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[Thande]

Another great chapter. Like the cultural stuff as before.

The Japanese material is fascinating. It's been such an article of faith in Britain (and, I think, the US) that Japan's economic boom was an inevitability that it's very AHy indeed to see the LDP's grip on power stumble.

Did the Russians really refer to the KGB as "Moscow Centre"? I was under the impression that this was a pseudonym invented by John le Carré.

If the JSP does come to power with a neutralist or even pro-Soviet/Chinese position (doubtless in spite of the CIA's best efforts), the US will be placed in a very awkward position. The Americans cannot afford to lose Japan. And that means that Japan could become, for Cold War relativists, America's version of Hungary in 1956...

 

[Arachnid]

Did the Russians really refer to the KGB as "Moscow Centre"? I was under the impression that this was a pseudonym invented by John le Carré.

Its generally just refereed to as Centre but yes.

 

[Thande]

Its generally just refereed to as Centre but yes.

Huh, you learn summat new every day.

 

[Constantinople]

Ugh a not capitalistic Japan. Ugh ugh! Like I know things are cool see *alternatively* in AH, but perish the thought. Please don't do it!

Wait but wasn't japan already on the way towards a boom by 62?

 

[Thande]

The way the boom was constructed, dominated by overloaning, doesn't strike me as an ultimately stable way to run an expanding economy. That and it always feels to me rather gratifying to stick a spanner in the works of something that, teleologically, seemed preordained.

It's very interesting. I'd like to see someone else do the same to West Germany...and it's particularly interesting that it involves miners. Over here in the 70s and the 80s there was a popular view (envious on the part of the Tories, contemptuous on the part of the workers) that Japanese miners and industrial workers kept their heads down and worked themselves to death out of an 'Oriental sense of duty' or something.

 

[CobiWann]

You do butterflies so damn well, dude. Nixon in 1960 leads to a possibly socialist Japan and South America? And it's plausible? Wow...love the Peck/O'Toole/Welles stuff as well!

I would give more words of praise..but I believe our beloved President would like to sure his thoughts on this TL. Sir?

 

[Constantinople]

Thank you kindly.
The way the boom was constructed, dominated by overloaning, doesn't strike me as an ultimately stable way to run an expanding economy. That and it always feels to me rather gratifying to stick a spanner in the works of something that, teleologically, seemed preordained.

I guess, but it worked out really well for them anyway. Yes, they've lost a few decades, but better third/fourth/fifth place Japan than 1950 Japan.

 

[Thande]

Attempted up-to-date map, please point out any errors. (Yes I know it's an old colour scheme, no I don't care, I'm not wading through a billion posts).

Major changes from OTL: East Papua still Dutch, Soviet influenced Cuba replaced with American influenced Cuba. I didn't add Soviet influence in Paraguay because I don't think that applies yet.

 

[galveston bay]

an outstanding job

I am curious to see what you plan to do with the space program. Without Mcnamara, the X15/Dynasoar project might continue, while Eisenhower set in motion the Mercury program and Gemini was an outgrowth of that.

Apollo is all Kennedy though

 

[Thande]

an outstanding job

I am curious to see what you plan to do with the space program. Without Mcnamara, the X15/Dynasoar project might continue, while Eisenhower set in motion the Mercury program and Gemini was an outgrowth of that.

Apollo is all Kennedy though

Given Nixon's OTL stance on Apollo and the Space Shuttle (later on of course) I suspect he would favour Dyna-Soar and perhaps also Lunar Gemini. NASA could have landed on the moon using Gemini technology and sooner, albeit at the price of only being able to land one man rather than two. There's a summary of all the proposals (which were around 1960-61 OTL) here: http://www.astronautix.com/fam/gemini.htm

 

[Lavanya Six]

Another great update. I really like how expansive this timeline is, following cascading butterflies (for lack of a better phrase) from far away events.

Will events in Japan much affect the 1964 Summer Olympics?

 

[Archangel]

Good update!
How will the Liberals and Febrerists react to the Communists when thjey start making moves to control FULN?

 

[CobiWann]

Japan going up in flames over Korea? Sounds just a bit like 1930's Germany in a very unstable region where the US has bases...

I like how you handle Rocky's marriage. It's textbook Nixon!

Glad to see this TL back, and can't wait to see where SE Asia goes...

 

[Thande]

An update, great!

The BBC Home Service at the time broadcast five news programmes a day, but I don't know exactly when; one o'clock seems likely as a timeslot though.

Thatcher's appointment to Aviation could be interesting. On the one hand in OTL she was against big dramatic projects in the area (though Concorde's already been butterflied away due to France going nuts) but I'm not sure if this was just because Britain was in tight economic straits at the time. Also the fact that you haven't changed the title of her autobiography implies she still becomes Prime Minister...

 

[Basileus Giorgios]

Great stuff- Macmillan's putdown of Thatcher made me chuckle. I echo Thande's comment about the title of her autobiography- I assume, at the very least, this means she's going to make one of the Big Three departments.

 

[Lavanya Six]

I really dug the 'K Kitamura' testimony.

And did I see a hint that Ronald Reagan stays a Democrat ITTL?

 

[MILLANDSON]

Just read through all the timeline today, and though 1960s US politics isn't my usual fare, this is really good stuff

Just curious, and I'm not sure if I'll sound thick or anything, but going back to Cuba... who is it that's being visited in the asylum? I couldn't tell if it was Hemingway or not.

And did I see a hint that Ronald Reagan stays a Democrat ITTL?

That's certainly the impression I'd got. He fits the bill perfectly.

It's sort of interesting to see the Republicans seeming to be the more liberal of the two US political parties, since this is, IIRC, around the time the shift between the Democrats and Republicans (as to who was on the right, and who was on the left) occurred IOTL.

 

[Arachnid]

I was just thinking that we might be seeing a Democratic Reagan, or that we are being put off the scent.

 

[Thande]

It's sort of interesting to see the Republicans seeming to be the more liberal of the two US political parties, since this is, IIRC, around the time the shift between the Democrats and Republicans (as to who was on the right, and who was on the left) occurred IOTL.

Well a President Nixon reaching out to civil rights activists has already butterflied away the OTL 'southern strategy'...a lot may hang on who the Democrats nominate in '64.

 

[Arachnid]

I think post-FDR the Republicans are always going to be the more right wing party on economic issues. Plus internally the Intelligentsia and the Northern Union machines are always going to beat out the SoDems.