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Praetorium Honoris

Sunday, October 24, 2021

The People Rise Up

(Source)

Cheng Zhiqiang, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party was sitting at his desk, sipping a cup of tea. He felt very satisfied, he had just returned from the trial and execution of the former commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy, Admiral Chang Bojing. Though the man had been politically reliable, he had proven to be a disaster as a naval leader. The massacre of the expedition to land troops on the breakaway province of Taiwan had been an outright disaster.

He looked up at the knock on his office door, "Yes?"

His military aide looked in, "Comrade Chairman, I have reports of civil unrest from Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Nanjing. Also in some of the smaller towns and cities throughout China."

The Chairman set his tea cup on the desk. "Civil unrest? What sort of civil unrest Comrade Colonel?" The Chairman's voice had gone as cold as the wind from the north in January.

The colonel hesitated, in olden times the leaders of China had been known to shoot the messenger, the events of the past few months made the colonel think that those times had returned. "Riots Comrade Chairman, the people are rioting in those cities."

All of the months of convincing the people that sacrifices would have to be made, that strenuous efforts were required to reunite Taiwan with the mainland, that were also required to quell American resistance to just that contingency, had all been in vain apparently.

"Call out the Army, crush those riots!" Cheng stood up, yelling in fury.

The colonel seemed nervous as he answered, "I'm sorry Comrade Chairman, but the Army has joined the people."

It was then that Cheng noticed the pistol in the colonel's hand, aimed at Cheng's midsection. Suddenly the office felt cold, as cold as the grave.


Billy Kasparian saw Jack Bishop's Jeep coming up the heavily rutted road. Winter was nearly over and without maintenance crews servicing the roads, they had suffered badly. Billy had to wonder what the Hell Albany was thinking.

His wife Ida came up behind him and said, "That's pretty much the last of the coffee. I have a recipe for parched corn coffee, but I'm not sure if it tastes any good. Guess we'll need to experiment."

Billy nodded and said, "I suppose if the Iroquois drank it, that makes it a traditional upstate New York beverage." He finished the cup of coffee then set it on the table. "Damn, I'm gonna miss that. Do we have any left?"

Ida nodded and said, "I suppose Jack will want a cup?"

As the door swung open, Jack Bishop said, "I sure would, but you folks go ahead and finish it, I've got a bit left so I won't be drinking up what you've got."

"How's things out there?" Ida asked.

Jack shook his head, "Reports out of Albany aren't good, the police tried to put down a few disturbances and the people went nuts. Last I heard, there were a lot of dead politicians in the capital, a few dead policemen as well."

"Damn, that ain't good." Billy offered.

Jack remembered something, "Remember that Chinese lady?"

Ida asked "What about her?"

"Seems she's wanted for murdering a cop."

"No shit?" Billy said.

"Yup, no shit. What the Hell is going on back east?" Jack shook his head as he said that.


"So that's the situation Mr. Rutherford, the Chinese have been driven out of New York, they're cut off in the Twin Cities and they've pulled back into British Columbia from Washington state." Colonel Tanaka looked at the former President, knowing that he'd want to know about his home state of California.

Wilson James Rutherford, "Jim" to his friends, sighed and stood up. "I suppose California has gone completely to Hell. That asshole governor out there couldn't organize a, sorry, I almost said 'Chinese fire drill' but that seems insensitive even in these times."

"We all grew up saying stuff like that Mr. President." Admiral Fairchild offered.

"Doesn't make it right, so, Colonel, California?"

"The cities are cut off, the L.A., San Francisco, and Sacramento metro areas are running out of everything. The people out in the countryside have cut them off from all supplies. Folks are probably going to start starving when stocks run out."

"What about resupply by sea?" Rutherford asked.

"The Navy stayed loyal to the Constitution. The Marines control San Diego, they actually drove off a Mexican invasion two months ago."

"What?!"

"I know Sir, that was a shocker. But it wasn't the Mexican government, it was the cartels. They thought they could start throwing their weight around. The Marines, Navy, and surprisingly, the Mexican Army, cut them to pieces. Seems that most of Mexico is in chaos right now, martial law has been declared and drug gangs are fighting each other and the Army. And losing badly by the way." Fairchild responded to the President's shocked look at the news of the Mexican invasion.

"As to resupply by sea, the admiral is right. The Chinese thought they'd sail right in and take over. Most of those ships were sunk within sight of shore, what few Chinese made it ashore were butchered when they landed. The government of California might lean pretty far to the left, but most of the people don't. Sacramento's latest rulings concerning water supplies from the Central Valley to the cities pissed a lot of people off." Tanaka continued the briefing.

"What about the California National Guard?" Rutherford asked.

"Split by a third, a third, and a third. Some backed Sacramento, some backed the people, quite a few stayed home. It's a mess out there Sir."

"Where's Texas in all this?" Rutherford asked again, he had a feeling that Texas might leave the Union rather than deal with this mess.

"Texas stood by the Constitution Sir. Especially after the Mexican cartels invaded California. Some folks in Austin wanted to secede, cooler heads prevailed. There were riots, but the Texans got things under control without any outside help. They've even offered an expeditionary force to go into California." Tanaka paused as he relayed that last bit of information, "Personally, I think that's a bad idea." Tanaka finished.

Rutherford nodded, "Yup, can't have one state go charging into another. Now if the governor of Texas would agree to put his Guardsmen under Federal control?"

"They might buy that, hard to say, those Texans are a stubborn bunch." Tanaka looked at Fairchild as he said that.

The admiral grinned and said, "Yes, yes we are."



54 comments:

  1. My understanding is that the Dominican Republic knows how to properly deal with illegal alien terrorist invaders. Maybe we could hire some of THEIR "Law Enforcement" to help us???

    Hispaniola is an interesting island!

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    1. It is indeed. The Dominican Republic on one side, Haiti on the other.

      I know where I'd rather live!

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    2. My understanding is that the illegal invaders to the east side of the island are executed if they do not promptly depart after being caught on the wrong side of the border.

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    3. Where to live? I'd move to Miami before Hispaniola.

      One of my sisters-in-law is from the DR. Their idea of 'time' is, admittedly, more strict than Jamaican or Bahamian time, but not by much. Seriously, go to dinner at 6pm and food might get near the table by 9ish, and done in 'removes' or 'courses,' like the peas will show up, the salad might come first or last, oh, some bread. The only chance of protein hitting the table on time is if my brother cooks it (and he has his own shed, wired for electricity and cable, with a refrigerator in it so he has his own food supply.)

      Yes, I'd choose the DR if I had to land on that island. Only long enough to turn and burn.

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    4. Beans - It was an either/or, not an anything but those. But yes, I agree.

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    5. Been on a lot of cruises all round the Carib. My Spidey sense has stood me in good stance. There are islands that one feels the "Safe" vibe. Others, not so much. I think most of the readers on this blog will pick up the 'vibe' fairly quickly and act appropriately. There have been a few islands where it's off the boat, buy a hat and back on the boat. Was it necessary? I typed this, didn't I?

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    6. Third World locales are often shite holes. Even if they look pretty.

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  2. "Spilt by a third, a third, and a third..."
    Spilt?

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    1. Well, actually, if you map out the probable reaction of the various Guard units, it will most likely look like three cans of paint, spilt at the same time. Some here, some there, most paint closest to the can.

      Or, well, fixing it works.

      Bet the third that stayed home accidentally forgot to not pick up their weapons from the armory...

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    2. It's the reactions of their leaders, not the troops. But yeah, depends on the prevailing political leanings of the locale.

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    3. Oh, I can see a sudden outbreak of 'shot in the backism' if leaders try to lead their troops in an inappropriate way.

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  3. The edge of my seat - uh! my chair - is getting worn.

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  4. It looks like a global civil war/ civil wars happening on a global level.

    Just this week I read of parched corn. In the book of Ruth, apparently parched corn is unripened wheat grain which is then fermented.

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    1. In North America we call it "corn" but it's actually "maize," the stuff the natives grew. I gather the Bible would call wheat what the Brits do, that is, "corn."

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    2. Yup. Corn is grain. Corned powder is powder that's wetted and shaped into corns, or grains. Old timey word, much misused and misunderstood. There are people who use the 'corn is in the Bible' to justify saying that a good portion of the Bible is bupkis. Others use it as justification in saying that all the continents were connected in biblical times, and other conspiracy theories. "Dur, they had corn in the Holy Land, dur-hur..."

      I blame our horrid educational system for most of that. Going back to even pre-WWII in the cities.

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    3. Just different usages between the Queen's English and ours. It's people not being well-read more than anything. For life in these United States, who really cares about lorries, prams, and flats?

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  5. Read somewhere that West Taiwan has 100 cities with a population of a million and more. Things get sporty there the PLA isn't big enough. Interesting to see you flesh this out Sarge.

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    1. I cannot believe that the Chinese people would tolerate this crap forever. They are patient and long-suffering, but everyone has their limits.

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    2. From what Larry Lambert says, the Republic of China (in Taiwan) has been infiltrated to the max by the Republic of West Taiwan (in China) and actual sportiness will be very interesting to see, from a distance.

      As to the continental West Taiwanese, they've had millenia of being slaves to one feudalistic overlord or another. And every time resistance grows, it's squashed flat. It's one reason the current CCP uses military forces from outside whatever province is in rebellion, because they can't trust the rebellious province's local troops.

      And the need to shuttle even small numbers of armored troops from western provinces into Beijing, and the time it took to find 'loyal' troops and shuttle them into the city, is one of the big reasons the central highway system throughout Communist China received so much attention after 1984. It kind of shocked the CCP that it took so long to transport troops in.

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    3. And how many of those infiltrators have been co-opted by democracy in action?

      Also, one man's "slave" is another man's "just leave me alone so I can harvest my crops." Throughout history most people are happy if you just leave them alone. Calling an entire nation "slaves" indicates a lack of understanding, but a Western education tends to do that.

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  6. Good work as ever, Sarge. Gotta say the scenario you've laid out is about the best we can hope for. Sad, ain't it?
    The subplot with Miss Ye can either take you down a rabbit hole or be one of those unresolved mysteries; history rarely resolves like a TV show.
    Boat Guy

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  7. Good stuff. Grandma drank Postum exclusively. I've read that coffee helps the head stay on track. It's medicine as far as I'm concerned. Hed-Med.

    I don't know if the cartels would be very easy. Their money reaches all the way to SA down here. The border is theirs, both sides. Maybe like Tet '68, when they figure they are bad enough to go toe to toe, they'll get fed to the meat grinder... I dunno. I read somewhere their ancestors went through 40,000 human sacrifices in one temple dedication a few years before Columbus took his trip. It's in the DNA. I've been an in-law for nearly 40 years. Things I've heard and seen.....

    "That asshole governor out there couldn't organize a, sorry, I almost said 'Chinese fire drill' but that seems insensitive even in these times." *facepalm* He could f---up a wet dream.... Just sayin....

    After all the federal f---ery that they have done here in Texas, I'd tell them to pound sand if they wanted the Guard.

    Man, I didn't think I'd be this invested, but this is a great story. But, maybe I need more coffee.... Yeah, more coffee....

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  8. For some reason, I thought of Ash Wednesday when I read this post. Tuna knows what I'm talking about. The Priest, when he puts Ashes on your forehead says "Remember, Man, that you are dust and unto dust you shall return".

    I wonder if "Lets go, Brandon" thinks about that at all.

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    1. I can't really say for certain, but I don't think the demonics spend any time thinking abut the afterlife. they seem totally invested in immediate gratification, with no thought whatsoever to the ultimate cost. I guess once they've sold their souls, they don't have anything left to lose.

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    2. juvat - I doubt he's smart enough.

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    3. Heh. Lots of evidence for that.

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  9. I remember, very vaguely, reading about the "Lincoln Brigades" prior to the U.S. entry into Great War To End War. Don't want to use that name again, an "Anti Federalist Brigade" of some sort?

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    1. Heh, the "Lincoln Brigades." Clever advertising by socialist leaders to hide the fact that the brigades were fighting on the international socialists' side. Friggin commie mercenary corps, raised in the US.

      What is it about progressives that makes them take a good word and twist it to 'mean' the complete opposite?

      In the Spanish Civil War case, a true Lincoln Brigade would have, at most, fought on the Spanish Nationalists' side along with Nazi Germany (being national socialists and about a strong central government with nice uniforms) rather than with the Spanish Republicans' side along with the Soviet Union (being international socialists and downright communists and wanting a strong central government with bad uniforms.) Of course, a true Lincoln Brigade would have looked at both sides and said "Screw it" and never gone over there to begin with.

      Friggin socialists... taking good words and twisting them. Grrrr... 'Republicans,' right. Heck, they were much farther left than our current middle-of-the-road Republicans. Grrrr.r.....

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    2. htom - Spanish Civil War, neither side was on the side of the angels, Commies versus Fascists. The Lincoln Battalion (more properly) was on the Commie side, er, government side.

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    3. Beans- There was also a George Washington Battalion and a John Brown Battery. 'Tis worth noting that these units had commissars.

      It isn't just socialists who misuse words, ALL politicians do that, no matter which colors they bear.

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  10. Hah, the Mexican Army... As soon as they win against the Cartels, they'll turn on whomever is their friends, most likely. Politics in Mexico is radically different, and has been, in comparison to US politics, since, well, the founding of Mexico. Things are different down there.

    So were you implying that the Chicoms sent troops to California, or were you talking about the Chicom forces sunk north of the Republic of China (in Taiwan?) Got kind of confusing there, at least for me.

    Communist China revolting. Wonder if Inner Mongolia will try to join up with (Outer) Mongolia? And will the Urghars still be on everyone's poop list? Will Vietnam look to make a 'northern province' in southern China? Will India decide to free Tibet?

    And what about Hong Kong? Or any of the formerly semi-free city-states that are now directly under the heel of the CCP like Shanghai or Macau? Or were those included in the rebelling provinces? I can see things in Hong Kong getting especially sporty in a very unsporty way.

    Dead politicians in Albany. Why only Albany. Wouldn't the stupidity also have affected or infected other states like Vermont, or Maine, or New Jersey? Or even the bread-basket states of Illinois, Indian and Ohio? I could see a corrupt regime trying to seize the mid-west breadbasket states.

    As to Texas troops helping quell stupidity in California? Can they stop off in New Mexico and grind some idiots into the ground on the way there and back?

    And can the FL Nat Guard finally invade Cuba and clean out those idiots down there?

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    1. Why do you assume that the Mexican government is any worse than most of the governments on this planet?

      Enjoy the story, try not to extrapolate.

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    2. Why do I assume the Mexican government is really rotten to the core? Over 300 years of history... And, sadly, they are no more worse than most governments.

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    3. Which was, after all, my point.

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    4. (Don McCollor)...I believe that Mexico in older times held a record of sorts -three Presidents in a single day...

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    5. Not something to be proud of, I suppose.

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  11. I get the impression that (today) it's really hard to find the line between the Mexican govt and the cartels. There is so much cartel money to spread around and so much violence readily available if you don't accept the money that the lines are hard to see.

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  12. My thought is that by making this a semi-global story, that the narrative has the potential to become diffused as hell. Your WW2 story focused in nicely on two groups, an American infantry company (with tankers now and then) and a German infantry regiment. The colonial wars story thread also was tightly focused on a few individuals.

    This one is, to be, beginning to feel a little messy in comparison. I'm going to be interested in seeing how this all works out.

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    1. Some of the "big picture" stuff I don't plan on pursuing, because it could get awfully messy and unfocused. I included it to put the local events into context. Expect things to shrink back down to DC and upstate New York in short order. (And thanks for reminding me to not get carried away, there is a temptation to do so!)

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    2. (Don McCollor)...The "Big Picture" in your WW2 story was already known background knowledge (hopefully) to readers. Here it is not, and is needed to make sense of the shrunken local events and why things are done or do not happen....

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  13. Sarge, the rising of the Chinese people has to be the great fear of the CCP. An economic squeeze and failed missions overseas might indeed do the trick.

    Your picture of California would, I think, be recreated in a number of places: cities remaining "loyal" to the government, but boxed in and cutoff by the outer districts. And all the time, running out of resources...

    Parched corn coffee? This is a new thing I have never heard of.

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    1. Cities, where the free stuff lives. Until you run out of the suburb and rural people's money.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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