The Red Blanket: A Little Nudge to the Left

This thread is a little bit different. You will notice that there is no WI question in this post, no POD's or anything else. This thread is very different. It is an ongoing story, a tapestry of paragraphs woven together by you, the members. This story is written by you, all of you.

Given to you is only a title, "The Red Blanket: A Little Nudge to the Left", with this title it is your task to assist in creating the story. It can include anything your heart desires, as long as it agrees with the plot so far. You can see the power of community on this forum, and how great things happen when people come together for a single cause.


However there is some guild lines to assure the greatest possible experience. To prevent a few users from dominating the plot, a limit of one story advancing post per 24 hour period. This means if you posted at 5:36pm one day you cannot post to 5:36pm the next. Also there is a limit on the length, I am not putting on a numerical guide just restrict your writing to a reasonable amount.

Also for cleanliness, please make it clear to everyone on who you are talking to, as well please use proper conventions. Also be constructive in feed back do not leave a post "That was totally ASB." Give reasons to support. If you are both giving feed back and adding to the story, please place the narrative first in the post and then place about ten underscores underneath to separate the sections.

For pacing of the story, only have a plot advancing addition once every three submissions or less. There is many more aspects to writing that can be focused on like feel, mood, setting and character.

And have fun!
 
January 20 1937 Washington DC:

Alexa Zimmerman was one of close to 500 Communist Protests on this cold gray inauguration day. It was snowing lightly and Alexa couldn't feel his feet any more. He wondered why he was here, while Zimmerman was a life long Communist he didn't mind that the Socialist had won the election, they were better then the Progressives and much much better than those slimy reactionaries the Democrats. He rolled his eyes and New York Senator Jack Reed said that the Socialists were class traitors and sell outs. Reed may have been one of the Party's few Senators but he was an air head, he'd said things like this for the whole of the first round campaign, the second he'd been knocked out of the race the Socialists became "the workingmans best bet in this race" now that they had the white house they were back to being class traitors. Zimmerman thought about walking down the block to join the 1,000 or so Anarchists watching Emma Goldman. the old girl still had the magic for wiping up crowds, at lest she was a better speaker than that wind bag Reed. Alexa cupped his hands over his face and blew, he was thankful that the Anarchists didn't vote, though he'd heard some talk of them taking over the washed up Republicans. as Alexa started to worry about a major Anarchist party Reed rapped up his speech and the group started it's march down to the inauguration it's self as he went more Communists joined them, as did Anarchists.......
 

JohnJacques

Banned
Well, you've already tied everyone else's hands there.... and given the US more than a nudge to the left (And BTW, no FDR would probably mean no change to the inauguration date till later. Especially not when combined with run-offs) Anyways, here goes......

December 11, 1936
Indianapolis, Indiana

Now, Eugene V. Debs, that was a real socialist! Came from the mines and railroads and factories of the whole Midwest.

But who was the first Socialist President? Who was he really? Lloyd Brock didn't know. Some intellectual, learned about socialism in his books and had never gotten a taste of it in the streets.

He'd voted for Jack Reed in the first round. Couldn't bring himself to vote in the second. And it was a shame too, because the Communists certainly weren't his party- not until after Ol' Debs had left this world to join whatever section of heaven Socialists went to.

Lloyd Brock strode into one of the speak-silents on Arsenal Avenue- he'd never understood how the Socialists had been finagled into supporting Prohibitionist clap-trap. It had probably hurt their working-class image more than their college-bred pansies had. What working-man didn't enjoy a pint or two? Or three or four......

And as he explained to the boys in the bar.... the Communists were the party of crazies, the Socialists were the party of the well-to-do who felt guilty and the Anarchists were the party of jazz-musicians and bomb throwers. And Democrats, Democrats were the party of upper class faggots and graying military men. Progressives were the guys who should have been Democrats or Socialists and just couldn't make up their damn minds.

And a real working-man didn't have a damn choice. So, there on Arsenal Avenue, the real working-men drunk themselves out of their glum politics and joined in song. First it was a war song, for who could forget the war?

Onward, Christian soldiers! Duty's way is plain;
Slay your Christian neighbors, or by them be slain,
Pulpiteers are spouting effervescent swill,
God above is calling you to rob and rape and kill,
All your acts are sanctified by the Lamb on high;
If you love the Holy Ghost, go murder, pray and die.


And the rest of the songs went from other Wobbly favorites to speculation that the President had one ball.
 
January 21 1937

Franklin D. Roosevelt trudged home slowly, feeling disappointed with a bad taste in his mouth. The victorious Socialists were holding parties in the streets, even with some of the Communists joining in. A life long member of the Progressive Party, Franklin was just glad he wasn't a Democrat, who were the most disappointed and were the subject of many public taunts and pranks. Of course he hadn't really expected the Progressives to win, they had never held office higher than Congress and they had never held a majority in the House or the Senate. Of course there were the Anarchists, a bunch of wackjob vandals and terrorists as far as Franklin was concerned, although he did have respect for Emma Goldman, who was in most respects a pacifist. He pondered the results more, thinking better the Socialists than the Communists, maybe that they could work together because they both had similar missions. Most of the Communists would stand behind the Socialists, the Democrats would barely hang on to their few political offices, and the Anarchists would continue to march in the streets to no avail. He heard an explosion in the distance, maybe the Anarchists were getting serious after all...
 
Well, you've already tied everyone else's hands there.... and given the US more than a nudge to the left (And BTW, no FDR would probably mean no change to the inauguration date till later. Especially not when combined with run-offs) Anyways, here goes......

you're right on inauguration day, though i never said who the President is, though Octavian made it not FDR. as to the leftyness of the TL, it's the first thing that came to mind, blame FallenMorgan's Hats in the Ring and pipisme's Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive, elected US President in 1912 and my love of Emma Goldman
 
June 1937



Thomas Haldwell sat with General Bradley sipping the piping hot tea the pretty young private had just given him , he was grateful for it as he sat in the proving grounds of Siberia.He was not used to such cold he had been campaigning for the Socialists for 5 years in California and was reluctant leave on the joint PBI - Military mission to the USSR.He had just began reading a recent copy of the Peoples Post when a portly Soviet Colonel walked in,he said in his decent english "Gentleman may I introduce to you Premier Trotsky."Haldwell felt stunned meeting the man he had quoted on several occasions.He spoke in his smooth Russian for a couple of seconds then waited for the colonel to interpret."Mr Haldwell , Mr Bradley thankyou for waiting.I have come today to ask you for a meeting with your president, soon hopefully.Facsim spreads like a virus in Europe and i'm sure you'll agree an alliance will be beneficial for both our glorious nations.Bradley and Haldwell simply nodded without speaking.Trotsky spoke again,"Gentleman , I apologise for the freezing weather but would you mind stepping outside for a moment ?"Haldwell and Bradley shuffled out along with Trotsky and his interpreter.Outside was a huge bulk with a sheet over it."What is it" Bradley asked .The sheet was pulled away revealing a large bulky tank."That General Bradley" said Trotsky "is a T-34"
 
A Report on a visit to Washington DC, with Particular Reference to the Political Structure of the Socialist Party of the United States and the Nature and Personality of President Margaret Sanger

Written by the Rt. Hon. Clement Richard Atlee MP; Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

Printed by Merton and Weardroobe Publishing

July 1937

Price 3½d

Part V: An Appointment at the Oval Office

At noon of the 15th I found myself in the presence of President Sanger who had most kindly invited my companion, Ms. Ellen Wilkinson, who has of course taken a most personal interest in the President's election, and I to luncheon at the White House. The President has a very full agenda and, notwithstanding her commitments to the Civil War in Iberia, has chosen to embark upon a most radical program of domestic changes. The third member of our entourage, Mr. Herbert Morrison, the Shadow Minister for Health, also complimented Ms. Sanger regarding her proposed legislation for a nationalised health service to which all three of our party presented our personal approval. As a keen advocate of birth control, Ms. Sanger has gain much support amongst the American feminist movement, although I did present some fears regarding a possible breakdown in the family structure if unmitigated abortion was legalised, Ms. Sanger acknowledged my concerns.

The President received us with a great deal of warmth and candour and complemented Ms Wilkinson on her speech at the London School of Economics regarding the establishment of a universal education system. The President has taken an interest in the abolition of all private education within the United States and requested advice from both of us regarding the acquisition of the assets of the Ivy League Universities. I felt that Ellen was a most effective speaker and most certainly left me personally in the shade, such was the vigour in which she answered the question.

Later that afternoon we also visited Congress where the various members were preparing to begin the afternoon session. I was fortunate to meet the distinguished writer and Junior Senator for Delaware, Mr. Upton Sinclair who most kindly presented his complements to me regarding my address to the Catalonian Socialist Party in March after the re-capture of Barcelona from the Italians. I also had a brief discussion with the Secretary of State for War, Mr. Robert LaFollette Jr. of Wisconsin, regarding possible martial aid to the Republican brigades in Madrid.

I also was pleased to meet Eric Blair, the noted journalist and a personal friend of mine, who had been summoned to address a Congressional hearing regarding the political makeup of the International Brigades. I was struck by the vast amount of public support that the Republican movement appears to have within Washington as the large number of posters and a sizable public demonstration outside the Capitol building seemed to show.

UPDATE: Changed, sorry for the previous statement, I was tired out, hence the ASB's-ness of the previous update
 
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P.S.Is it OK to have Goldman as President? It's not yet been said who is who regarding the positions and I thought that it all seemed OK to have her as Premier.

um as fun as your post was Emma, was born in Russia, she can't be President, also she didn't believe in governments
 
August 1937 , Berlin


The cramped meeting carriage of the "Amerika" was even more claustrophobic when it was full.The German leader Adolf Hitler was reviewing some military photographs with Goering ,Head of the Luftwaffe describing them.Hitler showed the most interest for the seemingly new equipment."What are those ?" Hitler pointed to 3 bombers dropping their payload on a nationalist position,"Those are B-17s , they are American , they have been showing up everywhere and outdo our bombers in many aspects, my fuhrer if you wouldnt mind focusing your attention on other photographs these are M2 light tanks attacking an Italian position and these Republicans are moving with American built trucks it all forms a worrying conclusion...","America is supplying the Republicans," Hitler finished Goerings sentence,"So now the republicans have America and the USSR behind them this does not bode well."Everyone in the dark carriage nodded.General Halder blurted out a sentence which he had clearly been conflicting in his mind "Militarily, the situation is now pointless with large amounts of American and Soviet aid Franco is doomed.It would be deemed logical to withdraw our support or experience large loss of equipment.Hitler stared at him coldly only replying with one sentence."Increase our support"
 
October 1937

John Albertson had volunteered to fight in Spain when the war broke out, he had been a member of the Socialist Party ever since his college days. He had survived through the various battles between the Republicans and the Fascists, and he had become good friends with the Spanish and those in the International Brigade. Now he was stationed outside of Madrid, which the Nationalists had failed to take every time they attempted so. A large counteroffensive to push deep into Nationalist territory was in the works, or so John had heard. He heard the big booms of artillery guns in the distance, the offensive must be starting, he thought. Not long after that they received the order to move forward outside of their trenches and to take a Nationalist-held village to the northwest. John heard the sound of planes overhead, most of them were Russian or American model fighters and bombers. With the help of M2 tanks they advanced into the village. After some gunfights they captured the village with little resistance and the rest of the Nationalists fled or surrendered. John turned around, and an unfamiliar sight was before his eyes. It was the most advanced looking tank he had ever seen. His friend Gloria, a Republican officer, said, "Isn't it nice comrade? It is the new T-34 Russian tank, fresh from the factories." John knew that the stalemate was about to broken.
 
December , 1937 Washington



Trotsky smiled for the cameras as he signed his name,he stood up to speak in his shaky english :"Now,the Soviet Union and America are truly allies !" the congress burst out in applause.Trotsky wondered what would get the most attention the alliance itself or the Soviet American ultimatum to Japan.
 
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