The Balkanization of America (28 page)

Teachers are paid four times the minimum wage with mandatory union membership. The teacher's union is only concerned with class size and dues collection. Union membership is mandatory for anyone working in the LSA. Only 40% of the working-age adults in the LSA actually work, they support the 60% who claim to be artists, authors or other devotees of the arts who are totally supported by the government. The LSA government fosters the arts, which are open to all. Most incentive programs are deemed illegal in the LSA because they discriminate by not being offered to everyone. The Supreme Court of the LSA is reviewing the question of whether overtime pay is legal because not everyone has the ability to earn it.

Acting President Reid announces a new government incentive program that rewards people with small gold coins; neighborhood spying. People are encouraged to call a special 800 number if they suspect or they see a person acting against the greater good. Anyone speaking out against the government, or union should be turned in. Special police units are formed to arrest those who are reported as being anti-government or anti-union. Social media posts, forum posts, emails, and texts, are reviewed by government censors and fact checkers.

The acting President knows the LSA has to keep the pressure on the USA. He recruits volunteers who are sent to Venezuela or Cuba to be trained as terrorists. After training, they are sent to small and large cities in America to wait for the code word which will turn them into deadly weapons in America’s heartland.

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Nanny Polsi arrives in New York to find it cold and dark. People are trying to sleep in the airport terminals; no taxis are waiting outside the airport. She is escorted out of the terminal and into an LAV. She looks at the LAV, “What is this? Where is my limo?”

The agent in charge of her security responds, “Madam Acting Vice President, the roads around and in the city are still covered in snow. A normal limo won’t be able to navigate the streets. We received over 24 inches of snow.”

“Why haven’t the streets been cleared?”

“Sanitation department went on strike because the power is off.”

“Get them back on the job, it’s for the greater good of everyone.”

“Madam Acting Vice President, the phones are out, I don’t have the leader of the union’s cell number. We’ll take you to a secure building where we have a generator running.”

“Why can’t I stay at the Palace like I usually do?”

“Mrs. Polsi, there is NO power in the city, the hotel has no running water, no working toilets, no restaurants. Nothing is working right now.”

“I was sent here to get the power back on. How do we do that?”

“If we knew we would have already done it.”

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“Mr. President, things are starting to get out of control in the North East. This year’s winter has been started colder than normal. The cost of fuel oil and natural gas has increased five times the cost this time last year. Many in the North East have to decide between heat and food, given the LSAs poor record on providing food, many don’t have to make a decision because food is in such short supply in some areas.”

“What does this have to do with us?”

“Sir, these people used to be American citizens.”

“Mr. Secretary, ‘used to be’ are the keywords aren’t they?

“We’ve already decided we can’t afford to be the world’s policeman; we stopped foreign aid, and we’ve reduced our debt to a figure we’ll have repaid in four years. We’ll be one of the world’s few debt free countries, and now you want me to provide aid to the North East? They made their own decision. Don’t you think it’s breaking my heart watching the news reports?”

“Mr. President, what if the North East States request permission to rejoin the union?”

“I’d have to seriously think about it and ask my advisors for their thought. If we took them back only for them to leave in the spring it would hurt this administration, it would hurt our country. I’m not sure I trust anyone in the LSA.”

“Sir, that’s a very serious statement to make.”

“Yes, I know, which is why I’m only talking to you here in the Oval Office where the only recordings are those I make.”

“Sir, I think we have a moral obligation to help those who used to be part of us.”

“Where does the obligation end? Are we supposed to feed everyone in the LSA? Are we supposed to come to their aid for anything?”

“Mr. President, I don’t honestly have that answer.”

“When you do, come back and talk to me. To be honest with you, I feel their suffering too. I don’t want to be accused by the LSA of invading their area, or breaking one of their crazy new rules.”

“Sir, we should do something for them.”

“What would you like me to do? Want to take the food reserves from our people to feed them? Should we ship them the fuel reserves we’ve spent millions in gold rebuilding and expanding? How many of our people should die so we can feed them?”

“Mr. President, it’s not like that. Sir, it's heart breaking watching those people freeze and starve.”

“Son, I know it is. I’m stuck trying to figure out if we should do something for them or not.”

“Mr. President, what does your heart say to you?”

“It tells me not to listen to it.”

“Sir, how about if we ask the Army and border patrol to leave some food and fuel behind on the border. When do they make their patrols? How about if some food falls out of C130s and C17s that happen to be flying over them?”

“I won’t stop you if those things happen, I also would rather not know about it in case the LSA asks me about it.”

“Sir, I understand deniability.”

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My cell rings, “Hello, this is Brad.”

“Brad, Ron, can you talk?”

“Yeah, sure, what’s up?”

“Do you have any plans for tonight?”

“No, just catch up on some programs with Kathy, why?”

“How about joining me for some pancakes?”

“OK.”

At 7: 00 PM, Ron and I pull into the iHOP parking lot. There're five cars in the lot. The “OPEN” sign is turned off.

Joshua welcomes us to the restaurant, “Welcome; you’re just in time for dinner. We’re having true southern fried chicken tonight.”

Smiling, “It sounds better than pancakes for dinner, even if these are the best pancakes I’ve ever had,”

“Aaron, we have a potential problem which is why I’ve you to join us.”

I’m sure you remember everyone?”

Looking at them, I nod and say, “All, good to see you again.”

Joshua says, “Follow me” We go into the kitchen where Joshua opens a locked door, going to the basement where he says, “We can talk here.”

“What’s up, what’s with all of the cloak and dagger bullshit?”

“Brad, Ron, yes, it’s OK to use our real names here, the basement is shielded.”

“Joshua, what’s up, why did you want to see me?”

“We’ve been tipped off that the LSAs going to smuggle terrorists across the border to attack us inside our own borders. They’re also going to use social media to build huge flash mobs to overwhelm our malls and stores.”

“Why call me? Why not the police and the Army?”

“The Army does know; I called you and many like you because we need as many eyes on the situation as possible. We’ve been tipped off to the plan being run by the LSA. They’re sending regular people who were trained in Cuba and Venezuela into our communities who at the appointed time will attack our people in shopping malls and recreation parks. The police are also on the lookout. I know you live across the street from the mall, I want you to keep your eyes open.”

“For Christ’s sake Joshua, there are many different entrances to the mall, I can only see one, what makes you think they’ll enter using the one I can see?”

“Because we learned they were going to enter from the entrance across from Benihana.”

“You got me; that’s the entrance across from my home.”

“I still don’t know why you didn’t contact the police.”

“Hey, dummy, who drove you here?”

“Duh, Ron of course, so why reach out to me?”

“Cause the police force is still very small, we need all the help they can get, if you spot them, which will be easy to do, they’ll be coming in a bus, and you can contact the police minutes before anyone else.”

“And you couldn’t just call me to discuss this?”

“You know I don’t like unsecured phones.”

“Hell, Joshua, your best friend is the President. I thought you were on the list to be an ambassador or something.”

“I was offered any country I wanted. I’m too old and not politically correct enough to be an ambassador.”

“Bullshit, you would make a great ambassador, it’s about time we had someone who speaks the plain truth.”

“You go; I’m happy staying home and driving the President crazy.”

“Look, Brad, this flash mob thing can get out of control. If they hit a number of our malls and stores, they’ll destroy our people’s confidence that will ripple through our entire economy.”

“Joshua, I get it, but you could have called your BFF and had him take care of it, he is commander in chief you know.”

“Brad, ..”

“Joshua, you know I’ll do it. What do you want me to do when I see them?”

“Get word to the police.”

“OK, now where’s my chicken? I’m hungry.”

Laughing, Joshua leads me back to the restaurant.

Three nights later while I’m walking my pooch, I see a unmarked black bus entering the mall, it stops just inside the parking lot. 48 people leave the bus; they stretch their legs, and each pulls on purple a T-shirt. I thought it must be the flash mob. Before I can dial Ron, another bus arrives, it parks next to the first bus, another 48 people exit, and a few large crates are removed from the luggage compartment of the bus. The mob withdraws AK rifles from the cases.

I say out loud, “Crap, this isn’t another flash mob, this one is going to shoot up the mall.”

I dial Ron, “Buddy, they're here; they’re armed, there’s almost 100 of them, each armed with AKs, get here soonest.”

“Brad, help is on the way, get out of there.”

“Listen, buddy, they’re wearing purple T-shirts, I’m wearing a black one, I’m going to go home and get my AR, better hurry.”

“Brad, stay the hell out of the mall, you’ll end up getting caught in the crossfire.”

Running home, I yell to Kathy, “Honey, there’s an armed mob at the mall, I’m going to help stop them. “Grab one of my carbines and my vest loaded with eight 30 round magazines.”

“Brad doesn’t go; you’ll get shot.”

“I promise I won’t.”

When I arrive back at the mall, most of the armed mob has already entered the mall. Parking, I grab my AR. I hear police sirens in the distance, I can hear gunshots from inside of the mall. I see one of them guarding the door, I use my open car’s door for some protection, I hit one guard with my first shot. I get the second before he can respond. Entering the mall, I hear multiple gunshots. I see another purple T-shirt, I engage him from the rear, three down, about 97 to go.