How We Lost Detroit: The Fermi Nuclear Disaster

[dartingfog]

April 1, 1968

Johnson announces he will not seek re-election

At the end of a speech on Vietnam yesterday, President Lyndon Johnson unexpectedly announced that he would not run for re-election this year. Johnson stated that he would “not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President." [1] This announcement came as a shock to many, and the timing caused some to think it was an April Fools’ joke.

While Johnson claimed that he made this choice because he wished to focus on Vietnam, his poor showing in the New Hampshire primary held on March 12 may have contributed to his decision not to run. In New Hampshire, Johnson’s challenger Eugene McCarthy won 42% of the primary vote, close to Johnson's 49%. While Johnson won the primary, McCarthy’s extremely strong showing gave his campaign legitimacy and momentum. A few days later, Robert F. Kennedy renounced his earlier support for Johnson and proclaimed his candidacy. To make matters worse, a poll in Wisconsin suggests that Johnson could lose to McCarthy in that state’s primary on April 2.

There are rumors that Vice President Hubert Humphrey will enter the race in Johnson’s stead. So far, Humphrey has given no indication he will jump into the race. It is too late for him to get on the ballot on any of the primaries, which would make for a difficult path to win the nomination. [2]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] https://millercenter.org/the-presid...31-1968-remarks-decision-not-seek-re-election

[2] Entirely as OTL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries#Primaries

 

[49ersFootball]

GOP wins back the White House in 1968.

 

[dartingfog]

April 5, 1968

Martin Luther King killed in Memphis

Tragedy struck last night in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King, Jr., the reverend and civil rights leader, was gunned down by an unknown assailant at his motel room. He was rushed to the hospital, but did not survive. Police are still looking for the gunman, who reportedly fled the scene. Dr. King was visiting the city to organize and participate in protests related to the sanitation strike, which has been ongoing in the city for nearly two months.

Dr. King’s murder has provoked a torrent of anger. Violence has broken out in several American cities. Chicago has seen the worst of the rioting, with 11 reported fatalities. President Johnson has sent 5,000 National Guard troops to keep the peace in Washington, DC, where a night of looting and arson has left five reported dead. In Michigan, Governor George Romney has ordered the National Guard into Detroit, which appears to have kept disorder there to a minimum. [1]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] All as OTL. Given the multiple attempts on King’s life in OTL, it seems unlikely that this would change: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr. Admittedly the last two posts have been kind of lazy, but the next post will be better.

 

[Unknown]

Wonder if RFK lives ITTL...

 

[CJNyfalt]

Could you please make longer posts, with more than one event? It would make it easier to hit the like button, with making me feel more as I'm reacting to the quality of the story, rather than the individual event.

 

[dartingfog]

Could you please make longer posts, with more than one event? It would make it easier to hit the like button, with making me feel more as I'm reacting to the quality of the story, rather than the individual event.

I'm open minded to your idea (and I have done just that in other TLs), but I'm not sure how would handle the threadmarks, which have been by date. But if others agree, I can start doing it that way.

 

[dartingfog]

April 7, 1968

Gordon chosen as Liberal Party leader

Walter Gordon, the self-styled Canadian nationalist, has been chosen as leader of the Liberal Party to replace outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson. After a tumultuous convention, he received the support of a majority of delegates on the fourth ballot. Gordon, who is currently MP for the riding of Davenport in Ontario, [1] rose to prominence for his skepticism of American influence in Canada, his criticism of the Fermi settlement, and his controversial remarks against the Vietnam War, which led to his resignation from the Pearson Cabinet.

Gordon’s chief rival, Justice Minister Pierre E. Trudeau, made a good showing but failed to earn a majority of delegates, especially in his native Quebec. While Trudeau’s youthful charisma appealed to many in his party, his unconventional lifestyle and support of federalism made some Liberals uneasy. [2] Minister of Transportation Paul Hellyer [3] placed a strong third behind Gordon and Trudeau on the first ballot, but gradually lost support in subsequent rounds. MP Joe Greene and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs John Turner also made a fair showing, but both men dropped out after the third round. The remaining candidates, Secretary of State for External Affairs Paul Martin, former Minister of Labour Allan MacEachen, Eric Kierans, and Harold Lloyd Henderson, failed to gain much support and all four men dropped out after the first round. [4]

Gordon’s anti-American stance has struck a chord with many Canadians, angry with the US over the fallout (both nuclear and political) from the Fermi accident. As leader, he says that he intends to send a message to the world that Canada will not be taken for granted. Gordon’s support of ceding certain powers to Quebec garnered the support of many Quebec delegates, making him one of the few Anglophone supporters of increased sovereignty for the largely French-speaking province. “I can see no reason why Quebec, subject to minority rights, should not have complete control over cultural matters and education; over health and welfare and other social security matters.” [5]

Gordon is expected to be sworn in as Prime Minister on April 20. The race now turns to the general election, which may be held as early as June, even though by law it may be held as late as November 1970. The reason for calling an early election is strong opposition from the Progressive Conservative Party, headed by Robert Stanfield, which is doing well in the polls. [6] The party is targeting vulnerable seats currently held by the Liberal Party in an effort to gain a majority in Parliament.

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] Maybe it's a stretch, but I think Gordon would have had a good chance of winning the leadership spot. In fact, there was speculation going all the way back to February 1967. From “Canada’s Pearson at 70 would run again if Health Persists”, Detroit News, Feb. 19, 1967: “If Pearson has given his blessing to any candidate to succeed him, he has not indicated it publicly. Possibilities include [Paul Martin, Paul Hellyer, Mitchell Sharp, Robert Waters, Allan MacEachen], and Walter Gordon, back in the cabinet after a 14-month absence. Gordon is regarded as the leader of the left-wing faction and is an outspoken advocate of economic nationalism.” In OTL, Gordon didn’t run for leader and didn’t even run for re-election in 1968: Walter Gordon: A Political Memoir, pp. 313.

[2] Similar concerns arose about Trudeau in OTL. “Canadian Premier-Designate Wealthy, Youthful ‘Swinger’”, Toledo Blade, Apr. 7, 1968. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8_tS2Vw13FcC&dat=19680407&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

[3] Some of you may know him from the totally historically accurate History Channel program Ancient Aliens: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/f...uminati-are-real-and-hiding-alien-technology/

[4] OTL comparison (note Winters is absent in ATL): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Liberal_Party_of_Canada_leadership_election

[5] Walter Gordon and the Rise of Canadian Nationalism, pp.170

[6] As OTL.

 

[BigVic]

HBO's Detroit the rise and fall of the Motor City will be fun

 

[dartingfog]

April 23, 1968

Testimony reveals possible cause of Fermi meltdown

Eighteen months after the meltdown at the Fermi atomic plant near Detroit, Michigan, a possible cause for the disaster may have been found. Testimony before the joint Atomic Energy committee placed the blame for the accident on improperly installed plates in the reactor vessel. Milton Shaw, the director of the AEC’s division of reactor development and technology, disclosed that the meltdown may have been caused by a metal plate which had been added to the reactor as an afterthought. He believed that the plate could have come loose and blocked the flow of coolant to the reactor, causing overheating and the subsequent meltdown. [1]

After questioning by Representative Craig Hosmer (R-CA), Shaw brought out evidence that engineers had installed the plates at the prodding of the AEC’s advisory committee of reactor safety. Representative Chet Holifield (D-CA), chairman of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, accused the AEC of using “Band-Aid technology” and declared the AEC’s conduct “absolutely inexcusable.” [1][2]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] A minor footnote in OTL history becomes much more important: “Shortcut Blamed for Fermi Atomic Plant Shutdown, Flint Journal, April 23, 1968

[2] AEC Authorizing Legislation, Fiscal Year 1969: Hearings ..., Volume 4, Part 1, pp.221

 

[dartingfog]

April 28, 1968

Humphrey announces run for President

In front of a cheering crowd of 1,700 people, Vice President Hubert Humphrey put an end to weeks of speculation by formally announcing that he is running for President. After President Johnson announced his withdrawal from the 1968 election race, rumors began to spread that Humphrey would throw his hat in the ring. Although it is too late for him to compete in the primaries, Humphrey is optimistic that he can still win the nomination. [1]

In his speech, Humphrey promised voters a “campaign of happiness” and “peace over politics.” “For 1968, this year, is not the year for frenzied or inflammatory rhetoric,” said Humphrey. “Nor is it the year for searching out and seeking and finding scapegoats for our problems. It is a year for common sense and a time for maturity, strength, and responsibility.” While he made no mention of his rivals, Sens. Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy, Humphrey made it clear that he alone represents party unity: “The man who wins the nomination must be able to unite his party.” [2]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] As OTL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Humphrey_1968_presidential_campaign

[2] Humphrey: A Happy Yes To Whooping Supporters", St. Petersburg Times, April 28, 1968

 

[Bookmark1995]

Wow. You managed to butterfly Trudeaumania away.

And this could have ramifications on Quebec sovereignty as well.

 

[dartingfog]

May 10, 1968

Viet peace talks begin in Paris

Representatives from both the United States and North Vietnam arrived in Paris today to start peace talks that could end the war in Vietnam. Ambassador W. Averell Harriman and presidential adviser Cyrus Vance met with their North Vietnamese counterparts, foreign minister Xuan Thuy and Colonel Ha Van Lau. [1] The peace talks begin just five days after a major offensive was launched by the North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, which began with an attack on the southern capital of Saigon. [2]

The location of the peace talks is not without irony, as massive riots have struck the French capital. Over the past week, student protestors have clashed with police. Students have reportedly set up barricades in the Latin Quarter, where battles between the police and students led to hundreds of injuries. The unrest, which began one week ago as small demonstration at the Sorbonne, has grown into a nationwide movement, with a general strike planned for May 13. [3] Protests have erupted across the nation over a variety of grievances. In the south of France, thousands of protesters have gathered to oppose the construction of a nuclear power plant with a similar design to the Fermi plant that melted down in 1966 near Detroit. [4][5]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] As OTL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1968#May_10,_1968_(Friday)

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Offensive

[3] Up to now as OTL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/f...apr/06/paris-students-demonstrations-may-1968

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phénix

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superphénix#Protest

 

[dartingfog]

June 6, 1968

Humphrey leads the Democratic delegate count

In the race for the Democratic nomination, Vice President Hubert Humphrey leads the pack in the delegate count despite never entering a primary. Since his entry into the race on April 27, Humphrey has picked up considerable support among party delegates using “favorite sons” as stand-ins in state primaries. Humphrey currently leads at 561 delegates, followed by Senator Robert Kennedy at 393, with Senator Eugene McCarthy trailing behind at 258. [1]

Despite his current second place status in the delegate count, Kennedy believes he still has a shot. [2] He defeated rival McCarthy in the California and South Dakota primaries two days ago. Many delegates are still uncommitted, and there are almost three months to the convention. Kennedy also has considerable support among the public and he is polling well against Romney, Reagan, and Nixon. Nevertheless, recent polls show that in a 3-way matchup, Humphrey gets 40% of likely Democratic voters’ support, compared to 31% for Kennedy and 19% for McCarthy. [3]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] Same delegate count as OTL for this date: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries

Note that Kennedy is still alive, due to the Israel not capturing Palestinian territories during the Six-Day War.

[2] Too soon?

[3] “Humphrey Surges Ahead of Kennedy and McCarthy”, Milwaukee Star, May 18, 1968

 

[dartingfog]

June 26, 1968

Liberals gain majority of Canadian Parliament

Yesterday’s federal election saw a big win for Walter Gordon and the Liberal Party. The Liberal party gained a majority of Parliament, adding 26 seats, increasing its total number of seats to 154. The Progressive Conservatives under Robert Stanfield lost 22 seats in Parliament. The infighting seen in that party following the resignation of former leader John Diefenbaker, along with the party’s muddled stance on the Quebec issue no doubt contributed to their loss. The New Democratic Party neither lost nor gained seats, remaining at 22, but Ralliement creditiste nearly doubled the number of seats, increasing from 8 to 14. The Social Credit party lost all three of its seats. [1]

Gordon’s campaign slogan, “A Choice for Canada”, named after his best-selling book, appealed to many Canadians. His nationalistic message and strong opposition to the Vietnam War are believed by some to have helped lead his party to victory. Even in Quebec, where separatist sentiment is strong, the Liberals were able to maintain most of their seats.

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] Mostly as OTL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Canadian_federal_election

 

[dartingfog]

July 18, 1968

Humphrey meets with anti-nuclear activists

Yesterday, the first-ever Environment Day [1] was held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, only 33 miles from the site of the Fermi meltdown. Since the Fermi meltdown, the environment has become an important issue to many voters, and many political figures are eager to show their concern for it. The event was organized by a bipartisan committee that includes Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey from California and Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. The most important attendee was the Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who met with anti-nuclear activists, scientists, and several concerned citizens. [2] Senator Edmund Muskie (D-ME) and consumer advocate Ralph Nader were also in attendance.

The event's keynote speaker was Larry Bogart, [3] the leader of the influential anti-nuclear power organization known as the Citizens Energy Council (CEC). Last year, Bogart gave up a lucrative career in the nuclear power industry to warn the public about the dangers of the “peaceful atom.” [4] He now leads an organization with 3,000 members.

“Nuclear power is an idea whose time has gone,” says Bogart. “The only thing that will keep it going for perhaps a little while yet is the enormous amount of capital that has been sunk into this high technology. Nuclear power has failed to achieve either technological or economic maturity. It is still not possible to standardize reactors because design flaws keep showing up.” [5]

Bogart also raised concerns about the health effects of atomic plants. “The invisible materials that are emitted by a nuclear power plant are far worse pollutants than anything that ever came out of a coal-fired plant,” says Bogart. “Everything that the waste touches becomes radioactive…We are now killing on the average of a hundred people a day from these wastes…We think that plutonium particularly will have this tremendous genetic kick which will only be registered in the generation that will start reproducing around the year 2000.” [6]

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] Based on Earth Day, first held less than two years later: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day#Santa_Barbara's_Environmental_Rights_Day_1970 . See also https://heritage.umich.edu/stories/earth-day-eve/

[2] In OTL, Humphrey’s only comments on the environment was to dedicate a park and a dam: https://archive.epa.gov/epa/aboutepa/earth-day-recollections-what-it-was-when-movement-took.html

[3] A prominent figure in the early anti-nuclear power movement. Perhaps there will be a Humphrey-Bogart ticket? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Bogart

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/20/...al-critic-of-nuclear-power-is-dead-at-77.html

[5] His own words from 1977: https://www.nytimes.com/1977/02/27/archives/the-case-against-nuclear-power.html

[6] Bogart in 1980 (shortly after Three Mile Island).

 

[Salvador79]

Yes, Humphrey/Bogart 1968!!

 

[Unknown]

At first, I thought this was referring to Humphrey Bogart, the actor, except that he died in 1957, nine years before the PoD (but I can see his widow, Lauren Bacall, coming out against nuclear power ITTL)...

Yeah, Humphrey/Bogart would be an interesting ticket...

Speaking of which, what's Bernie Sanders up to ITTL?

 

[dartingfog]

At first, I thought this was referring to Humphrey Bogart, the actor, except that he died in 1957, nine years before the PoD (but I can see his widow, Lauren Bacall, coming out against nuclear power ITTL)...

Yeah, Humphrey/Bogart would be an interesting ticket...

Speaking of which, what's Bernie Sanders up to ITTL?

My guess is more or less the same as what he was doing in OTL. At the time (July 1968), he was 26 and had just moved to Vermont, working odd jobs. Perhaps that changes, but I don't think so. However, given his OTL opposition to atomic power, he's probably involved in some anti-atomic activism.

 

[dartingfog]

July 26, 1968

Gun ownership, radical groups on the rise in Detroit

Detroit’s comeback after Fermi is marred by a disturbing trend: white backlash. On the surface, Detroit appears to have become a model for good race relations. Slowly but surely, efforts to integrate the racially divided city seem to be succeeding. The Big Three have begun hiring initiatives to hire Black workers, newly-passed open housing laws have allowed Blacks to live in neighborhoods previously closed off to them, and the mayor’s New Detroit Committee has given community leaders a political voice. But not all Detroiters approve of this progress.

Many white Detroiters are simply leaving for the suburbs. Others are taking up arms, joining radical organizations such as Breakthrough. Breakthrough is a rabidly anti-Communist organization led by Donald Lobsinger, a 34-year-old army veteran. His band of vocal supporters have disrupted several city council meetings, demonstrations, speeches, and anti-war rallies. After he and two associates assaulted a police officer at the St. Patrick’s Day parade earlier this year, Lobsinger was given a sentence of two years’ probation and a $100 fine for disturbing the peace. [1] However, this run-in with the law only increased Lobsinger’s popularity among many white Detroiters.

Lobsinger and his followers believe that the civil rights movement is a Communist plot, concocted to promote black power ideology and seek vengeance against whites. Members are urged to stock up on weapons and band together to defend themselves in the event of another riot, which they view as inevitable. The group denounces whites who wish to heal the racial divide as “do-gooders and bleeding hearts.” [2]

Rumors that black power extremists are planning to deliberately target whites living in the city have driven a massive increase in gun sales. More guns were registered with Detroit PD in the first half of 1968 than in all of 1967. Breakthrough has played a major role in this, due to its encouragement to its members to arm themselves. Even the National Rifle Association has gotten involved, promoting the purchase of firearms at Breakthrough meetings. [3]

Alarmed by the spike in gun sales, Mayor Cavanagh made an appearance on TV in March to urge for a “return to sanity” [4]. He attempted to reassure the public that the “the police were prepared to prevent trouble and to attack the voices of the right and the left that were seeking to divide the city.” [5] However, the mayor’s speech did little to ease fears of white Detroiters, who are increasingly listening to radicals like Lobsinger. The mayor, who is currently embroiled in a contentious divorce, seems unable to control a city that is rapidly heading toward racial conflict.

Spoiler: NOTES

[1] Everything in this post is entirely as OTL. “Anti-Red Group Leader Fined, Put on Probation”, Flint Journal, May 7, 1968
[2] I want to make it clear that these are not my beliefs, but that is what they believed. Detroit: Race Riots, Racial Conflicts, and Efforts to Bridge the Racial Divide, pp. 7-10.
[3] Detroit 1967: Origins, Impacts, Legacies, pp. 262
[4] “Cavanagh says Whites, Blacks in Detroit Area in Arms Race”, Flint Journal, Mar. 8, 1968
[5] Detroit: City of Race and Class Violence, pp. 189

 

[generalurist]

So the anti-nuclear hysteria is getting fired up I see...

How much worse are the detroit race relations than OTL?