RETURN OF THE 1970's

RETURN OF THE 1970'S Although this event would, allegedly, be triggered, by a car-bombing, at a congressional district office, It would be much more accurate to say that the event was, actually, triggered, by a radical member of Congress. Both by their comments, and a suspicious e-mail. There are those who found the appearance, of the e-mail, to be suspicious, to say the least. Not for its contents, either. The real problem was that the e-mail only appearred in response to public suspicion, about the car-bombing. For MONTHS, prior to the bombing, the congressman, in question, had been demanding ever-increasing amounts, of funds, in order to continue whatever it was that America was, still, trying to achieve, in the Middle East. The congressman was "preaching" the "need", for the U.S. government to approve atleast another $900 million, for the purpose of "continue to take the battle, to the enemy". By this time, though, the American people had ceased to listen to such rhetoric, and such stupid phrases as "The terrorists are EVERYWHERE" and "We MUST take the battle to "them", or we risk further attacks, on our homeland". Such phrases had lost all meaning, over the past decade. After more than a decade, of the "War on Terror", all that John Q. Public could see, coming out of this "war" was an ever-growing number of coffins, and far too many grave-stones, marking the future hopefuls, of the business world. This, and the fact that armaments manufacturers were growing insanely rich, off of multi-billion dollar military contracts. Washington D.C. had, also, lost its international support, for this "war", but, now, the capital was losing the American people as well. To many Americans, it would seem as if the car-bomb explosion would be a last-ditch effort, to rally the American people back into supporting the endless "wars". It was just questionable whether, or not, the destruction, of a neighboring book store, on one side, of the congressional office, and a beauty salon, on the opposite side, were intentional, or just by-products. Within twelve hours, of the explosion, and even BEFORE the bomb-squad even began to evaluate the scene, the congressman would be on television, and radio, insisting that the bombings were a warning. "These bombs", the congressman would tell the audience "Are a TEST, of our national resolve. We MUST step up the "War on Terror", or face even more bombings". Well, after the myriad lies the American public had been told, to justify the trillions of dollars, already spent on invading the Middle East, including "manufactured claims", of "W.M.D.'s", nuclear, biological, and even chemical, weapons, All that Americans saw, coming out of this "war", was the more than 21,000 dead soldiers, in their flag-draped coffins, as well as the more than 50,000 permanently-disabled service members, the widows, and the orphans. When Washington D.C. tried to counter this, by shouting "9/11! 9/11!", the American public was beginning to say "Thats OLD news!". Then, the car bomb exploded. It was, however, only after the media began to question the timing, of the car bombing, and the growing suspicion, that the bombing might have been just a stunt, designed to "shock" the American people BACK into the attitude that "We MUST counter-attack!" Only AFTER this had the mysterious e-mail come to light. Naturally, it was full of the usual "American devils must pay for their "evil"" crap, but the problem, with the e-mail was that investigative journalists were searching for comparisons, to known, extremist, groups, and these journalists ended up finding what Congress had hoped the journalists would not find. Journalists discovered that this "threat" was, practically, word-for-word, the same as several, previous, threats. Threats, which were so similar to threats issued by the likes of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and others. "Promises" that lands, such as Germany, would crush the dictators enemies. The radical congressman was even insisting that anyone, who opposed continuing the invasions, of the Middle East, was both a "Terrorist Sympathizer", and a "Traitor to America", and that all such persons were to be placed under maximum, active, surveillance. The modern radicals main mistake was to suggest that "ALL, modern, cars, be outfitted, with active, surveillance, systems, just as all modern public transit would be actively monitored". What the radical was too demented to realize was the effect that their words would have, on the American public. Just at the time, when fuel-efficiency standards would have lead to a significant reduction, in Carbon-Monoxide emmissions, as well as decreased, national, dependence, on foreign oil, Once the American public was made aware that their newer, micro-processor, controlled, cars could, soon become federal, listening, devices, something, Washington D.C. could, never, have anticipated, happened, on American streets. Even as ridership, on modern, L.P. fuelled, mass transit busses, saw a sharp decline, as commuters suspected federal "eaves-dropping", on daily commutes, first one automobile salvage yard, then more, began reporting customers, coming in, NOT just to buy auto PARTS, but to buy whole vehicles. Within three months time, the numbers, of 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's motor vehicles, being returned to service, began to alarm federal, and state, governments. This, even as salvage yards reported rapidly diminishing inventories. Auto parts stores also saw escalating sales, of "classic" car parts, even as "classic cars" were being put back on the road. Portable stereo manufacturers also began reporting brisk sales, of battery-powered stereos. It would, soon, become apparent that the American public was willing to give up fuel efficiency, air conditioning, and even satellite radio, in order to retain personal privacy. As for the mass transit agencies, their management realized that the only way to regain passenger ridership, was to return to the now, long-retired, old work-horses, to active service. The buses which had carried workers to, and from, manufacturing jobs, in the 1970's, and 1980's. Even though this would mean giving up on newer, more fuel-efficient, models, with their wheelchair lifts, and other "gadgets". This decision would be made mandatory, since the public was making it known that passengers would NOT ride the newer models. Not, atleast, until the public was sure that there would be no federal "eaves-dropping". On top of all of this, new car dealerships reported sales lots becoming more like "ghost-towns", due to the publics fear, of the radicals surveillance suggestions. Still, the radical would insist that America remained in the "terrorists" "cross-hairs", and the radical even tried forming a "tie", with two, subsequent, car-bombings, as "Proof of Intent". On-site bomb-squads, though, would only report that each bombs components were "locally available", to ANY-one. When asked, a bomb-squad commander would only say "All I am suggesting is that ANY-one could have made these bombs. Even I could". After this, the worse mistake anyone could have made, was in being stupid enough to send a man, dressed like a Taliban member, into a shopping mall, and carrying a package. The man might have pulled off the "stunt" except that his actions were "way too suspicious". Even according to mall security, it seemed as if the man was TRYING to DRAW attention to himself. Especially in the ways the man kept looking at people, and half-stumbling about. It is no wonder that, in no time, at all, the mall security brought the man into its offices. A short time later, when the bomb squad was called in, to check the mans package, the bomb squad commander no-sooner opened the "suspicious" package, when the squad commander laughed, so hard, at what he found, in the package, that his helmet fell off. The so-called "bomb" turned out to be nothing more than some Lincoln Logs, some radio wire, and an old style alarm clock. When another bomb-squad worker asked the commander "Whats so funny?", the squad commander would say "This looks like a kindergarten toy. My grand-children could have done a better job, than this". This is why it was no surprise that, when the "terrorist" photo was sent out, to law enforcement, that the silent man was, soon, "taken into custody", by none other than F.B.I. agents. (The local media was, strictly, forbidden, from running any story, about the "fake bombing", even as the congressional radical was not only demanding an increase, in invasion funding, of $2.9 billion, but that the radical was, also, bringing legislation, stating that even older model cars were to, soon, be equipped, for monitoring). When the media asked "HOW will you wire cars, such as the General Lee, for surveillance? These cars dont even have F.M. radio" The media just shook their collective heads, in dis-belief, when the radical congressman would say "To protect America, I would wire up dogs, and cats, if need be". Soon after this, the radical became a "laughing stock", whose supporters, quickly, bailed, on them, over the "dogs and cats" remark. Congress, also, would suspend further, action, on invasion funding, until Capital Hill could either FIND, or CREATE, ANOTHER reason, for continuing the Middle-East invasions. A reason which war-weary Americans would accept. Problem was that, over the past decade, almost every excuse, in the book, had been used, too many times. After the "dogs and cats" remark left Americans questioning their governments "ethics" (while the public tried to control its belly-laughs), mass transit agencies began placing small, yet growing, numbers, of newer busses, back into service. The most intelligent, of these services, even posted "laughter" signs, for riders, which read "No WIRED animals allowed, on mass transit busses" followed by a smiley face. No doubt, the main reason why the radical "retired", from office, was that the "dog and cat" remark had lead to many, of the radicals own staff members seeking transfers (to prevent being known as "laughing stocks", themselves). When the radical closed their final, remaining, offices, to head home, the radical would hear plenty of fake "Woof, woof's", and "meows", as they left the capital. In the end, bomb squad commanders would report "No evidence of "terrorist" plots. All bombs composed of materials, available to anyone, with a credit, or debit, card". Still, it would be MONTHS before the public would "Let down its guard", and place older vehicles BACK into storage, while returning to driving newer cars. On the positive side, though, many people agreed that it had been FUN, driving their parents cars, and seeing now-historic busses, on city streets, again. Also, thanks to a few, nostalgic, mechanics, (probably with too much time on their hands) some cities did, in fact, tune up the old busses, modernizing the engines, while keeping interiors intact. This, while a growing number, of motorists, also upgraded car engines, in order to continue driving nostalgic cars. One city even won an award, for going even further. To celebrate the return, of the 1970's mass transit busses, the department, of public works, dug out some old, bus route signs, and re-posted these, for passenger appeal. While the radical was, soon, forgotten, the nostalgia wave lived on, including some cities even allowing commuters to vote on which routes to run the 1970's busses on.