Hello everybody.
I worked with
@Drew these last few months to create an update on the final days before the CV. So now we begin, the end of the beginning.
Twilight of Hope
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September 1, 1988
The Democratic National Convention votes a platform that rejects co-operation with the We The People movement. Instead they nominated Governor Thomas S. Foley (WA) for President and former Senator Paul D, Sarbanes (MD) for Vice President.
September 4, 1988
President Jeremiah Denton, angered over "Christian Values subversion", declares himself an independent, in order to be able to "govern above politics".
September 5-17, 1988
Members of the Democratic and Republican parties begin collaborating in search for a unifying candidate to resist the tide of the Christian Values Party. However, the search is fraught with difficulty. Many are either too ill from "nervous breakdown" treatment, while most moderates have become completely alienated from the GOP as a whole.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party organizations in urban areas continue to suffer from defections to the We The People Movement, which bills itself as the “genuine opposition” to Rumsfeldism and the CV administration. While Republicans are condemned for supporting Rumsfeld for too long, Democrats also suffer from the taint of being “accomodationists.”
Sacramento, California
President McCloskey was reading about Pat Leahy's trade negotiations when Secretary Brown burst in to his office. His expression looked like he was swilling vinegar around in his mouth
"What is it Jerry?"
"Trent Lott is on the phone," Jerry said, making no attempt to hide his disgust.
McCloskey sighed as picked up the phone.
"Hello Mr. Speaker," he said, trying his best to put on a diplomatic tone.
"Hello Governor," Speaker Lott replied.
"You mean President," McCloskey said firmly.
The Speaker of the House laughed nervously at the rebuke.
Lott: OK, Pete, you can stop it now. You made your point.
McCloskey: And what point do you I believed I've made?
Lott: We get it. You're pissed that Jackson costed you the election. You feel cheated by that socialist.
McCloskey: Oh, I see. You think I think like you. Lose an election, and jump ship. Isn't that why you're precious Confederacy seceded? You didn't like the winner?
Lott: (crossly)
That was an issue of states' rights, which many of us still hold dear as a founding principle of
this republic -
McCloskey: Then you should be cheering for me, because that is what I'm standing-up for.
Lott: Look, let's not debate history, OK?
McCloskey: I guess not. Let’s just not try and re-write it.
Lott: Look, Pete, that was just politics. Why not let bygones be bygones. Me and my friends want to work toward the future, and building a better nation.
McCloskey: I see. And what do your "friends" want me to do.?
Lott: They want you to run for the Presidency. You're popular everywhere. The McCloskey name can restore honor to this nation.
McCloskey: What’s the
quid-pro-quo?
Lott: They just want to keep the ship of state is on even keel. But to do that they need a few favors from you - like protection from the Eurotrash Hague court.
McCloskey: Oh I see. You want me to pardon the sons of bitches who robbed the American people, sold to fascists, and (McCloskey paused to collect his anger) and poisoned our water and air. Keep their asses out of the fire. In return I get offered the presidency? Does it come with thirty pieces of silver?
Lott: Pete, you know how it works. We need to compromise some things to get what we want-
McCloskey: You certainly had no problem doing that! All you –
compromised - was our electoral process, the Bill of Rights, and the rule of law.
Lott: Pete, what's it gonna take to help you remember that you want the job?
McCloskey: Trent, truth is I don’t really want the job. Despite what you may think, this was not about the Presidency. This is about something you and you're stooges and forgotten about – the Constitution. Right now, my duty is to the people of California now, and their liberty. Nothing in this conversation has given me any indication that the people of California, or of the United States, will be well served by this –
compromise. Good day, sir.
(McCloskey hangs up the phone)
____
London, England
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was sitting in the offices of the Free America Society, looking through forms, when she heard an aide phone her.
"Yes Janice", Kennedy said into the phone.
"Somebody named Albert Brewer is on line 2 for you," Janice said.
Kennedy Onassis paused for a minute, furrowing her brow.. "OK," Kennedy said sharply. "Put him on." She paused.
"Hello Mrs. Kennedy," a Southern voice asked politely.
"What is it,
Mr. Brewer?" Kennedy Onassis asked, her tone sharp. "And how did you get this number? Did Rummy's spies help you find it?"
There was an audible pause for a moment.
Brewer: Look, Mrs. Kennedy, can I talk to Ted?
Kennedy: Is this part of your assassination plot against him and the rest of us?
Brewer: Mrs. Kennedy, why would you-
Kennedy: I mean, you clearly thought my husband's death was a patriotic act.
Brewer: (defensively) That was Rumsfeld, I had nothing to do with that piece of shit movie!
Kennedy: But that's what you honestly thought of my husband, right? I mean, he was treating the blacks like people, and that just turned your stomach?
Brewer: (annoyed) Why are you comparing me to the white hoods?
Kennedy: Because you tried to push Marshall off the bench. Must have been happy when he was-
Brewer: (nervously) Marshall was threatening the family unit, Mrs. Kennedy, I voted with my conscience.
Kennedy: (enraged) ENOUGH
MR BREWER! You want to appeal to the "lynch the blacks" crowd! You abandoned us just to get their vote. If you cared a t all about the family, you wouldn't have served that son-of-a-bitch. (pauses, then sarcastic) But what do I know, I'm just liberal woman. I deserved to be put in my place. You must have jumped for joy when Phyllis Schlafly was put on the bench.
Brewer: (exasperated) Look Jackie, bringing up the past, this is getting us nowhere. Our country is about to be taken over by these CV nuts. We need someone who can unite our nation after all this turmoil. A Kennedy can be the light against the darkness. Either you or Ted could be that light, we so desperately need.
(a pause hangs over the trans-Atlantic line)
Kennedy Onassis: (calmly) Alright,
Albert, tell you what? I'll tell Ted of your generous offer the day you bring me back my nephew's body.
(phone hangs up)
____
September 6, 1988
The wings of the Democratic and Republican Party wanting to prevent the rise of the CV (known increasingly as the Reconciliation movement), as well as members of the Denton Administration reach out to the WTP and the Libertarians in an effort to form a united front ticket.
Ronald Galtieri and Bobby Rush, the presumptive nominees for the Libertarian and WTP Parties both categorically refuse any attempt at unity. Both sense a moment when the old two parties that have dominated American politics for a generation can be destroyed for good.
September 7, 1988
The Guardian
Greece's Socialist Government Deports Fascist Generals
The leaders of the fascist Greek junta have been deported to the Hague where they are to be charged with war crimes for their atrocities during Greece's bloody civil war.
"A just society cannot be built on the blood of ones enemies," acting Greek Premier Leonidas Kyrkos said. "We must have justice, but we must also have rule of law."
The Greek Civil War ended in defeat for the fascist junta in May. Their only lifeline had been the flow of weapons from the United States under former President Donald Rumsfeld, and had enjoyed a minor advantage after the Bulgarian government, at the urging of its Soviet ally, ended military aid to Greece's communists.
However, the loss of aid from the US, after Acting President Denton ended the support for many authoritarian regimes doomed the junta.
Premier Kyrkos is said to represent the Eurocommunist wing of the Greek communist movement, which believes in a democratic form of communism, a faction that gained power after Soviet Bloc aid to more revolutionary left-wing factions ended. Kyrkos is said to be coming under the influence of the Italian government, which pushed for sending the men to The Hague. He has also received support from the French and Yugoslav governments.
Pat Robertson, the presumptive nominee for the Christian Values party, appeared at a rally in Des Moines where he calls for a "return to our Godly virtues, against the Satanic tide." During the rally, members of the Holy Battalions, the growing paramilitary arm of the CV, handed out free food to the poor of Des Moines.
September 10, 1988
Billings Gazette
Senator Galtieri declares "no ticket with the GOP is to be considered".
At a Libertarian rally in Helena, Senator Ronald Galtieri re-iterated his refusal to form any kind of unity ticket with the Republican Party. He publicly tore up a letter he claimed to be from former Vice President William Scranton, which urged him to rally the country behind a potential unity ticket between the Democratic and Republican Parties.
"Those Republican congressman and Senators, many of whom gained their seats through fraud and oppression, now claim they want reform," Galtieri yelled, his audience responding with jeers. "They've had a full year to try and fix the mess they brought, and what did they do? They tried to give themselves another year in office, and they couldn't even get that done!"
Some have criticized this attitude as giving ground to the Christian Values Party. Galtieri, and other Libertarians, however reject these claims.
"We stand for Liberty, and through the Bozeman movement, we've created a place for man to be truly free," said Libertarian Party chairman David Nolan. "We won't be a so-called spoiler. This will be the year the American people rally to our cause."
September 14, 1988
The South African government of Magnus Malan has indicted several high-ranking officers under charges of "treason and subversion".
Little is known about the identity of the men charged, but some have claimed that these men were high level figures in Malan's government. Which would indicate that Malan's support even among Afrikaner hardliners is slipping.
Malan's power over much of the countryside has been weakened since the US government cut off aid to his government earlier this year. Black nationalists forces have made enormous progress in the last few months.
Many of these nationalist militias have been joined by many Anglo-South Africans and even some white Rhodesians, who have been persecuted by the Malan government.
UN observes fear that as the South African government grows increasingly unstable, and continues to lose ground, the situation in Southern Africa will become dire, leading to a large-scale humanitarian disaster, unless the situation is resolved peacefully in a short period of time.
September 16, 1988
The Republican National Convention nominates Senator David R. Dwight (MA) for President and Rep. Shelby Smith (KS) for Vice President.
September 17, 1988
At a closed door meeting in Washington, DC, Senator William Winter (D-MS) and Senator William Roth (R-DE) have both agreed to join on a fusion ticket.
Senator Winter is one of the few remaining Democratic politicians from the once solid Deep South; he aims to undermine the influence in the region the CV has gained in the last three years.
Since the fall of the Rumsfeld administration, Winter has been a staunch advocate for "reconciliation between the two major parties". He has proposed what he calls a "general amnesty" bill that offers anyone who served Rumsfeld, and who is convicted of an identifiable crime, a shortened sentence, in exchange for testimony about other crimes committed during the period.
"I understand the anger we all feel," Winter said, "but it is only by banishing the demons of partisanship and division that we can truly return to the nation we once were."
Senator William Roth, one of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the nation who broke with Rumsfeld once it became clear in which direction his administration was going, has joined the Fusion ticket for the same reason.
"Let us move toward a brighter future, and put aside past divisions," Roth said in a speech.
Winter's proposal, however, has come under harsh criticism by the far-left and the far-right, and even from members of the Democratic Party who see it as a get out of jail free card for the Rumsfeld administration.
September 19, 1988
BBC Interview with presumptive WTP nominee and Illinois state senator Bobby Rush and BBC reporter John Pilger
John Pilger: Some have accused you, Mr. Rush, of dividing the electorate and allowing the Christian Values Party to gain ground. Aren't you just repeating 1984?
Bobby Rush
: (scoffs) Everybody blames us for 1984. Nobody blames the so-called Democrats and their bowing before their corporate masters. That's what they did, and are still doing, even after the corporations decided to throw them under a bus.
Pilger: So you feel that Winter is a corporate stooge?
Rush: Sure! He's working with the Republicans, and talking about letting Rummy's parasites walk away with their loot.
Pilger: Senator Winter has supported extraditing certain Rumsfeld Administration figures and some of their corporate allies to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. His offer of amnesty is only in exchange for testimony and reform-
Rush: (incredulous) Amnesty? Amnesty?! For years the Republican and Democratic parties have run on law and order. The man who steals fifty dollars to feed his family or the man who shoots himself with heroin deserves to be locked up they say. He deserves never to see the sun again. But suddenly the rich man- the man who steals billions of dollars or launders millions from a drug kingpin- is being held to account for his own crimes. Suddenly he doesn't get law and order, he gets 'amnesty'. They say he needs forgiveness and understanding. This is like Reconstruction all over again.
Pilger: What do you mean?
Rush: In 1865, slavery had been destroyed. The slaveholders should have been held to account for their oppression and depravity. But instead, all they got is a slap on the wrist from Andrew Johnson and the Republicans. The Northern establishment traded justice for convenience, and the black man and his rights were sacrificed. The corporate masters-the modern-day slaveholder- are rooting for Winter, a Southern cracker like Johnson, because he knows that Winter will let him walk away and continue to exploit the working people.
Pilger: You believe Winter will step back from reforms?
Rush: Winter is man who built his career in white supremacy and helping the planter class in Mississippi. Like Wallace, he lies and says he believes in racial unity, but ended up serving the corporate cause, instead of sending the corporate crooks to their well deserved fate.
Pilger: If you became President, you wouldn't push for amnesty for Rumsfeld's supporters?
Rush: No. I would fight for justice; Justice for those who have suffered these last seven years. Give them Rumsfeldians a taste of the poor man's justice.
Pilger: Are you saying you support a purge of Rumsfeldians?
Rush: (annoyed) I ain't no Robespierre. I'm not gonna march those crooks to the guillotine. I support using the law to give them shills the sentence they deserve. Only then can we truly build the society we should have built 120 years ago.
Pilger: But if you weaken the Democrats and allow the CVs to come to power?
Rush: Four years ago, most Americans still believed in the free-market BS. Now that their eyes are open, more people will rally to us.
September 20, 1988
Thousands of Israelis Protest Against Ethnic Cleansing
In Yamit, Israel, thousands of activists protested the Israeli governments expulsion of Arabs and other Muslims. They have clashed with military police.
"The Knesset has sunk to the level of the Nazis with their crimes against Arabs," shouted David Hertzog, an olim from Ohio. "We demand that they honor the principles of freedom."
The vast majority of the protestors appear to be American olim. Since 1985, it is estimated that nearly 1.5 million Jews have emigrated from the United States. Over 1 million of those have gone to Israel. Many of the more vocal of this group are of a left of center bend, and have rallied against what they see as the racist policies of the Israeli government.
"These people beg us for a home after the disaster that was Rumsfeld," croons Israeli politician Meir Kahane, "We let them in as fellow Jews. But now they complain about how we protect them from the Arab horde that wants to cut their throats. Pathetic."
As he did in 1972, Alabama Governor and former President George C. Wallace announces that he will seek to win Alabama’s 8 Electoral Votes in a one state candidacy for the Presidency. As in 1972 he hopes to leverage his position into a reign maker once the national Electoral Vote is determined in November. Wallace assumes that no candidate will win a majority in the Electoral College and that the parties will seek to avoid having the election determined by a three judge panel as laid out in the 27th amendment). Wallace, despite ill-health, is angling to return to the Presidency as the compromise candidate in such a situation.
September 21, 1988
In what has been dubbed the "Hamburg Tea Party," activists, some of them young American exiles, have boarded a ship illegally carrying American goods and have dumped them into the port of Hamburg.
"These pigs have been trying to sell us the s**t they've made through slavery," said one American. "Let tell them we will not have their slop here."
German authorities state that the people who dumped the products overboard will be charged with violating environmental laws.
This incident becomes one of the more infamous moments of the American boycott movement.
First begun in 1983, to protest Donald Rumsfeld's foreign policy, the movement gained even greater attraction in recent years to protest Rumsfeld's dismantlement of worker's rights. Many overseas financial institutions were also alienated by Rumsfeld's dismantling of financial regulations, and a surprising number of financial sector executives join the ranks of the boycott movement for this reasons.
The nations of Western Europe were reluctant to engage in boycotts, fearing the collapse of their economies, but the growth in trade with the Warsaw Pact had made it easier for Western Europe to implement trade sanctions against American businesses.
The recent debacle in Cuba, and the revelations about the inadequacy of the weapons sold to the US army has also aimed a spotlight on the decline in quality and safety of America goods due to Rumsfeld's weakening of product safety laws, the reluctance of American corporations – forced into cutthroat completion through the repeal of protective regulations and laws – to invest in quality control and, it is alleged, through acts of sabotage by some American workers.
September 23, 1988
President Jeremiah Denton's Financial Reform Act Bill, which would provide sweeping reforms of banking and financial sector, failed to pass the House 191-196 and the Senate 40-56. Observers attribute the bill's failure to opposition within the Rumsfeldian faction of the Republican Party joined by some liberal Democratic senators were also opposed to the bill, as it lacked penalties for those charge with financial fraud, and by WTP members who felt it didn’t go far enough. The CV supported it (knowing it was popular but would fail).
September 25, 1988
The infamous "Blumenthal Report," a confidential memo written by IMF official Erwin Blumenthal, is leaked and published in
Der Spiegel. In it, Blumenthal is unusually frank in describing the finances of the US Government. Blumenthal writes about he excessive foreign debt of the US, combined with the ruin of its tax collection organization due to privatization, and concludes : "New promises will undoubtedly be made by Denton and his government, and the payment of the country's foreign debt will once again be postponed; but there is no chance, absolutely no chance that creditors will ever see their money again".
Acting Chief of Staff Richard Shelby held a press conference. Most of the questions are related to the Blumenthal Memo and the failure of the Denton Administration to secure financial reforms. He offers half-hearted promises of reform, and weakly asks the American people to look up.
Oval Office
"Mr. Prime Minster," Denton said, in a polite but slightly nervous tone, "can't you push some kind of aid. Get some bankers to provide this government cash to pull us over. We're about to fall off a cliff."
"Mr. President", a tired Kinnock said into the phone, "I need to be blunt. Many British banks have complained about American corporations taking out loans and using assorted excuses, including the lack of enforceable regulations on the American side, to continually re-negotiate the terms in their favour. British banks have been left holding the bill. If an American banker walked in, he probably wouldn't be able to get a pen, let alone a loan. I couldn't mail you a check for 100 pounds without the Treasury slapping me in the face."
"What about the billions in American capital which has flowed into your banks over the past few years. Perhaps it is time Parliament acted to return some of it?"
“Let us examine that, Mr. President. What was the source of that funding? Flight capital? American corporate leaders looting their treasuries and depositing the ill-gotten gains abroad to avoid the inevitable fall out once their activities were exposed? You can be sure the Treasury is taking a very close look at the source of those billions, and will be asking for detailed questions about who really owns that capital. Until that is determined, Mr. President, that capital will stay where it is.”
“Given the dire need over here for some relief, Mr. Prime Minister, one could argue that your decision is a form of terrorism against a desperate American people.”
Prime Minster Kinnock gripped his phone tightly, trying to control his anger.
"Mr. President, it has come to my attention that members of the Rumsfeld government, which you served, armed and train Unionist terrorism. In fact, some have blamed the CIA for Callaghan's death"
"I had no knowledge of that-" replied Denton.
"Let me finish, Mr. President. According to intelligence reports, some American spies have been responsible for the selling of narcotics in Labour Party districts. Not only that, but members of the Christian Values having been funneling aid to the Unionist terrorists."
"But I left them-,"
"There is a picture of you shaking hands with Ian Paisley!"
Denton squirmed in his chair.
"That was just politics," he replied, weakly.
"That’s a Nuremberg Defense sir," Kinnock barked. "And a poor one against funding terror against the British people. Were I to say that to the families of those who lost children and loved ones to Union terrorism, I’m sure I would be shot dead, and deservedly so." Kinnock paused. "If I were to send you're government aid, then I would be cashiered the next day, again deservedly so. I cannot be seen as being soft on Rumsfeldism, especially when we are trying to negotiate with those bloody unions."
"What about the Special Relationship, Mr. Prime Minister?" Denton asked.
"Mr. Rumsfeld tore that up. Do not look to me to breathe new life into the corpse for you. My hands are tied, in no small part because you are tarred with his brush, and frankly, from this side of the Atlantic, still seem mired in a sea of fanatics. The risk to Great Britain is too high."
After Kinnock hung up, Denton put his head in his hands in frustration. He was supposed to be the most powerful man in America, but never before in his life had he ever felt so helpless Not even the North Vietnamese made him feel so weak.
Why, why did I take this job? I'm useless. I can't even get a loan for this country. I can't even get help for Rumsfeld's victims.
He stopped his pity party, and went back to the phone, calling the Republican Party leadership to try and breath life into another reform package.
September 27, 1988
In Akron, OH, employees at a local tire factory line up en masse to cash in their investment certificates. The besieged payroll office, however, quickly closes. The factory itself has been insolvent for two years, having managed to hide their problems under a cloak of financial deception. The employees, however, refuse to leave, demanding their paychecks. Eventually the manager confronts them.
"Get away from the door," said the manager, a Mr. Stevens. He wore a suit and looked very well-fed. He wasn't a factory worker or an Akron native, just some Wall Street stooge who probably never did a hard day's work in his life.
"Where's our goddamn money," yelled Tony, their foreman. He had been the local head of a union chapter, before Rummy deregulated them into oblivion. He still tried to advocate on behalf of his men, though. He had grown up among them, unlike the deadhead manager he was talking too.
"Get away from the door," said Stevens in a snotty tone. His haughty contempt for the factory workers, laid bare without even a pretense of concern, was a slap across Tony’s face. Anger swelling to the bursting point, he quietly reach for his pistol.
"These investment certificates said we can cash in any time," said the man beside Tony. After working 12 hours a day, Tony felt they deserved a decent paycheck. Suddenly, two security guards walked up, mean expressions on their faces. These guys reminded Tony of the mobsters he knew growing up. They were known for beating the crap out of an employee who collapsed from exhaustion.
"Get away from the damn door, before my guys move on you, you Commie sponges," Stevens sneered. Tony, however didn't budge. He had no food in his house. He needed money to feed his family.
"George, Aaron," Stevens said to the two guards, "get him out." The guards approached him, but Tony brought out his pistol and shot the men, who feel to the ground in agony. Stevens' arrogant face was replaced by one of fear.
"You guys better this man out of here," he screamed desperately," he's a dangerousl..." Suddenly, the rage of men who felt robbed and cheated erupted. Several of the men, including Tony, tackled Stevens, who was endured the worst beating of his life. Others were beating down the door of the payroll office, while others began trashing the factory machines. Within hours, the factory was destroyed.
The Tire Riot, as it became known, would be the catalyst for the worst economic crash in American history. News of the incident in Akron drove millions of starving workers to try and cash in their certificates, only to discover that they were worthless, and their employers secretly insolvent.
A Conversation among Christian Values workers:
A: I can’t understand where we are getting the money to redeem these worthless investment certificates, even at five cents on the dollar.
B: Why ask. They’re worthless anywhere else. We give them five cents, and we win their loyalty. So their hearts are opened to the Lord, even as their votes are won to His Holy cause.
New York – The office of United States Attorney Kelsey “The Hammer” Grammer
Grammer: I have substantial leads on where the flow of this drug money has been going, and it is into front groups that re-distribute it to agencies that are paying-out – at a steep discount – the investment certificates that the corporations repudiated –
Assistant AG: We don’t want to hear that. That is not a fruitful line of inquiry.
Grammer: What do you mean? Billions earned through the sale of illict narcotics is being recycled into the economy. It has been going on for years. Rumsfeld’s fall slowed it down, but now it has found a new avenue. Unless we get to the bottom of it –
AAG: Nothing to get to the bottom of, Grammer. Drop it. Concentrate on other cases, ones which have true national security implications.
Funneling drug money into the economy, where it went into what was political activity, was not a national security concern? Grammer was astounded at what he was hearing from Washington. Grammer was a man of many words and lightning quick in any legal argument – but this moment left him speechless. He was being blocked from investigating a major crime and instead – what – they had him using the law to effectively persecute dissidents.
AAG: What do you have on that actor – what is his name?
Grammer: David Hyde Pierce?
AAG: Yes, him. He’s a homosexual, you know. There’s much interest here in seeing him convicted as quickly as possible.
Grammer: For what? Speaking out against the Rumsfeld? Everyone is doing that now.
AAG: He is a symbol Grammer. Make an example of him, a useful object lesson for all those disruptive elements up there. Oh, and Grammer, I hope our confidence in you isn’t misplaced. I know you are overworked, I’d hate for you to have a nervous breakdown.
Grammer: That threat has been discredited.
AAG: Has it?
------------------------------------------------
September 28, 1988
Black Wednesday. Facing billions of liabilities they cannot pay, many American businesses collapse overnight. Adding to the economic damage are a series of bank failures. Having lost FDIC insurance, millions of Americans run on the banks in an intensity not seen since the 1930s, only to discover their savings are gone.
September 29-November 5,1988
The Week of Rage. Millions of Americans, seeing their jobs and wages gone overnight, begin rioting and looting across the US. Businesses and stores are looted to the ground, often by vengeful employees Even white collar employees, not known for violence, begin attacking their workplace. Many Republican Party offices throughout the Continental US are heavily burned, with their staff beaten and injured.
One infamous video shows a McDonald's manager being beaten to death by his employees who are in full attire.
Due to privatization and downsizing, emergency services, police, and National Guard units are unable to fully contain the violence and damage. Suburban communities soon learn that private police are less effective than a public force.
The Northeast, the Libertarian West, independent California see some rioting, but have economic structures to prevent a major fallout. Areas with CV presence are able to maintain order through Holy Batallions.
By the end of the Week of Rage, over 6,000 people are killed, and more than 90,000 are injured.
September 29, 1988
Pope Pius XIII visits the United Kingdom and meets with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The two talk of reconciliation. Many conservative Roman Catholics (and not a few conservative Protestants) are outraged by this.
October 1, 1988
Former Hair Club for Men CEO Donald Trump is arrested in Mexico and charged with masterminding a scheme to sell fraudulent visas to Americans who fled the United States and sought asylum in Mexico. It is estimated that Trump took millions of dollars from thousands of Americans by selling them phony visas. He is also charged with setting up a fake building business which he used to bid on contracts from the Mexican government to reinforce their border wall along the northern border. Trump re-sold the contracts to unlicensed builders at steep mark-ups, which in turn led to a further series of downstream frauds. Trump had previously looted the Hair Club for Men, but under Rumsfeld this was no longer an illegal act.
October 5, 1988
The last major riot of the Week of Rage occurs just outside the White House. During the beginning of the riot, Denton gives a national speech asking for "universal tolerance and brotherhood in these tough times that afflict us all".
The equipment deficiencies of both Capitol Police and National Guard forces Denton to send in the military to keep order.
When rioters begin besieging the White House, a series of unclear events result in the US Army forces firing into the crowd*, even into rioters who are retreating. The incident, known as Bloody Wednesday, leaves over 200 protestors killed and more than a thousand injured.
*(A photo taken by Nick Ut during the “White House Riots” was later revealed to show a man in the background with what appeared to be a small handgun or a starter’s pistol in his hand. If the unidentified man (called “The Nordic” because of his blond hair and general appearance) fired it, it would correspond to later testimony by Army soldiers and White House guards who stated that they thought they heard someone shooting at them. Who he was, nor why he had this weapon – of if indeed he did fire it 0 has never been determined.)
Though the riot is brought under control, the damage to Denton's reputation, already in decline since August, becomes irreversible. Images of wounded or dead rioters lying in front of the gates of the White House, often ironically juxtaposed with Denton's words about "universal tolerance and brotherhood" appear in newspapers throughout the world. The riot is often considered to be the final nail in the coffin for the Denton administration.
October 6, 1988
Protests throughout much of the US and the world breakout in opposition to the Denton Presidency and his brutal crackdown on the riots. Once regarded as a worthy successor to Donald Rumsfeld, Denton is now detested by much of the world. Domestic opinion is no better. Denton's approval ratings, once as high as 63 percent in March, quickly decline to as low as 12 percent, as it seems that he has lost control of events.
Words on the street-
"Denton promised to fix everything. He's just another f**in crook, like Rummy."
"He wants to help people, but instead he just shoots them".
"Instead of meeting these desperate people with love, he meets them with bullet. Denton is another stooge," comments Bobby Rush.
The Kremlin
The Soviet press can barely contain their glee at the ruin of the once “main enemy”, now largely regarded as a second rate power (if that) by the Kremlin. Indeed, BBC images of the Week of Rage, played on Soviet TV are sharply influencing public opinion throughout the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc. Only one man, however, is displeased and horrified.
Nikolai Ryzhkov, seeing a superpower about to fall off a cliff, begins to prepare a very secret meeting.
October 7, 1988
At the Christian Values National Convention in Richmond, VA, Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (VA) is officially nominated for President and Steven Symms (ID) for VP.
In a heavily lauded speech, Robertson blames homosexuality, abortion, obscenity and a lack of faith for the rise of Rumsfeld.
"We have turned away from God, and Biblical values, we have forsaken God for a golden idol. He answered us in his wrath by brining down on a wicked, Godless America the His instrument of punishment, Donald Rumsfeld. Today, we, the faithful of our Saviour, we who embrace in our name the values of Christian civilization, who hold the Bible as the perfect word of God and as the divine blueprint for a true, Godly nation promise to bring about a return to God's paradise, to return America to its Christian roots, and strike back at those who turn their backs on His word and His will."
The convention ends with all delegates and leaders saying the Lord’s Prayer followed by a rousing rendition of “Onward Christian Soldiers.”
October 8, 1988
The Libertarian National Convention meets in Boise, ID. Sen. Ronald Galtieri (MT) is nominated for President and John Hospers (VA) for VP. In his nomination speech, Galtieri promises to defend the Bozeman movement, and restore the American Constitution.
"We have seen our nation transformed into the most oppressive tyranny since World War II. Our freedoms were traded for brutal neo-imperialism. Our constitution has been stuffed into a paper shredder. But with your help, my friends, we shall go to the White House in November and bring back the nation our Founders created.”
The We The People Convention meets in Atlanta, GA. Bobby Rush (IL) is nominated for President and Charles Barron (NY) for VP. In his nomination speech, Rush calls for social democratic policies.
"For a lifetime, for several lifetimes, we have suffered from the policies barely better than slavery. Rumsfeld was not the beginning of our misery, he was just the latest and most determined of our oppressors. But in one month, my brothers and sisters, you and I have the power to end that oppression for ever! Come January, my brothers and sisters, the era of groveling to the rich man will end. All of us united, we will restore our nation to We the People. “
October 10, 1988
The Fusion Party ticket, composed of Reconciliation Democrats and Republicans, meets in Philadelphia and officially nominates William Winter (D-MS) for President and William Roth (R-DE) for VP. Winter speaks in favor of reconciliation, amnesty, and restoring American values.
"In Philadelphia in the year 1776, a nation founded on liberty was created. Here, in this city, the year 1988 will be known as the year when America, and its great values, are reborn. When our traditions shall rise from the ashes, like a phoenix."
Observers note that the seats at the convention were half-empty. Due to the hatred many Americans have for the GOP, many Republican Party figures who were invited to speak don't appear. Many Democratic Party figures, opposed to reconciliation, are also absent.
The proceedings were also marred by loud protests from unemployed people.
At a press conference in Montgomery, Alabama the next day George Wallace denounces the Fusion effort as a ‘sham” that will hand the White House to the Christian Values.
“I can tell you now, all this division, all this finger pointing, it will all let these bible-thumpers in the front door and then, God help us all. I have found the Lord, my friends, I have. He has shown me the error of my past ways. But I tell you, when I found the Lord, I didn’t lose my senses. And common sense tells me that these people don’t know a wit about the Lord, and they sure don’t care a wit about constitutional government.”
October 11, 1988
The European Troika (the United Kingdom, France and Germany) working with the Vatican and Yugoslavia negotiate a ceasefire in the Cuban conflict. President Denton agrees to a phased withdrawal of US forces with long-term compensation to be determined through a further series of negotiations. Denton and the Pope are both criticized by their conservative critics because the arrangement leaves the Castro government in place. Pat Robertson states that if elected he will tear up the agreement unless Castro and his Politburo resign and leave Cuban soil.
October 11-November 7, 1988
The Christian Values Party begins a massive vote raising campaign. Having originally organized to prevent the delay of the elections, and having spent the past two years working toward taking control of local governments, they are more prepared to launch a campaign than the Fusion ticket, which lacks dedicated workers at the community level. Local GOP and Democratic organizations are split over the Fusion issue. The Libertarians mount a strong effort, but often face intimidation from Liberty Battalions which have been largely infiltrated by CV supporters at the local leadership level, which leads to a trend of merger between the Holy Battalions and the remnants of Rumsfeld’s former Liberty Battalions. The WTF does well at organizing, but its reach is limited and it is clear that they will not be able to mount a national campaign. The WTF at the national level is also weakened by the fact that its strong and well-funded California branch is now effectively excluded from an election which does not include California.
Using their enormous financial resources (some of which are later revealed to have been provided by TRW and other Rumsfeldian corporate figures), the Christian Values provides food and housing aid to millions of unemployed. Holy Battalions provide law enforcement aid in areas where law enforcement has been all but abandoned.
The Hughes Network works in close collaboration with the Christian Values party, broadcasting all their "charity" events. They block any coverage of Fusion party efforts, and any negative news about CV profiteering and conditions inside many CV schools and rehab centers.
They do cover some efforts by WTP and the Libertarian Party, but only the most extremist elements of those two groups-portraying the former as composed of only black power types and the latter as drug-using libertines-are given the most attention.
The Fusion Party faces severe fundraising and campaigning difficulty. As Hughes has a virtual monopoly on the American heartland, none of their efforts are widely known (outside the Northeast and West Coast, where CBS can still broadcast unbiased news). The dismantlement of the postal system and cost effective flow of information also impedes a national campaign for Fusion.
There are also very severe weaknesses with the running mates of Fusion.
William Winter and William Roth were joined together in an attempt to appeal to the American heartland, but due to the Hughes driven media blackout, they don't reach the American demographic.
Fundraising efforts are hampered by the fact that many traditional Democratic and Republican donors have become alienated from the two major parties.
Veterans organizations, small businesses, and religious groups abandon the Republican Party, while labor groups, civil rights groups, and racial minorities abandon the Democratic Party. Many Catholic figures are angered by the Rumsfeld administration's attacks on Pope Pius.
Many Fusion activists are being harassed and attacked by many destitute people. Historians conclude, reluctantly, that almost none of these attacks were sponsored by the CV, but by angry people fed up with both major parties.
William Winter fails to appeal to many left-wing voters. Many leftists blame the Southern Democratic Party for Rumsfeld's rise, and see his appeals for "amnesty" as an unconditional pardon to many Rumsfeldian figures. They also oppose his alliance with William Roth, whose economic conservatism makes him out to be a Rumsfeld sympathizer.
WTP and Libertarians also unleash a vicious smear campaign on Winter, labeling him a Klansman and a man who would hang 500 black men, but let the corporate billionaires off with a slap on the wrist. For WTP, who are represented by black communities that have suffered tremendous deprivation and discrimination, the campaign is very effective.
Also, the campaign struggles to find congressional candidates, as many of the Republican Congressman in office gained their seats through close association with Rumsfeld and Rumsfeldian ideas, and are tainted by the association. Those who do free themselves from that legacy face other challenges from CV and Libertarian activists who influence primaries and drive local races toward the extremes.
October 12, 1988
Former President Richard Nixon appears on national television to call for reconciliation, and for the Democrats, the Republicans and the Fusionists to untie in an effort to defeat the CV forces. This marks Nixon’s first major public appearance in the United States since his release from prison nearly a decade earlier.
October 15, 1988
In Minneapolis, William Roth (R-DE) is nearly shot by Byron Jorgensen, a former Korean War veteran, at a rally The veteran blames the Republicans for his son's defection to Castro's army.
"You've turned our nation to the Communists," shouted Jorgensen as he was carried out by police.
Geraldo Rivera: "The Republicans have abandoned God. So God sent Jorgensen to give Mr. Roth the ticket to hell he deserves. Jorgensen is one of God's angels, but the godless Denton government treats him like a criminal."
Many people in the street are surprisingly in agreement (if grudgingly) with Rivera's remarks.
Similar attacks take place. Historians conclude that many of these attacks were not funded by CV, but disgruntled lone wolves of who feel betrayed or abandoned by those in power.
“The mood of America now is anger – pure, unfiltered, visceral anger: an anger fed by true, genuine fear about what is happening, and where it is leading. People have lost a lot in the last twenty years, and that is feeding the anger. And it is exploding just as the government, the Constitution and the very history of the nation seems to be falling apart, like a garment that whose fibres have been nibbled away by so many moths. People are afraid, and that fear is fueling the anger. We have not seen its like before in this country – not even on the tragic eve of our Civil War. We should fear the anger – but we really need to fear where it will lead.” - David Brinkley
October 16, 1988
Speaker Lott is currently on the phone with Geraldo Rivera.
Lott: Rivera, put me on with Roger.
Rivera: Sorry Lott, he's busy, but I can put in a message.
Lott: What the hell is he playing at?! Why is he giving so much air time to the Jesus nuts?
Rivera: Well Lott, he doesn't think Winter and Roth care much for the free market.
Lott: (nervously) Winter isn't gonna rock the boat.
Rivera: Roger and his corporate friends believe that Christian Values will be true defenders of free enterprise.
Lott: (Incredulous) You don't trust those Jesus freaks, do you?!
Rivera: No. But we know what they want, and we're prepared to protect ourselves if they make too many demands.
Lott: (enraged) You sons of bitches! We had a partnership!
Rivera: (dismissively) Nothing personal, Trent. We appreciate all you've done for us, really. But the CVs have offered us a better deal. It's just business. I'll tell Roger you called.
Lott clutched the phone, then threw it against the wall in a rage.
The Great Betrayal-How The Christian Values Used Rumsfeldia To Gain Power- Dr. Newt Gingrich
After betraying Rumsfeld with an unconstitutional impeachment trial and exploiting his mental illness, the corporatists, together with the opportunistic Hughes Network, conspired with the Christian Values Party to commit treason in the name of profit and ratings.
Instead of rallying to the Winter-Roth ticket, which would have preserved the best of Rumsfeld's reforms, Rumsfeld's corporate supporters continued to support a Christian fanaticism in their last ditch effort to protect themselves from prosecution.
Of course, some of the blame also is laid with Bobby Rush and Ronald Galtieri, who fragmented the anti-CV vote into a thousand shards. The former ran on a socialist platform that would have damaged the economy even more, and the latter ran to pursue hedonistic policies that promised to destroy the American family, and unrealistic fantasies which, if realized, would have taken down what was left of America’s power. Either choice would have meant the end of America, if not by internal division, then at the hands of outside powers who watched the scene with stunned amazement, and a growing sense that America would soon be easy kill and rich meat.
A People's History of the United States-Howard Zinn
After the fall of the Rumsfeld Administration, the Denton administration made promises that the days of oppression were at an end, and that a new nation would be reborn.
In the end, all those beautiful words amounted to a bunch of hot air. The Congress, like the political establishment of the past, merely closed ranks and continued to defend its ill-gotten gains. They demanded an extra year of power, but did not deliver on any of the promises that might have justified that extra year of political life.
Many people continue to blame WTP and the Libertarians for the rise of the CV, but these people, more often then not, ignore the failure of the government to deliver any form of aid.
Those who voted Libertarian and CV were people who had finally had the wool lifted from their eyes, and realized that the Democratic and Republican Parties were not interested in delivering on anything for them.
Senator William Winter's promises of "amnesty" revealed that instead of pushing for real reform, he and Senator Roth were once again giving protection to the establishment, as Denton seemed to be doing.
Of course, some members of the establishment, having obtained their wealth through the most exploitative means, were more desperate than ever to maintain their position, and so made a Faustian pact with the Christian Values Party. Those who looked for parallels with Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy were not disappointed. Those who failed to learn from history marched like lemmings over the edge of the cliff, falsely reassured by the same empty words for 1922 and 1933 – “sure they’re rough types, but we can control them.”
While many embraced the Libertarians and the WTP, others led astray by years of propaganda and "family values" rhetoric, embraced the theocracy of the CV, if only because they put food on the table and, in many cases, a roof over their heads.
The blueprint for this was Sinclair Lewis’
It Can’t Happen Here. That blueprint was written in 1935. It was being enacted in 1988. It was happening here.
October 17, 1988
A riot breaks out at the border crossing between El Paso, TX, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Many American motorists trying to enter Mexico were blocked by Mexican troops, who refused bribes by the American motorists. Many desperate Americans tried to climb the makeshift wall recently reinforced by Mexico, and were blocked by Mexican soldiers, which resulted in a fight between Mexican guards and American would-be emigrants.
Mexican President Cuacthemoc Cardenas pledges to invest in border security to deal with the influx of American refugees, which is estimated (excluding Mexican-Americans) at nearly 100,000.
October 18, 1988
What is known as the Sacramento Affair, the Fusion ticket is revealed to have received a donation from figures in California associated with the breakaway government: a violation of US election laws.
Pat Robertson uses this to bash the Winter-Roth ticket for "accepting the 30 silver shekels from the Sacramento Satanists who wish to divide our country".
William Winter, in turn, criticizes the CVs acceptance from corporate donors. Unfortunately, these words are willfully ignored by Hughes, and thus don't reach many in Middle America.
October 19, 1988
Hughes ad:
Narration: William Winter claims he wishes to unite our country once more.
William Winter: Abraham Lincoln said a house divided cannot stand. Only by standing together will be able to build a better future for our children.
Narration: Yet, this so-called patriot instead takes cash from Pete McCloskey, a man who wishes to break our sacred union.
Shows a picture of McCloskey.
Narration: And what is his excuse.
Winter: McCloskey is a man who has fought for American freedom.
Narration: And what is freedom according to McCloskey?
Shows Pictures of Environmental Activists, a gay pride parade in San Francisco, and scantily clad women on the California beach.
Narration: Don't be deceived by the shill for a godless traitor. Vote Robertson, and begin the restoration of family values. Do it for your family (picture again gay activists in San Francisco) …before it’s too late.
October 20, 1988
The British army uncovers a radical PAF base. In it, they find documents linking the CIA to covert Unionist aid, as well as connections between Unionists and figures associated with the drug cartels
October 21, 1988
The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station in Monroe, Michigan suffers a catastrophic incident and explosion which results in the leak of radioactive steam and debris into the atmosphere. Due to the dismantlement of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and weakness of the economy, many safety features were severely neglected.
Thousands of residents in nearby Monroe are injured, and over 600 will die from the effects of radiation.
October 22, 1988
President Jeremiah Denton appears on television, promising to evacuate and give aid to the residents of Monroe. Unfortunately, the privatization of disaster response means that no aid appears, as the private corporations embezzled the funds they received. And Rumsfeld's laws ultimately protect them from investigation and prosecution.
Most embarrassing for the United States, due to cutbacks, Canadian engineers and disaster control specialists are compelled to take charge of the situation to prevent the disaster form escalating. The Hughes Network does not broadcast the irony of Canadian Armed Forces guarding a US nuclear plant on US soil. CV propaganda treats the presence of the Canadians and some British soldiers and specialists as a foreign invasion being ignored by the hapless Denton Administration. This angle is covered by Hughes.
October 23, 1988
Riots break out across the state of Michigan over the failure of the Denton Administration to deliver aid to the people of Monroe. The riots also target the Republican Party offices, associating the GOP with Rumsfeld area cuts.
The CV and Holy Battalions move in to provide order and deliver aid to the people of Monroe, upstaging the Denton administration.
Man on the street: Those CV types can seem nutty, but man they really helped us out. I'm not that religious, but these guys are delivering unlike those crooks in Washington. So they got my vote.
Reporter: But what about them imposing their beliefs on the nation. Does that not bother you?
Man on the street: They want to get rid of the fags. I don't see any problem with that. I don't want my son to become a fairy. And anyway, what’s with them brining in Canadians and the British to help out, like Americans can’t do it? Didn’t we kick the British out? Now they’re back. That’s those weaklings in Washington for you.
October 25, 1988
Christian Values ad on the Hughes Network:
Narration: Pat Robertson fought for his nation, when it needed him.
Shows picture of Pat in a uniform.
Narration: Now he is fighting for G0d and for the nation. Will you join God’s fight, and be counted among the Saints?
Pat Robertson: I am Pat Robertson, and I am fighting for the American family, and for God’s values to be restored to our great nation.
October 27, 1988
The McCloskey government uncovers the truth about Robertson's military service, as well as CV ties to Magnus Malan. Unfortunately, Hughes executives and other financial forces bully television stations across the American heartland not to air it. The ads run on major networks and affiliates on the east Coast.
Bombay is bombed by the Pakistani Air Force. The damage done to the Indian Air Force by the civil war had turned Indian cities into easy targets.
October 29, 1988
Tibetan militias, backed by the Gandhi government, clash with Chinese Caliphate forces in the Kham region. Reports indicate that Chinese Islamic forces are massacring Tibetan villages that refuse to convert.
October 31, 1988
In Santiago, whole neighborhoods are being taken over by Cuerdan communes. The Pinochet regime denounces them as "communist agitators", but facing sanctions and the end of aid, is unable to respond.
November 1, 1988
Miguel Santosa, a Chilean Cuerdan representative who was to meet with the Pope, was revealed to be hiding a stash of Protestant evangelical pamphlets in his hotel room, with indications that he was secretly converting Roman Catholics to evangelical beliefs. Santosa denies owning the collection and being an evangelical. However, members of the College of Cardinals and Opus Dei use this as proof to "denounces the heresy of the Cuerdans," by suggesting that the Cuerdans are a front for Protestant evangelicals being run by the Christian Values people in the United States.
November 2, 1988
Mitsubishi and UAZ, a Soviet carmaker in Ulyanovsk, form a joint venture to manufacture both military and civilian cars. Many Japanese firms are finding opportunity in the home of world socialism.
November 4, 1988
Pope Pius XIII appears on television to denounce the potential misbehavior of Santosa, but warns not to attack the mostly righteous cause of the Cuerdans.
Members of the College Cardinal criticize Pope Pius for his refusal to defend the kingdom of God and the true church of Chrisendom.
November 8, 1988
Presidential Elections in the United States (see chart)
Election results: US House of Representatives (387 seats)
Christian Values Movement: 200
Libertarian Party: 71
Republican Party: 50
Democratic Party: 49
We The People: 16
Independent: 1
US Senate appointments pending until January 20th.
November 9-December 19
The Fusion, Libertarian, and We the People campaigns mount a legal challenge to the election, citing "the unconstitutional nature of the 28th amendment".
November 10
President Jeremiah Denton, mobilizes White House attorneys still loyal to him to give what support they can to the challenges. Even though he is the sitting President, he has little legal standing to directly intervene in an election.
He gives a speech, denouncing the 28th amendment "as an utter fraud that has robbed people of their voice. While I must respect the results of a Constitutional election, I will not be able to respect the outcome. I would ask the new Congress when it meets on January 6 to certify this election to closely consider the character and quality of the candidate chosen to replace me in this office."
While overtly he will give grudging support to the transition – in order to preserve the form of Constitutional government – secretly he works with anti-Rumsfeld resistance figures to move a great bulk of classified material from the White House and other government archives and secret it in hidden locations in the Northeast. This marks the beginning of the creation of a government-in-exile project.
November 11
Hughes Network ad:
Narrator: "Jeremiah Denton claims to respect democracy, but he never had to run a campaign."
Video of him publicly accepting Rumsfeld nomination. '
Narrator: Denton himself said earlier in the year, he would only serve out his term.
Video of Denton declaring he will be an interim president.
Narrator: Denton says he opposes the Godly 28th amendment, but he himself supported the amendment.
Video of him at a fundraiser for the Amendment in 1985.
Narrator: Denton is true enemy of Godly democracy. Ignore his cries and defend your vote.
The commercial plays out dozens of times over the next several weeks. Though the effect of the commercial is debated, it is clear the US public wants Denton to step aside.
December 19, 1988
The Supreme Court rules 6-3 in favor of Pat Robertson, with William Rehnquist, Byron White, and Chief Justice Strom Thurmond as the only dissents.
The decision cites the previous ruling in the 1984 election (which House Speaker Trent Lott supported) as a precedent. Observers point out the Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor have ties to the Christian Values Party.
Scalia, Bork, and Thomas, despite being strict constitutionalists and originalists, defend the 28th amendment as "expressing the true intent of the Founding Fathers".
All of the living former Supreme Court Justices condemn this ruling as “unconstitutional and in complete contradiction to the values of our Founding Fathers.”
December 24, 1988
On Christmas Eve, former presidential candidate and leading American conservative figure Ronald Reagan meets with King George VII at Buckingham Palace. The not too subtle message being broadcast is that the UK is a truer friend of American democratic values than the incoming CV administration.
December 27, 1988
In a secret meeting in Governor's Island, New York, former President Richard Nixon meets with Governor Spiro Agnew and other Northeastern Governors over the possibility of providing military and food aid. The conversation among the Governors and Nixon leads to a discussion about secession of the Northeast from the United States. It is never explicitly stated, but is well understood, that on questions of aid and international support for secession, Nixon is speaking on behalf of (though in a completely deniable way) for the British government, which is in turn supported by the French and German governments. (The Soviets, though consulted, have remained out of the troika out of deference to the conservative beliefs of Nixon and Reagan).
December 29, 1988
A secret meeting is held in Sacramento between President Pete McCloskey, Governor Ed Crane and the Governors of Washington and Oregon. On the table are mutual co-operation agreements and the possibility of economic support from Japan, along with the possibility of arms sales.
January 19, 1989
Denton gives a televised speech, offering congratulations to Pat Robertson. His rhetoric is mixed with words related to God and holiness. Denton does it with a straight face, but what isn't noticed is his constant blinking.
Anyone who understands Morse Code would understand he is a blinking "Doom".
After the camera stops rolling, he leans back in his chair and sighs.
"Congratulations," Douglas Coe said, "Had you decided to pick up the sword of God, you could have been an excellent servant."
"I'll get out by tonight," Denton said weakly.
"No," Coe replied. "You must be at the inauguration tomorrow. Such is the tradition of Presidential Succession."
"Fine," Denton muttered as he walked out of the room.
Coe was giddy. The day when the Lord's Servants could begin to guide the weak to glory was almost here.
Years later Denton was asked why he acquiesced in letting the Christian Values take the Presidency with such a weak mandate. His reply: “Even if I proved to be the last Constitutional President, I thought that we should preserve the idea, so perhaps someone in the future would take-up the idea and try again. Besides, what could I do? Start a Civil War to hang on to an office I didn’t honestly believe I deserved in the first place? No, 1989 was too late for that kind of thing. I don’t know when it should have been stopped, 1980? 1976? 1972? 1968? 1960? Pick a date, and I can give you an argument for why the problem began then, and how it could have been stopped, but by 1989 it was too late. All I can tell you is, that we all failed.”
The Man Returns (1989)
A sequel to 1972’s “The Man.” A British-Canadian co-production.
The film retcons some of the plot from the first film (released well before the 1972 Presidential Election). Where in the original film Dilman succeeded to the Presidency after the dual death of the President and the Speaker, and the retirement (due to terminal illness) of the Vice President, in this sequel the implication is that Dilman accidentally succeeded after a President was impeached and his immediate successor died in a plane crash (this conflates the history of Agnew’s removal and the death of McKeithen in a plane crash (though, like in the first film, this other person is referred to as “the Speaker”, where McKeithen had been a presidential candidate at the time of his death: both historical events occurred after the first film was released). The producers of the sequel felt this revised back story would allow the second film to be more closely folded into current events, with the implication that the fictional Dilman served out the term historically filled by James Gavin (Gavin is not mentioned in the film; though historical Presidents Wallace and Rumsfeld are). The retcon also implies that Dilman chose not to run for another term (which contradicts the ending of the first film, but is consistent with the ending of the 1964 novel on which the film was based).
Former President Douglass Dilman (James Earl Jones) teaches American History at a University in Montreal (implied to be McGill University, where some of the locations were shot). He leads a quiet life in exile, until someone tries to kill him. Montreal Police determine that the would-be assassin (Michael Ironside) is a member of the Liberty Battalions. Dilman is disturbed by this.
Soon after President Rumsfeld is removed from office. The new President (called “Broderick” in the film; played by Hal Holbrook) summons Dilman to Washington. President Broderick tells Dilman he needs his help to reach out to those he “cannot reach out to” in an effort to reconcile the damage done to the nation by Rumsfeld. Dilman is reluctant at first, pointing out he has no real connection to those Broderick refers to.
Broderick: Mr. Dilman, like me, you came to this office not by election, not by your own choice, but at a time of great upheaval. You must understand my problem, as only a President so chosen can. I must heal the wounds of our great nation, but I alone have not the tools.
Dilman: My succession was an accident, a mischance. You sir, you were chosen by Congress to be Vice President. In my time, I was a curiosity – some have said a freak – an accident of history. I have no natural constituency to help me; no bank of goodwill with the people you want to reach. Of what use can I be to you?
Broderick: You were our first black President, Mr. Dilman. I know – race should not matter – but the fact is it does; the last Administration, of which I was a part – and I’m sorry to say that – made it so.
Dilman: I was a place filler.
Broderick: You provided bold leadership at a time when it was most needed. It’s a pity you chose not to seek a term of your own, to get a mandate from the people.
Dilman: I fear that mandate wouldn’t have come. It was just as well for the state of race relations in this country that it did not witness me – the black president – humiliated at the ballot box by the likes of George Wallace. That would have caused irreparable harm to so many parts of our civil society.
Broderick: But, you must help me. You have the credibility, because you put duty above politics and chose to leave the office with dignity. Between you and me, there has been a steady deterioration. I am here only because we decided to stop it, but then acted too late. I have chosen not to run for another term to retain my credibility above politics. So you can reach out for me, with a similar – and perhaps more believable – credibility.
Dilman (pauses to consider): I will try, but I don’t think I will achieve much.
Broderick: All I ask is that you try.
The balance of the film follows Dillman’s efforts to forge a reconciliation among various political groups. A surrogate for the Christian Values appears to be an ally, but is subtly working to sabotage Dillman’s efforts. He also finds many of his former political allies and even his adversaries are too deeply divided to come together.
In one scene a WTP activist accuses him of being out-of-touch since he went into exile during the Rumsfeld period. A suburban Republican tells him he would like to help, but too much has happened and he cannot bring himself to trust him. A Democrat embraces his mission, only to be proven an opportunist who hopes to use Dillman to win black votes for herself.
Dillman escapes an assassination attempt, and comes to terms with the futility of what Broderick has asked him to do. In a climatic scene he confronts Broderick with this, and accuses the President of having contributed to it through his complicity with Rumsfeld.
“Yes, we ran away, into comfortable exile. That is our shame, Mr. President. We ran when we should have stayed. But your shame, the shame of all of you, is that you saw it happen, you saw it every day, and you helped it along. You made this, and I have not the power – God Himself I suspect has not the power – to undo this.”
Broderick collapses and emotionally states “I know. I know.”
In the end Dillman returns to Montreal defeated, and witnesses the electoral victory of the surrogate Christian Values group. He looks at his tomes about American history and asks himself, what was it for?
This Anglo-Canadian produced film is seen by critics of an accurate, if gritty and at times depressing, depiction of the chaos in American politics following the fall of Rumsfeld. The Dillman character, and the story behind the first film (and 1964 novel) were used because originally they had had been used to explore racism in America, and the deep divide between blacks and whites. The film and novel ended on a positive note. Now that history is juxtaposed with the new reality, and the message that the American dream has failed after all.
