The Second American Revolution - The Building of an Empire

by Kenneth Szulczyk

  “Yes, but I would not call it an invasion. We will not enslave the population. I will make them equal citizens in the Empire. In addition, we will build and develop Mexico and bring them up to our living standards. Mexico will become a continuation of the United States.”

  President David reached into his inside pocket of his navy blue suit and pulled out the insignia for a five-star general. Then he placed the insignia in Edward’s outstretched, eager hand.

  Next, President Davis congratulated the general, “General, just as I promised you. You are now the General of the Army. You are a five-star general of the American Empire.”

  General’s face turned a reddish hue. He looked admirably at the insignia and then replaced his old command stripes with the new one. General Edwards never thought he would see the day, when the President elevated his rank to the General of the Army. Then he graciously replied, “Thank you sir.”

  He stood up to leave.

  President Davis continued, “Before you leave; please leave me a battalion of troops under my command. I want to ensure I am well protected.”

  “Yes sir; Mr. President.”

  General left while President Davis remained seated. He didn’t believe how easily things went his way. Indeed, Providence was looking out for him, and his destiny was to create the American Empire.

  President Davis drank his coffee, and a smile appeared on his face as the jolt of caffeine kept his sleepy mind sharp and focused. He had a long night ahead of him.

  ***

  After President Davis’s speech, the citizens of the United States became dazed and afraid. No American President held as much power as Jerrick Ray Davis. No one staged a successful coup against the U.S. government or executed the Congressmen and the top bureaucrats.

  Now, President Davis held the power. He talked about how he would rise and save us, and he did just that. Will he keep his word and save us or become a tyrant?

  Stoners became ecstatic as they ran into the streets and smoked their marijuana. Little did the potheads know President Davis’s true intent. Jerrick Davis did not legalize marijuana because he smoked it as a rebellious teenager. He deregulated it because he did not want the government to waste resources arresting and incarcerating people for smoking it. He had other plans for society’s resources. Jerrick Davis would utilize all available resources to build his Empire.

  Of course, if the workers labored 8 to 10-hour workdays, then let them smoke and drink and pop pills. Working long hours wear people out. Let them have their artificial means to keep happy and content in their sparse free time. Jerrick Ray Davis wants all Americans to work long and hard and be happy. If citizens need drugs to be happy, then so be it. Let the pharmacies work around the clock, pushing their assortment of happy pills.

  ***

  President Davis headed to the best hotel in downtown Albany and stayed in the Presidential suite with a battalion of troops surrounding the building.

  Some soldiers camped in the lobby while others patrolled the outside neighborhood, keeping the President safe.

  Top officials to the National Workers’ Party flew to Albany to meet with the President at a conference room at 10 o’clock at night at the hotel.

  Top members of Jerrick’s party became his new cabinet. He promoted Dan vice president; Chad to Secretary of Education, and Richard Woodland became Secretary of Homeland Security. He appointed Jennifer to a newly created department called Department of Information.

  The President began his discussion, “Behind these closed doors, you must be honest with me. If you think, I am doing something wrong, I must hear your opinions. I may change my decision if you prove me wrong. However, to the outside world, we present a united front.”

  Dan took the President up on his offer and challenged him in front of the group. He began, “Jerrick; I think we shot ourselves in the foot when we reintroduced the gold and silver standard.”

  “Ah, the gold and silver standard. I want people to have faith in the financial system again. We need a strong financial system to get the economy growing. Besides, the previous financial system was based on paper. It crashed in 2008, and then we had that nasty hyperinflation in 2016,” the President explained softly.

  “But Jerrick, Dan is right. How will we build the Empire? Our financing is limited. You tied our ability to increase funding. In addition, any tax increases require a 2/3 approval from the citizens. That is excessively high! Taxes will never go up,” Chad added in a concerned manner.

  The President smiled slyly and then began, “Of course; I am imposing a new legal system. It appears the system can be changed, but in reality, I never want it to change. Guys, you must trust me. I thought about it long and hard, and I have a back door for financing the Empire.”

  His cabinet scrutinized President Davis closely. Of course, Jerrick Davis was a genius, and his brilliant mind found a way to finance his Empire.

  “Jerrick, please tell us. What are you planning?” Jennifer asked sweetly.

  “First source is from natural resources. I will not nationalize our natural resources. However, our government goes into partnership with the petroleum, coal, and electric companies. We split the profits 50-50 with the industry. We will keep energy prices at a moderate level, where the people are happy, but we can earn substantial profits. These profits become a source to finance the Empire. Of course; the companies must pay taxes on their share of the profits too,” the President stated cunningly.

  Dan burst into laughter and added, “Boy, I thought I was slick. We are double dipping on the money. What is the second source?”

  The President sighed and continued, “Second source is even better. Government enters into partnership with the silver and gold industries. As you know, I set the value of our coins twice the market value of gold before the hyperinflation episode. A one-ounce gold coin has a $2,000 value while the one-ounce silver coin has a $400 value. We believe it costs our mines $400 to extract the gold per ounce, and $10 to extract the silver. Thus, we create from thin air $1,600 from each gold coin and $390 from each silver coin. Then we split the profits 50-50 with the mining industry.”

  “Damn, you are a genius,” Chad said loudly.

  “Damn, Jerrick. If we can get our mining companies operating at full steam, that will dump money into our coffers,” Dan stated in admiration.

  The President continued, “The Republic had the best scam for government financing. They built the whole financial system upon paper and numbers stored in computers. That system imposed almost no cost on government, and that is why their system crashed. At least with gold and silver, the people would never lose faith in the financial system. Gold and silver will always have an intrinsic value, and they always convey confidence and trust.”

  “What will we do with the money, Jerrick?” Jennifer asked.

  “We will dump the money into the economy. I have two plans. First, the government uses its financing to create corporations. Once the company becomes financially sound, we will auction half the corporate stock to the public, and we give the other half to the citizens. That should be a nice surprise to them,” the President stated proudly.

  “What kind of companies are you talking about?” Dan asked.

  “For instance, we start a company that makes insulin and other medicine. We sell it for a good price to our citizens, creating a strong consumer demand to our corporations. That is one thing, I liked about Russia. Medications were very cheap and widely available,” Jerrick exclaimed.

  Jennifer asked, “Won’t that put some of the pharmaceutical companies out of business?”

  “That is the nature of competition. You either compete or go into another business. Besides, I am not talking about cutthroat competition. Prices will remain high for the companies to earn profits.”

  “What about the other plan,” Dan asked, “I got to hear this.”

  “Other plan is to start a massive construction spree. We will use our money to build and renovate schools, h
ighways, hospitals, public buildings, and parks. We will redevelop poor neighborhoods, so we care for the little people too,” the President stated emotionally.

  Then he continued with his voice rising in a crescendo, “Our construction boom will be so grand; it will make the housing bubble in the early 21st century look like child’s play.”

  “But Jerrick, the housing bubble crashed badly. Don’t you remember the 2008 Financial Crisis? We went into a decade-long crisis. Won’t the same happen to us?” Chad asked with concern in his voice.

  The President had a large grin on his face and retorted, “Chad, you have a very good point. All economic booms are temporary. Boom will probably last seven years. At the end of the sixth year, we start our invasion. We annex Mexico to the Empire. Then we invest and redevelop the infrastructure in Mexico, creating another economic expansion. Our American companies will reap substantial profits, when they supply the machines and materials for redevelopment. We also go after Mexico’s petroleum, gold, and silver mining operations. These industries will help pay for redevelopment.”

  Jerrick paused for a minute to sip some water to relieve his parched throat. Then he continued, “I do have some reservations about Mexico. We only have one chance to get it right. My idea is first to invade Cuba. Cuba will be our experiment. We will do all our learning there. Once we find some good strategies that work, then Mexico is next.”

  “Mr. President, what will happen with the social programs and welfare?” Jennifer asked. She wanted to ensure all citizens benefited from the change in power.

  The President began chuckling and stated, “I am old fashioned. I believe in self-welfare. It involves a punch card and a time clock. Workers punch in to start work at the beginning of a shift. Thus, the government will not be generous in welfare and social programs. Everybody must work.”

  Whole group burst out laughing, except Richard. He tried to feign a smile, but his smile was not natural. He sat quietly, observing suspiciously the group with his cold blue eyes.

  After the laughter had died, the President continued, “I am not cruel. I will give money to help people with true disabilities and the elderly. Being an enlightened society, we are obligated to help people, who are less fortunate than ourselves. However, I believe many disabled people would work if given the opportunity. Thus, we should use our power to create that opportunity.”

  Once the President stopped speaking, the room became silent. When Jerrick Ray Davis told them that they would build an Empire, he was serious. He would create one hell of an Empire.

  ***

  Next day, July 28, 2017, President Davis was watching the news in his hotel room in Albany, New York.

  As he sipped his coffee, the Governor of Texas, Peter Hansborough Bell, appeared on the TV next to the reporter.

  Governor was a middle-aged man with a full set of black hair that he parted to the right side with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He also had a rough dark face that worked to his advantage. He could wear a suit and portray himself as a leader, or wear blue jeans and a cowboy hat, and step into the role of a Texan rancher. He used this trick to garner as many votes as he could garner.

  On this occasion, the Governor wore a dark suit and red tie.

  “Mr. Bell, what do you think of President Davis?” News reporter asked.

  “First, I will not call Jerrick Davis President. He did not win the election, and he is not the official leader of the United States. Second, I dare Jerrick Davis to step on Texas soil. We are waiting for him. I called up the Texas National Guard. We have tanks and soldiers waiting for him in Austin.”

  “Aren’t you worried that you are out gunned? President Davis controls most of the army.”

  “Out gunned, don’t you understand? Our state slogan is ‘Don’t mess with Texas.' I am confident many Texans will come out, fight for their freedom, and protect their state. President Davis is not the leader of the free world.”

  News reporter ended with the sound bite, “There you have it. The State of Texas is standing against President Davis. Texas vows to fight him to the end.”

  President Davis started laughing, almost spilling his coffee onto the floor.

  He remembered the poll numbers for Governor Bell that consistently hovered around 30%. The Republicans maintained a stranglehold over the polling stations in Texas, scaring away all the Democrats and minorities, which of course, were a large segment of the population. Consequently, bad leadership cursed the State of Texas for the last 30 years.

  However, the governor played a poker bluff, and President Davis needed to squash the governor and prevent opposition to his rule. If one state can rise and challenge President Davis, then the other states would follow.

  The President reached for his satellite phone and called General Edwards.

  The General picked up after the first ring, “This is General Edwards speaking.”

  “Hello General, this is Jerrick Davis.”

  “Yes sir, Mr. President. What can I do for you?”

  “We have a problem brewing in Texas. Governor is challenging my authority, and I want several battalions dispatched to Austin, Texas. Let’s take the state capitol.”

  “We can be there in 24 hours.”

  “General, minimize the damage to the city. Any buildings you destroy, we must turn around and rebuild them. However, our soldiers are the first priority. If you must destroy the city to save our soldiers’ lives, then so be it.”

  “Yes sir. I have your orders.”

  “Call me before takeoff; I want to be there for the battle,” and the President hung up the telephone.

  A large grin formed on the President's face. No one challenges President Davis.

  General of the Army, Edwards, dispatched five battalions to downtown Austin, Texas from Fort Bliss, which were 520 miles away.

  Army truck after army truck filled with soldiers, forming a convoy heading straight for Austin. Convoy reached the suburbs of Austin early the next morning.

  As the trucks drove along the streets, the battalions of troops noticed the people deserted Austin like a ghost town. Most citizens fled the city. City had no traffic, no cars, and no people.

  As Jerrick Davis suspected, most Texans were sick of their state government, and they would not protect it. They would let Governor Bell challenge President Davis alone.

  Two battalions broke away from the main convoy, and they headed to the southern outskirts of Austin. Large army trucks carried the troops and pulled 10 covered trailers.

  Once the two battalions stopped, the soldiers began removing the covers from the trailers. Army had a little nasty surprise for the Texas National Guard.

  As Governor Bell stated in the news, snipers from the Texas National Guard scattered themselves among the State Capitol Buildings on the upper floors. They had a panoramic view of the wide-open spaces of the state government complex. They planned to shoot as many soldiers.

  Edwards’s soldiers unloaded and prepared for combat at the University of Texas campus, across the street from the state government complex.

  Then the soldiers advanced in formation towards the government buildings.

  The Texas National Guard fired the first shots as gunfire disrupted the quietness of the city.

  The Empire’s soldiers took positions behind buildings and returned fire.

  Windows were shattering, and shrapnel of brick and mortar flew everywhere in the air. As the battle dragged on, the soldiers on both sides shot and hit the state government buildings, covering them with holes and pockmarks from the powerful M16 bullets.

  Major General Rudder called in air support.

  Ten AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopters flew in. They were dark and sleek and from a distance, they looked like malicious black dragon flies. However, their tactical weapon systems were unmatched and quite deadly to enemies.

  Apache Helicopters broke out of formation and flew around the government buildings. They used M230 machine guns that rain
ed down 30-millimeter bullets upon the national guards.

  Bodies began falling from the gaping holes of the buildings, sprinkling the lawn around the buildings.

  They also launched Hydra-70 rockets at the buildings, destroying the facades and annihilating the snipers.

  One helicopter flew to the Governor’s mansion, a beautiful two-story white home. It had six majestic Roman columns that held up the front of the mansion, creating a porch on the first floor, and a grand balcony on the second.

  Helicopter launched four rockets at the Governor’s mansion, reducing it to ruble. Then the ruins ignited and began smoldering and burning.

  Another helicopter launched several rockets at the Texas Legislature building. Rockets blew large chunks from the building, and one missile hit the majestic white dome, collapsing the dome.

  The Texas National Guard launched their secret weapon. Ten F-16 Fighting Falcons took off from Kelly Field Annex in San Antonio, Texas.

  They flew north to Austin, traveling 900 miles per hour.

  As the fighter planes reached the outskirts of Austin, the Empire’s soldiers switched on the Patriot surface-to-air missiles. A new generation of missiles used the PDB-6 software that recognized different types of aircraft and locked in for deadly accuracy.

  The Patriot battalion had 10 mobile trailers with a launcher attached to them; each launcher held 20 computer guided missiles.

  As the Falcon aircrafts approached, the Patriot missiles accelerated insanely to 3,800 miles per hour, destroying nine of the aircraft.

  Surviving Falcon turned and headed to the air force base.

  Surviving Texas National Guards saw the massacre, and they fled.

  General Rudder ordered the troops to search and to clear the buildings, looking for hostile enemies, but the Texas revolt had ended.

  Texas lost miserably and became firmly integrated into the Empire.

  Troops searched for Governor Bell, but they found no trace of him.

  Governor Bell, a typical U.S. politician, was all talk and no bite. Unknown to the troops, the governor fled before the first shots rang out. He scampered towards the Mexican border as a scared rabbit.

  A news reporter captured this 40-minute battle on a camera, and the whole nation and the world watched with alarm. Almighty State of Texas did not stand a chance. It fell fast and hard.