The Overton Window
Page 27
It was Molly’s silver bracelet.
He held it close to his eyes; maybe the words engraved there were a little more worn than they’d been before, but he would have remembered them even if they’d been gone completely.
She was alive. Whatever other message he’d been hoping for, whatever guidance he’d been seeking, this was better. Not just a plan, because a plan can be defeated. This was a foundation.
As he returned to the bedroom he remembered the key he’d been given and he pulled it from his pocket. It was wrapped in paper, and, as he unfolded it, Noah saw the simple words written there, in Molly’s familiar handwriting.
“We’re everywhere. Stay with us; I’ll see you soon. The fight starts tomorrow.”
AFTERWORD
“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.”
—ANDRÉ GIDE
There’s a very good reason we called this book The Overton Window, and it’s not just because it’s one of the techniques that Arthur Gardner uses to push his objectives. We chose this title because it’s also a technique that, to one extent or another, we just used on you. (The key difference is, I’m openly telling you that’s what I’m doing; I don’t have a hidden agenda here.) In the course of reading and thinking about this story, it’s simply my hope that you’ve spent a little bit of time entertaining ideas that you might not have considered before.
Remember, the Overton Window concept is that only the few scenarios that currently sit inside an established window of acceptable debate will be taken seriously by the public. To move the Window toward their ultimate goal, those pushing an agenda have to introduce radical ideas that fall outside of the current comfort zone. While those fringe ideas will normally be dismissed, the Window will also be subtly nudged in their direction. This allows ideas that would’ve previously seemed unthinkable to be introduced and, eventually, even seriously considered as solutions.
Applying this concept to our story, it should be obvious that we set out to create a plot based in reality, and then we pushed it to an absolute extreme. It’s one of the intriguing potentials of this sort of fiction: When your mind suspends disbelief, it may also become more willing to consider a broader spectrum of possible outcomes to the events and agendas that are playing out around us every day.
For example, fighter pilots often use flight simulators to train for real combat. In a safe environment, these simulators force pilots to consider a confluence of events that would otherwise seem ridiculous, like dual engine failure while being shot at and simultaneously having to land on an aircraft carrier in thirty-foot seas. It’s extreme, but it works. Many pilots who’ve been through a hair-raising mission in a live war zone come out saying that it wasn’t nearly as bad as what they’d faced in the simulator.
This book is your simulator. It’s unlikely that we’ll face anything close to the challenges that Noah and Molly are up against. But, after experiencing their scenario in its fictional setting, maybe it will become a little easier to have deeper conversations about the important forces that are actually at work in the real world.
As I told you at the outset, while I certainly used a lot of dramatic license, this story is loaded with truth. But facts can easily be manipulated, and that’s why we are including this section. I want you to decide for yourself exactly what is fact, what is based on fact, what is a common belief possibly based on a distorted fact, and what is complete fiction. Don’t stop at my sources; find your own. That way, you can determine where your own Overton Window should be located as we continue to debate what kind of America we want to live in.
And remember, this list is only a starting point. If a passage or a statement in the book intrigued you but isn’t specifically mentioned here, take a minute and type some key words into your favorite search engine. (Try “KFC UN Security” from Chapter 17, for example …) You might be surprised at where your search will lead you.
—gb
In the Prologue, Eli Churchill mentions to Molly’s mother (did you pick up on whom he was speaking to?) that, in the late summer of 2001, Donald Rumsfeld announced that the U.S. government could not account for $2.3 trillion dollars. That actually happened. The date was September 10, 2001. A day later, some missing money (even trillions of it) didn’t seem quite so important anymore.
Rumsfeld announces $2.3 trillion unaccounted for on September 10, 2001: “Defense Department Cannot Account For 25% Of Funds— $2.3 Trillion,” CBS News, January 29, 2002, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml
See also: A video of the CBS News segment, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kpWqdPMjmo
A small side note: As you read this scene, if you were wondering what a phone booth was doing out in the desert in the middle of nowhere, this is an interesting location that actually existed until fairly recently. Google “Mojave phone booth” to learn more.
In Chapter 3 we are presented with a government memo outlining the “Growing Threat of Domestic Terrorism.” This memo was, of course, was modeled after the real-life memo issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) that caused an uproar because of its over-generalizations on who might be a dangerous militia member.
Government Memo: “The Modern Militia Movement,” Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), issued in February 2009: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13290698/The-Modern-Militia-Movement-Missouri-MIAC-Strategic-Report-20Feb09-
Inside our fictional memo is a reference to a government program called “REX-84.” According to published reports at the time, this program involved emergency actions that would be implemented in the event of a national crisis. In 1986, the Associated Press reported on a FEMA directive that described a REX-84 exercise preparing for the detention of more than 400,000 Central American refugees in ten military detention centers located across the country.
A Miami Herald story from 1987 again addressed REX-84, this time reporting that Oliver North had worked closely with FEMA to develop a contingency plan should America face a major crisis, like nuclear war or insurrection. That plan called for actions such as the “suspension of the Constitution, turning control of the United States over to FEMA, appointment of military commanders to run state and local governments and declaration of martial law.”
In a “heavily censored FEMA memorandum” that was obtained by The Herald, the REX-84 exercise was described as calling for the “activation of ‘emergency legislation, assumption of emergency powers … etc.’ “A source familiar with the exercises said North was aware of the simulations and collaborated with FEMA and the Pentagon in producing them. While the simulations were in progress, the Pentagon staged the first of several annual large-scale military exercises in Honduras, deploying thousands of troops near contra supply bases.
“A Pentagon spokeswoman, Capt. Nancy LaLuntas, declined to discuss contingency plans or details of the FEMA-Pentagon exercises, citing ‘security reasons.’ Yet she confirmed that the exercises, code-named Rex 84 Alpha and Night Train 84, took place April 5-13, 1984. FEMA spokesman Bill McAda also confirmed the simulations and, like LaLuntas, declined to give details.”
These days, REX-84 is part of the everyday language of conspiracy theorists, and for good reason: There is not a shred of evidence to suggest that any of these exercises resulted in anything other than embarrassment for the government. On the other hand, given our government’s reaction to catastrophe in the past (i.e., the forced internment of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans in 1942), it doesn’t take a conspiracy theorist to understand that all of us need to be vigilant and ensure that the only document we look toward in the next crisis is the Constitution.
REX-84:
Associated Press, “Administration Denies Existence of Detention Camps for Illegal Aliens,” December 16, 1986, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ueAlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UPwFAAAAIBAJ&d q=rex-84&pg=6740%2C4955414
See also: Alfonso Chardy, “Reagan Advisers Ran ‘Secret’ Government” Miami Herald, July 5, 1987.
See also: Alfonso Chardy, “North Helped Revise Wartime Plans” Miami Herald, July 19, 1987.
To illustrate how public perception and behavior can be shaped over time, we used the story of bottled water, a product which seemed to come upon us out of nowhere to become a huge industry that’s nearly ubiquitous. How did it happen? Read Bottlemania for a great primer.
The marketing of bottled water: For the spirit of this scene, see Elizabeth Royte, Bottlemania: The Marketing of Bottled Water and Why We Bought It (Bloomsbury, 2008), http://books.google.com/books?id=LwUUAQAAIAAJ
More from Chapter 3:
Tsunami warning system inadequate: Laura Smith-Spark, “Indonesia Tsunami System ‘Not Ready,’” BBC News, July 19, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5191190.stm
Virtually the entire speech that Arthur Gardner gives in the boardroom is based on fact; of course, in keeping with his character, he presents his own version of those facts. Here are a few specific examples:
Committed $8 trillion to those that engineered the financial crisis: David Goldman, “The $8 Trillion Bailout,” CNNMoney .com, January 6, 2009, http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/06/news/economy/where_stimulus_fits_in/index.htm
Social Security is a Ponzi scheme: Jeff Poor, “Cramer: Social Security a Bigger Ponzi Scheme than Madoff’s,” Business & Media Institute, December 18, 2008, http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20081218091211.aspx
A hundred thousand billion dollars: Also known as “$100 trillion,” this is a chilling estimate of our unfunded Social Security and Medicare liabilities. Pamela Villarreal, “Social Security and Medicare Projections: 2009,” National Center for Policy Analysis, June 11, 2009, http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba662
Nationalizing General Motors: Kimberly S. Johnson, “GM to reorganize in government-led bankruptcy,” AP Foreign, June 1, 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8535026
$17 billion in underfunded union pensions: Nick Bunkley, “Automaker Pensions Underfunded by $17 Billion,” New York Times, April 6, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/business/07cars.html
We’re borrowing $5 billion a day from Asia: Statement of C. Fred Bergsten, Director, Institute for International Economics, February 2-4, 2005, http://www.uscc.gov/hearings/2005hearings/transcripts/05_02_3_4.pdf
In Chapter 10 we meet Molly’s mother for the first time as she gives a speech at the bar. Much of what she references is accurate, including:
“The happy union of these states …”: James Madison, edited by Gaillard Hunt, The Writings of James Madison (New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1910): 357, http://books.google.com/books?id=V7jGAAAAMAAJ
“The most basic question is not …”: Thomas Sowell, Knowledge and Decisions (New York, NY: Basic Books, 1980): 79, http://books.google.com/books?id=4kqTMrEKWXoC
Carroll Quigley’s book Tragedy & Hope makes a few appearances in this novel, and for good reason: the premise that he outlined, Mutually Assured Destruction, is now a reality. But it’s not just military destruction that we’ve got to worry about, it’s economic destruction as well. Economies have become so intentionally intertwined that a collapse anywhere else in the world has major ramifications for us. Quigley’s book is a must-read if you want to really understand the theories of a man who was inspirational to many leaders, including President Bill Clinton.
Carroll Quigley: Carroll Quigley, Tragedy & Hope: A History of the World in Our Time (G.S.G. & Associates, 1975), http://books.google.com/books?id=KQZxAAAAIAAJ
Herbert Croly: Herbert Croly, The Promise of American Life (New York, NY: The MacMillan Company, 1909), http://books.google.com/books?id=EoxIAAAAYAAJ
Thomas Jefferson: “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God”: Willard Sterne Randall, Thomas Jefferson: A Life (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1993): 275, http://books.google.com/books?id=jxh4rGiz7GgC
35,000 registered lobbyists: Jerry Kammer, “A Steady Flow of Financial Influence,” Copley News Service, August 25, 2006, http:// www.pbs.org/now/shows/234/money-politics.html
Spent almost $3.5 billion last year: Oxford Analytica, “Lobbyists’ Sway in Washington,” April 13, 2010, http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/12/lobby-politics-elections-washington-business -oxford.html
The incredible 67,000 page tax code: “67,204-Page Code Confounds Taxpayers, yet Congress Sits By,” USAToday.com, April 4, 2007, http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/04/post_7.html
IRS involved in the health care legislation: Kim Dixon, “U.S. budget office: 4 million likely to pay health fine,” Washington Post, April 22, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042204286.html
Treasury enforced Prohibition laws: “Narcotic Bill Now Law: Hoover Signs Measure Creating a Bureau in the Treasury,” The New York Times, June 15, 1930, http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30910F73D5C14738DDDAC0994DE405B80 8FF1D3
“The power to tax involves the power to destroy”: “The Supreme Court: The Power to Tax,” Time, March 17, 1958, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863135,00.html
100,000 federal employees owe back taxes: Devin Dwyer, “Tax Scam Uncle Sam? You Oughta Be Fired! Says Utah Rep. Chaffetz,” ABC News, March 18, 2010, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Tax/100000-federal-employees-owe-irs-back-taxes/story?id=10125860
Treasury Secretary owes back taxes: Jonathan Weisman, “Geithner’s Tax History Muddles Confirmation,” The Wall Street Journal, January 14, 2009, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123187503629378119.html
John Adams: “A government of laws …”: David McCullough, John Adams (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2001): 378, http://books.google.com/books?id=GHMnz8G0GTcC
“No lie can live forever”: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by James Washington, A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., (New York, NY: Harper-Collins, 1986): 230, http://books.google.com/books?id=k8uPHtrU8BsC
In Chapter 11 we hear from spirited conspiracy theorist Danny Bailey for the first time. Danny is the kind of guy who likes to string together a variety of facts in an attempt to make something crazy sound plausible. His speech is important because it shows how selected facts and truths can be used as the foundation for an overall thesis that is entirely fictional.
Bailey starts by citing some unemployment data that differs significantly from the official government estimates. Those statistics, and a lot more, can be found at a website called Shadow Statistics that is run by economist John Williams.
Real unemployment past 20%: John Williams’ Shadow Government Statistics, Shadowstats.com, http://www.shadowstats.com/ alternate_data/unemployment-charts
The job ad that Danny cites is a great example of how fact can fuel conspiracy thinking. Is there really a job ad posting for an “Internment and Resettlement Specialist”? Yes—and it’s right there on the public goarmy .com website. Why would they list such an incriminating job publicly? Simple … because it’s not incriminating at all. The Army has detention facilities all over the world that need to be staffed. If they posted a job opening for an “Experienced Sniper” would people jump to the conclusion that they want to assassinate Americans on U.S. soil? Of course not, yet that’s what some people immediately think when they read “Internment Specialist.”
Internment and Resettlement Specialist: Job listing posted at goarmy.com, http://www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=292
25% of world’s prisoners in U.S.: Jim Webb, “Why We Must Fix Our Prisons,” Parade, March 29, 2009, http://www.parade.com/news/2009/03/why-we-must-fix-our-prisons.html
Army Regulation 210-35: Civilian Inmate Labor Program, http:// www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r210_35.pdf
In 1987, as Oliver North was testifying before a Congressional Committee on the Iran-Contra affair, the Miami Herald ran a series of articles detailing North’s participation in emergency-response contingency planning. In a piece published July 5, 1987, the Herald wrote about a memo outlining emergency plans that apparently bore a resemblance to a college paper written by the then-FEMA director:
“A memo from 1970 …”: Alfonso Chardy, “Reagan Advisers Ran Secret Government,” Miami Herald, July 5, 1987.
Agitator Index (ADEX): Earl Ofari Hutchinson, “The Dangerous New FBI,” June 4, 2002, http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/06/04/cointelpro/print.html
You may be a terrorist: “Missouri Report on Militias Draws Fire,” The Associated Press, March 14, 2009, http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-story-militia-report-031409,0,5591136.story
Last declared war in 1945: “The Declaration of War: One for the History Books?” National War College, 1998, http://www.dtic .mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA441475&Location=U2&doc= GetTRDoc.pdf
The same Miami Herald article that uncovered the FEMA director’s college paper also detailed the drastic continuity-of-government proposals that FEMA was formulating:
“FEMA’s clash with (Attorney General) Smith occurred over a secret contingency plan that called for suspension of the Constitution, turning control of the United States over to FEMA, appointment of military commanders to run state and local governments and declaration of martial law during a national crisis.
“The plan did not define national crisis, but it was understood to be nuclear war, violent and widespread internal dissent or national opposition against a military invasion abroad.”
Orwellian continuity-of-government provisions put in place: Alfonso Chardy, “Reagan Advisers Ran Secret Government,” Miami Herald, July 5, 1987.
Presidential Decision Directive 51: National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, whitehouse.gov, http:// georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/ 05/20070509-12.html