Justifiable Homicide: A Political Thriller (Robert Paige Thrillers Book 1)

by Robert W. McGee

  “No, I don’t. The national debt has grown too large for that. Besides, Congress is incapable of cutting spending, and for every extra dollar they raise in taxes, they spend an extra dollar and a half. Even if the feds confiscated 100 percent of the assets of the richest five percent of the population, it wouldn’t be enough to fund the government for more than a few months. And they could only do that once. What would they do next year?”

  “You’re a lawyer and a CPA. Can’t you think of a better solution?”

  “Actually, secession is a better solution.”

  “Why is that?”

  “We could pay off the debt by printing money, but that would destroy savings and the value of the dollar. Or we could declare national bankruptcy, but if we did that, we would still have the Patriot Act and all those other laws that take away the right to an attorney or a jury trial and that allow warrantless searches, wiretaps, monitoring emails and drones flying over our homes. If we seceded, we would get rid of the debt and the Patriot Act at the same time.”

  “But wouldn’t that lead to a civil war? That’s what happened the last time states tried to secede.”

  “Not necessarily. The fifteen Soviet republics seceded from the Soviet Union without any problem. We could do it, too. We could follow the lead of our Soviet comrades.”

  Steinman leaned forward to emphasize his next point. “Funny, Bob. But this is serious stuff. What would happen to the smaller states? I think that the larger states like California and Texas could survive as independent nations, but what about Rhode Island?”

  “I don’t think it would be a problem for the smaller states. Rhode Island’s economy is about the same size as Luxembourg or Slovenia. They’re doing fine as independent nations. Rhode Island could survive.

  “And it wouldn’t have to survive alone. The states that seceded could set up a free trade zone like the European Union did. And it doesn’t have to be a 50-state secession. There’s a two-state option. The Democratic blue states could form one independent nation and the Republican red states could form another nation. States that are evenly divided could choose which new state to join. States like Florida that are split 50-50 could divide into smaller units. Miami-Dade County and the other Democratic strongholds could join the Blue Republic and the rest of the state could join the Red Republic. There’s no need for the political units to be contiguous. If Alaska and Hawaii can be hundreds or thousands of miles away from the mainland and still be part of the United States, Miami-Dade County can be a few hundred miles away from the rest of the Blue Republic. I don’t see it as a problem.”

  “Hmmm. I never thought of that. You make it sound so easy, but I’m uncomfortable with it. I’ll have to think about it some more.”

  “Most people are uncomfortable with the idea of secession at first. They thought the Civil War ended discussion of secession once and for all, but there have been lots of successful secessions all over the world. If other countries have done it successfully, so can we.”

  “Well, I’ll have to think about it. I still feel uncomfortable with the idea.”

  “Sure. Go ahead and think about it. And while you’re thinking about it, you can also think about how you’re going to apologize to your children and grandchildren for burdening them with the debt they’re going to have to pay and for the freedom they don’t have because you allowed the government to pass the Patriot Act.”

  Steinman had a serious look on his face. He wanted to counter Paige’s arguments but he couldn’t think of a way to do it.

  “Bob, I’m in a bit of a quandary. I want to refute your arguments, but I can’t think of any good counter-arguments. That never happens to me. I can always think of good counter-arguments, but the way you just put it seems to make sense.”

  Paige picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “Yeah, it’s tough to refute logical arguments that are backed up by facts.”

  75

  “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

  Attributed to Edmund Burke

  “There comes a point when the only way you can make a statement is to pick up a gun.” Sara Jane Moore (attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford)

  “Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.”

  H.L. Mencken

  “John, we can start with you. Tell us about your two choices.”

  The team had assembled at the Versailles Restaurant to give their presentations. Each member was given a homework assignment by the Boss to select two individuals who were a sufficient threat to national security to be terminated.

  The Boss had called the meeting to order. He chose the Versailles Restaurant for symbolic reasons. It had deep historical significance. It was the restaurant in Miami where Cuban-Americans met to discuss politics, especially how to overthrow Castro. Politicians went there to pander for the Cuban vote. Television crews went there whenever there was news about Cuba so they could interview real live Cubans. It was in the heart of Little Havana, on Calle Ocho between 35th and 36th Avenues. The Boss saw it as a fitting place to plot to kill people who were threats to national security. He’d rented a private room so the general public wouldn’t be able to listen in on their conversation. It was noisy outside, but most of the noise got blocked out when the doors were closed. The closed doors also served to prevent the aroma of the four bouquets of flowers that had been left by the last party to escape. They waited until the waiters had delivered the drinks.

  “My first choice is David Reynoso. He’s a law professor at Florida International University. He’s one of the leading advocates for allowing American courts to use United Nations mandates and European Union law as precedent in American courts. He also thinks that Sharia law should be recognized in Muslim divorce settlements and contract disputes.”

  “Good choice. People like that are undermining the fabric of American society. Who is your second choice?”

  “Alfredo Cardera. He’s the dean of Arts & Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. He has an avowed policy of hiring far leftists. He hasn’t promoted any white males in five years. He sees them as the oppressor class. One of the black female professors he hired had to be fired by the provost for gross incompetence. She lied on her resume about having a PhD.”

  “Another good choice. People like that undermine our educational system. People should be hired solely on the basis of merit. Jim, who are your choices?”

  “My first choice is Fabio Perez. He’s a journalist. The kind of stuff he writes could just as easily be published in Havana. His main theme is conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. He advocates class warfare.”

  “OK, that’s a good choice. Who else?”

  “Carlos Tapanes. He’s a philosophy professor at Florida International University. He gives his students assignments to apply Karl Marx’s ideas to social and political issues.”

  “Another good choice.” The Boss was starting to fidget. Actually, he thought most of their choices were mediocre. He had other ideas and a more bold approach, but he wasn’t going to unleash it on them until they had finished their presentations. He cleared his throat.

  “Santos? You’re next.”

  “I have four people. My first choice is Francisco Guzman. He’s a Unitarian minister. He preaches one-world government and gives speeches about why we should allow the United Nations to tax us.”

  “My second choice is Brett Frantoff. He’s the anchor for the 6 o’clock and 11 o’clock news. He chooses stories that show a left-wing bias. He never has anything good to report from a conservative perspective. Besides, my wife has the hots for him.”

  That caused the group to laugh and lightened the atmosphere in the room. They stopped their discussion as a waiter entered to take their orders. After the waiter left they resumed.

  “My third choice is Jorge Cardona. He’s a senior editor at the Miami Herald. He writes about Latin American law and advocates ad
opting laws similar to what Hugo Chavez pushed through in Venezuela before he died.”

  “My fourth choice is Yanisledy Cruz. She’s a political commentator and journalist. She’s a propagandist for every left-wing cause in the United States and Latin America.”

  “Well, I’m glad to see that you chose a woman, finally. I was beginning to think you were a bunch of sexist pigs.”

  The Boss’s remark drew a smirk from the crowd.

  “Tomás?”

  “I don’t want to spoil the party, but I don’t think we should be assassinating professors and journalists. All they’re doing is exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech and free press. I think we should only kill people who do more than just talk about doing things that would harm America.”

  The room grew silent. The other members of the team knew about Tomás’s view on this point, but what he just said was a direct challenge to the Boss, and the Boss didn’t tolerate challenges to his authority. Their eyes shifted to the Boss, waiting to hear his response.

  The Boss’s face turned red. The veins on his neck looked ready to pop, and everyone in the room noticed. He had just been challenged in public, in front of his team members. He couldn’t ignore it. He had to reassert his authority in as strong a manner as possible. He took a deep breath and hesitated for what seemed like an eternity before responding.

  “Tomás, I hear what you’re saying, and I agree – in theory. The problem is that those people are giving aid and comfort to the enemy with their words and actions. Giving aid and comfort to the enemy is treason. They have to be punished, and stopped. However, we need to prioritize. Tomás, I think you will like what I am about to say.

  “The assignment I gave you was to choose two individuals who were worthy of extermination because they were a threat to national security, or because they gave aid and comfort to the enemy, which is basically the same thing. Since I gave you that homework assignment, my thinking has changed. Well, not really changed. Rather, I’ve improved on my initial idea. Although all of the people you chose are worthy of extermination, we must prioritize. We must eliminate the worst people first, the ones who pose the most immediate danger, the ones who could cause the most damage if we allowed them to continue living. So, I’ve made up my own list.”

  They looked startled. It came as a surprise. They were expecting the Boss to verbally rip Tomás apart and they were anxiously anticipating exactly how he would do it. The Boss noticed the expressions on their faces.

  “I didn’t say we wouldn’t eliminate the people you selected. I’m just saying that we should cancel some other people first.”

  They looked relieved to see that the Boss had been able to so skillfully get around the challenge Tomás just made.

  “Gentlemen, the biggest threat to national security is the debt. We must punish those who got us into this mess and kill them before they can do any more damage. If you study history, you’ll find that every great empire or civilization crumbled from within before it was invaded or overthrown by an external force. That’s precisely what’s happening today in America.

  “Anyone who advocates big spending programs is a candidate for the list. Politicians who advocate the biggest spending programs go to the top of the list.”

  Santos interrupted him. “That includes just about every politician, and they’re all in Washington. You told us to limit our targets to people in South Florida.”

  “Yes, that is correct. However, we don’t have to assassinate all of them. All we have to do is kill a few of them in order to send a message to the rest. You know what they say … Nothing changes until you get a body count.

  “We can adopt the same technique the Islamic fundamentalists use. Whenever anyone publishes an image of Mohammed, they execute the person who did it and blow up the offices of the offending newspaper. We can do the same. We can target one of the biggest advocates of big spending in South Florida, liquidate him or her and blow up their campaign headquarters or local office and execute as many of their staff as possible. Then we make sure the press knows why they got targeted. Once the word gets out, politicians will be very hesitant to support any more big, wasteful spending programs, especially if we tell the press that we plan to continue targeting big spenders.”

  Tomás looked concerned. His wife was an occasional volunteer for local politicians. “I don’t like the idea of executing civilians.”

  The Boss replied, “They aren’t civilians if they work for an enemy of America.”

  Jim Bennett interjected. “Actually, I think Tomás makes a good point. Executing civilians would give us bad press, just like it does when the Islamic nut cases kill civilians.”

  The Boss hesitated a moment before responding. “Hmmm. Yeah, I suppose you’re right. OK, let’s not whack any civilians unless it’s absolutely necessary. We don’t need the bad press. It would be counterproductive.”

  “All those Islamic groups have names,” John pointed out. “Should we give ourselves a name, too? It would make for good press.”

  “How about the Sons of Liberty?” Jim suggested. “The American patriots who dumped the tea into Boston harbor used that name.”

  “Good idea. Let’s use it. Let me continue. I want to explain the reasoning behind my choices so you can better understand why I made the choices I did.

  “Think of the American republic as a structure made of wood. The structure is being attacked by termites. It is a slow process, but if it’s allowed to continue, it’s just a matter of time before the structure will collapse. The termites in this case are people who advocate policies that undermine the American system and any politician or bureaucrat who helps to implement those policies. I have some politicians on my list, but they’re not all politicians. People in the private sector are also undermining the structure of the American system. From now on we’ll refer to these people as termites, because that’s what they are.

  “It’s too late to kill people like FDR, who gave us Socialist Insecurity, the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time, or LBJ, who gave us Medicare and a bunch of other socialized medicine programs, but we can waste some of their successors and clones here in South Florida. We can send a message to Washington that the line has been drawn.”

  Santos looked at Tomás, who was visibly pleased with what the Boss had just said.

  76

  “Democracy … is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty … Is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”

  Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

  “OK, it’s time to start making the assignments. John, I want you to figure out the logistics and find a way to make this happen. Jim, Tomás and Santos will report to you and you’ll coordinate things. I’ll assist you any way I can.

  “The first person on my list is Nelson Fuller. He’s the chairman of the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The Fed is helping to finance the massive deficits and is undermining the currency. It would be better to target the Chairman of the Fed in Washington but he’s too far away and too hard to get at. We can accomplish our goal of sending a message by targeting someone local. Their offices are on NW 36th Street. John, you’re in charge of this guy. Jim, use your resources at the FBI to find out his schedule and find a weak spot, then pass along the information to John.

  “Senator Tom Garrett is next on the list. His major crime against humanity is pushing through the various bailout packages that are bankrupting America. He also defended Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when some of the more enlightened members of Congress called for their abolition. He was instrumental in convincing Congress to bail out the European banks, which forced American workers to pay for European pensions and health care costs. John, you’re in charge of this one, too. Jim, get his schedule and give it to John. Try to choose a good time and place to make it happen.”

  Two waiters walked in as the Boss was about to give the next assignment. He waited for them to take away the dishes before continuing. The shorter one smelled like cheap
cigar smoke. He probably had a smoke just before coming in to remove the dishes.

  “Jim, this one’s for you. It’s Representative Debbie Waterstein. Her main crime against humanity is getting up in the morning.”

  The comment drew a chuckle.

  “Everything she does undermines the republic. This fucking termite has got to be stomped on, and hard. She’s against ending the Socialist Insecurity Ponzi scheme and replacing it with a privatized system. She wants to expand the socialist medical system and force the rich to pay for it. She’s slapping regulations on businesses so fast they’re getting punch drunk. She wants to outlaw red meat in the schools. The cattle industry in Texas will thank us for this one.”

  Jim interrupted. “She’s a big supporter of Israel. Do you think we should get Mossad’s blessing on this one first?”

  “Fuck Mossad. If we had to get Mossad’s approval before whacking a member of Congress, we wouldn’t be able to whack anybody. They’re all supporters of Israel. We have to do what’s right for America. Besides, anyone we whack will be replaced by another supporter of Israel, so there won’t be any net loss of Israel supporters. If we do this right, it will look like a group of patriots did it. It won’t have the CIA’s fingerprints on it.”

  “Why do you guys always insist on taking all the credit?” Jim asked. “Don’t forget, the FBI is helping you guys.”

  Tomás added, “I’m sure J. Edgar Hoover would be proud of you.”

  “Not to mention the Commerce Department,” John added.

  “And the TSA,” Santos added.

  “And the private sector. Don’t leave Carnival Cruise Lines out of this.” Tomás liked the idea of private sector involvement.

  “OK, guys. Enough.

  “Jim, I have one more assignment for you. I think you’ll like this one. It’s Representative Jack Lunn. This guy is a class warfare specialist – rich against the poor, whites against blacks, young against old, workers versus welfare cheats. Tax the rich. The top 1 percent is already paying more taxes than the bottom 95 percent and he thinks that’s not enough. He comes back to Miami practically every weekend. It shouldn’t be difficult finding the right time and place.”