WAR (43 page)

“I know what you want, food lines, empty store shelves, fixed prices, people’s fears.”

“Yes, that’s what we need.”

Paul sits on the couch across from Sean, “We’re going to agree to hold an election, so long as the LSA does too. Running up to the election, we want to flood the airwaves, networks and the internet with the truth about the LSA. Let’s show our people, their people and the world, just who the LSA’s leaders are and how people really live on the other side of the divide. Any country that needs to build walls to keep their people in, isn’t a free country.”

“Sirs, I can do that. I suggest we reach out to every media ally we have for support.”

“We agree, create an action plan and bring it back to us.”

“Will do. When do you think the election will be held?”

“That depends on how much time you think you’re going to need to show the truth and convince people where they are better off.”

“Sirs, what happens if a large number of our people want to move to the LSA and the people within the LSA want to keep their current system?”

“Then our unhappy people can go, but under the condition we won’t accept their return, they’re going to have to be told that if they go, we are done with them. They will have a one-way ticket, exit only, no reentry permitted.”

“Sir, you’re serious about the no return aren’t you?”

“Dead serious. We’re not going to stop anyone from leaving, however, nothing says we have to keep the door open. We thought those who wanted to live in a progressive state would have left when Rod allowed the LSA to break away. This election is going to be the last one on the subject. Win or lose, America will survive and grow stronger. When the LSA grows weaker and collapses, those who voted with their feet, will have to live with the repercussions of their decision. Everyone voting will be over the age of eighteen, an adult. They owe it to themselves and their families to be educated on the largest decision they’re ever going to make.”

“Yes sir.”

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60% of the Russian troops ask for permission to stay behind and live in the USA rather than return to the Russian Federation. President Rand agrees to their request, as long as the Russian military members wanting to stay agree to serve a minimum tour of duty of twenty-four months in one of the USA military services. They will be paid at the same rate as American troops which is hundreds of times more than they earned in the Russian military; they are also to take exams to see what rank they will be when they enter the USA military. Some end up entering at a lower rank, a few are surprised to learn they are going to enter the USA military with a higher rank than they held in Russia. Those that agree to join the USA military also agree to learn English and American history. General Chekov is the highest ranking Russian officer to announce he’s decided to join the USA military versus returning home. He’s invited to visit the Pentagon where he’s offered a position as a special advisor to the CJCS, he’s given the rank of Major General, a house and car. At the end of his first day in processing at the Pentagon, General Watson takes him to dinner to see how he’s adjusting.

“General, I have to say I’m shocked. Had I known the benefits provided by America to her troops, I would have resigned and enlisted years ago.”

“General Chekov, we weren’t always so respected or provided with the high degree of benefits we have today. When General Brownstone became our Commander in Chief he changed our compensation and benefits. He told the nation that we put our lives on the line for the country yet many of our troops had to apply for food stamps and welfare in order to feed their families. He explained that we go where sent, do what we’re ordered to without question, yet an untrained teenager flipping burgers makes more per hour than we did. We’re on call 24/7, we can’t call in sick and have to leave our families for long periods of time, many times with very little or no notice. He told the country we’re the reason they are free. Congress voted to increase our total compensation packages and to disband the VA, which had killed many of us. President Brownstone led the creation of a new medical plan to all of the US military. We went from having low morale to having the highest morale since 9/11.”

“I’d heard that President Brownstone was respected by the military.”

“Respected is an understatement. Most of us would walk through hell with him. We know if he ordered us to take hell, he’d be in front of the first platoon leading us.”

“Is he still active in the government?”

“I guess you didn’t get much access to the news while you were in Vegas, he was just appointed our new Vice President.”

“Doesn’t that mean that he is next in line to be President, can he do that? I mean he’s already been President.”

“Our constitution forbids three consecutive terms, nothing forbids him from being President for one term, leaving office and returning at a later date.”

“So you’d like to see him as CIC again?”

“I would yes.”

Switching the subject, Major General Chekov says, “Tell me what I am supposed consult on.”

“You come from a different training routine, you see things differently than we do, I want you to listen to our discussions and speak out if you think our assumptions are wrong or if there is a different way to do something. We all respond based on our experiences and training, yours are different than ours.”

“You’re not asking me to tell you any state secrets?”

“No, we wouldn’t put you in such a position, the agency might, but I won’t. I respect the oath you took.”

“What do you mean the agency?”

“You’ll meet them tomorrow, the CIA.”

“Oh, them. We have the FSB and the GRU. I guess all countries have their own secret service.”

“You’ll quickly see the differences between our agency and yours.”

“OK, I’ll wait. What do you recommend for dinner?”

“Everything here is good, so enjoy whatever you want. There is one thing I should warn you about. There’s no smoking allowed in our restaurants. Don’t even try to sneak a quick one, we’ll both be thrown out.”

“I hear you. I notice people nod at you, do you know all of these people?”

“No, they nod in respect to my uniform.”

“As it should be. It was once this way in the Motherland. It has not been this way for many years. It is good to see it so here. One day I would like to meet your Vice President Brownstone.”

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The doorbell rings at the Smith’s home, Leon says, “I’ll get it.”

Opening the door, Leon is surprised and speechless, he’s able to get his voice back, “Mom, please come to the front door! HURRY.”

Carol comes running from the kitchen, still wearing her cooking apron, she sees who’s at their front door, she has tears in her eyes, “Leon, don’t be rude. Invite them in, they must be tired from their long journey.”

Opening the door, she welcomes her counterpart, Sharon, and the rest of the Smith family into her home. She and Sharon hug in the foyer. Leon and Scott shake hands while they eye each other. Carol says, “Come in, come in. Bob’s not home yet. Beth is upstairs. Let me call her. Would you like something to drink?”

Jason, Sharon, Scott, and Sissy slowly enter the Jones’ home, Sissy says, “It looks just like it did on television.”

Leon replies, “Did you think they made it up? We live here, we didn’t film our episodes in a studio.  Beth come down stairs, we have visitors.”

Beth comes down the stairs, she pauses at the third from the bottom step looking into the living room, “Oh my God, they’re here! Sissy, you’re here!”

Sissy and Beth hug. Beth says, “Come see my room, let’s play together.”

The two girls dash upstairs, as Scott and Leon go into the family room. Before everyone gets settled, the secret service agent who brought them says, “I guess you all know each other. I’ll return in a few hours to take them to their hotel.” Smiling, he says, “I hope you have a good visit.”

Bob arrives carrying two bags from the supermarket. He enters the house from the garage, opening the door, he hears voices that sound familiar, yet he can’t place the voices. Putting the bags down, he walks into the living room and gets the surprise of his life.

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Sean lays out the media action plan for the President and Vice President, both are impressed by the detail and completeness of the plan. Paul asks, “Sean, when are you ready to launch this?”

“As soon as you give me the OK.”

Rod says, “I like the beginning where you get others to make the suggestion for us of a dual election. Once the media grabs and runs with the idea, we’ll step forward and accept their idea. The idea will be theirs. They’ll push us to implement it, they’ll help us sell the story to both sides of the divide. If Booker doesn’t call for elections on his side, the media will shame him into it; after all it was his idea.”

All three laugh at the media carrying a conservative’s message to the people on both sides of the divide. Paul notes, “We have to shut down the RF jamming and open their internet backup when the media makes their call for the election. We wouldn’t want our brothers and sisters living in the LSA not to hear the call for the election.”

Chapter 32

President Booker announces a series of new programs to improve the life of minorities in the LSA, “My fellow citizens of the LSA, while we’re all equal, some of us don’t feel equal. Too many of our people don’t feel equal due to their racial heritage. It’s our duty to help our minorities feel equal to the rest of the citizens in the LSA. Henceforth, we’re going to help our minorities adjust. I grew up in a broken home, I understand the problems our minorities feel. As such, starting today, we are going to stop using the word minority. If we’re all equal there can’t be a minority or majority, there is only us. To help those who feel like they’re never getting ahead and are always behind the rest of us, I’m lowering the national tax rate for all people of color to 5% while increasing the rate for everyone else by the amount the country will lose by us all helping the people of color feel better about themselves. We all have to do more to help people of color forget their racial history. We have to work together to help people clear the memory of slavery. We, as a loving and progressive people, can do this. It’s our duty to help our brothers and sisters. If we’re going to build a strong, vibrant, progressive nation based on equality, we have to share our neighbor’s pain and suffering. We have to understand their plight so we can improve their lives.”

“I’m also happy to announce we’re going to accept the USA’s challenge for a national vote to decide who wants to live under which system, either progressivism or capitalism. We don’t think a week is realistic, just preparing the logistics are going to be impossible to complete in a week. We propose the vote be held in ninety days. Before you vote remember all the good we’ve accomplished in our progressive country. We’re the only country where everyone is equal. Remember all the good we’ve accomplished in the twelve years we’ve been an independent country. When you vote, remember, the core of capitalism is the business owner gets rich while the workers are treated like slaves. In the USA, the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. The poor have no way to move up the ladder to improve their quality of life. Do you want to be a slave to some faceless business owner? Do you want to live in a country that allows gun ownership? Do you want to live in a country that allows rough sports where your children might be hurt playing these ‘games’? Do you want to live in a country where you have to decide who to use for various purchases, where there’s more than one choice for almost everything. We know most of the USA agrees with us, we’ll welcome our new brothers and sisters with open arms and love.”

“If you vote to join the USA and live in the polluted, angry, capitalist country the USA is, either you will be moved to the USA, at the USA’s cost or if enough of you vote, your entire town, city or even state will transfer to the USA. I know in my heart very few of you are going to vote to transfer to the USA. You wouldn’t be progressives if you wanted to live there. If you aren’t a progressive, you wouldn’t be here. The LSA is moving forward every day. Every day we accomplish more than any progressive in history ever thought possible.”

“You’re going to be hearing a lot of propaganda from the USA shortly; you’re going to hear a lot of lies and deceptions to create doubt in you. The USA is going to try to make you question your original decision. They are going to try to make you question everything about your life and the future of your children. Don’t fall for the lies, the deception and the false stories you are going to hear. Remember the truth; remember you’re living in a paradise that’s never existed before. We’re going to be running special programs on the LSA network about life in America. We’re going to remind you of the truth they’re not going to show or tell you.”

“I plan to visit with you every other evening to discuss various issues, and remind you of the important progress we as a country have made together.”

“People of the LSA, rest easy tonight and every night, knowing your government is watching out for your safety, you are going to hear that you’ve lost most of your freedoms, I will close tonight by asking you, what good are freedoms if you’re not secure?”