"What Madness Is This?" Volume I: The Union Forever

[LostInNewDelhi]

Wait a minute, is this Christmas-flavored massacre in a stadium... a reference to Francisco Macias Nguema's rule in Equatorial Guinea?

"On Christmas Eve of 1969 about 150 of his opponents were killed. Soldiers executed them by shooting at the football stadium in Malabo, while amplifiers were playing Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were the Days."" (Wikipedia link)

If so, then I salute your... diverse influences, Nap. Man, I can't imagine how much fun it is to write every new Steele chapter.

And jeez, I pity the folks who get hired to clean the giblets off the stadium... and off the surviving execs' suits. Though actually, I suppose ORRA might just do the cleaning themselves, to keep things off record and to demonstrate their well-rounded professionalism :^)

That guy getting smoked for having an Irish rose is pretty ironic, and makes me wonder-- since Steele's adoption is public knowledge and we only have the Custer administration's word that he is a Better, do any of the remaining underground circles try circulating rumors that the President is an Inferior? Maybe neither the inventors or spreaders of such gossip think it's actually true, but simply that there's an above-zero chance-- and having any such accidentally-true rumors make their way to Steele would really drive him nuts.

Using FaceApp to quickly make photo edits is genius, though. Truly, the unstoppable march of technology will see the Pinnacle Man to greatness.

 

[Murica1776]

Also, here are some aesthetic pics for the Union and Carolina respectively in the future:

Colonel Goodyear LA-Z-BOY recliner ad from 1976

A bedroom from a typical home in Metropolis circa 1986

Female AFC leader Laura Jansen on a poster with her signature catchphrase, 1979

Newport News, North Carolina, in 2025

Charlotte, North Carolina, circa 1986

Downtown Orangeburg, South Carolina, 1977

Youth picnic in Raleigh, 1990​

 

[Napoleon53]

Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes,
those were the days
​

Artwork courtesy of Sarge Hawk, with a very small change by yours truly.

​

Wait a minute, is this Christmas-flavored massacre in a stadium... a reference to Francisco Macias Nguema's rule in Equatorial Guinea?

"On Christmas Eve of 1969 about 150 of his opponents were killed. Soldiers executed them by shooting at the football stadium in Malabo, while amplifiers were playing Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were the Days."" (Wikipedia link)

If so, then I salute your... diverse influences, Nap. Man, I can't imagine how much fun it is to write every new Steele chapter.

That was the creepiest thing ever to see how similar that was to my story but no, I invented Yankee Stadium Massacre out of my own head, with maybe a touch of Saddam's soccer stadium antics from OTL. I guess if you have enough psycho dictators one is bound to eventually do a Madnessverse.

 

[LostInNewDelhi]

Female AFC leader Laura Jansen on a poster with her signature catchphrase, 1979​

The thought of an austere alt-Mormon war-cult giving in fully to its occult tendencies to become New Agey spiritualism is... well, it's just beautiful. I do hope the 60s/70s societal changes don't leave the AFC behind-- even as one faction no doubt spirals into the White-ISIS antics of Classic-Madness Billy Graham, it would be fun for liberal-ish pastors to try challenging Steele-era moralizing by challenging the orthodoxy that underpinned it, and teach their congregations to turn inward a little and focus on ~what American fundamentalism means to you, as an individual~. It'd be like the habits and appearance of the hippie migrations up and down California, but with the ethos of a pilgrimage to Compostela down St. James's Way...

And while we're on the topic of that era, I do remember in Classic the appearance of several secessionist Inferior states-- California, Mexico, a Native republic in the West, and so on-- from the wreckage of the New USA. But with the Immolation and Cleansing Month, a phrase like "that bastard LBJ killed 500,000 Mexicans in Texas" makes a lot less sense, because I doubt there's even that many Mexicans in the whole Union. The Union, once its darkest hour comes, at the very least doesn't seem like it'll have to worry about secessionists aside from possibly the Southrons (and their pan-regional identity probably isn't even that strong after all the brother-against-brother wars over the Caribbean and such). Of course, if a recognizably Mexican diaspora survives in South America (possibly maintaining their distinctiveness through the maintenance of Mesoamerican native languages or other peculiar customs like coloring skulls, or by being bunched together and sent into the Amazon to tame the wilderness and send some tax money to their gracious South American hosts) then maybe they could have a Zionist-type movement centered around reclaiming the homeland and bringing a far-flung and long-suffering diaspora back to its ancestral towns and villages, but with a darker side of "we want to be the ethnic majority again, so the current majority will have to make room whether they want to or not". The Aztec myth/history of the Mexican flag can even be appropriated for this-- in times of yore the Aztecs wandered, chased from camp to camp, until they found the god-favored land of eagles and cactuses; now, the Mexicans wander again, but God willing they will reach the land of eagle and cactuses again (the whole land of Mexico kind of takes on the symbolic value of Tenochtitlan Island here). Even better, maybe have a strong contingent of these"Tenochist" Mexicans following some weird cult figure like Santa Muerte-- that plus the rather brutal legacy of TTL Mexico under Iturbide could maybe mutate into a strong willingness to set a few cold Yankee hearts free from their cages, and then toss the bodies down the Metropolis City Hall roof. And the Europans most likely supporting such a venture probably wouldn't mind such drama as long as the Jews aren't funding it or whatever other thing the Perraultists are worried about.

 

[Omar20]

Of course, if a recognizably Mexican diaspora survives in South America (possibly maintaining their distinctiveness through the maintenance of Mesoamerican native languages or other peculiar customs like coloring skulls, or by being bunched together and sent into the Amazon to tame the wilderness and send some tax money to their gracious South American hosts) then maybe they could have a Zionist-type movement centered around reclaiming the homeland and bringing a far-flung and long-suffering diaspora back to its ancestral towns and villages, but with a darker side of "we want to be the ethnic majority again, so the current majority will have to make room whether they want to or not". The Aztec myth/history of the Mexican flag can even be appropriated for this-- in times of yore the Aztecs wandered, chased from camp to camp, until they found the god-favored land of eagles and cactuses; now, the Mexicans wander again, but God willing they will reach the land of eagle and cactuses again (the whole land of Mexico kind of takes on the symbolic value of Tenochtitlan Island here). Even better, maybe have a strong contingent of these"Tenochist" Mexicans following some weird cult figure like Santa Muerte-- that plus the rather brutal legacy of TTL Mexico under Iturbide could maybe mutate into a strong willingness to set a few cold Yankee hearts free from their cages, and then toss the bodies down the Metropolis City Hall roof. And the Europans most likely supporting such a venture probably wouldn't mind such drama as long as the Jews aren't funding it or whatever other thing the Perraultists are worried about.

That would be awesome! I can see late XX century Tenochists movements as TTL perfect ISIS or Al Qaeda! Of course, that would need an important Mexican Diaspora in South America and Europe

 

[Murica1776]

The thought of an austere alt-Mormon war-cult giving in fully to its occult tendencies to become New Agey spiritualism is... well, it's just beautiful. I do hope the 60s/70s societal changes don't leave the AFC behind-- even as one faction no doubt spirals into the White-ISIS antics of Classic-Madness Billy Graham, it would be fun for liberal-ish pastors to try challenging Steele-era moralizing by challenging the orthodoxy that underpinned it, and teach their congregations to turn inward a little and focus on ~what American fundamentalism means to you, as an individual~. It'd be like the habits and appearance of the hippie migrations up and down California, but with the ethos of a pilgrimage to Compostela down St. James's Way...

I'm actually fairly certain this could happen, maybe even dominating the Church. Aside from a few core beliefs, both Church and Party are eminently pragmatic. Once ol Chuckie pushes through his reforms and people start "expressing their Pinnacle Spirituality" it's a lot easier for the church leadership to don some hippie gear or some nutty 70's getup and teach their flock about self-actualization through American Fundamentalist teachings than to be a stodgy force of reaction. Since there isn't any other place for Americans to go for spirituality/religion, all the worries of OTL churches about New Agey spirituality leading the flock away from the church don't exist. Again, I think if anyone's is gonna be busting out the pipe bombs (or at least the nightsticks) over this kind of change, it's going to be the Cokies. Like with the possible Sexual Revolution, there is simply no planet where reactionary Carolinians and New Agey spiritualists mesh well. I'm honestly hoping and anticipating a future where the majority of the fascist world follows America's lead and has all kinds of weird 70's New Age spiritualism and Sexual Liberation but has no elections and is a single party state, while the much more stereotypical hyper-conservative Cokies are the ones with elections, separation of powers, etc..

 

[Murica1776]

So, here's a picture that, if lightly photoshopped, is a perfect MDP rally scene

​

EDIT: Here are a few more

 

[Napoleon53]

Everybody root/pray/sacrifice men to the Old Ones that I get a new gig at the end of the month. My father is retiring and I am going to try to take his job as property manager of 70 townhouses, a child services building, and a church. All my expenses other than food, gas, clothes, and phone would be covered. Free internet and cable. I'd sit in a suit in the office and take phone calls and call repairmen. Most days nothing happens, which means I could really pound out writing since I'd be desk sitting anyway.

 

[Born in the USSA]

Everybody root/pray/sacrifice men to the Old Ones that I get a new gig at the end of the month. My father is retiring and I am going to try to take his job as property manager of 70 townhouses, a child services building, and a church. All my expenses other than food, gas, clothes, and phone would be covered. Free internet and cable. I'd sit in a suit in the office and take phone calls and call repairmen. Most days nothing happens, which means I could really pound out writing since I'd be desk sitting anyway.

Good luck man, you deserve it

 

[Ephraim Ben Raphael]

Everybody root/pray/sacrifice men to the Old Ones that I get a new gig at the end of the month. My father is retiring and I am going to try to take his job as property manager of 70 townhouses, a child services building, and a church. All my expenses other than food, gas, clothes, and phone would be covered. Free internet and cable. I'd sit in a suit in the office and take phone calls and call repairmen. Most days nothing happens, which means I could really pound out writing since I'd be desk sitting anyway.

Good luck dude. I would kill for a job like that.

 

[Worffan101]

Everybody root/pray/sacrifice men to the Old Ones that I get a new gig at the end of the month. My father is retiring and I am going to try to take his job as property manager of 70 townhouses, a child services building, and a church. All my expenses other than food, gas, clothes, and phone would be covered. Free internet and cable. I'd sit in a suit in the office and take phone calls and call repairmen. Most days nothing happens, which means I could really pound out writing since I'd be desk sitting anyway.

WHOO! Good luck, Napo! That sounds like a pretty good gig! You seem like the kind of guy who would be a good landlord, too.

 

[farmerted555]

Everybody root/pray/sacrifice men to the Old Ones that I get a new gig at the end of the month. My father is retiring and I am going to try to take his job as property manager of 70 townhouses, a child services building, and a church. All my expenses other than food, gas, clothes, and phone would be covered. Free internet and cable. I'd sit in a suit in the office and take phone calls and call repairmen. Most days nothing happens, which means I could really pound out writing since I'd be desk sitting anyway.

I gave my own private prayer to the Prophet Burr and Father Abraham that you are successful in this endeavor.

 

[soulpelt]

Everybody root/pray/sacrifice men to the Old Ones that I get a new gig at the end of the month. My father is retiring and I am going to try to take his job as property manager of 70 townhouses, a child services building, and a church. All my expenses other than food, gas, clothes, and phone would be covered. Free internet and cable. I'd sit in a suit in the office and take phone calls and call repairmen. Most days nothing happens, which means I could really pound out writing since I'd be desk sitting anyway.

*offers the blood of 10,000 infees to Manifest Destiny and the Prophet Burr*

 

[EbolaMan131]

View attachment 478942

Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes,
those were the days
​

Artwork courtesy of Sarge Hawk, with a very small change by yours truly.

​

That was the creepiest thing ever to see how similar that was to my story but no, I invented Yankee Stadium Massacre out of my own head, with maybe a touch of Saddam's soccer stadium antics from OTL. I guess if you have enough psycho dictators one is bound to eventually do a Madnessverse.

Is that Ford I see?

 

[Born in the USSA]

Is that Ford I see?

Patton, Nixon, Oswald, Billy Graham, Hendrick. Steele's Round Table

 

[Born in the USSA]

So because the 19th century never really ended TTL I was thinking about skull iconography in military uniforms/special medals or whatever and thought it could follow popular trends in grave markers that went out of style ~150 years ago TTL, namely big skulls with fluffy wings and droopy trees.

 

[EbolaMan131]

Patton, Nixon, Oswald, Billy Graham, Hendrick. Steele's Round Table

Ah ok then

 

[Napoleon53]

Quick note from work: it is Leslie King from 1.0. The real name of Gerald Ford.

 

[Squidfam]

So because the 19th century never really ended TTL I was thinking about skull iconography in military uniforms/special medals or whatever and thought it could follow popular trends in grave markers that went out of style ~150 years ago TTL, namely big skulls with fluffy wings and droopy trees.

"Hans, are we the baddies?"

 

[Born in the USSA]

Quick note from work: it is Leslie King from 1.0. The real name of Gerald Ford.

I thought the fact he was sitting was relevant but thought he looked pretty Fordish when I looked closer