by Ira Tabankin
President Brownstone leans his chair back; he stretches, standing up. “Alvin, you’re correct this is the same question President Lincoln faced. The Civil War was the bloodiest in our history. It tore families apart; it tore the country apart. It took many years to fully heal the wounds; some say the country never really healed, I think they’re correct. Can, should we go through this again. I’d like each of you to review the following questions,
What’s the impact to your area if we allow them to leave
What’s the financial impact of them leaving?
What’s the financial impact of forcing them to stay?
Which states will stay and which leave?
If we allow them to leave can we defend our new borders?
If we allow them to leave and later they want to return should we let them?
What do we do about all of the government-owned assets in the states that want to leave?
What do we do about the infrastructure left behind?
What’s the impact to families who find themselves split up?
John, one just for you and the military, if we let Obsma take his supporters and go will we look especially weak to Puten and Xing and if so how will they use it against us?
People I think there are many other questions, but these are the ones at the top of my mind, let’s reconvene in four hours. One last thing, no, let me repeat NO hundred-page power points, make your statement as short as possible, time is not something we have a lot of.”
Everyone in the room agrees, those on the conference call agree and hang up so they can start work on the President’s questions. The members of President Brownstone’s new cabinet leave the conference room, Ted stays behind. “Mr. President, do you really think we’re going to end up fighting another civil war?”
“Ted, it’s one of my real fears. I think we’re facing a 75% probability of one. If another civil war breaks out I think, our Friends Puten and Xing will move against us. I expect Puten will take over Europe and then move to grab Alaska. Xing will grab all of Asia and then demand or just grab Hawaii.”
“Rod, could it really get that bad?”
“Yes, I think we may see the day Russian and Chinese troops set foot on American soil in anger. If I were Puten, I’d land Special Forces on our strategic bases saying he was protecting our nuclear stockpile from falling into the wrong hands. If I were him, I’d wait just long enough for our forces to be engaged with Obsma’s across a wide front so we couldn’t respond to his invasion. He knows we’d be faced with either accepting his grab or going nuclear.”
“Oh my God, I didn’t look that far ahead, this could lead into a nuclear world war that can destroy much of the planet.”
“Yes, it can. When President Lincoln faced this question, he didn’t have to also face a potential global war. When the civil war ended, it ended, sure there were a few who fought on, but in very limited numbers. We’ve seen from Iraq when the war ends it doesn’t necessarily end. We could be fighting internal insurgents for years or generations. Ted, I should have foreseen him pulling this stunt. I missed it; he pulled one over on us, and we can’t let him continue to pull surprises on us. The press is still on his side; they’re going to whip this into a firestorm. The press is going to try to turn our people against us. By the way have I told you I’m naming a really out of the box person for our new Press Secretary. He’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Want to share?”
Smiling like the Cheshire cat in Wonderland, President Brownstone says, “Not just yet, I like certain surprises. Ted the secession issue is the most important issue we’re going to face in our lifetimes. Our decision will impact the country and the world forever.”
“Sir, are you leaning in either direction?”
“To be perfectly honest with you, my gut is telling me to decide one way and my heart another, I’d say I’m split 50/50 right now. Unfortunately, time isn’t on our side. If we don’t make a timely decision, the country will make one for us. A decision we might not agree with.”
Four hours later the meeting picks up where it left off; Steve Forbas stands to address the very tired looking group, “Mr. President, I wish I had better news, all we can report is we need more time. Every time we thought we reached a consensus someone brought up something we hadn’t considered. Sir, we’re asking for another four hours.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I know how difficult this is, your request is approved. I too find myself leaning one way only to pull myself to the other point of view. Try to get a little rest, let’s reconvene in five hours.”
President Brownstone enters an office set aside for the President. He sits in a soft leather chair while trying to clear his head. An aide walks by pausing when she sees the President sitting alone in the dark, “Sir, do you need anything?”
“Oh? Hi, I’m sorry I don’t know your name yet. I’m very new here. Thanks for asking, I’m fine. There're times sitting in the dark enables me to think through a problem.”
“Yes, sir, sorry to have interrupted you, my name is Ellen.”
“Ellen doesn't worry about it, if there’s a do not disturb sign around, please place it on the door.”
“Sir, there’s a sign on the door, that says, knock and enter or do not disturb, I’ll set it for you.”
“Thank you, Ellen.”
Walking down the hall Ellen thinks to herself, he doesn’t act at all like President Obsma, I wonder if he can save the country.
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Pitched battles break out across the country. Now that it’s legal to own firearms again, hidden rifles and handguns appear as if by magic. Main Street USA resembles Beirut. Buildings are burning out of control, dead and wounded lay in the streets. Stores are looted; windows broken; thick smoke hangs over the cities. The stench of death is everywhere. While some Governors declare support for Obsma, others declare their support to maintain the union. Areas within states want to break away from their parent states. The country is in a state of turmoil greater than ever seen before.
The Mayor of San Diego announces his city isn’t going to join the rest of California in leaving the union. The Mayor announces San Diego will stay in the union. Western Maryland from Frederick West announces they refuse to join the rest of Maryland, as does the southern half of Illinois. The upper half of New York State refuses to join New York City in leaving the union. One after another state breaks up into regions based on the majority support for either breaking the union or holding the union together.
Congress voted to impeach President Obsma to hold the nation together, yet within 100 hours of the impeachment and swearing in of President Brownstone the most liberal states announce they are going to follow impeached President Obsma in the formation of a new country breaking up America.
President Lawson addresses the Republic stating with a smile; he and President Brownstone held a three-hour call together. He’s happy to announce Texas is going to hold a state referendum to let the people of the Republic vote to stay independent or return to the United States. The vote easily passes to rejoin the union.
Admiral Zander leads most of the US Navy back into port, where they are welcomed by fire ships spraying water into the air saluting the men and women of the Navy. The admiral leaves most of the submarine force at sea. One issue he has to quickly figure out is the strategic submarines are based in Georgia and Washington State. Washington State has announced they plan to join Obsma’s new country meaning the Admiral has to move the base and all of its parts and weapons someplace else and do it quickly. In order to maintain a base on each coast, the Admiral decides to move the base to San Diego, which welcomes the move. The Major sees the relocation as increasing jobs and growing the economy of San Diego.
The US Air Force sends a message to President Brownstone stating they accept him as Commander and Chief; they stand ready to execute his orders. The first order President Brownstone issues to the Air Force is for them to rearm the strategic bomber fleet with strategic weapons. He orders them to ke
ep 20% of the bombers airborne at all times. He also orders AWACS planes and fighters to fly CAP (combat air patrol) missions over the countries major cities. The President increases the number of Zulu fighters. (Armed air defense fighters fully armed fueled kept ready to take off in less than five minutes.) He further orders the Cheyenne Mountain facility to be reopened as NORADs headquarters.
President Brownstone asks the commanding General of the Air Force and Admiral Zander how long it will take to generate plans to attack the Russian forces massing along Europe’s borders.
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A Russian freighter reflagged as a Syrian ship in the Mediterranean Sea prepares to fire a medium-range ballistic missile with an EMP warhead. The missile is one of two planned to explode over Poland knocking out all of the electronics in the country. Unknown to the Russian military preparing the missile they are being watched.
Captain Allen commanding the USS Virginia looks through the submarine’s periscope, smiling he says, “XO, there’s a freighter 600 yards off our port bow, she’s raising a missile on her deck. My gut says the Russians are going to launch missiles at Poland or Europe from this freighter. I want you to use the number two scope to tell me if you agree.”
“Captain, I see it, I agree, that’s a missile on the deck.”
“XO, dive to 800 feet, course 110 degrees, set General Quarters torpedo no drill, I intend to sink that ship before it can launch the missile that is sitting on its deck.”
“Aye, sir.”
“This is the captain set depth at 800 feet, down 20 degrees. Set General Quarters torpedo, no drill.”
The XO announces, “This is the XO, set General Quarters torpedo, man your battle stations, man your battle stations, set condition zebra one, close all waterproof doors, load tubes one and two with war shots. When loaded, flood and open the outer doors.”
“XO, do we have a plot?”
“Captain, yes, run time is about two minutes.”
“XO, sink that ship, fire tube one, hold tube two in case one Mark 48 isn’t enough.”
Laughing, the XO responds, “Captain, I think the Mark 48 is going to rip that small freighter apart.”
“We’ll know in two minutes.”
The Mark 48 torpedo’s 600-pound warhead explodes under the freighter’s keel; it lifts the ship into the air breaking the ship in half. Both sides sinking before anyone can get off the ship or send a message, an additional result of the torpedo explosion is the missile’s fuel explodes.
President Puten’s secure phone rings, “Da.”
“Mr. President, we lost one of our ships with the EMP missiles in the Med, it just blew up and sank with all hands.”
“Damn, I worried about using those older missiles, cancel the other missions, we can’t risk it. I’m sure the Army can complete their task without the EMP attacks.”
“Yes, sir. Mr. President, what about the planned biological weapon mission?”
“Put it on hold for Poland, we’ll use them on Germany and France.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Russian army crosses the border into Poland where they’re met by heavy resistance. The Russians send two thousand new T95 main battle tanks supported by tens of thousands of rockets and artillery shells. The Polish army at the border collapses under the Russian barrage. The Russians capture every major Polish airport with Special Forces who’ve crossed the border weeks ago. Holding the airports allows the Russians to land thousands of troops and tons of supplies. Poland falls in nine days. At the same time, the Chinese send three million soldiers into Vietnam and Thailand. The Chinese invasion shocks the Vietnamese and Thai defense forces. Both countries fall within three weeks. Russia installs a puppet government in Poland as it prepares to move into Germany. China next turns their attention to Korea; they enter Korea saying they’re bringing medical and humanitarian support to the war-torn country. Japan looks on afraid of China’s next move. The Japanese Prime Minster flies to Beijing hoping to find a way to work with China.
Chapter 19
After two additional postponements, the new cabinet and advisors meet with the President. Again Steve is given the honor of starting off the briefing. “Mr. President, ladies, and gentlemen, we have agreed on a recommendation and a rather long list of suggestions.”
“Steve, go for it, let’s see if your group came to the same decision I did.”
“Sir, we looked at the issue from as many angles as we could, the top line is we think you should allow President Obsma to take some states and split the Union. Sir, before you respond. We looked at the similarities and differences between now and the Civil War. While there're some similarities, there are also many more differences. Today whatever decision we make will have an impact on the world. 150 years ago the country was split over states rights, today the country is split between the providers and the takers. We’re on the verge of a race and class war that will cut across state lines. Today the internet and instant access provides much quicker communications and the exchange of information. The Civil War tore families apart; our current assessment is we’re split wider apart today than we were in 1860. We believe if we don’t allow Obsma to try to form his new nation we’ll end up fighting a civil war with twenty-first century weapons. A new civil war will draw in Russia and China; the result will be a destroyed America, who may never rise from the ashes. A civil war that includes Russia and or China could lead to a world war using nuclear weapons. The world is a much more dangerous place than it was 150 years ago. If we allow them to leave and they succeed we could become allies if they fail, they had their chance; they’ll return to the union making us stronger.
We propose that we give the states one chance to go or stay; we take everything the Federal Government owns in the states that decide to join Obsma. If Obsma wants the Federal assets, he’ll have to pay for them in precious metals or oil. We agree we shouldn’t accept any of their currency, even if they end up using ours. We cut off all payments to the states and the people who reside in them. We should try to reach a nonaggression pact with Obsma. We remove all precious metals from any Federal Reserve Bank located in his new country. We have to make sure the military is with us, and they remove every scrap of material from their bases before they move into the USA.
A completely out of the box idea we have is to announce we’re accepting applications from any other nation or state who might be interested in joining the United States.”
“I take it you’re all agreed to allow Obsma to break up the country?”
Alvin stands saying, “Mr. President, I think a better statement is we’ve agreed we’re facing a very unusual situation. If we try to stop them from leaving, it will lead to the bloodshed of our people. If we allow them to leave, it might lead to bloodshed. As such to preserve peace and limit the bloodshed, we think it’s best if we allow him to try to establish a new country. We don’t think he’ll be successful given we control most of the raw materials, the food production, the military, the banking system and the infrastructure they are going to require. We’re sure the next few months are going to test all of us. Sir, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to address the nation, I think the people deserve to hear our decision at the same time as Obsma does.
At 9:00 PM EST President Brownstone goes on national television to address the American public, “Good evening, my fellow Americans, I stand before you this evening to discuss the current situation and question of the formation of a new nation we’re all trying to come to grips with. First some very good news, a few hours ago I received a call from President Lawson of the Republic of Texas who informed me Texas is requesting permission to rejoin the Union. My fellow Americans we are going to welcome home our brothers and sisters in Texas. I’m asking that no one hold a grudge against those in Texas. On the other hand, ex-President Obsma is pressuring his base to form the Liberal States of America, he and his impeached cabinet are doing everything they can to undermine the union. I’ve decided to allow those states that wis
h to join this new Liberal States of America to do so. I’ve given this much thought if I follow President Lincoln we’ll have a second civil war. A war I fear that will both claim tens of thousands of lives and also destroy the United States of America. I fear our enemies will use our internal struggles to attack us thus causing more damage to our country and harming many more of us. If we allow President Obsma to take those of you who support him to leave the union we’ll break apart into two nations. Hopefully, our two nations will be friends. While we may believe in different paths, we are all Americans. We share the same dreams for our children; we may differ in how we think we should reach these dreams. However, I’m sure we can work together in peace. If we fight another civil war, I’m sure the Russians and Chinese are going to enter the war, this will cause World War 3 to break out. In the terms of human life, the world can’t afford another world war. The next one may involve the use of nuclear weapons. I can’t agree to hold the nation together is there’s a chance we may end up having nuclear weapons explode in America. We would lose millions of our citizens. As I address you, the Russian military is crossing the border into Poland. China’s military has invaded Vietnam and Thailand. There're rumors that Korea is next in China’s sights. Under President Obsma, we withdrew all of our troops from Korea and only have 3,000 in Europe, which includes the United Kingdom.
