Thursday, December 25, 2008: Christmas Day in America started early. By 5:00 a.m. there were candlelight services being held all over the country. Within the hour, Jil Adams' 'celebration stations' had opened and were hosting holiday breakfasts for all who wished to attend. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television broadcasts had begun, and all broadcast centers were opened and manned by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers. These sites had once been used so people could watch and listen to the earliest telecasts after the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08' had knocked out many television stations around the country. Most of the sites were restaurants, bars, school gymnasiums, community centers, abandoned warehouses, theaters, or former office buildings. In November, 2008, these same sites had been used as polling places. Now they would be used as locales in which to honor thousands of troops home to American soil. Jil had arranged for soldiers and their families to be present at all these sites across the country, and had seen to it that they were given special recognition for their service to God and country. Awards were presented by local dignitaries at each site. The ceremonies went on most of the morning. Festivities were also attended by representatives from dozens of nations; Al Gore's relentless diplomatic pursuits had encouraged leaders from all over the globe to participate in a new environmental initiative to resolve the global warming crisis and clean up a planet that man had literally turned into a massive toxic toilet. The afternoon was engaged in many of these international guests wishing America a "Merry Christmas" and expressing a continued resolve to help in the reconstruction of the once-strongest-nation-on-Earth that now lay in political, economic and ecological ruin. With them, some of these representatives brought marvelous "Christmas presents for America".

Just as Hitler rode around in his 1937 Horch 930V limousine while sending German troops into harm's way, Bush flew around in Air Force One while sending American troops into an insolent and immoral 'war'. For seven years Bush continued his folly, foolishly and stubbornly refusing to concede that he had made an atrocious, monumental error in judgment. As the crumbling walls of the Capitol building crushed the life out of America's 43rd President, Bush must have had the same kind of sobering thoughts that Adolph Hitler had as Berlin burned outside his bunker. Hitler knew many of his generals had tried to assassinate him; he was profoundly aware that, toward the end of World War II, most of the Nazi leadership was more interested in saving its own skin than planning new military strategies. Bush, too, knew that his military professionals no longer were in sync with his agenda, and had to realize that many of the Pentagon's top brass - from the very beginning - saw Bush as a leaderless nincompoop who had no business running the greatest military in the world.
Now, thirteen months and seven days after Outraged United Taxpayers Revolting Against Government Excess (O.U.T.R.A.G.E) had detonated bombs all over America that virtually eliminated the powerful, wealthy and influential of the country, a brand new attitude was taking shape all over the U.S.A. While capitalism and free enterprise would still be encouraged, the idea of 'big' would be discouraged. There was no need for national 'chains' of retail stores, banks and newspapers. The larger any organization, corporation or government got, the less manageable it became, and the fewer people benefited from it. Small, local businesses could offer goods and services to American consumers just fine, thank you very much.
While democracy would flourish as America's chosen form of governance, it would be a true democracy instead of a democratic republic. There was no need for national politicians to run the country, only to serve as true public servants sworn to do the bidding of the people. The larger any organization, corporation or government got, the less manageable it became and the fewer people benefited from it. Local governments and munciipalities could provide taxpayer services to American voters just fine, thank you very much.
These were two overwhelming changes in America...a country who had perpetually pounded its own chest and inflated its own ego based on how 'big' and 'strong' it was. It had taken generations, but such intrinsic egoism had created an aura of selfishness instead of selflessness; a circus of greed instead of generosity; an arena of sloth instead of sudoriferous toil; a sense of personal plunder instead of the camaraderie of community.
Now, the day before Christmas, 2008, the HOE HO HO force had its plans in place. All of the foes of yesterday were dead and gone. All of the materialistic accommodations made possible by credit cards, bank accounts, stock portfolios, business card titles, movie magazine photo spreads, sports rosters, or government largess had been destroyed. It was time for the 'common' man to take his rightful place in America. Christmas Eve services were being planned all over the country, and - for the first time in decades - most Americans would be celebrating for all the right reasons: Peace On Earth, goodwill toward men, and

Volkswagen was "the people's car" - a small, cheap, easily-maintained automobile designed to serve the motoring needs of most German drivers. It had been hailed as the symbol of the National Socialists German Workers' Party - more commonly known as the Nazis. Nazis held to one indefatigable motto: "The Common Good Outranks Private Profit".
Yet, Adolph Hitler and his generals were chauffered around in luxurious Mercedes convertible limousines with spacious back seats that could easily accommodate the most bulky of military brass.
That's why socialism never worked: "the common good" never included those at the top of the food chain. If you had money, power, or influence, you weren't considered 'common'. You were entitled to the privileges your status brought you - or bought you. Abraham Lincoln had once noted that, "The Lord must have loved the common man, because he made so many of them". And in every culture, including the 'democratic' United States of America, the 'common man' was celebrated as the foundation of society, the muscle that brought strength and endurance to the population. Socialist and communist countries despised and degraded the United States and its wicked 'capitalism'. Marxists decried capitalism as the inherent 'evil' that kept the middle-class and lower-class individuals under the thumbs of the upper-class society. But the American model of free enterprise and capitalistic venture was as engrained in the U.S.A. as Communism and a state-run economy had been engrained in the U.S.S.R. until it crumbled into a pile of ashen rubble in the last decade of the 20th century.
Now, eight years into the new century, American bravado was overwhleming the Internet as "Bushites", "neo-cons", and the "conservative media" boastfully proclaimed that the great United States would never collapse into ruin as Russia had. Naivete'
loomed large across the land as supporters of the Bush folly in Iraq pounded their patriotic chests and vowed that America would remain strong and would become the victor in this shameless, immoral, illegal 'war'.
One undeniable statement of twisted irony was something that most conservatives chose to overlook. If you were to compile a roster of the most influential conservatives of the past quarter-century, you would make a startling discovery: hoards of these war-mongers, among them the most hawkish Republicans who relentlessly pounded the war drums, NEVER bothered to participate in the wars of their own eras. Yet, these diehard, gung-ho warriors were perfectly willing to send others t fight their battles for them as the U.S.A. entered a new century. And the list was as long as it was damning:
Dennis Hastert; Tom DeLay; Roy Blunt; Bill Frist; Mitch McConnell; Rick Santorum; Trent Lott; Jeb Bush; Karl Rove; Paul Wolfowitz; Saxby Chambliss; Vin Weber; Richard Perle; Douglas Feith; Eliot Abrams; Richard Shelby; Jon Kyl; Tim Hutchison; Christopher Cox; Newt Gingrich; Phil Gramm; Dana Rohrabacher; John M. McHugh; J.C. Watts; Rudy Giuliani; George Pataki; Spencer Abraham; John Engler; Sean Hannity; Bill O'Reilly; Michael Savage; George Will; Chris Matthews; Paul Gigot; Bill Bennett; Pat Buchanan; John Wayne; Bill Kristol; Ken Starr; Antonin Scalia; Clarence Thomas; Ralph Reed; Micheal Medved and Charlie Daniels - all prominent proponents of 'war' ALL DID NOT SERVE in any military capacity, yet found it suitable and appropriate to send others off to have their bodies blown apart, brains splattered, and families decimated.
Other Republican cheerleaders for war included those whose military service was conveniently deferred, or accommodated in a casual, non-threatening manner. Those 'heroic' souls included Lindsay Graham, who served as a National Guard lawyer; Jack Kemp who didn't serve due to a 'knee problem' (although he continued playing in the NFL for eight years); "B-1" Bob Dorman, who consciously enlisted after fighting had ended in Korea; Arnold Schwarzenegger, who went AWOL from an Austrian army base; Dan Quayle, who served in his Indiana National Guard's journalism unit; Rush Limbaugh, who did not serve due to being classifed 4-F with an 'anal cyst'; Ronald Reagan, who served in a non-combat role making war films due to allegedly poor eyesight; and John Ashcroft, who got seven deferments so he could teach 'business' classes!
Most notable, of course, were the nation's three top 'war' leaders of the 21st century: the closet Donald Rumsfeld ever came to the perils of real 'war' was sitting in a simulated flight deck as a Navy flight instructor in the mid-1950's. Dick Cheney did not serve because he was given a number of deferments, the last one 'by marriage'. And, finally, George W. Bush, the U.S.A.'s Commander-In-Chief, failed to complete his six-year stint with the National Guard, and was conveniently assigned to Alabama' guard unit so he could campaign for a family friend who was running for the U.S. Senate. To add one more bit of irony to Bush's valiant military career, he failed to show up for a required medical exam, then mysteriously disappeared from duty without any further reprimand or punishment.
Yet these cowardly cretins had no compunction about

The entire northern half of the United States found itself under snow alerts by early Monday morning. Heavy snows were predicted in many regions of the northwest, midwest, and northeast as an unexpected cold front moved in from Canada and collided with a warm front heading up from the south. For most 'normal' people, that might have slowed things down a bit; for the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers, it just made it that much more of a challenge. Lime green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. buses and jetliners were spotted all over the country as Jil directed operations from her Indianapolis headquarters. The HOE HO HO force was on the move, and nothing could stop them now! America had been through hundreds of thousands of mass bombings just last January, followed by a series of horrendous hurricanes and the worst earthquake the modern world had ever seen. If Mother Nature thought a snowstorm would stop Jil Adams and her team of troopers, Mother Nature had better think again!
Orchestrating this huge holiday party had proved easier than even Jil - the eternal optimist - anticipated. Partially because of all the other celebratory events she'd directed in recent months, this project seemed easy - almost 'too easy'. Her blonde pony tail bobbed up and down as she paced back and forth on the plush carpet in the Canterbury Hotel's main executive conference room. The elfs had finally recovered from their holiday exuberances that had taken place over the weekend. And, as a special 'token of appreciation', Jil had arranged for all of her female team members to be personally 'gratified' by the elfs before they left on their respective road trips. What the hell.....the elves seemed to be the perfect height for such a 'stand-up delight' and it resulted in what you might call a mutually enjoyable titilation of tongue-lashing and thrashing. "My God!" one of the ladies was overheard sharing in the hotel's restroom, "some of those elves' tongues are longer than THEY are tall! I stood up through the whole thing, but when it was over, my legs were all wobbly and I had to sit down just to compose myself! Joy to the World! I can pick my favorite Christmas hymn - but when it comes to picking my favorite 'holiday HIM', I'll take one of those little elves any day! Just let me wrap my long, lanky legs around their prickly little ears and we'll play 'Oh, Come All Ye Faithful' anytime!
On a more noble note, Jil was busy making calls to ensure that many of those soldiers who had just come home would be at the various 'celebration stations' around the nation on Christmas Day. Except for one soldier who sadly reported that he'd just gotten home in the nick of time - his mother was dying of cancer and probably wouldn't live to see Christmas Day - every single soldier Jil talked to agreed to show up for the festivities. Al Gore called to let Jil know that delegations from China, Russia, India, and about two dozen other countries would attend on Christmas Day at different locations around the country. To Jil's stunned surprise, Gore even informed her about environmental groups coming from Iraq, Iran, and Syria!
As is often the case, the snowstorms were not nearly as powerful as had been predicted; even in the case of Mother Nature, 'power' is all-too-often more an impotent blowhard than it is a virile hard blow. Jil had made the same comparison with the many drunks she'd served over the years, and recognized that - even in the macho world of politics - 'power' is sometimes way over blown. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. and its 'Rebellion of '08' had revolutionized the concept of power, money and influence being the epitome of all things great. The first generation of Americans to live in the 21st century had been brought up on three pitiful maxims: "He who dies with the most toys - wins"; "All for One...ME!"; and "Lookin' out for #1".
Thanks to the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. revolution, this Christmas would truly be all about giving and not about 'getting'. America would give back to its homecoming soldiers. Government would be given back to the people.

Planes filled with U.S. soldiers returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Iran swarmed virtually every airport that was still operational. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. officials were meeting with Chinese and Indian government agencies to work out plans that would involve the world's nations in helping to combat the ill-effects of global warming. Jil Adams has designated her crew of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers as the "Help Our Earth, Homecoming Observation, Holiday Occasion Force" - a cumbersome title which the other three members of the AROB team had quickly whittled down to a catchy anagram: the "HOE HO HO" Force.
Delegating specific assignments had begun in earnest, and by Sunday morning, December 21, 2008, everything was already starting to come together, after Saturday planning discussions that went on into the wee hours of the night.
Baker, Oetting and Ryan were in charge of coordinating all of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. public broadcasting sites (which had also been used as polling places for the November elections) into "party central" operations. These sites would now be re-used as 'celebration stations' to bring together all homecoming service men and women so that they could be honored on Christmas Day. Part of the coordination efforts included rounding up all these soldiers and getting them there for the event - then quickly returning them to their homes so they could end the day with their families and friends.
Michelle, Lynn and Dana were charged with seeing that each site was properly decorated with an unusual color blend of American Red, White and Blue; Christmas greens and reds; the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. lime green; and colors from the flags of every nation participating in the event. Food from different countries and various cultures would also be part of the festivities. Jil wanted nothing left to chance: it must be perfect. With the blessings of Colin Powell, Barack Obama and John McCain, she was working with an unlimited budget. Every country participating in this worldwide telecast must also be represented at each of the thousands of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. sites, which included public buildings, bars, restaurants, libraries, schools, local community centers, and gymnasiums. Finally, recycling efforts would have to be a highly visible component of this massive celebration to bring home the message of "helping our Earth".
"Hot Donna" and her husband, Mike, were in charge of bringing area veterans' organizations into the celebrations, which meant contacting VFW and American Legion posts, Marine Corps Leagues, Navy Clubs, fraternal organizations, local service clubs, and veterans' assistance organizations all over the country. They would also be responsible for securing flags from all participating nations and ensuring that they were on display at each O.U.T.R.A.G.E. celebration station.
"Doc" and his crew were charged with working with local officials across the country to set up parade routes which would bring homecoming soldiers, foreign dignitaries and other guests to the celebration stations. It was a monumental effort, trying to coordinate having an O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bus pick up these people and assemble them into a delegation that would arrive at each site on Christmas Day.
"Hammy" and the Patrick-Patrick team had been given orders to book live entertainment for every celebration station, including bands, choirs, orchestras, singers, and musicians of all stripes. Each celebration station would have its own local 'flavor', but all nations participating in the "HOE HO HO" force must also be represented musically, as so ordered by Jil.
Jil announced that she would take charge of arranging for special recognitions and honors to be awarded to each group of returning soldiers, noting their service to God and their country. "Hmmmph..." muttered Lynn, "it's just like Jil to keep all the pretty boys to herself."
The output of work from a relative handful of a few hundred people was outstanding. By Sunday evening, plans were all but coordinated and the "HOE HO HO" force had gone into "action mode" diverting the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bus fleet and fleet of jets to the regions of the country where they needed to be. It was a much a precision drill as any military battle plan, all pulled together by a rag-tag group of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers who had little experience in these kinds of things. The outpouring of cooperation from local communities, businesses, and non-profit organizations certainly added tens of thousands of staff to the work. The Salvation Army, Daughters of the Revolution, and dozens of other charity groups enthusiastically offered whatever assistance they could.
For perhaps the first time in modern history, Christmas would not only be celebrated as the Christian observance of Christ's birth, but it would become a truly international festival of world peace, harmony, unity, love, environmental initiatives, hope, cultural diversity, and coadjuvancy. It would be, perhaps, the most international collaborative effort in world history...exactly the kind of participatory kind of governance Bob Ryan had just talked about a few days earlier in St. Kitts.
Bob looked around in awe, then glanced at his partners, Phil and Ron, and said quizzically, "How in the hell does Jil manage to pull th

"I'll be Home for Christmas" was playing as Bob Ryan, Ron Oetting, and Phil Baker walked into the elegant conference room Jil Adams had reserved for her planning meetings. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cars had picked the "three musketeers" up at the Indianapolis airort and whisked them to 123 Illinois Street...an address as prestigious as, perhaps, any in Indiana's capitol city. Doormen smartly opened the cars' doors and greeted the rest of the AROB group with "Welcome to the Canterbury, gentlemen..." The Canterbury Hotel was the city's only one recognized by the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, an snooty organization that looked down it nose at anything less than the very best accommodations. Opened in 1928 as the Lockerbie Hotel, this five-star historical site had been visited by Presidents, kings and queens, and royalty from around the world. Its European flavor added to its warmth and charm; its traditional staff of first-class hospitality professionals left nothing to chance. Everything was optimal...attendants attended to every detail. Ryan, Oetting and Baker were escorted to the lavishly-accoutremented conference room where Jil was waiting, dressed in a bright red mini skirt, smartly-styled mini-jacket, and wearing soft red accessories lined with pristine white fur. "Wow!" Oetting exclaimed to his two companions, "that's the sexiest Mrs. Claus I've ever seen! If I'm really good, do you think she'll let me sit on her lap?"
Ryan and Baker were unamused, as they stood speechless, in silent awe of the holiday setting that served as a backdrop for Jil's Christmas presence. To be sure, there were Christmas presents underneath a 12-ft. tall live evergreen decorated with huge pastel ornaments that seemed to 'float' around the tree instead of 'hang' in a stationery position. The huge balls gave the impression of glimmering as the subtle lighting in the room changed gradually and continually. As the holiday music wafted over the p.a. system, Baker's sensitive nose definitely detected a delicate blend of peppermint, cinnamon, chocolate and almond filling the huge room. The massive tree stood next to an ornate English fireplace in the far corner of the room, in front of which there were magical animated, 3-dimensional elfs warming their hands and feet in front of the roaring fire. As Bob, Ron and Phil moved closer, they realized the elfs were REAL PEOPLE, not animations at all! The center of the room was taken up by an enormous conference table made of solid walnut. Obviously a valuable antique, the giant table weighed 1,400 pounds and was one of the hotel's most priceless treasures, dating back to the days of King James, whose sanitized version of the Holy Scriptures still serves today as the pre-eminent Bible read by most Christians. In the opposite corner of the room stood a battery of attendants, behind tables burgeoning with cookies, cakes, candies, and exotic holiday snacks. Assuming a purposely seductive pose, Jil said, "Help yourselves, gentlemen..." Of course, that was the wrong thing to say to Phil, whose outreached arms darted directly for Jil. Before he could waddle close enough for bodily contact, Jil issued a stern warning: "Back off, Baker! I meant help yourself to the goodies..." That, of course, infused juvenile burblings from three old farts who never seemed to really grow up and act their age. "I MEAN..." Jil commanded, "help yourself to the food and snacks on the tables you see before your warped and demented eyeballs!"
The table to the right was stocked with every imagineable beer, wine and liquor, and there were three handsome bartenders ready to serve the libations. At the end of the table was an oversized sterling silver serving bowl filled with egg nog which had been sufficiently 'spiked' with Brinley's Gold Vanilla rum from St. Kitts. As Phil, Bob and Ron started sipping and nibbling, the rest of the invited guests arrived. Doc and his crew came in and headed directly for the tables of peppercorn sausages and venison. Lynn Patrick and Patrick Hamilton, of the famous Patrick-Patrick team, made a beeline for the beer. Lynne Tustison and her 'helpers' wanted to sample the egg nog (although Dana and Michelle seemed to more attracted to the three handsome bartenders). "Hot Donna" and husband Mike chipped away at humongous chocolate chip cookies which they dunked in over-sized glass tumblers filled with the sweetest white-chocolate milk one's tastebuds could imagine! After a reasonable "cocktail hour", Jil beckoned everyone to the massive conference table. "I know this is kind of last-minute," she said sombely, "but there's a special reason for trying to pull off this party with such short notice. Former Vice-President Al Gore, as you know, has been traveling around the world since last April 19, trying to win international support for the effort to reduce the impact of global warming. It's been a monumental effort, one that has been met with much resistance from many of the emerging new world cultures. Yesterday marked exactly eight months since Mr. Gore's mission began. We are pleased to report that the governments of China and India have agreed to join the effort. This is extremely significant, since China and India - second only to Russia and the United States - are major polluters of the Earth. After discussing it with Mr. Gore, and the Presidential Triumverate, we thought it would be appropriate to mark this extraordinaty occasion with an outstanding Christmas party that would celebrate two major events: the holiday homecoming of our troops, who - military commanders claim - will ALL be home in time for Christmas; and this new shared initiative toward trying to save the planet. I hope you'll all pitch in and help me put together this international commemoration. It's important, guys..." She directed a well-intentioned frown in the direction of Ryan, Oetting and Baker who were still savoring the delights of the egg nog.
From Indianapolis, Indiana would evolve - with some celerity - a plan to bring the world together like never before. There was one question that deserved some contemplation: would the Hindus and Muslims of the world join in what traditionally is a Christian holiday? As long as the secular side of the holiday took center stage - and the religious component was played down - Jil believed she could propogandize the world into an international celebration of goodwill, peace, environmental awareness, and global unity. "Good grief," muttered Bob Ryan to himself, "she's one tenacious

"History is replete with wars, which is not surprising. Men write the history books. They turn men who have killed thousands of people into victors and heroes." So said peace activist Helen Caldicott in the summer of 2003, just as George W. Bush's 'war' with Iraq was getting underway. No doubt George W. Bush dreamed he would go down in history as a valiant warrior, a masterful military mind who, as Commander-In-Chief, bravely and proudly led his troops into the first major miliatry conflict of the 21st century. Instead, George W. Bush died a broken victim of his own "peewee pecker syndrome"...nothing more than a dead dick full of flaccid fantasies.
Try as he might with his appearance on a battleship in full flight-suit regalia, Bush couldn't achieve his goal of "mission accomplished" because he lacked any plausible goal. In his desperate attempt to appear macho and decisive, Bush only deluded himself until he was perhaps the only member of the government or the military that failed to recognize how even a Pentagon-size doze of military Viagra would not arouse a sustainable erection of strength, vigor and eventual victory. Bush had attacked another sovereign nation that in no way threatened, provoked or attacked the United States, all because he and his family had a hard-on for Hussein.
By the time O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombs exploded all around him during his fial 'Sate of the Union" address, George W. Bush was being called a loser. The irony was he had tried.....really TRIED to achieve his objectives, squandering all the financial and military resources available to him. In effect, George W. Bush wasn't a loser.......he was a failure.
He had failed to be any kind of outstanding student. He had failed to overcome his predilections for drugs and alcohol. He failed as a business oil tycoon, the co-owner of a sports franchise, and a political leader at both the state and federal levels.
Careful examination of his personal diaries revealed that Bush recognized all this, but had always been to proud to admit defeat. Had he not been assassinated by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombs on January 17, 2008, Bush might have very well suffered a total breakdown; it was highly likely he might have even committed suicide, just as his counterpart cowardly took his own life once he realized his Nazi regime was defeated. Bush and Hitler could have been compatriots had they lived within the same era. Bush seemed to revel in many of Hitler's most infamous dogmas:

"Make the lie big; keep it simple; keep saying it; and, eventually, they will believe it".
"The great masses of people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one".
"Any alliance whose purpose is not the intention to wage war is senseless and useless".
"How fortunate for governments that the people the administer don't think".

Bush was as insane as Hitler, although not nearly as studied or scholarly in his pursuits. And, in the end, Bush realized that all of his generals had turned against him, just as Hitler's generals made numerous assassination attempts on their great leader. For the last two years of his Presidency, George W. Bush never saw his popularity rise above the 35 percentile. Hitler's persuasive powers even allowed him to take a gullible young woman along with him into his eternal damnation. Bush had neither the 'salesmanship' nor the domineering presence to convince Laura Bush to join him in a suicide pact. If Bush would have had the courage to kill himself, he would had to pay someone to put him out of his misery - and there was arguably no one prepared to send George W. Bush into his oil-soaked, bloodstained suite in the center of Hades. Better he suffer here on Earth for as long as the Devil allowed.

Meanwhile, Jil Adams called Bob Ryan, rousing him from a warm and restful respite on the Caribbean beach. "Bob," she implored. "I need your help. I want to plan the biggest national Christmas party in America's history!" Bob's beer dropped out of his into the sand. "What the fuck are you talking about, Jil? Christmas is next Thursday!!!" But, in her usually forceful and persuasive way, Jil managed to bring Bob on board. "I want you and Doc and Phil and Ron and Hammy to meet me tomorrow in Indianapolis. I've already arranged for O.U.T.R.A.G.E. jets to pick you up. "Jil could be Hitler incarnate," Bob thought to himself while he packed. ""Where does she come up with all these crazy ideas?? How the hell is she going to pull this off?? Christmas is six days away!" He knew that U.S. soldiers were coming home in droves from Iraq and Iran, as they had been for the past several weeks. Bob was certain Jil's plans would include a heroic tribute to all the men and women who had given so selflessly of themselves for such an immoral and unjustifiable cause. Cher and Bob left St. Kitts at 4;55 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2008, destined for ideas unknown. The Patrick-Patrick team, the rest of the AROB group, and Doc's tour were all heading 'home' - or, at least close to home. So much for Bob's 'working vacation' over the holiday. He knew: whatever Jil had planned would require hundreds of hours of manpower, little sleep,

On Tuesday, December 16, 2008, Bob Ryan walked into the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. conference room wearing long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses and a Panama hat. Sheepishly, he responded to the stares of his compatriots with six simple words of explanation: "Gotta little too much sun yesterday". It hurt to stand up; it hurt to sit down. "I forgot how much closer we are to the Equator," he chuckled as he sat down next to John McCain. Colin Powell was at the , discussing an intelligence briefing that had been written more than a year-and-a-half ago by Herbert Meyer, who had served as a special assistant to the CIA during the Reagan administration.
Entitled "A Global Intelligence Briefing for CEOs", Meyer's focus was on what he called "four major transformations" facing the world at the beginning of the 21st century. The first U.S. government official to predict the collapse of the Soviet Union, Meyer had been awarded the U.S. National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the highest honor presented within the intelligence community. Meyer's contention was that these four transformations were about to have "profound implications for American business owners, our culture and our way of life". He characterized the four transformations as:

1. The War In Iraq;
2. The Emergence of China;
3. Shifting Demographics of Western Civilization;
4. Restructuring of American Business

It was a lengthy - and dull - diatribe. Bob Ryan sat through it quietly, although finding it necessary to squirm relentlessly in his chair to avoid the intense pain and heat that radiated from his lobster-like torso and limbs. He listened as Powell read from Meyer's manifesto, which seemed to blame the three primary monotheistic religions for the start of all the world's troubles. Judaism and Christianity, Meyer theorized, "reconciled" with the modern world while Islam remained mired in the past of the "old world". From the attendants, Bob ordered a "cold beer", which was promptly served in a chilled glass. Bob had come to really enjoy this very special lager that was brewed on the Island of St. Kitts. On previous visits to the Island, he'd gotten into the habit of quaffing a six pack or two earlier in the day, then swashing down the beer with a few tempting tumblers of "Brinley's Gold" - perhaps the smoothest dark rum he'd ever sampled. Unlike Puerto Rico rums that tasted better with mixers, this graceful libation glided effortlessly over the taste buds with only the help of some crackling ice. As Powell started in on the "Emergence of China", Bob beckoned to an attendant and quietly whispered his request for "Brinley's over ice". By the time Powell started discussing the "Shifting Demographics of Western Civilization", Bob was on his third glass. By the time Powell got around to the part entitled, "Restructuring of American Business", Bob was sipping his sixth rum of the day. It was now early afternoon, and Bob was ready to head to the beach - although this time he'd take much better care of his baby-soft skin.
As he inched his way up from his chair, McCain interrupted and said, "Bob, where ya' going? We're all looking forward to more of your eloquence this afternoon." Bob slumped back down in his chair, resigned to the fact that this "urgent project" might never end. This was beginning to become a lot more "work" and a lot less "vacation". So Bob Ryan, new-found orator and philospher, decided to do somethig entirely out of context for his usually mild-mannered demeanor. He came out with "both barrels loaded for bear":
In unmitigated pain, Bob Ryan stood up to address the conference. "You people are not listening to yourselves!" he almost screamed. "You are not recognizing that what you're trying to do is establish structure that will only result in what you just blew up a few months ago! From the briefcase that always accompanied him to these kinds of meetings, Bob picked out a nineteen-month-old issue of 'ODE' magazine. and international magazine for "intelligent optimists" that covered the gamut of ideas for changing the world. Thumbing through the magazine until he found the article he was looking for, Ryan began reading from it in deliberate, intensive tones: "From the alternative global movement to the Wikipedians, the key word today is 'self-organization': not doing what you're told to do, but contributing what you can and wish to, for the greater good."
It was clear that he was agitated, as his vernacular became that of someone more along the lines of the late Rush Limbaugh instead of his usual moderately-tempered William F. Buckley behavior. Calm, cool and collected has quickly transformed itself into ill-tempered, testy and tendentious. Ryan was on a rampage, and there was no stopping him now.
"Most of us still think practical projects should be governed by a centralized organization that establishes schedules, sets priorities, supervises activities, charts progress and makes adjustments so pre-established goals can be achieved. We believe there must be a hierarchal structure whereby orders come from the top, giving a clear sense of who is in charge. We're used to looking to experts, bosses, directors, professionals and other leaders who know what's best," he recited directly from the pages of the magazine. 'A new era is dawning, characterized by participation rather the command-and-control model so intrinsic to the institutions that dominated the 20th century: the military, corporations, centralized states. 'Participation' is now the magic word. It's not about 'more stuff' or 'more choice', but 'more say', more opportunities to contribute."
He stopped for a moment to let his recitation sink into with his stunned audience. Then he lay the magazine down on the table, took off his sunglasses to reveal a horridly pink-pocked and blatantly blistered face, and pointed to the three men who had just been elected as the U.S.A.'s first Presidential Triumverate. "With all due respect, gentlemen, none of you are sufficiently equipped to lead this country into a truly collaborative culture. You, Senator McCain, and you, Senator Obama, are both used to the privileges of status, influence and power. As much as both of you have enjoyed long careers of 'service' to the American people, the raw truth of the matter is that you've been of more service to the special interest groups, the lobbyists, and your campaign contributors who kept you in office. You, General Powell, have been trained from the get-go to serve and obey your superior officers, even when you knew in your heart-of-hearts they were dead wrong. Truth be known, you resigned from the Bush administration as your only way of protesting how you were set up to mislead the world about 'weapons of mass destruction' in Iraq. You went before the United Nations with false information, provided to you by your Commander-In-Chief, whom you could not disobey or discredit after the fact. Your only recourse was to resign. Your entire career has been spent in the 'service' of your superiors, not in 'service' to your country or its commoners.
What you're doing now is to try and piece together a new organization that will 'run' America. Yet, you say with flawed sincerity, that you expect the United States of America to become a pure democracy ruled and governed by its people. You overlook one vital component in that objective: you, as a Presidential Triumverate, and all the newly-elected public officials who will take their places in the U.S. Congress in about a month, must recognize that YOU HAVE NO POWER!!!"
Ryan's voice shrilled. The veins in his neck protruded like worms trying to break through the fresh spring earth.
"Every elected official, every government bureaucrat, every civil service employee must come to the absolute realization that they work for the American people! We hear that phrase mostly when an irate citizen is apprehended by police and they scream, 'I pay your salary!'. Well, that's exactly the way it's going to be in this new America. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. was formed because it wanted to do away with the corrupt political system, the wealthy power brokers, and the celebrated socialites who squandered their wealth and privilege on themselves. You are transforming not just a government, but an entire social stata. No longer will the Paris Hiltons of the world expect to be sentenced to a 'special needs' jail to serve time for drunk driving. If the dregs of society are expected to serve their time in a stink-infested jail cell, so will the 'stars' of society. We won't tolerate the Britney Spears of the world who has the audacity to throw a temper tantrum and disrupt a commercial airline flight just because the damn plane doesn't have leather seats! There will be no way for the George W. Bushes of the world to illegally and unconstitutionally declare 'war' on another sovereign nation just because he has a burr up his ass for that nation's despicable dictator! No longer will the guy who can afford six hundred bucks for a front-row seat at the championship basketball game be given priority over the poor kid from the ghetto who has never stepped foot inside a professional sports arena. Some fancy-dan millionaire won't be granted a special tax break just because he made a contribution to a politician's campaign fund. In its purest form, this democracy will not provide corporate welfare to billion-dollar companies while it ignores the plight of the poor, the homeless, the sick, the aged, and hungry, the disadvantaged, and the underprivileged. As public servants, you will be charged with ensuring that every child gets equal education regardless of whether he lives in a 'rich' or 'poor' school district. You willbe expected that every American has access to the same kind of health care, regardless of their ability to pay.While free enterprise, and our affectin for capitalism, will remain in tact, there will no longer be special privileges, tax breaks, personal favors, or preferred accommodations for those with more money, more influence, or more status. Judiciousness will take on a flavor of perfunctory fairness without consideration for what kind of legal defense the accused can afford. YOU, gentlemen and ladies of O..U.T.R.A.G.E., are about to change this nation - and, along with it, the world. You are forming a collaborative form of political, financial and social rule - something that never has really, truly been accomplished in the modern world as we know it. Some say that Atlantis was such a perfect utopia; we can't be certain about that (in fact, we can't be certain that Atlantis even ever existed!). You have an unimaginable challenge ahead of you, ladies and gentlemen, and you're putting the ac-cent' on the wrong sy-lab'-ble. You're starting off trying to put structure to something that cannot, by its very nature, embrace structure. You guys have a job to do. Now do it!"
With that, Ryan stormed out of the room. Seven seconds later, he tiptoed back in retrieve his sunglasses, briefcase and rum which he'd abandoned in his haste to leave the room. Tipping his hat as he left, the conferees sat in stunned silence. Ryan was right: they had a job to do! And the had to do it quickly!

By 5:05 Sunday morning, Bob was back on the beach with his beer and a comfortable blanket. Had he motivated anyone? Had he done his share to try and get the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. organization off dead-center and into a new mode of realism? While he waited for the sun to come up, he pondered his involvement in this rebellious organization. Was he contributing anything of any substance, or had his tirade just been an hours-long way for him to blow off steam?
Living in a true democracy involves considerable risk because, in its purest form, democracy takes power - and therefore, accountability - away from a handful of individuals 'at the top' and hands it all to everyone. If America was to become an absolute democracy, there would be no blaming a President, of the Congress, when things went awry. The "people" would have to accept responsibility for the decisions they made. The old U.S.S.R. was an example of how things could turn out badly once the state stopped being the scapegoat. Under Communist rule, Russian citizens were used to having the government do everything for them: the state told its people where to live, what job to do, and basically controlled the lives of its subjects. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the 'new Russia' wasn't prepared to do things on their own. Millions of Russian citizens found it nearly impossible to make decisions on their own. They'd been so used to being told what to do that when given their 'freedom', they found themselves paralyzed into inaction. The Russian society collapsed. As 'free enetrprise' struggled to take hold, the only entrepreneurs were the country's thugs and criminals who took advantage of the chaos to make themselves outrageously wealthy. Even today, Russia's economy remained crippled from the collapse of totalitarianism as citizens experimented with capitalism for the first time in generations.
Bob took Sunday off, consumed with all of his thoughts as to how O.U.T.R.A.G.E. might turn their revolution into a revolutionary form of governance. He slept comfortably Sunday night, and woke up early Monday morning, December 15, 2008, prepared to once again join the ranks of this "urgent project" taking place in the conference room just down the hall.
He was surprised to see most of the conferees already in discussion. John McCain was the first to notice Bob as he walked into the room. "Bob Ryan," exclaimed McCain, "we were just talking about you. I'm so glad you decided to join us! There's lots more we need to discuss, and we welcome your valuable input."
Looking around the room, Ryan knew that he would be expected to expound on the 'sermon' he'd preached last Saturday and well into the wee hours of Sunday morning. It was as if they expected him to the prophet that might guide them out of the desert. When it was obvious they wanted him to speak, he began quietly, calmly and orderly:
"Look," he said slowly, "I know I said a lot of disturbing things Saturday night. But we have to acknowledge the impact that O.U.T.R.A.G.E. has had on the United States of America. A secret handful of about a hundred thousand people started actually initiated a second American 'revolution' last January. The 'charter members' of this organization conducted a high-tech rebellion against what had become an oppressive, tyrannical government that was corrupted, bloated, and unmanageable due to its sheer size and scale. That is our Constitutional right in America - although it had never been exercised so dramatically since the days of the original American Revolution. EXACTLY two hundred and seventeen years ago TODAY - on December 15, 1791, our Bill of Rights was ratified. The second amendment to that Bill of Rights gave us the right to 'keep and bear arms'. While that right has been abused, misinterpreted, distorted and exaggerated over the decades, it was the intent of our foundng fathers that we never be subjected to the hold of tyrannical and oppressive government. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. used a high-tech version of 'armament' to assassinate the President of the United States, most members of Congress, and much of the 'power base' that had put a stranglehold on this nation for much of the 20th century.
'Power' is a dangerous thing. In many marriages, one spouse might be the 'power' or 'wear the pants in the family'. In the business world, 'power' is in the hands of those who own or manage the business, be it a sole proprietorship or a giant corporation. In government, 'power' is easy to misemploye, and the vituperative impact can be damaging. There is no more universal truth than that two-word testimonial: 'Power corrupts'.
The people of the United States of America had unwittingly become victims of those who had too much power, too much wealth, and too much influence. Behind the scenes, those 'power brokers', those wealthy elitists, those celebrities who coveted more power, wealth and celebrity infused our government leadership with a villainage that ultimately suffocated the system. Politicians chose to become slaves of the slavers instead of servants of the people. The 'people' then became the least significant component of our democratic republic. That wasn't how is was supposed to be. But, even our founding fathers knew that democracy was flawed. Benjamin Franklin once said, 'When people fear the government, it is tyranny; when government fears the people, it is liberty.' John Adams predcited, 'Democracy will not last long [as] it soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself.' Finally, Thomas Jefferson pontificated that, 'The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.' Those prophesies have all been fulfilled. The Bush administration created a Hitler-esque Department of Homeland Security that pushed American into a police state, wherein citizens were presumed guilty until proven innocent. Adolph Hitler had demonstrated how easy it was to instill fear in the population, and - by doing so - how easy it was to control that population. George W. Bush simply followed Hitler's tactics and kept telling Americans how we should fear the 'evil empire'. It allowed Bush to run ripshod over the Constitution, gave him unprecedented, illegal powers, and caused people to fear the government. The most cowardly, incompetent, arrogant, corrupt Congress in U.S. history sat idly by and did nothing as their President (who also happened to be a member of their own political party) ramshackled the nation, wasting and exhausting its principles until the U.S.A. virtually murdered itself through neglect, greed, and apathy. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. comprised the group of 'patriots' that brought down a tyrannical and oppressive government. In its wake, the blood of many tyrants was shed.
Now we're embarked on a new course. The objective is a pure and unfettered democracy wherein the 'people' will rule. The 'people' will make every decision and the politicians will only be the mechanics that institute those decisions. Such a democracy is full of risks and dangers. There will almost certainly be impressive obstacles to overcome. Such a grandiose plan will not - ever - remove the ugly head of corruption, but if we can substance ourselves to modify a Constitution based on all the freedoms we've heretofore enjoyed, and complement that with a dedicated sense of compatibility, compassion, brotherhood, equality for all, and brotherhood among all citizens, we have a chance of cleansing this country of the poisons in which it drowns. We must make amends to those whom we've wronged, including everyone from the nations around the world that we've dominated for no justifiable reasons, to the homeless man on the streets of L.A. whom we've neglected in spite of our collective wealth and good fortune."
Surprisngly, Bob Ryan was becoming the great orator of his time...a virtual Thomas Jefferson of the 21st century. By 2:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, Bob was back on the beach, sitting next to Cher on that comfortable blanket, sipping a cold beer, and sucking up all that St. Kitts sunshine.

Bob and Cher Ryan settled into the luxurious comfort of the sun, sand and ocean breezes. Bob wore shorts, a colorful Hawaiian sports shirt and a "go-to-hell" fishing hat. Carrying folded-up chaise lounges and a cooler with more of his favorite chilled libation, he watched as Cher spread a blanket out on the beach. Bob had no sooner slumped into the lazy comfort of his first day on the beach - and his cell phone rang. "What the fuc----" but before he could complete his grandiloquent question, he heard Barack Obama's voice on the phone. It was moments like this when Ryan wished he'd had one of those O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cell phones programmed to detonate a distant strategicially-placed explosive device. "Bob," Obama began, "we need you to come back to the conference for a little more detail on your proposals. Can you make it up here by yourself, or should we send a car?" What the fuck, Ryan thought....the damn conference room was less than a few hundred yards away; was Obama out of his friggin' mind? "No, I'll be right there," Ryan agreed. He trudged up the sandy hill, past the Shiggity Shack, to the Timothy Beach Resort where the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. conference was being held (actually, as a convenience to Bob and Cher, who had expressed a preference in lodging there during their stay; Bob thoroughly enjoyed the laid-back, languid lattitude of the Shiggity Shack, and liked the idea that Timothy Beach Resort, with its art-deco style and less 'frilly' accommodations, was - literally - just a hop, skip and a jump away from the tin-and-cardboard beachfront bar.
He staggered into the meeting room and wasted no time in getting down to business; the sooner this was over with, the sooner he'd be back on the beach.
"Did he really believe an education campaign would work?" the group asked incredulously. "Yes," Ryan replied emphatically. "The native American Indians, the Mormons, the Amish and countless other cultures around the world have taught their young about tolerance, peace, and sharing. We are what we learn.....and, sadly, our piss-poor American education programs have for years focused on 'success', defining 'success' only in terms of financial achievement or in acquisition of power."
Ryan stopped to allow that statement to sink in, then continued. "You invited me to participate in this conference because, I assume, you believed I had some knowledge to impart. And that's how O.U.T.R.A.G.E. began - as a secret group of 'participants' determined to change the corruptive ways of our American society. Now, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. has grown so large that many of you are beginning to feel the need for structure and organization, which is precisely the component that you wanted to blow away with your cell phone-detonated bombs. For two-hundred-and-thirty-two years, this nation had its pecking orders - in every organization, corporation and business there was a CEO, a CFO, a General Manager, a Regional Supervisor, a Grand Potentate, a Board of Directors, a President, a Speaker of the House, a 'head honcho' an 'owner' or a Grand Puba. We were defined by our business cards. If my title was Director of Creative Development, I was considered an expert in creative development, and no one - no one - dare challenge my expertise or authority. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. organization has managed to retain its spontaneity up until now. But, suddenly, you're faced with reforming and rebuilding the good old U.S.A. and you want to go right back to the practice of cubbyholing everybody. What you accomplished when you convinced voters to accept a Presidential triumverate was brilliant. You took the role of Commander-In-Chief away from just one frail human being and placed leadership ower into the hands of three extremely qualified individuals. By turning this country into a pure democracy, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. has changed the very nature of government as it's known in the world today. When your newly-elected public servants assume office on January 20, 2009 - whihc, by the way, need I remind you, is only a month away - they will not be power brokers. They will be participants in a grand experiment to see if true democracy can actually succeed in a nation of 300 million people. We have to change our human psyche....the culture that we've all grown up with, that expects there to be a 'boss', a 'leader', an 'expert' or any one person who is smarter, richer, wiser, and better looking than anybody else. In this multi-cultural society there abounds a lavish treasure of talent, and the people who possess those talents must not be allowed to be surpressed jut because they're not 'the leader of the pack'. We must begin to view ourselves as a participatory society, not a passive culture that allows only those at the top of the food chain to make decisions."
It was late Saturday evening by now, and Bob Ryan was just getting started. The sun had set; he'd missed his time on the beach. Now these morons were going to sit through a discordant diatribe of ideas, so much so that they'd have to spend all day Sunday mulling it all over so he - Bob Ryan - could bask in the bright sun on the beautiful Caribbean beach, within stumbling distance of the Shiggity Shack, where cold beer or iced rum was always on tap. As the group sat stunned and in awe of a Bob Ryan they'd obviously never seen so agitated, the clock struck nine....then ten...then eleven...then midnight. Bob continued to ramble on, taking few questions and stopping only for 'dramatic effect' or to sip on his ice cold beer which was consistently replaced as his non-stop oration consumed the wee hours of the morning.
"We must stop pigeon-holing," Ryan preached. "This organization started without a leader, and it has continued to this day to avoid having its own organizational flow chart. You are the entrepreneurs of a brand new collaborative culture where there is no chain of command. No one 'at the top'. You have invited people of different ideologies, opposing viewpoints, and varied backgrounds to join the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. organization. Now over a hundred million U.S. citizens of all ages, creeds, skin colors and political or sexual persuasions have come together to contribute to rebuilding the great United States of America. You cannot - you dare not - rebuild on an old foundation that you just crumbled. The technologies are available so that every person in America can now actively - and inter actively - become participatory in the political process. These millions of individuals will form the consensus for the common good. These 'common' people are all that's left because O.U.T.R.A.G.E. has effectively slaughtered the snobbish hierarchy that up until ten months ago dominated our economic, political and social structure. You destroyed that structure. the very last thing you want to do is ressurect it. America left its Industrial Revolution which gave America economic strength and made millionaires out of many mere mortal men. Then we entered the exciting Information Age, which turned those 'in the know' into billionaire barons who billed themselves as 'experts' in their fields. We became a nation of know-it-alls: lawyers, doctors, corporate executives, media moguls, advertising agents, tax consultants, and especially those within the arena of politics, traded on their knowledge, ingratiating themselves to the less-informed. It was no longer appropriate to be a barber; as a 'hair stylist' you could charge more for your services. A 'financial advisor' was able to extract $200-an-hour fees, but a lowly 'independent agent' who sold stocks and bonds or insurance had to settle for a paltry commission. It was all about that 'one more rung up the ladder' - whether in terms of financial prowess, social status or political influence. And as we all tried to claw our way to the top of the food chain, too many of us were devoured by that euphonious salvo we called 'survival of the fittest'. Such an 'all for one, one for all...ME' attitude expanded to become the motto for our nation's foreign policy. It infiltrated into all of society, from the corporate boardroom where power was in confluence with money, to the streets where a certain way you wore your baseball cap warned rivals that you were a member of the neighborhood's most feared gang of thugs. For the past sixty years, all this nation has cared about was ourselves. To share one's wealth with someone else was considered an act of insanity. To share one's seat at the power table was taboo. To give up one's status, even under the most excrutiating circumstances, was to invalidate one's authority...and that couldn't happen, at any cost.
So, after World War II, we sent soldiers off to war whenever the giant U.S. military-industrial complex found it necessary to boost its sagging profits from time to time. We unconstitutionally and illegally invaded another sovereign nation just because the Bush family had a personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein, and because the United States need all that oil swimming underneath Iraq's sands. And when that war wobbled completely out of control, we made excuses and played a shell game to maintain our national pride and 'integrity' while we damn near choked on our own bloodthirsty excesses. When the startling photos were released from Abu Ghraib prison, a few 'grunts' at the bottom of the military food chain were court-martialed, but those at the very top of the food chain deserted their subordinates, assumed no blame for their patheticly poor leadership, and even accepted promotions in an effort to avoid the spotlight of their own incompetence. When 'weapons of mass destruction' were not found, our government leaders - instead of admitting they were wrong - turned the tables and invented other flimsy excuses for continuing the atrocities in Iraq, and then into Iran.
All of this carnage over these past hundred and fifty years has been because we have failed to teach our youth that it's okay to share. It's perfectly moral and right to share the spotlight with others who deserve as much credit as we do on the success of one project or another. It should be considered proper and most appropriate to share our prodigious wealth with others instead of hoarding it in an effort to accumulate more for ourselves. We have lived in a society for too long that has focused on a 'mine's bigger than yours' mentality that has only served to isolate segments of our social order. Yes, we can - and we MUST, at this juncture in our nation's history - begin teaching our children about the responsibilities and rewards of sharing.
God once said, 'If you give it all away, I will reward you tenfold'. Most of us lack the courage, the conviction, the will power, or the integrity to dare do that. Because we have to make sure there's enough left for our new gas-guzzling SUV or that giant big-screen TV in the guest bedroom with which to impress our friends and relatives when they visit. Such selfishness and gluttony has risen far above the perspective of individuals...it resides within the walls of every big organization, corporation or government bureaucracy in this country. We are obsessed with wealth and power to the exclusion of the common good.
Power corrupts. Money is power. Status is power. It is now up to O.U.T.R.A.G.E. to harness the successes of what was one of the Earth's most successful experiments in a democratic republic, and transform it into a pure democracy where there is no chain of command, there is no 'top dog'. Politicians must learn that they were elected to do the people's bidding. Corporate CEO's must learn that they are there to serve their customers, their employees and their stockholders before they serve themselves. The wealthy among us must learn that there is genuine reward in giving - generously, and to a fault. Students must learn that this nation is one that believes in sharing power, wealth, status and influence. Those are lessons that can be taught. As I said much earlier, the native American Indians, the Amish, and countless other cultures around the world have taught these lessons to their young. We can do the same. And O.U.T.R.A.G.E. must be the leader in making Americans recognize the value in changing our values from a nation of gluttons to a nation of givers. You are entering a new age...an age not of industry and wealth, not of power and influence, but an age of participation and equality for all of our citizens.
You have just a litte over a month to convert all these ideas being promulagated here into an action plan. I wish you well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go catch a few hours' sleep on the beach and - hopefully - awaken as the sun rises over the horizon and I can come to enjoy a day of supreme bliss, peace, harmony and happiness. Don't let this unique opportunity pass you by. Forget about the titles on those business cards. Let all people participate in the wealth and greatness of the outstanding national experiment. Pure democracy. It's more than a dream...it must be our destiny if we're to survive as the United States of America."
It was 4;55 a.m. on the Island of St. Kitts. Bob picked up his beer and left. The room was quiet. The gauntlet had been passed on; now the volunteers of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had to put it all together. What was interesting was how many millions of people had watched this all-night conference as it was televised live from the West Indies. Only God had seen the hoopla and revelry that went on in the privacy of millions of homes. Pure democracy. A truly participatory form of government.

As the Presidential triumverate met with Bob Ryan and a small host of other "free thinkers" who had been recruited for this "urgent project", the rest of the world continued on its normal course. Powell, McCain and Obama wanted a capsulize all the concepts brought forward during last weekend's meetings and create a visceral vision as to how to reorganize, reform, and rebuild the United States government and the American society. Recruited from the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. membership were dozens of 'common' people who, nonetheless, showed signs of utmost brilliance and possessed the statesmanship qualities equal to that of America's founding fathers. These men and women were chosen because of their rare combinations of ingenuity, the lack of capriciousness, a 'common' approach to patriotism and honor, and a staunch subscription to 'common sense' and fairness. The triumverate deliberately avoided including anyone with any kind of political or bureaucratic persuasions. Bob Ryan sat at the conference table, slumped to one side, but acutely aware of everything that was being said. "This project is going to take weeks," he muttered to himself, "when can I get down to the beach?" Before this assembly was concluded, Ryan would take the lead - not necesssarily because of his devotion to getting anything accomplished; he just wanted to get down to the beach.

In the winter of 2006, ten animal rights activists and environmental radicals had been arrested in what government officials had branded a "major breakthrough" in the war against "ecoterrorism". The government charged the group, which called itself "The Family", with multiple counts of arson and property destruction, totaling some $40 million. When the case came to court in the spring of 2007, government prosecutors submitted a 148-page 'sentencing memorandum' which sought 'terrorist enhancements' in the sentences of the defendants, whom had all pleaded guilty. "Although the government was not a direct victim," the report stated, "it was nonetheless a federal crime of terrorism because of the offenders' motivation." Prosecutors alleged that The Family's intimidation, coercion, and retaliation was aimed at the conduct of the federal government, which "deserve[d] 'enhanced' punishment under federal anti-terrorist laws". These "terrorists" were protesting federal policies regarding natural resources and animals, and 'The Family' was attempting to force changes in those federal policies through its 'terrorist' tactics. Since the USA Patriot Act was established after 9-11-01, additional legislation had conveniently broadened the application of anti-terrorism laws to include the misdeeds of radical groups such as 'The Family' who - in the government's eyes - violated those federal laws in their quests to save animals and the environment. Such laws handily complemented the Bush administration's resistance toward anything that had to do with trying to save wild animals or protect the environment. After all, what profit could there be in trying to save the natural habitat of a rare spotted owl when its habitat could be used as the site for a new collection of luxury condominiums? Informants had been used to break up 'cells' of these radical groups. The government pressed for adding up to twenty years to any other prison sentence members of 'The Family' might draw. Defense attorneys argued that these acts of vandalism were commonplace in the U.S., and that 'The Family' took special care to ensure no lives were endangered. The government countered that "it was pure luck no one was killed or injured by their actions....this was a classic case of terrorism, despite their protests of lofty humane goals." Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Eugene, Oregon, was quoted as saying, "This is the first time in the history of the U.S. that the federal government is seeking this enhancement for property crimes that did not result in the injury or death to humans." Regan went on to protest that "when everyone is a terrorist, no one is. The further we broaden the laguage of [what constitutes a terrorist], the less security we have. If a monkeywrencher is the same as Osama binLaden, where is the distinction drawn?" The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) were all characterized by federal government informants as "terrorist groups".

Bob Ryan used the events surrounding this landmark case to exemplify his own argument. He sipped on a beer which he had poured into a chilled glass, then stood up - a bit unsteadily - and began his rhetoric. With the same kind of humility and strength we might have imagined from the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams or John Hancock, the eloquence and Bob Ryan's words stung as they rung an inaleinable toll of truth:
"As the laws of this land now stand, we - the 100 million members of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. - are all terrorists. While most of us did not join this revolution until after the assassinations had been completed on January 17, 2008, we are still now part of a radical group of rebels whose intent had been from the very beginning to annihilate the United States government, assail the socioeconomic-political standards of this great nation, and disengage the very fiber that millions of citizens - however misguided - believed made this country great. Millions of us truly believed that money, power and influence is what made us 'good people'. As a society, we failed to admit how much misery, unhappiness and human suffering those three components brought us. Men of power and influence secretly closeted their personal insecurities, afraid that someone might find out how 'human' they really were, and how little they really mattered. People who had more money than they needed for basic food, clothing and shelter used their wealth as their 'trump card', lauding it over those who had less, or owned nothing. Money brought - or bought - influence and power. Power corrupts. And Outraged United Taxpayers Revolting Against Government Excess [O.U.T.R.A.G.E.] recognized how corruptive and disdainful our society had become. We judged people by the houses they lived in, the kinds of cars they drove, the luxury vacation trips they took, or all the fancy gadgets and 'things' they possessed. Instead of appreciating the men and women who sacrificed their time and - sometimes - their lives, for the 'common good' of all citizens, we held such people in abject disregard as if they were some kind of leppers in a society that indulged itself and all its material wants and 'needs'. Firefighters, policemen, soldiers, charity workers, clergy, and all those other 'commoners' were only held in high esteem when we saw them at their heroic best. The rest of the time, they were simply 'common' people, unworthy of our time or thought. Abraham Lincoln once said, 'The Lord must have loved the common man, because he made so many of them.' I am proud to be a 'common' man, and prouder still to be part of an organization - however revolutionary - that has finally taken a stand against a vitiated culture that has seen itself become impaired as we all sought fame and fortune above humanity and 'common' decency. We have turned into a culture of wild coyotes, intent on capturing our hunger for wealth and recognition. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. objective was commendable. Now, we must learn from all this mass destruction, and revel in the fact that God has apparently seen fit to give us a second chance at establishing a country that redefines itself as one that truly, earnestly believes in the concept of 'all men being created equal' and all men given equal opportunity. How do you allow such an exalted objective to move forward without taking away the dream of free enterprise? How do you change man's spirit from one of lust for himself and his own creature comforts to one of love, and a willingness to share his good fortune with others? The native American Indians did it; in many Indian cultures, it was considered the highest honor to give away your prize possession to someone of lesser means. All of our so-called 'laws' are nothing more than the 'signs' and 'fences' that keep others out. That have kept the 'commoner' from acquiring his own base of power or his own accumulation of wealth. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. effectively destroyed the 'upper crust' of society's whores who gutted the system for their own well-being, who took advantage of the poor and the destitute, who used their influence to indulge their own selfishness, who stepped on the fingers of all those below them on the ladder to 'success'. Today, we must discard all of our laws and start fresh. I recommend we start with those ten pertinent laws handed down to Moses on Mt. Sanai. Those are all basic, simple laws we can all live with. Then, let's not encumber this land with all kinds of laws that impede the many and enrich the few. With the billions of dollars O.U.T.R.A.G.E. has at its disposal, I recommend an educational program that would teach people the art of selflessness and community. The American Indians learned it; the Amish practice it. Why can't this be something specially-selected educators might teach the masses?"

Bob Ryan sipped on his beer, sat down, took a deep breath, and sighed heavily. His oratory over, he would now leave it to the rest of this prestigious group of "free thinkers" to put the mechanics together to make it happen - or not.

On Friday, December 12, 2008, Bob and Cher Ryan were aboard a lime green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. jet headed toward St. Kitts. As he swilled an ice cold beer from the plane's refrigerator, Bob's eyes glazed over while he envisioned a 'working' Christmas vacation in the lush tropical breezes of the beautiful West Indies. He was meeting with the Presidential triumverate to discuss what Colin Powell had described as an "urgent project". Powell had told Bob, "We need some free thinkers...people who have grandiose ideas...and people that can implement those ideas. Your work on renaming the country impressed me because of all the original concepts you presented." As their brief telephone conversation ended, Powell said, "Bob, I need you down here right away. I'm sending a plane to the Toledo airport for you and your lovely wife. I'll see you soon."
Miffed because he had to drive to the Toledo airport, Bob dilly-dallied until the last minute, which caused the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. jet to miss its departure time and remain on the tarmac for another half-hour. The pilot made up the time taking a more direct flight than he had originally filed. Presidents Powell, McCain and Obama were waiting at the St. Kitts International Airport when the Ryans stepped off the jet. "I told you not to stock any beer," Powell whispered to one of the flight attendants as he approached. Bob Ryan was slightly inebriated, holding a half-empty bottle of beer in one hand as he tried to execute a smart salute with the other. "How do you do, your Presidentships,' he bungled. "It's my distinct pleasure to be here. Behere...beeehere....beehre....beer! Have you got beer? I'll alert the media!"
McCain and Obama chuckled at Bob's incapacities, knowing that he seemed to concoct some of his most brilliant concepts while well into his cups. Powell frowned, but - also aware of Ryan's surprising cerebral dexterity while 'under the influence' - sloughed it off as "business as usual".
Powell, McCain, Obama and the Ryans were quickly escorted to a private conference room where they began their talks in earnest. How could all of this new nation's ideas be coordinated and orchestrated into one 'grand plan'?
Bob rolled his eyes, sat back in his comfortable leather chair, and said, "Could you excuse me? I have to go to the store." He got up, left, and returned within twenty minutes with a chilled six pack under his arm. "Okay," he smiled, "now let's begin."

The United States was preparing for the annual Christmas holidays, though a little more soberly than in Christmases past. This year the giant department store chains, the chain store discounters, and nationally-franchised mall boutiques had little to offer - in most cases not even a building from which to sell their wares. The mammoth malls that had survived the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings ended up being destroyed by earthquakes and hurricanes just a few weeks later. Fortunately, there were plenty of locally-owned retail stores offering quality merchandise that came with an unusual appeal: if you had trouble with what you bought, or weren't satisfied, you could actually return and talk to the store's proprietor. (S)he could "make it right" on the spot without having to go through the cumbersome procedure of countless unresponsive automated phone calls, customer service 'reports' that often seemed to end up in "file 13", or nasty letters to some far-off, elusive "corporate headquarters" where it might take months to process a return authorization or refund.
There were still some chain stores operating in the heartland, but they were mostly functioning as local entities since there was no longer a 'corporate headquarters' - no corporate bigwig, no regional supervisor, no area manager. Most employees of former K-Mart, Sears, WalMart or J.C. Penney's stores now reported to their store manager, who suddenly found himself (or herself) a sole proprietor of just one retail store. Money generated from the sale of the store's merchandise didn't get sent back to Troy, Michigan; Chicago; Bentonville, Arkansas or Plano, Texas. The money stayed within the local community, and that created jobs, resulting in vibrant economies even though much of the country was in the throes of a terrible economic depression.
In two weeks, the nation would celebrate its first Christmas since the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08' had virtually wiped out most of the federal government, most of America's "big business", most of the country's wealthy elitists, movie stars, and athletes, and most of America's corrupt political culture which had allowed the greatest nation in the world to reduce itself to a society enamored of flagrant film-flam artists, and obsessed with valueless members of the cause' celebre.

Perhaps, some pondered, Christmas 2008 would be celebrated for the true meaning of the holiday. Christmas, after all, marked the birthday of a man who was also believed to be a god. Perhaps it was fitting that the rebirth of the United States of America would mature near such an eminent event. There would be a lot fewer "low prices - everyday" offered by the WalMart family billionaires. America could, indeed, give itself the gift of rebirth and renewal - as a country that had been led into insane 'war' by a group of unstable gluttons - and that was now about to emerge as the pre-eminent promulgator of "peace on Earth, goodwill toward men".

Wednesday, December 10, 2008: instead of preparing for the holidays, a small band of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers were researching the works of Gracchus Babeuf's "Plebian Manifesto" - a dissertation that had been published more than fifty years prior to the famed 'Communist Manifesto" published by Karl Marx. Both men were obsessed with socialism as the answer to man's socio-economic-political dilemas. Unlike contemporary socialists who tend to have a disdain for prosperity and success, Babeuf and Marx viewed socialism as the "great equalizer" that could ensure every member of society shared in the common good of their community. Babeuf had once written: "...we reach for something more sublime and more just: the common good or the community of goods! No more individual property in land: the land belongs to no one. We demand, we want, the common enjoyment of the fruits of the land: the fruits belong to all."
Native American Indians, of course, shared such beliefs. They regarded the land as sacred...something that their gods had provided for the good of their society. It was only after Europeans settled at Jamestown, 401 years ago, that fences started isolating plots of land that 'belonged' to a particular farmer and his family.
"...and the sign said, 'long-haired freaky people need not apply. So I put my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said, 'You look like a fine young man; in fact, I think you'll do.' So I took off my hat and said, 'Imagine that...ME workin' for you!'...." "Signs, signs, everywhere signs...breakin' up the scenery, blockin' my mind. Do this, don't do that...can't you read the signs?" The song was, indeed, a "sign of the times".
Over the course of world events, civilizations erected signs and built walls - usually to keep other people "out". Hadrian's Wall kept wild tribes from invading what is now Scotland in 122 A.D. - and, until 367 A.D. One doubts that 'Do Not Trespass' signs were posted since literacy probably wasn't a mainstay of the countryside at that time. One of the ancient wonders of the world was the Great Wall of China that protected that nation from invasion by northern tribal enemies. During World War I the infamous Maginot Line was supposed to keep German armies from invading France. It took Ronald Reagan to demand, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this [Berlin] wall!" And, several years later, that intrusive blockage which divided a city finally was dismantled and sparked the beginning of the end of the Cold War. By the mid-1990's, a paranoid United States government began erecting fences and walls to try and keep illegal aliens from sneaking acorss the U.S.-Mexican border. As the problem of "illegals" became more prevalent, a mish-mash of walls and barriers encroached upon the landscape to little avail. Signs could be ignored; walls could be hurdled, tunneled under, or blasted open.
"....and the sign said, 'Anybody caught trespassin' will be shot on sight. So I [climbed on the fence] and I said to the man, 'Hey, what gives you the right...to put up a sign to keep me out [or] to keep other people in? If God was here, He'd tell you to your face, Man, you're some kind of sinner!'..."
Signs and walls. Do Not Enter. Members Only. Jacket and Tie Required. Gated Community. Parking for Residents Only. No Standing, Stopping or Loitering. Private Property. No Trespassing. No Soliciting. Restricted Area. You Must Be 21 to Enter. No Parking. Passport Required for Entry into Canada. Stop. Yield. Photo ID Required.
As the world became more populated, it also became more reclusive.
As land became less available, it became more valuable. Real estate was 'big business'. Even land owned by the government was often "off limits" to "we, the people...".
".....and the sign said, 'Everybody welcome, come in kneel down and pray'. And when they passed the plate at the end of it all, I didn't have a penny to pay. So I found me a pen and a paper, and I made up my own little sign. It said, 'Thank you, Lord, for thinkin' about me...I'm alive and doin' fine!' Sings, signs, everywhere signs....breakin' up the scenery, blockin' my mind. Do this, don't do that...can't you read the signs...'?"
Part of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. mission was to tear down the "signs" and the "walls" that kept people out or kept people in. A new sense of equality and opportunity for everyone was the order of the day. A new concept of a socialistic pure democracy that would continue to embrace the free enterprise system and - at the same time - keep the 'greedheads' from hoarding it all so that others might not share in the bountiful American reward. If America's founding fathers' experiment of a democratic republic had worked for almost 250 years, could a new socioeconomic-political venture be established that might last even longer and sustain a 'new' United States of America well into the 22nd century, and beyond??
O.U.T.R.A.G.E. needed free-thinkers - men and women of depth and vision. People like Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock. People whose modern minds had not been diluted by fruitless television blabber, hapless TV commercials, valueless "movie magazines", corruptive political psychobabble, moronic 'rap' music, materialistic covetousness, obsessiveness over money and power, or a mindless need to exclude others from particular spheres of influence or education. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. needed an eclectic assembly of people who could actually think for themselves instead of rushing out to buy a new car just because some blabbermouth announcer told them to do so. There were 'common people' out there (in fact, there were many who had already become O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members). It was just a matter of gathering these great minds together and putting them to work. "I think we should call Bob Ryan," Colin Powell told John McCain. "But call him early in the morning, before he's had time to suck down his first six-pack."

St. Kitts is the smallest sovereign nation in the western hemisphere. Its approximate 69 square miles, about the size of what Washington, DC used to be before it was literally blown off the face of the Earth, is a lush tropical paradise in the West Indies. An ocean's breeze away stands the even tinier, even less-inhabited island of Nevis, which also constitutes the nation of St. Kitts. On January 11, 1755, Rachael Levine fled to Nevis and gave birth to an illegitimate son. After a brief marriage when she was very young, Rachael left her abusive husband and got a divorce. As part of the divorce decree, she was forbidden to ever remarry. She met a Danish proprietor from St. Croix, fell in love, and gave birth to his son, whom they named Alexander. As the young boy grew up in the West Indies, Alexander showed signs of remarkable brilliance. Local residents on the island of Nevis marveled at his obvious intelligence and genius. He had a knack for numbers and matters of finance. At that time, St. Kitts and Nevis were British territories, and Alexander was born a British subject. Through a unique course of events, he was fortunate enough to attend several of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world. At a very young age the young scholar, whose father had gone bankrupt through a series of bad business deals, landed on the shores of that "new land" called America. His stature gained him recognition among the great men who were trying to build that country into the greatest democratic experiment in the world. He became embroiled in America's politics, and became a United States Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington, where his accomplishments helped solidify the U.S.A. as a nation of fiscal integrity. By the time France decided to sell the Louisiana territory to the United States (which would double the size of the new nation), this "one man wonder" of the political sciences had established the United States of America as a country with excellence credit and considerable well-managed cash.
Today, his portrait joins Benjamin Franklin's as the only two non-Presidents to be displayed on U.S. currency. He had warned the dedicated founding fathers that "liberty seemed to be the only consideration for the new government. A principal of strength and stability in the organization...and of vigour in its operation" had to be the nation's financial health. While his compatriots made millions from their roles in the building of a new nation, he found himself mired in debt and political conflict. Little recognized for the invaluable conributions he made to the new democracy, his biggest claim to fame came as a result of a bitter duel between himself and a long-time political rival. Tragically, the duel ended this man's brilliant career at the age of 49. His name was Alexander.......Alexander Hamilton.
His grave was one of the few monuments still standing after the horrendous events in the first few months of 2008. It stands behind a church in New York City, about a block away from the remains of the New York Stock Exchange, which Alexander Hamilton helped establish, and which had become America's hallmark of financial prowess. On this cold wintery Tuesday, December 9, 2008, there was little left of Hamilton's legacy. The NYSE was demolished; the United States of America was in the throes of its worst-ever economic depression. What had been a stalwart of success - a symbol of opportunity and financial windfall for millions of Americans was now not much more than a heap of concrete rubble. Hamilton's vision of a "fool proof" financial solidarity had collapsed among the flimsy house of cards, phoney I.O.U.s and forgotten promises of a federal government that had gone dismally awry and wavered woefully off course during an eight-year reckless reign of a war-obsessed lunatic named George W. Bush. Compared to Stalin, Hitler, Amin, and Hussein, Bush was by far the worst culprit because he had managed to destroy the integrity and trustworthiness of the greatest nation in the world. It was Bush's insane and distorted foreign and domestic policies that finally persuaded a few hundred thousands people to form a secret society called Outraged United Taxpayers Revolting Against Government Excess (O.U.T.R.A.G.E.) that took matters into its own hands and started an American revolution so necessary to the survival of the country.
Never again would politicians be allowed to rampage over America's rights, finagle America's freedoms for their own convenience, or pollute the will of the people. Never again would 'corporate America' be able to wangle whatever it wanted by 'buying' America's elected officials. Never again would government become so excessively bloated that it would collapse under the weight of its own cumbrous obesity. It was the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. mission to return America's power to "the people"...the very idea intended by the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Alexander Hamilton and his compatriots would be proud.

"It was sixty-seven years ago yesterday," said Colin Powell in front of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cameras. "America's 'day of infamy' - when the Japanese attacked our nation at Pearl Harbor. Never before had our nation been attacked by a foreign enemy. With valor and confidence, America's fighting men went into action. The country mobilized itself toward one goal: victory. Our factories were transformed overnight into a mammoth war industry unheard of in modern history. Young women, used to being housewives or secretaries, became our 'Rosie the Riveters' and proudly went to work in factories to support the war effort. Few, if any, American citizens argued against our involvement in this world war. It was vital to the security and safety of our citizenry. Yesterday, across the country, special tributes were given to those men and women who died to preserve America's freedom. Nowadays, it's a new era. Today, we have come to understand that 'war' is not an appropriate boulevard to peace. While this nation is still ready, willing and able to defend its borders and protect its citizens, the United States of America will - from this moment on - NOT become embroiled in the supercilious conflicts that plague our world. Instead, it is this nation's pledge to do everything it can to eradicate the word 'war' from the world's vocabulary. Surely, there are better ways to resolve conflict. Surely, we will explore and implement those alternatives. With God's help, the United States of America has a new mission: bring peace and harmony throughout the world. May God guide us toward such objectives."
Powell's speech was not purely philanthropic. He, McCain, and Obama knew that the United States had little military prowess left. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had destroyed - or, at least, dismantled - military operations throughout the country. Military bases no longer existed to any degree of substance. The world's largest office building - The Pentagon - lie in ruins, as did the military command.
Changes were prevalent in every region of the nation. "Big business" had been obliterated. Now, for example, there was no Verizon. There were only Verizon offices still functioning as "Jim's Local Phone Service". Consumers were elated that they could now actually speak to someone locally about their phone service problems. No more "800" calls to some unknown customer service representative in India; you could actually call "Jim" and he'd resolve your problem immediately. The Verizon corporate headquarters had been demolished, and most of the Verizon executive echelon of top-level management, that did little except collect million-dollar bonus checks, had been dead since last January.
The Bush administration's plan to suck all of the oil out of Iraq's sands lay in ruins, too. At the 1998 Bilderberg conference, the Bush/Cheney team had been selected to assume power in the White House so that "big oil" could take over Iraq's rich fields of cheap, easily-accessible oil and reap billions of dollars in fresh profits. Gasoline prices would soar in the U.S. to as much as $3.50 a gallon by the spring of 2007. And 'big oil" would continue to plunder Iraq's oil until every single penny of profit could be squeezed out of that black-soaked sand. Those billions in profits, of course, would go to oil executives - but some financial reserves would be allocated to the development of "alternative" fuels. Once all the oil was gone, the oil industry would transform itself into an 'environmentally friendly' corporation that would manufacture and market alternative sources of fuel, including Ethanol-85, fuels made from used cooking oils, power sources created from wind and water, fuels made from soybeans, and fuels made from the grasslands of the Midwestern United States. The long-range plan was to let 'small enterprises' develop the technologies, build the plants, and test the viability of these products. Then, once all the oil was used up and these new alternatives were proven, 'big oil' would come clambering in to take over these 'mom and pop' operations, raise prices, and market themselves as the 'good guys' who only wanted their customers to get the 'very best'. Of course, 'big oil' had no interest in saving the environment; all it saw was potentially proliferous profits.
O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had effectively destroyed the 'big oil' corporate headquarters and almost all of its top management. The two oilmen who occupied the Oval Office were also now dead and buried. Colin Powell talked about a 'new beginning' where 'war' would be eradicated from the face of the Earth. His underlying message was also meant to imply that 'big business' would no longer win the commercial 'war'. There would be lots of room for the 'little guy'. Monday, December 8, 2008 was the marked beginning of Powell's new mission. While it had been an ongoing 'work in progress' for many months, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. was now poised to ensure that 'big business' would never dominate the U.S.A. again - and certainly would never rule the United States government.

Sunday's meetings were compacted into comprehensive, intense discussions that allowed interactive participation from viewers all over America. Comportment, for the most part, was genteel, almost missish and Victorian. Participation from viewers, newly-elected political candidates, and O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers provided a tautological circus of ideas. Speakers were given no limits, were allowed to make their presentations either alone or with companion presenters. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cameras fed every discussion to multiple public service channels, allowing viewers to listen to those speakers with whom they were familiar, or with whom their own interests agreed. It was, by far, the most "total coverage" ever given to American public dissertation since the Colonial days of town criers and town hall meetings brought whole communities together. Millions of viewers watched, engaged in, and e-mailed their opinions to St. Kitts. It was, by far, the most overwhelming observation of public political participation in contemporary U.S. history. Sharing opinions and ideas without the mean-spirited "talking head" hogging the limelight was something that younger viewers had perhaps never witnessed before. Objectivity, courteous attention to others' viewpoints, and thoughtful compromise all seemed strange within the context of political debates. Where was the Hitleresque propoganda from the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Shawn Hannity? Where was the marble-mouthed buffoonery of John McLaughlin and his group of commentators? What had happened to the degrading garbage that Fox "News" regularly touted "fair and balanced" debate? These media darlings were dead, as was their heavy-handed approach toward free expression. Political debate shouldn't go to the loudest, the most crass, or the most discourteous. The practice of free speech should be afforded fair and equal conferment by all parties. Such an honorable and humane bestowal of different ideals had rarely been witnessed in the past two decades of television hoi polloi.
Viewers were undauntingly impressed. "This was classy!" e-mailed one happy viewer. "It's the first time I've been able to get complete information on which to base my voting decisions," wrote another. A third member of the vast television audience sent this cryptic note: "It's too bad it took a 'Rebellion' and devastating natural disasters to pull America out of the quicksand in which the media conglomerates had us mired. God bless America!"
Viewers were invited to visit local O.U.T.R.A.G.E. sites across the country and videocam their own expressions. As Jil Adams flipped from one O.U.T.R.A.G.E. channel to another, she was startled to see one of her valued employees in front of a microphone doing something Jil had seen numerous times before in her own bar. Outfitted in a red, white and blue satin gown that resembled a flowing American flag draped over the Statue of Liberty, there stood an inebriated 'Hot Donna" in the middle of her trademark karaoke performance:

"...'cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away.

And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
and who gave that right to me.
And I gladly STAND UP next to you and defend her still today.
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land; God bless the USA!"

As "Hot Donna's" singing trailed into the background, Ron "Doc" Doctor's voice boomed into the foreground as he staunchly assumed center stage and pronounced, "Yes, America, you're still the greatest country on this good Earth. Our country has gone through a rough patch, but we've been through worse. As part of this three-day session to plan America's future, we want to take this moment to celebrate America's past. We've had some outstanding Presidential leaders over this past century-and-a-half. We've honored our troops as they valiantly fought on battlefields around the world. We are privileged to have a nation full of spirited people who have faith in themselves and bring promise to our nation's future. These are times that do, indeed, try men's souls. The challenges before us now will be met with integrity, courage and dilligence. But one thing we need to put foremost in our minds: the troops that are now just coming home from those war-torn countries of Iraq and Iran. Under less-than-stellar circumstances, often without proper equipment, sometimes under appalling conditions sparked by political mismanagement and deviant disaccord, our troops did their jobs. They performed valiantly, with honor and total dedication to their mission. Unlike the political cowards in Washington, DC, these men and women faced the very real dangers of a 'war' that politicians only used as a talking point. While our Congress and our President were conflicted over how much money to allocate, or how many more troops to send into this Middle Eastern Hell, our troops never wavered from their duties and their responsibilities. They did what they were ordered to do - sometimes even when it was against their own principles or reason. As we begin planning America's 'future', let us not ever forget these men and women of mettle who served with intrepidity and gallantry. Some of them died in their dedication to their duty. Others will never recover from the wounds - both physical and emotional - that have left scars more deeply than most of us can even imagine. These brave souls are our true heros. Unlike our braggadocian politicians who only talked this 'war' to death without ever putting themselves in harms' way, U.S. soldiers picked up the gauntlet and dodged the bullets. We owe them so much more than we owe any politician. As our newly-elected candidates assume office, let them know that Americans will forever be indebted to our men and women in uniform. They are the ones who deserve the lifelong pensions, the lavish medical and health care benefits, the steep salaries and 'perks'. They deserve to be counted as among America's most privileged because they have given so much of themselves. Take note, all you new politicians: you are - and will remain - public servants. You will be expected to perform the jobs to which you've been elected without fanfare, financial overabundance, or personal glory. All that belongs to our troops."

As 'Doc" ended his tribute, "Hot Donna" returned to the cameras in time to finish her song. In a voice trembling with emotion and obviously crackling with undeniable patriotism and rapport, she crooned:

"....and I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I gladly STAND UP, next to you and defend her still today,
'cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the U.S.A.!"

Lee Greenwood's trenchant testimonial to America's unwavering spirit and colossal courage tugged tightly at heartstrings all over America as 'Hot Donna' belted out the grandest rendition of Greenwood's lyrics she'd ever been privileged to present. It was truly an towering tribute.
Behind her, the cameras got glimpse of an entire crowd of barflys standing up, lifting their glasses and beer bottles, and saluting all the brave men and women who were - finally - headed home, away from Hell's corner of planet Earth. Jil watched the performance as tears welled up in her sparkling blue eyes. Then, in a moment of distraction, she asked herself, 'What the hell's Doc doing in Indiana? I thought he was in Missouri........!"