O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'membership' was growing by leaps and bounds, as more and more Americans saw the significance of its mission. What had started out as a rag-tag organization of less than two hundred thousand people was now becoming a massive outreach of many millions of people. Finally, all the venom that had been spewed over the years by "civilians" who were fed up with government excess, waste, fraud, and corruption had now spilled into a workable venue. People began to recognize that, together, they could really make a difference. Together, they really could change the way the United States of America was governed. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had done the hard part: on January 17, it had killed off President George W. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and most of the Bush administration cabinet members. Additionally, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombs had killed hundreds of thousands of America's most arrogant, powerful, gluttonous, evil, greedy corporate executives, federal judges, athletes, entertainment celebrities, government bureaucrats, and wealthy elitists whose money, power and influence tended to overextend its bounds to infiltrate and destroy the basic decency and morality so imperative to the country's soul.
Extravagance and hubris had been the downfall of countless empires throughout history. The Greeks and Romans might have gone on for centuries longer had it not been for the decadence and debauchery that directly resulted from the avarice and self-absorptions brought on by power, wealth and status. The human condition isn't conditioned to accept such lavish pomp and grandiosity. Roman toga parties, gladiators - even the idea of regurgitating one's food as a compliment to the host - were all symbols of excess.
It had been a good run for the United States of America. But, things had run its course. As the country entered the 21st century, pretentiousness had permeated society. There was nothing left to fight for, hold on to, stand up for or believe in. World War II veterans returned as conquering heroes, having defeated enemies on to fronts that threatened to destroy all of civilization. Consumerism reached all-time highs as pent-up demand for cars, houses, appliances, and finery was eagerly satisfied by American manufacturers. The Vietnam War era generated a sub-culture of "free love" and defiance against what many considered a travesty that killed 57,000 U.S. soldiers. Movie makers competed to see who could produce the most sex and violence, blood and guts, or unfrilled filth on-screen. Easy credit allowed anyone to buy a new Cadillac, a 'perk' formerly reserved only for the upper-incomed tiers of society. A Pepsi-drinking publisher who worked on his bed in his pajamas introduced America to sex without strings attached. A young singer from Mississippi shocked parents as he swiveled his hips and caused young girls to swoon. Politicians discovered television, and used it to their advantage (or disadvantage, as was the case for some who didn't "come across" well on the mini-screen). "Reality" talk shows took over the airwaves, as did four-letter words and the sensationalism of adulterous affairs going on in small towns around the country. Scandal magazines full of half-truths and sensational headlines were devoured by a public hungry for anything out of the ordinary. No longer were people satisfied leaving it to Beaver, or eavesdropping on the "adventures" of a hum-drum Nelson family whose idea of excitement was eating breakfast a half-hour later. Slapstick comedy went from the sublime to the cruel. Stand-up comedy transformed itself from innocent innuendoes to a cannonade of cuss words, used only for pure shock value. Young people were desensitized by reading sexually-explicit "forums" in "nudie" magazines, which encouraged multiple sex partners with no regard for commitment or caring. Sex was "just for the fun of it", brushing aside any thoughts of sharing something that should have been sacred between two very special people. Living together was no longer taboo; in fact, it was considered "contemporary" and "avante-garde". Group sex parties were reminiscent of the old Roman orgies. A United States President was impeached for lying about a sexual escapade with a White House intern, as his political opponents hypocritically crowed over his wicked ways. Ironically, he still left office with a 73% appoval rating. Sex was acceptable, it seemed, anywhere and anyway, except within the confines and privacy of a dedicated and sanctified marriage (where, studies indicated, sexual activity had waned dramatically over the years).
Manufacturers figured out if they added preservatives, sugars, and chemicals to their food, it would last longer, taste better, or create an addictive need for more. Retailers learned all about end-aisle connivances, making customers believe they were getting a "real deal". Snack food processors concluded it was better to sell "jumbo" sizes because consumers would eat it just as quickly as they ate a "normal" portion. Cattlemen came up with ways to more quickly fatten their cattle - and their pocketbooks, just as "fast food" was becoming America's fastest-growing industry. Cigarette manufacturers kept a secret for decades, knowing that the product they sold was killing their customers. As long as you weren't some strung-out, pathetic street user, consumption of illegal "recreational" drugs was not only acceptable, but something to flaunt. By the end of the century, sex, money and power had overtaken America's core values. The "rich and powerful" were idolized, immortalized, and envied. The "beautfiul people" were imitated. Materialism had replaced morality and maturity. Cheating, stealing, lying,
and misrepresenting seemed to be the American way of life.
Oppressed, United Taxpayers Revolting Against Government Excesses - O.U.T.R.A.G.E. - had been secretly created by American citizens opposed to the continued delinquency of the nation. More than a hundred-thousand strong from the outset, the organization plotted and executed mass murder and devastating demolition of much of America's "cultural", political, societal, and commercial atrocities. Those individuals, corporations, institutions, and organizations who advocated fraud, deception, greed, and hatred were arbitrarily eliminiated without the benefit of trial or jury. It was unAmerican, to be certain; but it was also the only way to abruptly end the infamy that infested the country.
It was time for "the people" to take back their country, and things seemed to be going forward swimmingly, regardless of the hurricane and earthquake disasters that interrupted the transition.