AMERICA REVOLTS

AMERICA REVOLTS! FORWARD: This story is dedicated to the memory of the honorable United States Senator: John McCain. A man, who served his nation with dignity, respect, and HONOR. May his soul Rest in Peace. No one was surprised, when the "war", finally, came. In fact, many citizens had thought that the "war" would have erupted, years before. The problem is that human nature remained hopeful, until faced with a bitter truth. While "Privatization" had been defeated, by voters, again and again, Washington D.C. just never thought of what the public reaction would be, when the White House issued the Executive Order, abolishing Social Security. All the while, telling the impoverished "Make do as best you can, on your own." At the same time that Privatization was made the new "Law of the land", The White House demanded tax-cuts, equalling 90% of corporate tax debt. Washington D.C. remained adamant that, if the rich were not taxed that, one day, SOME day, the rich would re-invest thier savings, in American jobs. Even while the ink remained wet, on the order, making Privatization the "law of the land", the department of Housing and Urban Development, would be disbanded, with low-income people being told "If you want shelter, thats YOUR problem. Only by eliminating taxation, on the super-rich, can we hope to re-build America, back into a super-power." While Washington D.C.. never thought that the American people would rebel, against this radical change, in government, the White House ordered all military units to a war-footing. The order would be: DESTROY all opposition, to the new order! When several, military, units questioned the need to attack American civilians, the rich, simply hired private contractors, both to lead attacks, and to "dispose" of any soldiers who would dare question the attack order. The problem, that the rich, and powerful, had not counted upon was a single, fact, of American life. While it was true, that many Americans depended on governnment benefits, for health reasons, what neither Washington D.C., nor the super-rich, could understand, was just how DEPENDENT the super-rich, and the government, were, on the working class. A dependency, which included everything from documents delivery, to keeping offices well-stocked, with supplies. The list just went on, and on. For Washington D.C., however, the REAL core, of the problem, only began when the White House ordered a "concrete ceiling", on federal spending. Since this "ceiling" was only $2 million above current spending levels, it was no time, at all, before congress TRIED giving out I.O.U.'s, to everyone, who would accept. The problem was that neither suppliers, nor employees, would accept the pieces of paper. After all, people had BILLS to pay. Creditors would not accept the I.O.U.'s. For the first time, in YEARS, members, of Congress, had to provide for themselves. The White Houses next mistake was to issue an Executive Order, demanding that supplies be delivered, for Executive Branch use. What shocked the White House was when suppliers asked "IF you have CASH, in HAND, for the deliveries, your supplies can be delivered within the hour." When the White House would respond "You WILL be paid." The shock only grew when suppliers asked "WHEN will we be paid?" White House staffers understood suppliers concern since, after all, the media was reporting that the government was "penniless". For the next few days, the White House, openly, referred to suppliers as "traitors", for refusing to deliver supplies, however, the F.C.C. found itself declining to revoke several news outlets licenses. The simple truth was that, with a debt ceiling, FIRMLY, in place, America had returned to the 1980's. The time when Republican president Ronald Reagan had shut down the federal government, for over a month, while Mr. Reagan INSISTED that HIS budget be passed. As this history reared its UGLY head, federal workers found themselves joining the ranks, of those, at food pantries. Far too many, of these people thought that federal positions would mean STABLE income. The very same, federal, employees, who lived check-to-check, secure in the knowledge that they had enough money, left over, to cover food costs, had not been as careful as they thought. Sure, they had "basic" transportation, and housing, however, there was a difference between their parents, and themselves. When their parents had been workers, the price, of a brand new car, was $2,000, to $3,000, while a single family home cost just $15,000, to $25,000. That was THEN. In the modern day, federal workers were paying $30,000, to $40,000, for cars, and upwards of $200,000, for homes. While workers wages were much higher, in the present, so were prices. To make matters worse, and contribute to the revolt, when the White House heard rumors, that Congress was preparing an override, in order to pay bills, the White House ordered Capital Hill "sealed", under "Executive Order", until Congress "caved" to the White Houses demands. This would become the "center" of the revolt. Not only could the public make no purchases, without funds, but Congress was, physically, shut-out, by the White House. The White Houses terms were "simple". Privatization would replace Social Security, and the public would be required to work "longer, harder, hours", just to pay basic bills. The rich would NOT be taxed, at all and, eventually, some-day, good-paying jobs would return to the nation. (According to a media source, inside the White House, the Executive Office had just finished an inventory, of emergency supplies, and had verified that the capital had enough supplies to outlast Congress, and the public, for YEARS, to come.) That is, atleast for as long as the White House did not mind eating ration packs. (There would be no more gourmet food, or chefs, to cook, until the budget was resolved) While no one was, actually, sure, of HOW the feat was accomplished, it was just hours after the Executive Branch had moved to the shelter, when the lights went out. There would be rumors, that either citizens had broken into the storage tanks, or that soldiers, whose families, also, faced hunger, had stolen the fuel. All that the source reported was that, just as the chief executive was bragging "Give them TIME, and those fools will come, BEGGING, for any scraps that we offer", when the lights, in the shelter went out. When the back-ups did not start up, the shelter tenants were compelled to switch to candles. While this was happening, under the White House, the military was overseeing the peaceful packing, of every, usable, item, in the city. Gas stations had their reserve tanks pumped dry, while refrigerated semi's packed freezer sections, and moving vans packed non-perishables. While a rumor had circulated that the air vents, for the national shelter, should be blocked, to prevent fresh air from reaching the chief executive, state police, quickly, sent their own counter-rumor around. This one, reminding anyone, thinking of lethal action, that such action would constitute MURDER. Since no one knew HOW/WHOM the rumor started, the message was, quickly, discarded. Within twenty-four hours, the only people, remaining in D.C., were the staff, of the White House. Over the coming months, a temporary goverment was set up, in the nations interior. Crops were being planted, and harvested, while farmers, and auto mechanics, would work to convert motor vehicles, to the high-grade, moon-shine, whose production the A.T.F. was monitoring. Life could have been wilder, except that people decided to work together, to outlast the person, in the White House. If the White House wanted to play "hard-ball", so could the American people. The only difference was that the "rebels/terrorists" had fresh food to eat, fresh water, to bathe in and (thanks to some engineers), clean water, to wash clothing in. By contrast, it was not long before the executive branch got tired of eating canned rations, and being stuck in a place, which smelled WORSE, by the day. While staffers were concerned when their number began to diminish, a search, of the shelter, showed neither bodies, nor bones. This relieved staffers, who were concerned that, long enough, in this bunker, and they MIGHT resort to cannibalism. In reality, the most intelligent staffers had waited until after the others had gone to rest. Once the shelter was resting, these people, silently, used an "EMERGENCY EXIT", taking anything they could carry, in rucksacks, and heading out, into rebel territory. While the chief executive had promised, during the summer warmth that "Trust me. Once winter comes, and those terrorists get ice cold enough, they WILL come, CRAWLING back, BEGGING for anything we will offer." While winter did, eventually, come, what the chief executive had not thought about was that Washington D.C. gets COLD, in the winter, as well. Just one difference between the "terrorists" strong-hold, and Washington D.C. While the chief executive had to bundle, under layers, of heavy clothes, to prevent freezing, out, in the "terrorists" land, kerosene heaters were running, at capacity, while motor vehicles were running on high-grade moon-shine. It may seem ironic, however, come spring, while the "terrorist" opposition, to the White House, was eating dinner, by candle-light, as an early spring set in, the chief executive was beginning to wonder how LONG the "terrorists" could hold out. It had been so many months, since the chief executive had eaten a warm, chef-prepared, meal, that the remainder of the staff had bailed, on the chief. The White House had been cold, and dark, for months, and staff had grown annoyed hearing the chief executive promising "Give them TIME, and those "terrorists" will come, BEGGING, for anything we have to offer." The last, of the staff walked out, after the chief executive belted an assistant, so hard, that the blow, almost, broke the staffers jaw. When the chief executive bellowed "Get OUT!", the chief had meant "out of my office." Staff took it to mean "OUT of my shelter!" Still, it took the chief executive three days to realized that they were all that remained, of their government. This is when they put pen to paper, with final thoughts: Under NO conditions is Social Security to be reinstated. It is to be Privatization, or NOTHING! Under NO circumstances is H.U.D., and low-income housing, to be re-instated! If those ingrates want housing, let them WORK, longer, HARDER, hours, for the money. This nation can no-longer AFFORD minimum wage. Employers MUST be allowed to pay any amount that they choose to. Any variation, from these goals, and I will see to it that this nation is set for auction. Piece-by-piece, block-by-block, house-by-house, and person-by-person. It would be the French who would be the first to find the remains. This would be because the closest sea-port, to the "rebel" territory, was east of Washington D.C.. As a wise precaution, the French commander had sent forth a recon patrol, and it was this group which found the source of the stench, which fouled the air, around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The French equivalent of the grave-diggers unit, would be tasked with bagging the body, and airing the shelter. This, while the recon detachment proceeded to meet with the "rebel" Americans. The members, of the deposed Congress, laughed, openly, at the demands, contained within the note. When the French toured Washington D.C., with the deposed congress, asking "How much time, and assistance, will you require, to return the government, to full operation?" The department of Streets and Public Improvements would promise the French "Its not that bad. Just a LOT of clean-up. Give us a month, and we will be back in business." For the first time, in 200 years, Washington D.C. sought out short-term loans, for the national re-start. The time when the nation felt an overwhelming sense, of relief, was when the power stations came back on-line, and radio, and television, resumed. The promise, of Liberty, which had begun more than two centuries ago, remained alive. A bit batterred, but alive, and well. As long as there remain people, like the senator, to oversee government, and keep the executive branch in check, the promise, which is the United States, will live on, FAR into the Future! Rest in Peace, Senator John McCain.