Calamity! As Tuesday afternoon's meeting was about to get underway, an ominous event was taking place halfway around the world that would impact on America's already-splintered stability. Reports were filtering in from international news sources: a rebel junta had managed to overtake the Kim Jong dictatorship in North Korea and was threatening to launch nuclear missles capable of reaching the western shore of the continental United States. Kim was dead, as was his hierarchy of military commanders. An unknown band of outlaw soldiers, many of whom had been exiled from the North Korean military regime, had been planning this coup d'etat for months; what made it all the more surprising was that most experts on Kim's reign of terror had always believed that anyone - particularly those in the military - were immediately executed once they had any kind of a falling out with the bushy-haired despot, without benefit of any trial or military tribunal. How had these revolutionists managed to escape what certainly should have been sudden death?
Less than two years before, in July of 2006, Kim had made a spectacular flaunt of contemptuous disregard for the United States when he launched a series of short-range missles timed precisely to coincide with the launch of the U.S.A.'s space shuttle Discovery. The mission had been aborted twice before, and by sheer circumstance became the U.S.A.'s first space ship to fly on the country's Independence Day. At the time, analysts marveled at how Kim had been able to detain his own missle launches until Discovery's lift-off. Ironically, Kim's display of bravado was little more than political puffery. The only long-range missile fired...failed. The short-range missles, while cause for concern in countries like Japan and China, seemed of little consequence at the time.
In that same week, United States President George W. Bush had announced his intention of pursuing a "nuclear cooperation agreement" with Russian leader Vladimir Putin when they met in St. Petersburg (Russia) during an already-scheduled G-8 summit. "Any agreement would be conditioned on Russia helping to pressure Iran to give up its desire to develop nuclear weapons," a White House spokesman had said. "We have made clear to the Russians that for an agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation to go forward, we will need Russia's active cooperation in blocking Iran's attempt to obtain nuclear weapons."
The first half of 2006 had seen the Bush political fortunes fall, as he saw his public approval ratings plummet to 29% and his Vice-President's ratings topple even further, to as low as 18%. Panicky and paranoid, the Bush machine did all it could to try and pump those numbers back up, knowing that such low rankings would impact dramatically on mid-term elections later in the year; GOP members of Congress up for re-election were already beginning to distance themselves from the Bush camp, sometimes speaking publicly against Bush' stubborn resolve to 'stay the course' in Iraq. That war had already put American taxpayers billions of dollars in debt. "American Prospect" magazine, a respected liberal magazine, made that the focus of its cover story for the July/August 2006 edition, claiming that the Bush administration was spending "...$1 million a day for 3,487 years. That's what we're spending on Iraq.....". The double-truck spread in the center of the magazine argued over "the waste of it all" and presented eleven ways that kind of money could have made the United States - and the world - a safer place. This kind of press, in 2006, was badgering the Bush administration from liberal and conservative opponents of what had become Bush's folly. While a few "voices in the wilderness" opposed what they considered an illegal and unconstitutional war from the very beginning, most people supported the fight when Bush initiated it during his first term in office. Enough support managed to get Bush re-elected in 2004, but as the war dragged on and unsettling reports of abusive actions and failed progress continued, public tide turned against the President, his Vice-President and his preposterously incompetent Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Twice Rumsfeld had offered to resign in the face of widespread criticism; twice Bush had defended this arrogant bastard and applauded the excellent work he was doing, even though many retired military commanders had unconventionally spoken out against Rumsfeld's policies and belligerence. Appalled at the $1.27 trillion cost of the war in Iraq, many citizens were beginning to question the sanity of the Bush administration's top echelon. The popular assumption now was that Bush had started his war to "finish" what his father, George H.W. Bush, had started during Desert Storm in the early 1990's. Bush, Sr. had been criticzed for not "completing the job" while troops were in Iraq. Bush, Jr. had an emotional agenda: 'get even' with Saddam Hussein for humiliating his father just over a decade before. The other reason for invading a sovereign nation that had posed no threat to the U.S.A. was because of oil. Vice-President Dick Cheney, who many believed was the 'brains' behind Bush, had enjoyed a stupendous stipend from Halliburton Corporation, where he had worked prior to returning to government service with the Bush administration. Many believed Cheney wanted all the oil swimming underneath Iraq's sands so he and his Halliburton and Exxon-Mobil buddies could get richer and richer and richer.
While Cheney pulled the strings, Bush served as the 'puppet', saying and doing whatever he was told to do. Bush was told not to make any commitments to troop withdrawals because, as many assumed, Cheney would not pull out of Iraq until he had a rock-solid, iron-clad arrangement to secure all that oil. Since Cheney had helped to install the new Iraqi government, which was just another Cheney puppet, its cooperation would be inevitable. But it would take time to rearrange the political landscape and make it appear as if the United States was of little influence to the new Iraqi government's operations.
It had been during this season of national unrest that the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. movement began to gain momentum. Having been an underground movement for more than ten years by 2006, the membership had steadily - and secretly - quadrupled. By the time it was prepared to set off the explosions that rocked the foundation of the United States of America, membership had quadrupled again. By January 17, 2008, when the President was about to deliver his State of the Union address, the membership of this revolutionary - yet, somehow sinister - group of rebels had small 'cells' of terrorists strategically plotted across America. Taking their cue from the very descriptions of how the Bush administration defined offshore terrorists, these few hundred thousand people, all of whom considered themselves to be true patriots, willing to die for their country, had successfully created a group capable of starting a second American Revolution. The group's tentacles reached from shore to shore, consisting of 'common' people who all had one absolute, tenacious belief: America was being torn asunder by the very, very rich; the politically powerful; the godless celebrities and athletes; and the gluttonous world of corporate vice. All had to be destroyed - all at once - if a more perfect union was to be formed to serve the people instead of the voracious appetites of the special interests that had taken over this country.
On a more immediate level, however, the members of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had a new challenge. What should be done about thsi new threat? Would these North Korean rebels actually succeed in obliterating parts of America's west coast? Could they actually make good on their threats? Suspending any other business, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members went before the cameras and implored all military personnel to come forward, especially those military 'brass' who were known to be supportive of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. movement. "We need your help," pleaded one unidentified man in a bright yellow cashmere sweater. "The military apparatus is less than stellar. If you have any military experience that might assist in overcoming this threat, we need you to respond immediately." Several e-mail sites were announced wherein military personnel could provide input and offer suggestions. An international toll-free number was posted on the screens of all the television sets in all the locations across the country. It was apparent that O.U.T.R.A.G.E was unprepared to deal with a catastrophe of this magnitude. "We will continue to televise throughout the day to keep you informed of this situation," said a man in a dark blue blazer.
Almost immediately, e-mails and phone calls started pouring in; as could be expected, a majority of 'crackpots' chose to participate with crude remarks and even vulgar crticisms. "See what you dumbf**ks did?" "Why didn't you guys plan for this kind of thing?" "How come we have no U.S. military?" Actually, the military was still in place; the only thing missing was its top commanders, which had paralyzed those down the chain of command. Without 'brass' barking orders, highly-qualified, experienced military men and women needed to be encouraged to use their training to the best of their ability in an attempt to protect the country from further disaster as a result of an outside predator. To the surprise of most O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members, a giant of a man, a true patriot, and a man of impeccable integrity and profound military background, stepped forward and offered to lead what remained of a tattered and disheveled United States military. Not only could he help resolve whatever threat this North Korean issue might pose; he was perhaps the one man who could rebuild and restructure the United States military into a highly-effective defense machine, superior to anything else on Earth.
Less than two years before, in July of 2006, Kim had made a spectacular flaunt of contemptuous disregard for the United States when he launched a series of short-range missles timed precisely to coincide with the launch of the U.S.A.'s space shuttle Discovery. The mission had been aborted twice before, and by sheer circumstance became the U.S.A.'s first space ship to fly on the country's Independence Day. At the time, analysts marveled at how Kim had been able to detain his own missle launches until Discovery's lift-off. Ironically, Kim's display of bravado was little more than political puffery. The only long-range missile fired...failed. The short-range missles, while cause for concern in countries like Japan and China, seemed of little consequence at the time.
In that same week, United States President George W. Bush had announced his intention of pursuing a "nuclear cooperation agreement" with Russian leader Vladimir Putin when they met in St. Petersburg (Russia) during an already-scheduled G-8 summit. "Any agreement would be conditioned on Russia helping to pressure Iran to give up its desire to develop nuclear weapons," a White House spokesman had said. "We have made clear to the Russians that for an agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation to go forward, we will need Russia's active cooperation in blocking Iran's attempt to obtain nuclear weapons."
The first half of 2006 had seen the Bush political fortunes fall, as he saw his public approval ratings plummet to 29% and his Vice-President's ratings topple even further, to as low as 18%. Panicky and paranoid, the Bush machine did all it could to try and pump those numbers back up, knowing that such low rankings would impact dramatically on mid-term elections later in the year; GOP members of Congress up for re-election were already beginning to distance themselves from the Bush camp, sometimes speaking publicly against Bush' stubborn resolve to 'stay the course' in Iraq. That war had already put American taxpayers billions of dollars in debt. "American Prospect" magazine, a respected liberal magazine, made that the focus of its cover story for the July/August 2006 edition, claiming that the Bush administration was spending "...$1 million a day for 3,487 years. That's what we're spending on Iraq.....". The double-truck spread in the center of the magazine argued over "the waste of it all" and presented eleven ways that kind of money could have made the United States - and the world - a safer place. This kind of press, in 2006, was badgering the Bush administration from liberal and conservative opponents of what had become Bush's folly. While a few "voices in the wilderness" opposed what they considered an illegal and unconstitutional war from the very beginning, most people supported the fight when Bush initiated it during his first term in office. Enough support managed to get Bush re-elected in 2004, but as the war dragged on and unsettling reports of abusive actions and failed progress continued, public tide turned against the President, his Vice-President and his preposterously incompetent Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Twice Rumsfeld had offered to resign in the face of widespread criticism; twice Bush had defended this arrogant bastard and applauded the excellent work he was doing, even though many retired military commanders had unconventionally spoken out against Rumsfeld's policies and belligerence. Appalled at the $1.27 trillion cost of the war in Iraq, many citizens were beginning to question the sanity of the Bush administration's top echelon. The popular assumption now was that Bush had started his war to "finish" what his father, George H.W. Bush, had started during Desert Storm in the early 1990's. Bush, Sr. had been criticzed for not "completing the job" while troops were in Iraq. Bush, Jr. had an emotional agenda: 'get even' with Saddam Hussein for humiliating his father just over a decade before. The other reason for invading a sovereign nation that had posed no threat to the U.S.A. was because of oil. Vice-President Dick Cheney, who many believed was the 'brains' behind Bush, had enjoyed a stupendous stipend from Halliburton Corporation, where he had worked prior to returning to government service with the Bush administration. Many believed Cheney wanted all the oil swimming underneath Iraq's sands so he and his Halliburton and Exxon-Mobil buddies could get richer and richer and richer.
While Cheney pulled the strings, Bush served as the 'puppet', saying and doing whatever he was told to do. Bush was told not to make any commitments to troop withdrawals because, as many assumed, Cheney would not pull out of Iraq until he had a rock-solid, iron-clad arrangement to secure all that oil. Since Cheney had helped to install the new Iraqi government, which was just another Cheney puppet, its cooperation would be inevitable. But it would take time to rearrange the political landscape and make it appear as if the United States was of little influence to the new Iraqi government's operations.
It had been during this season of national unrest that the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. movement began to gain momentum. Having been an underground movement for more than ten years by 2006, the membership had steadily - and secretly - quadrupled. By the time it was prepared to set off the explosions that rocked the foundation of the United States of America, membership had quadrupled again. By January 17, 2008, when the President was about to deliver his State of the Union address, the membership of this revolutionary - yet, somehow sinister - group of rebels had small 'cells' of terrorists strategically plotted across America. Taking their cue from the very descriptions of how the Bush administration defined offshore terrorists, these few hundred thousand people, all of whom considered themselves to be true patriots, willing to die for their country, had successfully created a group capable of starting a second American Revolution. The group's tentacles reached from shore to shore, consisting of 'common' people who all had one absolute, tenacious belief: America was being torn asunder by the very, very rich; the politically powerful; the godless celebrities and athletes; and the gluttonous world of corporate vice. All had to be destroyed - all at once - if a more perfect union was to be formed to serve the people instead of the voracious appetites of the special interests that had taken over this country.
On a more immediate level, however, the members of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had a new challenge. What should be done about thsi new threat? Would these North Korean rebels actually succeed in obliterating parts of America's west coast? Could they actually make good on their threats? Suspending any other business, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members went before the cameras and implored all military personnel to come forward, especially those military 'brass' who were known to be supportive of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. movement. "We need your help," pleaded one unidentified man in a bright yellow cashmere sweater. "The military apparatus is less than stellar. If you have any military experience that might assist in overcoming this threat, we need you to respond immediately." Several e-mail sites were announced wherein military personnel could provide input and offer suggestions. An international toll-free number was posted on the screens of all the television sets in all the locations across the country. It was apparent that O.U.T.R.A.G.E was unprepared to deal with a catastrophe of this magnitude. "We will continue to televise throughout the day to keep you informed of this situation," said a man in a dark blue blazer.
Almost immediately, e-mails and phone calls started pouring in; as could be expected, a majority of 'crackpots' chose to participate with crude remarks and even vulgar crticisms. "See what you dumbf**ks did?" "Why didn't you guys plan for this kind of thing?" "How come we have no U.S. military?" Actually, the military was still in place; the only thing missing was its top commanders, which had paralyzed those down the chain of command. Without 'brass' barking orders, highly-qualified, experienced military men and women needed to be encouraged to use their training to the best of their ability in an attempt to protect the country from further disaster as a result of an outside predator. To the surprise of most O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members, a giant of a man, a true patriot, and a man of impeccable integrity and profound military background, stepped forward and offered to lead what remained of a tattered and disheveled United States military. Not only could he help resolve whatever threat this North Korean issue might pose; he was perhaps the one man who could rebuild and restructure the United States military into a highly-effective defense machine, superior to anything else on Earth.
posted by Bushwacker! at 7:34 AM
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