Sweetness in the Dark (49 page)

“Mr. President, my caucus has listed a number of items it would like to see established in the new country. I think you’ll agree that they all strengthen the family. So much of our cultural demise revolved around the breakup of our families,” Mary began.

“I agree. While our teen pregnancy rate dropped, our out-of-wedlock birth rate soared. That almost half our babies were being born to one-parent households was appalling,” the President concurred.

“Then we agree on the need to support two-parent homes and to further support one parent being at home to raise the children.”

Amanda looked at the President. She wasn’t sure that the discussion was headed in a direction she could support. Putting women back in the kitchen as their only option in life bothered her.

She saw the President react to the suggestion of women reverting back to traditional roles. He offered, “Mary, I certainly can support two parent homes. I can also support getting the national government to reduce its financial burden on families so one parent can stay home. But I want to be perfectly clear that the person staying home could be a mom or dad.”

“Agreed,” Mary said. Then she threw out the next demand. The Christian Caucus was again asking for recognition by the new government of the Sabbath.

Sunday would become a day oriented to religious worship and family. While not creating a state religion, the national government would impose commercial restrictions on what could take place on Sunday.

Mary explained that like the ‘Blue Laws’ of the early part of the 20th century, commercial activity would be curtailed. Only small essential commercial establishments would be allowed to be open. Corner convenience stores, gas stations and drug stores were the type of places envisioned by the Christians as appropriate.

Large malls and big-box stores would be shuttered on Sunday. Even large grocery stores would be among those shops closed.

The Christian Caucus wanted people to refrain from commercial activities on Sunday and spend their time in other ways.

The President stepped in. “But Mary, we went over all this during the Constitution debates. My side gave way on the double taxation on Sunday. Isn’t that enough?”

“My side is quite adamant about Sunday being a family day this time. They felt like they didn’t get enough last time and are determined to hold out.”

The President was taken back when Mary went on. Mary stated that her side also wanted all professional sports excluded from Sunday. If people didn’t chose to attend church, then with limited shopping and entertainment options, they might spend more time with their families and neighbors.

“That will be a tough one, Mary,” the President said. Although none of the professional sports had been reestablished since ‘the Pulse’, it was only a matter of time before some sort of sports again ruled people’s lives. “I’ll agree that people put way too much time and effort into sports before P-Day, but nothing on Sundays? I don’t know.”

“There will be six days a week for all the sports people want. One day needs to be set aside so that families at least have the opportunity to be together. They may choose to do things separately, but their options will be limited,” Mary answered.

Amanda jumped in the discussion. “I agree with Mary. Sports was an escape for many people. With the old country taking so many freedoms away and taxing people to death, sports was a way out. I think having one day without all the usual distractions might be beneficial.”

“And to encourage family time, we are asking for a doubling of the tax on cell phone calls and text messages on Sunday also,” Mary stated.

The UAS had already decided to start taxing the entertainment part of peoples lives. Along with separate television and movie taxes, the internet had finally been taxed.

A per-call tax had been imposed on cell phones along with a tax on each text message. Internet use was to be taxed by the minute. The Christian Caucus had jumped on the internet tax since estimates had stated that half the bandwidth was being used for porn downloads. While the Christian Caucus had attempted a ban on internet porn previously, a tax on downloads would hit people in their wallets.

It turned out that parents were ecstatic about the cell and text tax. It allowed the government to be the bad guy while they set limits on their children’s phone use.

“I was amazed at the support we received when we imposed the text tax. I never realized how frustrated parents had become at their kids doing ten thousand texts a month. Under the new tax, no one could afford that, so the phone companies instituted text-blocking after a predetermined number,” Amanda said.

“I think you’ll find an equally receptive audience when one day of the week is set aside with very little outside stimulus available. Our society was bereft of a moral basis due to everyone being too busy,” Mary said.

Again Mary pushed for more controls on internet pornography. “The Web has become a cesspool for our youth. Graphic images are easily available with a simple mouse click. We have to protect our children.”

The President hesitated. Amanda knew his feelings on the ease of pornography coming into people’s homes. But the libertarian in him wanted people free to choose and government censorship would be anathema to him.

Amanda offered, “Mr. President, in the past all pornography sites required a credit card number before access was allowed. Perhaps that sort of restriction again would meet the requirements, since credit cards typically require one to be over eighteen.”

The President thought that was a good solution. “I know your caucus wants more restrictions but my caucus will only go so far in limiting people’s individual freedoms.”

Mary made another attempt at outlawing homosexuality. The President stopped her.

“Mary, I knew this would be in the discussion. What my side can offer is a national support of ‘civil unions’. While it is a state’s issue, in order that people have the same rights across state lines, the national government would recognize those unions. That gives gays the right to be recognized legally as a couple, without the traditional approval of marriage,” the President said.

Amanda knew that the Christian Caucus had obtained the majority of their items for support of a gold-backed monetary system. Amanda wondered what damage such an agreement would cause the President in his own caucus. But the President had one more item to discuss with Mary.

* * *

The next day the President and the Secretary of the Interior held a press conference to announce the new agreement. Meeting with his full caucus prior to the announcement, the President reminded the Libertarians of the importance of the gold standard. He also reminded them that the Neocons were waiting in the wings if they couldn’t reach a compromise.

The Libertarian Caucus was taken aback by the infringement the new ‘Blue Laws’ placed on the new country. But the thought of losing the ‘gold standard’ and reverting back to a ‘fiat money’ system persuaded the majority to accept the deal. The strong leadership of the President had kept the Libertarians from breaking with the deal.

After the compromise was announced by the two leaders of their respective caucuses, the President proposed the Free World Federation. The FWF, as it would be called, would be an association of western-style countries that could find common ground in which they could cooperate. A sort-of a United Nations for the non-despot countries, it would set standards that each member would have to meet to receive the mutual support of the entire group.

The old United Nations had ceased to exist after ‘the Pulse’. Many thought it had ceased to exist as a legitimate organization when the United Nations named Moammar Gadhafi’s Libya to its ‘Human Rights Council’ in the 1990s. The little respect the organization had at that time vaporized. After that, the UN was a dying idea that had moved past reality. With the death of the liberal elites around the globe, the concept of a UN died, too.

The UAS President now proposed a new group that would represent the free and open societies in the world. Military defense and trade were the keys that would bring the countries together. A high standard of elected government and freedom would be set for admittance. The despots of the world would be on their own.

A ‘World Gold Standard’ would be the crux of the new group. Solid money based on a real asset. This would create trade between countries and individuals that was based on an asset that governments couldn’t manipulate to their advantage.

Amanda watched the response at the news of a world gold standard by the opposition as both Horst and Rebecca had attended the news conference. They both appeared shocked that the Libertarians and the Christians had reached a compromise.

The Neocons had assumed the Christian Caucus was their natural ally in the struggle for political control of the UAS
, Amanda thought. Amanda was soon to find out how unstable the new Libertarian-Christian political alliance was.

North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii

The Battle of San Francisco, as recorded, was as bloody and destructive as had been predicted. But the blood was mostly suffered on the Chinese side. With fixed defensive lines similar to the Russian Front in the 1940s, the Chinese were determined to extract as many American casualties as possible.

Like World War II, Japan had attempted a similar strategy. Hopelessly cut off from any chance of resupply, the Japanese devised a defensive posture on their islands that would kill as many American troops as possible. Of course, all the Japanese troops had died in the process.

But unlike the Japanese or the Russian defenders, neither had to deal with the A-10. While ground attack planes existed in World War II, none reached the level of lethality that was designed into the A-10. The ‘Warthog’, as it was affectionately called by its pilots, was a fearsome weapon against fixed targets.

When General Ed Gale turned them loose on the Chinese lines, its 30 mm Gatling gun literally tore the Chinese apart. Without any air cover, the ‘Hogs’ were free to roam the skies looking for targets.

After a week of air attacks by the ‘Hogs’, with supplemental bombing and rocket attacks delivered by other units of the Air Force, the Chinese defensive line was substantially reduced. While the American infantry still fought hard for ground, any resistance was immediately subdued by a call to the A-10s.

Two weeks later, it was all over. The remaining Chinese troops surrendered and asked for asylum. The top Chinese officials committed suicide rather than face shame at having lost their foothold in North America.

Few of the hostages were still alive, unfortunately. The ones that hadn’t succumbed to ill treatment, were machined-gunned by the Chinese in the closing hours of the battle.

Of the original United States, only Guam and Hawaii remained under foreign control. But an expanded Maritime Exclusion Zone that covered both island groups was doing its job. Slow starvation on the islands set in and the occupying forces slowly succumbed. When word of the fierce fighting around San Francisco reached the islands, the local troops took their fate into their own hands.

The Chinese Red Army rose up and fought for their lives. The Chinese High Command and Communist Commissars were all captured or killed by their own troops. Word soon reached the UAS Command of the surrender of both islands.

Under protest, General Ed Gale had accompanied the victory fleet of Admiral Lanciani’s Carrier Battle Group to Honolulu for the formal surrender. On the way, word reached the fleet reminding them that hostilities with mainland China were still very active, as a Chinese nuclear submarine had recently been sunk.

Paul and Amanda joined the Presidential entourage that flew to Hawaii after the security of the islands had been assured. They were meeting with representatives of New Zealand and Australia to decide the final disposition of forces still arrayed Down Under.

“Prime Ministers, let me welcome you both to a free Hawaii. I hope your journey was satisfactory,” the UAS President said at the first meeting of the three leaders. The two Prime Ministers had traveled secretly by Australian frigate and had arrived two days before. It hadn’t been the most comfortable ship on the open seas and the President planned a safer and smoother trip back. A Los Angeles Class nuclear sub would be available as it returned to duty off the north coast of Australia.

“Thank you, Mr. President. I know I can speak for my colleague from New Zealand in expressing our profound gratitude for what your country has provided to our two countries. It will be remembered, I can assure you,” the Aussie Prime Minister said.

Mr. Muldoon, the New Zealand Prime Minister nodded in agreement. Then he added, “And congratulations on your country adopting a ‘gold standard’. That will set a new tone of financial responsibility for others around the world.”

The President had worked hard for adoption of a ‘gold standard’. It had been a close vote but the Amendment to the Constitution had passed all three bodies.

Now it was up to his allies to get the Amendment passed by three-fourths of the states and provinces. Amanda was personally making sure that the Texas admission to the UAS would be on hold until the Amendment’s approval.

“Well, we need to lay out our strategy for sending your uninvited guests back home. I understand the embargo has been very effective,” the President said.

“Quite. I know that the Chinese in Queensland have resorted to gleaning the local fields for food. I know they would love to attack south into New South Wales where we have more substantial food stocks, but our Aussie and your American troops have been itching for them to try. I’m afraid Western Australia is in a very tight way,” the Aussie Prime Minister offered.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand interjected. “We have heard, rather quietly, that the Indonesians are looking for an out. They have contacted India to act as an intermediary to negotiate the withdrawal of their troops and settlers.”

“And we have heard the same, sir,” the President said. “How should we handle it?”