcare, environmentalism, taxation, and various other factors that was a reflection of the lack of fairness and the faiure of the American system. Furthermore, with the year being one of elections, that framing was used. Many young current and potential politicians were invovled or referred to, noting that the their successes could only come with the power of the people and thus overcoming political chicanery with massive votes, especially within the primaries. It was a regimented force though one that did not go truly noticed by the media. After all, by the time of July, the initial wave of anger was dying down, but the mark was made.
The people were unhappy and they were letting others know. They did not have to put up with this. To be manipulated by powerful politicians backed up by greedy lobbyists, special interest groups, corrupt banksters and various other individuals they deemed a plague on the human collective unconscious. Of course, other politicians were not as happy and while some sympathized for the plight, others viewed them as troublemakers. Indeed, as more and more international attention was given to it and prominent figures were showing, the greater story was being played. It was the first sign of radicalism after decades of tepid waters.
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
It seems like Russia is becoming increasingly isolated diplomatically. I wonder if anything could happen that pushes things over the edge beyond sanctions.
Doubt it. It's still Russia. OTL was somewhat the same. Here though, McCain is more aggressive than Obama plus China's political emergency led to them having to make some adjustments into handle matters. Russia really only has Cuba by this point and Cuba is smart enough to keep quiet on the whole thing
Yeah. At most, he probably would do a little bit of some stuff, but probably nothing major unless major events would make it in his best interest. Mind you, even Cuba is not exactly with how Maduro and the Chavistas are falling apart.
Also, I do appreciate the input and feedback! Feel free to ask more questions or more about this world! I'll try my best as I can to explain!
McCain Administration- Autumn 2014
Autumn 2014
"Well, looks like the Scots aren't going to be leaving the UK after all..."
"How well did that he think abolishing presidential term limits would go?!"
"Seeing all the facts there on climate change... President Gore, how much did you know?"
When autumn arrived, so did the various changes of the times. The cooling temperatures seemed to bring a calming of tensions though it was more people responding over through the elections. While the Republicans lost overall and there were Democrat gains, the surprise came in an influx of votes for independents and Green party. While most did not win, the influx showed a potential change in the wind and was giving some influence. However, else in the world, there were some other changes. That in a special election going on over within the United Kingdom. And it was the 2014 Scotland independence referendum. One that would have the Scottish voters decide whether or not it would be better for them to remain part of the United Kingdom, or for them to try and reach independence. There were a variety of factors. To leave, it was the dissatisfication with the Tory minority government and their failures to address the Recession along with the conflicts regarding fossil fuels vs renewable energy. Additionally, patriotic sentiments were part of it and there were rumors the Tories would attempt to try and get the UK out of the European Union if they got a majority. However, for the remain, there was the historical context along with the acknowledgement that leaving would be a colossal problem in deciding matters like currency and new policy. Additionally, they would be unable to join the EU as a full-time member, mainly because of Spain's fears of Catalania trying to leave them. Furthermore, there was the fear that leaving during such a rough patch would just make matters worse. Ultimately, it was a victory for remainers as they won a ~60% while leave was ~40%. Interestingly, an exit poll revealed that retention of the pound sterling was the deciding factor for those who voted No, while "disaffection with Westminster politics" was the deciding factor for those who voted Yes. However, while those were deciding factors, it was still noteworthy other factors, including that there was dissatisfication among remainers toward Westminster politics, but that it would be better to solve the problem directly and show off their clout.
Debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament
Of course, while some places were dealing with elections and democracies in peaceful ways, other locations meanwhile were suffering other issues to say the least. And that was the story going on in Burkina Faso. President Blaise Compaoré made attempts to try and change the constitution to try and extend his time in office, even after he was in office for 27 years. Usurprisingly, many people, especially the youth, were not happy with this at all. This led to the Burkinabé uprising, a series of demonstrations and riot that quickly spread to multiple cities. They began in response to attempts at changing the constitution to allow President Blaise Compaoré to run again and extend his 27 years in office. Pressure for political change came from civil society and in particular from the country’s youth. Following a tumultuous day on 30 October, which included the involvement of former Defence Minister Kouamé Lougué and the burning of the National Assembly and other government buildings as well as the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress party's headquarters, Compaoré dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency before eventually fleeing to Côte d'Ivoire. In the meanwhile, General Honoré Nabéré Traoré announced that a transitional government would run the country until an election within 12 months. However, after another day of mass protests and initially refusing to resign, mounting domestic pressure would lead force Compaoré to resign from his 27-year presidency on 31 October and Traoré took over as the interim head of state. Despite this, instability continued when Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Isaac Zida tried staking a claim to be interim head of state citing Traoré's unpopularity. In fact, a statement by military chiefs asserted that Zida had their unanimous backing. Unsurprisingly though, a coalition of unnamed opposition parties rejected the military's taker over and further protests if smaller were called for the morning of the 2nd of November. The African Union gave the country a fortnight to end military rule from by the 3rd and by mid-November, a framework was agreed upon unanimously for a transitional executive and legislative administration even though a leader was not named. Civil rule would return with an election in 2015. The interim president would chosen by a special college composed of religious, military, political, civil and traditional leaders. Then said president would then name a prime minister to appoint a 25-minister government and a 90-member national transitional council as a legislative body, all while acting president would be disallowed from contesting the election.
Protesters in Ouagadougou during the 2014 Burkinabé uprising
Of course, regardless, there were still problems of the world that would need to be confronted and even among these turbulent times, the looming issues stood just in the horizon. Over throughout the year, the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was being released in parts here. While the Working group reports were released back in Spring, Autumn saw the Synthesis Report. The results were a bit of an eye-opener to say the least. It was a clea message that if drastic changes aren't implemented soon, it would result in irreversible change to the world that would be a detriment to much of the pre-existing life as well as proceed to cause plenty of strife for the various nations and peoples of the world. To many people, it was considered a blatant eye opener or perhaps mroe accurately, a true glimpse of the depth of the problem. It was not just enough to be conscious on consumption or recycling. Much of the problem laid in factory farming, agrindustrial business practices, the electric sector and so on. Despite this omnious prediction, there came the sense of hope the damage could be limited and overcome through direct action and it indeed would spark a fire back under people. Furthermore, many noted that it would overcome partisan lines as disatisfication with the status quo meant the rise in radical ideals .
Global Emissions by Economic Sector chart (in Portuguese)
"Well, looks like the Scots aren't going to be leaving the UK after all..."
"How well did that he think abolishing presidential term limits would go?!"
"Seeing all the facts there on climate change... President Gore, how much did you know?"
When autumn arrived, so did the various changes of the times. The cooling temperatures seemed to bring a calming of tensions though it was more people responding over through the elections. While the Republicans lost overall and there were Democrat gains, the surprise came in an influx of votes for independents and Green party. While most did not win, the influx showed a potential change in the wind and was giving some influence. However, else in the world, there were some other changes. That in a special election going on over within the United Kingdom. And it was the 2014 Scotland independence referendum. One that would have the Scottish voters decide whether or not it would be better for them to remain part of the United Kingdom, or for them to try and reach independence. There were a variety of factors. To leave, it was the dissatisfication with the Tory minority government and their failures to address the Recession along with the conflicts regarding fossil fuels vs renewable energy. Additionally, patriotic sentiments were part of it and there were rumors the Tories would attempt to try and get the UK out of the European Union if they got a majority. However, for the remain, there was the historical context along with the acknowledgement that leaving would be a colossal problem in deciding matters like currency and new policy. Additionally, they would be unable to join the EU as a full-time member, mainly because of Spain's fears of Catalania trying to leave them. Furthermore, there was the fear that leaving during such a rough patch would just make matters worse. Ultimately, it was a victory for remainers as they won a ~60% while leave was ~40%. Interestingly, an exit poll revealed that retention of the pound sterling was the deciding factor for those who voted No, while "disaffection with Westminster politics" was the deciding factor for those who voted Yes. However, while those were deciding factors, it was still noteworthy other factors, including that there was dissatisfication among remainers toward Westminster politics, but that it would be better to solve the problem directly and show off their clout.
Debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament
Of course, while some places were dealing with elections and democracies in peaceful ways, other locations meanwhile were suffering other issues to say the least. And that was the story going on in Burkina Faso. President Blaise Compaoré made attempts to try and change the constitution to try and extend his time in office, even after he was in office for 27 years. Usurprisingly, many people, especially the youth, were not happy with this at all. This led to the Burkinabé uprising, a series of demonstrations and riot that quickly spread to multiple cities. They began in response to attempts at changing the constitution to allow President Blaise Compaoré to run again and extend his 27 years in office. Pressure for political change came from civil society and in particular from the country’s youth. Following a tumultuous day on 30 October, which included the involvement of former Defence Minister Kouamé Lougué and the burning of the National Assembly and other government buildings as well as the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress party's headquarters, Compaoré dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency before eventually fleeing to Côte d'Ivoire. In the meanwhile, General Honoré Nabéré Traoré announced that a transitional government would run the country until an election within 12 months. However, after another day of mass protests and initially refusing to resign, mounting domestic pressure would lead force Compaoré to resign from his 27-year presidency on 31 October and Traoré took over as the interim head of state. Despite this, instability continued when Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Isaac Zida tried staking a claim to be interim head of state citing Traoré's unpopularity. In fact, a statement by military chiefs asserted that Zida had their unanimous backing. Unsurprisingly though, a coalition of unnamed opposition parties rejected the military's taker over and further protests if smaller were called for the morning of the 2nd of November. The African Union gave the country a fortnight to end military rule from by the 3rd and by mid-November, a framework was agreed upon unanimously for a transitional executive and legislative administration even though a leader was not named. Civil rule would return with an election in 2015. The interim president would chosen by a special college composed of religious, military, political, civil and traditional leaders. Then said president would then name a prime minister to appoint a 25-minister government and a 90-member national transitional council as a legislative body, all while acting president would be disallowed from contesting the election.
Protesters in Ouagadougou during the 2014 Burkinabé uprising
Of course, regardless, there were still problems of the world that would need to be confronted and even among these turbulent times, the looming issues stood just in the horizon. Over throughout the year, the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was being released in parts here. While the Working group reports were released back in Spring, Autumn saw the Synthesis Report. The results were a bit of an eye-opener to say the least. It was a clea message that if drastic changes aren't implemented soon, it would result in irreversible change to the world that would be a detriment to much of the pre-existing life as well as proceed to cause plenty of strife for the various nations and peoples of the world. To many people, it was considered a blatant eye opener or perhaps mroe accurately, a true glimpse of the depth of the problem. It was not just enough to be conscious on consumption or recycling. Much of the problem laid in factory farming, agrindustrial business practices, the electric sector and so on. Despite this omnious prediction, there came the sense of hope the damage could be limited and overcome through direct action and it indeed would spark a fire back under people. Furthermore, many noted that it would overcome partisan lines as disatisfication with the status quo meant the rise in radical ideals .
Global Emissions by Economic Sector chart (in Portuguese)
2014 in Reflection
2014 in Review
2014 marked a turning point in global politics, both on the foreign level and on the domestic level. The end of the Arabian Civil War would see Saudi Arabia, the arguably hegemonic power of the region, be brought down to its knees by the failures of domestic policy along with the results of radical ideology from the outside that came as a result of their actions. In its place was a new reformist Arabia, working on granting human rights and while not perfect, if in part due to the reinforced security and guards to ensure a smooth transition of power along with the culling of reactionary radicals, it was improving. At the same time, Iran would take its place and try to fill in the void, flexing its muscles and trying to show off the efforts of its Islamic republicanism, even if said successes came because of the dominance of Reformers, especially the rising new wave of such. The last bastions of the old guard were pleased yet concerned that the reforms would continue past what they would be comfortable with. At the same time, beyond adding another star on the list of surprising successes on aggressive foreign policy for the McCain Administration, it served as a reflection point for the American people. These victories would see the deescalation of conflict and presence in the Middle East and while they did serve as a rush of pride for the Americans, it gave way to introspection on America's place as it was evident that conflcits would've been motivated by lust for petrol had the Gore Administration not exposed the corruption and fact suppression by Exxon-Mobil and the implications under fossil fuel companies and their lobbyists were doing similar work with the paid assistance of certain politicians, most of whom would end up losing power and influence over time. The "Occupy Wall Street" movement would be viewed on as an explosive signal fire for the new radicals, revolutionaries and reformers to come together and overtake the calcifying establishment during a time when the people were clamoring for change.
Additionally, across the world, similar sentiments of change was being brought about. With last year having Australia swing to the left, some wonder if the trend would continue in the Anglosphere. Meanwhile, Russia's reputation in the world continued to go down as a result of their actions in Ukraine and Crimea. Long time allies were beginning to seperate from them and the Americans have been growing closer to the Chinese enough to where they were trying to arrange potential negotiations and agreements to deal with the Putin Administraton. Another instance was McCain's meeting with the head of state of North Korea. While initially planned in the winter, about a year after Jang Song-thaek became the leader, the Russian conflict delayed the meeting. It was considered a parallel to Nixon's vistation to China and was done that Song-thaek could help lead the nation to more prosperous times. Beyond such, it was a quiet affair though it did lead to a discovery of Chendoism for some people as vaguely interesting religion. Around that time was also when McCain took the visitation to China to discuss matters with their President and General Secretary, Li Keqiang. Namely issues involving international security and the liberation of their economies from the reliance of fossil fuels, especially as the renewables versus fossil fuels was becoming increasingly politicized due to the association of totalitarian states and reliance of petroleum for stability and the term "petrocartel" became more pronounced around the time.
Pop culture meanwhile saw the continuation of the trend of superhero films though perhaos more notable since it would be coming more from the heels of the success of the Avengers. The year started with Captain America: Winter Soldier. Following the events of Avengers, the film revolves around Steve Rogers, working with S.H.I.E.L.D. as Captain America. However, after an assassination attempt on S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury by the enigmatic Winter Soldier, Steve goes on the run with Black Widow to uncover the truth of a conspiracy along with Hawkeye being caught in the middle. A large shock came with the reveal came that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised from within by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, legendary HYDRA head, and thus had to be dismantled and dealt with. Furthermore, that the Winter Soldier, a brainwashed Bucky Barnes, was used to kill Tony's parents. This leads to a melancholic scene as Tony and Steve talk, the former recovering from his deal with the Mandarin before they wonder if Thor is doing all right. It also introduced new hero, Falcon. The film got very good reviews though a complaint was on the lack of color for the Falcon suit (which the actor himself noted as he would've wanted a more colorful suit.) Interestingly enough, the film also served as foreshadowing to a new franchise. Said franchise would be none other than The Fantastic Four. It's revealed that the accident that gave Reed, Susan, Johnny and Ben their powers had them unconscious during the events of Avengers and thus have to wake to deal with a bold new world, especially as Reed has to handle the salvaged technology. Insights are delved into the characters, like Susan being a former SHIELD agent, Ben in rocket engineering and Johnny a pilot. Realizing the dangers that laid ahead, they ended up going into space to try and figure out what happened, thanks to the new technology from the aliens making it easier. The "jump" into deep space has them come into conflict with the former Head Accuser of the Kree Empire, Ronan. Beyond a zealotry for the job, it was also because of his hunt of a Skrull woman named Lyja, who ends up in a growing romance with Johnny. The film was a surprise hit with a mix of comedy and space opera elements along with better elements and fight scenes, including social commentary on police brutality, profiling and exploration vs xenophpobia. References to a certain "Peter" was made and even more on the dangers of space and the Infinity Stones. The last Marvel film came near the end as a surprise, and that being The Amazing Spider-Man II. Picking off on where the previous film left off, it has Peter continue to explore the elements of responsability in his adulthood along with the revelation of the Avengers and the invasion, while still trying to be the "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." Furthermore, the introduction of alien technology and how it affects working class folk is examined. This is seen with Max Dillion, an electric lineman who's desire to be a "somebody" has him experimenting with the alien tech. A disaster with the power source leads him to becoming Electro, allowing him to manpulate electricity and causing dangerous blackouts for coercion. The film has Peter fighting against him with Gwen's help and the usage of brain against brawn. The theme is also taken when reflecting on Peter and Gwen's relationship struggles, especially when George Stacey is killed in the line of duty. Said struggles underline the differences between them; this was initially foreshadowed (including in the last film) because of Peter's lower class background vs Gwen's more middle class background. However, the key thing is how they handle loss and misunderstandings, especially with each other. While the two do defeat Electro and a couple of different moments have each other being their supposed last thoughts, the ordeal forces them to confront that they may not be right for the other. They break up with Peter seeing Gwen off as she goes to London to study abroad and spend time with her extended family. Two post-credit scenes appear, one that has Peter talking to Aunt May on the ordeal before greeting Anna May Watson, Aunt May's best friend who has moved back into the neighborhood and bringing along her niece, Mary Jane Watson. The second meanwhile has him answer a job interview to meeting Tony... only for the revelation being that he's Spider-Man when Cap walks in. The film also includes hints on other films like Peter concerned when he leaves a message for the Baxter Building. Beyond the MCU though, other films began catching the eyes of people. Big Hero 6 however was delayed for a release in the next year. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes came out and brought new life there along X-Men: Days of Future Past helped revive interest. Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies did well along with Interstellar capturing the imagination of people.
Of course, video games also saw a rise as the new era of the console wars have begun. The Nintendo Twin/Nintwin continued to do well as it managed to establish itself as different enough from the Wii, but still maintaining the charm and some appear for it. New games appeared for it such as Donkey Kong Jungle Freeze, Mario Kart 8 and Hyrule Warriors, a new hack-and-slash Zelda game that brought fresh life and gave the opportunity for players for more dramatic sword-swinging action. However, the big game that came out was none other than Super Smash Bros Duels, the Nintwin's iteration of the popular Super Smash Bros game series. Many were excited to see who would be brought in for the next game, especially given the development cycle. There were many happy returns such as Krystal and Banjo/Kazooie and especially Sonic, confirming SEGA/Microsoft was more than happy to let him remain in the game. Of course, while some characters would get cut, new characters would come in. Diddy Kong, Palutena, Ridley, the Animal Crossing Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer were among the big names. All of them were welcomed in though the biggest surprise was none other than Mega Man himself being brought in. If that wasn't enough of a surprise, news came in over DLC that would be available to expand the game and included the possibility of voting for two characters to get in. The game itself featured a variety of obstacles and challenges for the player, with one mode inspired by one from Kirby Air Ride. Meanwhile, new games were coming out also for the Nintendo UDS. Kirby and the Crystal Shards UDS was a welcomed surprise along with another being Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, remakes of the third generation games of Pokemon. Another was Banjo-Kazooie UDS, a remastering of the classic Nintendo game. Meanwhile, SEGA released Bayonetta 2 for the Xbox One along with a new game, Sonic Synergy. Inspired by Sonic Heroes, the player plays a team of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy and switch between their various abilities to go through the various areas by working together. After the events of Sonic Lost World which saw Eggman's attempts of harnessing the power of dinosaur-like creatures fail, he follows on the leftover events and discovers crystals with synergous properties through vibrations. Beyond powering his robots, he plans to make a control ray with it. His tests result in Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy being "synergized", explaining why they have to work as a unit along with exploring their bonds. Of course,Xbox One would be home to other exclusives such as Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Project Spark and Titanfall while the Playstation 4 would bring some new firepower with inFamous Second son and Last of Us Remastered. Other games dominated cross consoles such as Destiny, Watch_Dogs, Far Cry 4, Child of Light and others. Games on the computer also went well; World of Warcraft unleashed a new expansion with Warlords of Draenor, which saw the Old Horde return when Garrosh found a way to bring the old warlords of Draenor back. As such, this leads to a quasi-civil war between this Old Horde under Garrosh and the familiar Horde with the Alliance having to deal with fallout. Hearthstone provided a new venue for people to play with. Mobile gaming was also on the rise and gaming itself was becoming more and more prominent.
2014 marked a turning point in global politics, both on the foreign level and on the domestic level. The end of the Arabian Civil War would see Saudi Arabia, the arguably hegemonic power of the region, be brought down to its knees by the failures of domestic policy along with the results of radical ideology from the outside that came as a result of their actions. In its place was a new reformist Arabia, working on granting human rights and while not perfect, if in part due to the reinforced security and guards to ensure a smooth transition of power along with the culling of reactionary radicals, it was improving. At the same time, Iran would take its place and try to fill in the void, flexing its muscles and trying to show off the efforts of its Islamic republicanism, even if said successes came because of the dominance of Reformers, especially the rising new wave of such. The last bastions of the old guard were pleased yet concerned that the reforms would continue past what they would be comfortable with. At the same time, beyond adding another star on the list of surprising successes on aggressive foreign policy for the McCain Administration, it served as a reflection point for the American people. These victories would see the deescalation of conflict and presence in the Middle East and while they did serve as a rush of pride for the Americans, it gave way to introspection on America's place as it was evident that conflcits would've been motivated by lust for petrol had the Gore Administration not exposed the corruption and fact suppression by Exxon-Mobil and the implications under fossil fuel companies and their lobbyists were doing similar work with the paid assistance of certain politicians, most of whom would end up losing power and influence over time. The "Occupy Wall Street" movement would be viewed on as an explosive signal fire for the new radicals, revolutionaries and reformers to come together and overtake the calcifying establishment during a time when the people were clamoring for change.
Additionally, across the world, similar sentiments of change was being brought about. With last year having Australia swing to the left, some wonder if the trend would continue in the Anglosphere. Meanwhile, Russia's reputation in the world continued to go down as a result of their actions in Ukraine and Crimea. Long time allies were beginning to seperate from them and the Americans have been growing closer to the Chinese enough to where they were trying to arrange potential negotiations and agreements to deal with the Putin Administraton. Another instance was McCain's meeting with the head of state of North Korea. While initially planned in the winter, about a year after Jang Song-thaek became the leader, the Russian conflict delayed the meeting. It was considered a parallel to Nixon's vistation to China and was done that Song-thaek could help lead the nation to more prosperous times. Beyond such, it was a quiet affair though it did lead to a discovery of Chendoism for some people as vaguely interesting religion. Around that time was also when McCain took the visitation to China to discuss matters with their President and General Secretary, Li Keqiang. Namely issues involving international security and the liberation of their economies from the reliance of fossil fuels, especially as the renewables versus fossil fuels was becoming increasingly politicized due to the association of totalitarian states and reliance of petroleum for stability and the term "petrocartel" became more pronounced around the time.
Pop culture meanwhile saw the continuation of the trend of superhero films though perhaos more notable since it would be coming more from the heels of the success of the Avengers. The year started with Captain America: Winter Soldier. Following the events of Avengers, the film revolves around Steve Rogers, working with S.H.I.E.L.D. as Captain America. However, after an assassination attempt on S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury by the enigmatic Winter Soldier, Steve goes on the run with Black Widow to uncover the truth of a conspiracy along with Hawkeye being caught in the middle. A large shock came with the reveal came that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised from within by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, legendary HYDRA head, and thus had to be dismantled and dealt with. Furthermore, that the Winter Soldier, a brainwashed Bucky Barnes, was used to kill Tony's parents. This leads to a melancholic scene as Tony and Steve talk, the former recovering from his deal with the Mandarin before they wonder if Thor is doing all right. It also introduced new hero, Falcon. The film got very good reviews though a complaint was on the lack of color for the Falcon suit (which the actor himself noted as he would've wanted a more colorful suit.) Interestingly enough, the film also served as foreshadowing to a new franchise. Said franchise would be none other than The Fantastic Four. It's revealed that the accident that gave Reed, Susan, Johnny and Ben their powers had them unconscious during the events of Avengers and thus have to wake to deal with a bold new world, especially as Reed has to handle the salvaged technology. Insights are delved into the characters, like Susan being a former SHIELD agent, Ben in rocket engineering and Johnny a pilot. Realizing the dangers that laid ahead, they ended up going into space to try and figure out what happened, thanks to the new technology from the aliens making it easier. The "jump" into deep space has them come into conflict with the former Head Accuser of the Kree Empire, Ronan. Beyond a zealotry for the job, it was also because of his hunt of a Skrull woman named Lyja, who ends up in a growing romance with Johnny. The film was a surprise hit with a mix of comedy and space opera elements along with better elements and fight scenes, including social commentary on police brutality, profiling and exploration vs xenophpobia. References to a certain "Peter" was made and even more on the dangers of space and the Infinity Stones. The last Marvel film came near the end as a surprise, and that being The Amazing Spider-Man II. Picking off on where the previous film left off, it has Peter continue to explore the elements of responsability in his adulthood along with the revelation of the Avengers and the invasion, while still trying to be the "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." Furthermore, the introduction of alien technology and how it affects working class folk is examined. This is seen with Max Dillion, an electric lineman who's desire to be a "somebody" has him experimenting with the alien tech. A disaster with the power source leads him to becoming Electro, allowing him to manpulate electricity and causing dangerous blackouts for coercion. The film has Peter fighting against him with Gwen's help and the usage of brain against brawn. The theme is also taken when reflecting on Peter and Gwen's relationship struggles, especially when George Stacey is killed in the line of duty. Said struggles underline the differences between them; this was initially foreshadowed (including in the last film) because of Peter's lower class background vs Gwen's more middle class background. However, the key thing is how they handle loss and misunderstandings, especially with each other. While the two do defeat Electro and a couple of different moments have each other being their supposed last thoughts, the ordeal forces them to confront that they may not be right for the other. They break up with Peter seeing Gwen off as she goes to London to study abroad and spend time with her extended family. Two post-credit scenes appear, one that has Peter talking to Aunt May on the ordeal before greeting Anna May Watson, Aunt May's best friend who has moved back into the neighborhood and bringing along her niece, Mary Jane Watson. The second meanwhile has him answer a job interview to meeting Tony... only for the revelation being that he's Spider-Man when Cap walks in. The film also includes hints on other films like Peter concerned when he leaves a message for the Baxter Building. Beyond the MCU though, other films began catching the eyes of people. Big Hero 6 however was delayed for a release in the next year. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes came out and brought new life there along X-Men: Days of Future Past helped revive interest. Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies did well along with Interstellar capturing the imagination of people.
Of course, video games also saw a rise as the new era of the console wars have begun. The Nintendo Twin/Nintwin continued to do well as it managed to establish itself as different enough from the Wii, but still maintaining the charm and some appear for it. New games appeared for it such as Donkey Kong Jungle Freeze, Mario Kart 8 and Hyrule Warriors, a new hack-and-slash Zelda game that brought fresh life and gave the opportunity for players for more dramatic sword-swinging action. However, the big game that came out was none other than Super Smash Bros Duels, the Nintwin's iteration of the popular Super Smash Bros game series. Many were excited to see who would be brought in for the next game, especially given the development cycle. There were many happy returns such as Krystal and Banjo/Kazooie and especially Sonic, confirming SEGA/Microsoft was more than happy to let him remain in the game. Of course, while some characters would get cut, new characters would come in. Diddy Kong, Palutena, Ridley, the Animal Crossing Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer were among the big names. All of them were welcomed in though the biggest surprise was none other than Mega Man himself being brought in. If that wasn't enough of a surprise, news came in over DLC that would be available to expand the game and included the possibility of voting for two characters to get in. The game itself featured a variety of obstacles and challenges for the player, with one mode inspired by one from Kirby Air Ride. Meanwhile, new games were coming out also for the Nintendo UDS. Kirby and the Crystal Shards UDS was a welcomed surprise along with another being Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, remakes of the third generation games of Pokemon. Another was Banjo-Kazooie UDS, a remastering of the classic Nintendo game. Meanwhile, SEGA released Bayonetta 2 for the Xbox One along with a new game, Sonic Synergy. Inspired by Sonic Heroes, the player plays a team of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy and switch between their various abilities to go through the various areas by working together. After the events of Sonic Lost World which saw Eggman's attempts of harnessing the power of dinosaur-like creatures fail, he follows on the leftover events and discovers crystals with synergous properties through vibrations. Beyond powering his robots, he plans to make a control ray with it. His tests result in Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy being "synergized", explaining why they have to work as a unit along with exploring their bonds. Of course,Xbox One would be home to other exclusives such as Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Project Spark and Titanfall while the Playstation 4 would bring some new firepower with inFamous Second son and Last of Us Remastered. Other games dominated cross consoles such as Destiny, Watch_Dogs, Far Cry 4, Child of Light and others. Games on the computer also went well; World of Warcraft unleashed a new expansion with Warlords of Draenor, which saw the Old Horde return when Garrosh found a way to bring the old warlords of Draenor back. As such, this leads to a quasi-civil war between this Old Horde under Garrosh and the familiar Horde with the Alliance having to deal with fallout. Hearthstone provided a new venue for people to play with. Mobile gaming was also on the rise and gaming itself was becoming more and more prominent.
Last edited:
Thank you very much and feel free to ask stuff about shows or anything else. It does seem like not much has changed, but I reckon a fair bit has. It just becomes harder to try to speculate more out there. Though I do tend to rely a fair bit on the butterfly net.
Also, because I know some people are curious...
Unlockables *=Veterans not from OTL **=ITTL Newcomers
Veterans
Mario
Donkey Kong
Link
Samus Aran
Zero Suit Samus
Yoshi
Kirby
Fox McCloud
Pikachu
Luigi
Jigglypuff
Ness
Captain Falcon
Bowser
Princess Peach
Banjo & Kazooie*
Princess Zelda
Sheik
Marth
Pit
Wario
Ike
Falco
King K. Rool*
Meta Knight
King Dedede
Krystal*
Olimar
Ganondorf
Toon Link
Lucario
Ice Climbers
ROB
Sonic
Mr. Game and Watch
Newcomers
Diddy Kong
Villager
Rosalina & Luma
Ridley**
Wii Fit Trainer
Little Mac
Bandana Dee**
Robin
Mega Man
Palutena
Shulk
Mii Fighter
Mii Swordsman
Mii Gunner
Greninja
Lucina
Geno**
DLC
Corrin (free; comes with software update)
Ryu
Cloud Strife
Pac-Man
Rayman**
Solid Snake
Veterans
Mario
Donkey Kong
Link
Samus Aran
Zero Suit Samus
Yoshi
Kirby
Fox McCloud
Pikachu
Luigi
Jigglypuff
Ness
Captain Falcon
Bowser
Princess Peach
Banjo & Kazooie*
Princess Zelda
Sheik
Marth
Pit
Wario
Ike
Falco
King K. Rool*
Meta Knight
King Dedede
Krystal*
Olimar
Ganondorf
Toon Link
Lucario
Ice Climbers
ROB
Sonic
Mr. Game and Watch
Newcomers
Diddy Kong
Villager
Rosalina & Luma
Ridley**
Wii Fit Trainer
Little Mac
Bandana Dee**
Robin
Mega Man
Palutena
Shulk
Mii Fighter
Mii Swordsman
Mii Gunner
Greninja
Lucina
Geno**
DLC
Corrin (free; comes with software update)
Ryu
Cloud Strife
Pac-Man
Rayman**
Solid Snake
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Elena Kagan
Sonia Sotomayor
Merrick Garland
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen Breyer
Clarance Thomas
Brian Sandoval
Antonin Scalia
Anthony Kennedy
Ginsburg is probably Chief Justice.
Kagan, Sotomayor and Garland were added during the Gore years while Sandoval was put in by McCain. Scalia might retire to give McCain a chance to put in a new Conservative, but the problem is the Senate is leaned a bit toward the Dems plus the GOP as scooted a bit to the left in some stuff. Furthermore, with McConnell no logner in power, there's not the incentive to pull the nuclear option.
Given that a Democrat will almost certainly win in 2016, Ginsburg and possibly Breyer would retire when there's a new Dem President.
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