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Praetorium Honoris

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Under New Management

OAFS Photo
The former President of the United States sipped his coffee as he stood near the big windows which covered the front of the house. He looked out towards Chesapeake Bay and pondered the things which were occurring in the capital. He knew of events which had happened not even twenty miles from where he stood.

Federal agents murdered in the performance of their lawful duties, he shook his head and took another sip. It was just too bad that those duties were actually unlawful under a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Small consolation to the families of those dead agents.

Congress had overplayed their hand, declaring that an insurrection was underway in Maryland and Virginia was weak at best, foolhardy. The governors of both states, well, technically Virginia was a Commonwealth, had rejected the order from the White House federalizing the Guard in both those states. Active duty Army units had been sent in, and promptly, with a few exceptions, joined the "rebels," as the media liked to call them.

The media was silent at the moment, "rebels" in a number of states had seized broadcast facilities and newspaper offices, rather than broadcast their own message, they simply shut them down. Now the Internet was rife with rumor and speculation, bloggers were having a field day.

"Sir?"

The former President turned to his chief aide with a questioning look.

"Phone call in your office, Sir."

"Thank you, Tony."

Closing the door to his small office, he walked to the desk and sat down. He still had a wonderful view of the bay as his office was in the front of the house. He sighed, then answered the phone.

"Sir, this is Secretary Nakagawa, calling from Site B, I am flying down to DC as soon as my helicopter, your old helicopter, gets here."

Herbert Norville sat up straight when he heard that.

"What's the occasion, Mr. Secretary?"

"The President has had a serious heart attack and is in a medically induced coma, most of the leadership in the line of succession is missing, has resigned, or has been disqualified by the Supreme Court as being in open rebellion against the government."

"I didn't know the Supremes had such a power."

"Well, Sir, Secretary of Defense Matthew Burleson, perhaps I should say former SecDef Burleson, is at Raven Rock, up in Pennsylvania, he has called for the states of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware to callup their Guard units and move on Washington DC."

"He can't do that, that's the President's call."

"Yes Sir, that's correct. Burleson claims that he is the President by virtue of the President being disabled, the Vice President and the Speaker being dead, and ..."

"What?" Norville stood up, that news shook him. Though he and the Vice President were on opposite "sides" politically, he counted Robert Cousins as a friend, he'd been fishing with the man on more than one occasion. He'd even stayed here, at his retreat on the Eastern Shore, multiple times.

"Vice President Cousins and Speaker Morrisey were on a fishing trip to Louisiana, their aircraft went down shortly after takeoff. No survivors."

"The President Pro Tempore of ..."

"Nowhere to be found, Sir. He left town last week, not even his advisors and staff know where he is."

"So let me get this straight, John. You're heading to Washington to be sworn in?"

"No Sir, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is flying in to administer the oath. I'm the interim President for now. I've heard from the President's Secret Service detail, the doctors all say that the President is probably going to die. The damage to his heart was too extensive."

"That's terrible, with the country in such turmoil, has anyone heard what the Russians and the Chinese are up to? They must know of this disruption to the government."

"The Admiral commanding USSTRATCOM¹ has convinced the service chiefs, with one exception, to allocate forces to him in order to deter nuclear war. Sir, we're at DEFCON 2². For now the Russians and Chinese are being very, very quiet."

Norville was shaken to his core.

"John, what do you need from me?"

"I've dispatched a helicopter to your location, along with a fighter escort. I want you to be my Vice President."

Norville could hear the media howling at that prospect. Many people in the country felt that he had not lost his bid for re-election, but had been cheated via ballot rigging and other illegal means. The investigators he had hired agreed with that assessment, for the most part. One of the investigators said that while things looked shaky, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the election. He was the lone voice supporting that claim.

But Norville had stepped down, congratulated his opponent, then watched the country spiral into massive inflation and unemployment. But what else could he have done? What some conspirators were doing now? Throw the country into further chaos?

"I shall see you in Washington, Mr. President."

Nakagawa chuckled, "Not quite yet Herb, but soon. And thank you, shall we meet at your old office?"

"I'd like that."

"See you then, Sir."




¹ United States Strategic Command (link).
² Defense Readiness Condition 2, the only higher condition is 1. This is the next to last step prior to actual nuclear war. Armed forces are ready to deploy and engage in less than six hours. Missile and bomber wings are at full alert. Orders have been dispatched to the nuclear missile submarines at sea to prepare to carry out the SIOP, Single Integrated Operations Plan, the U.S. strategic war-fighting plan for the use of nuclear weapons that contains the specifics of targeting orders, scheduling, and needed weapons.

46 comments:

  1. Good stuff Sarge, good stuff. A bit prescient also considering the news coming out of Bolivia.

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    1. Damn, just saw that. Exciting times in Bolivia.

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  2. Re" Bolivia Eventually without an acceptable rule of law all governments have attempts and sometimes successful changes in management.

    Sometimes it is really just groups of "Elites" fighting for a bigger piece of the pie. Military vs civilian is just terms.

    When it's economic failure and hunger the mobs are often led by one or more "Elite" face people as so they don't find themselves in the arms of Madam Guillotine.

    In all cases the common man gets the biggest slice of that Sh*t Sandwich.

    I suspect this story isn't closed as too many grudges and loose ends want something, even to disappear.

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    1. Copy your last and concur. The problems are just too extensive and there's probably too many fingers in the pie to begin with. None of which belong to the common people.

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  3. I'm enjoying the story line - very much.
    One minor quibble (if any other commenter could straighten me out, i'd appreciate it);
    I had always believed that the governor of a state had to request activation of his state's National Guard unit; the POTUS could not activate that unit per P.O.
    or have I misunderstood the story line?

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    1. The Insurrection Act of 1807 empowers the President to deploy U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States in particular circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, insurrection, or rebellion. So the President can "federalize" (call to active duty) Guard units under certain circumstances. In the story Congress declares that an insurrection is taking place in both Virginia and Maryland so the President calls those states' National Guard units to active duty. placing them under Federal authority and allowing them to be used to enforce the law in those states (posse comitatus is not an absolute thing). Thing is, in the story, both governors told the President and Congress to pound sand.

      The governor of a state can activate their own Guard units in times of emergency, usually natural disasters.

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    2. TNX 4 the clarification. I missed the 1807 Insurrection Act; I had always thought the posse comitatus was an absolute.

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    3. From my understanding of things, nothing is absolute. (Apparently not even the Bill of Rights, ALL gun control legislation passed since the 2nd Amendment was written is unconstitutional, can't even regulate knife size either, according to the Constitution. It specifies "right to bear arms" which is not just firearms.)

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    4. An origninalist definition of 'arms' includes all weapons, armor, ammo and the means to make and maintain said weapons, armor and ammo. Armor included fortifications, weapons include watercraft and land vehicles used for attack and defense.

      Oh, sure, the founders meant artillery carriages limbers and caissons when talking about land vehicles, but tracks, turrets and other parts of an armored fighting vehicle of today substitute for the wooden carriages, limbers and caissons of yesteryears...

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    5. As to the federalization of National Guard units, well, recently, like in the last 4 years, we've had governors of both Texas and Florida tell the powers that be to go pound sand, politely, regarding their Guard units and usage in control in Washington DC and along the southern border and during the scamdemic (the more of which the truth comes out the more that there really needs to be some serious gallows action amongst the federal bureaucracy (looking at you, higher ups in the CDCs and NIHs...)

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    6. Beans #1 - Precisely, arms is arms. The argument that a weapon has no "military usage" is intense stupidity, all weapons have a military usage, hell, a 2x4 to the head is a military usage.

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    7. Beans #2 - Concur on all counts.

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    8. RE: military usage

      It is the same why I think SCOTUS digs themselves a hole where considering common use. By such means they would declare the musket to be unlawful. It's maddening.

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    9. Lawyers (which the Supremes are) base a lot of decisions on precedent. For the fallibility of the Supreme Court, I always point to Dred Scott. SCOTUS will sometimes dig themselves a hole, they are, after all, human, and they are, after all, political appointees.

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    10. ""Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man gainst his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American.... [T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people." (Tench Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.)"

      Re artillery, reading in the Powers of Congress, US Constitution, Art 1, Sec. 8 "To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;" now, I don't know the details of the law, but you don't need to "grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal" to the Navy, and those Letters of Marque would be useless unless the ones to whom they were issued were able to purchase and possess artillery, and there is no provision made for Congress to provide said artillery.

      Re: Dred Scott. One thing that SCOTUS got right in that is: "Scott v. Sandford decision: " It would give to persons of the negro race, who were recognized as citizens in any one State of the Union, the right to ... keep and carry arms wherever they went. " Just like a white man. Clearly recognizing that it was an individual civil right protected by the Constitution, not connected to being enrolled in a militia, and subject to the whim of the State to grant permission.

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  4. Interim President Nakagawa is a wise man. Bringing in what I am assuming is a well recognized and regarded member of "the other side" sets the right tone for trying to quell larger incipient struggles.

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    1. It might work that way, of course, it could also backfire. I never can keep up with the Muse.

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    2. It all depends on how it is presented. Al Haig was right when saying he was in control because nobody else was available and in communications when Reagan was shot (for about 15-20 minutes, and by the time of the news conference he wasn't in control as the Veep was in contact again.) The way he said it and the way it was reported made him look like a complete buffoon (whether he was or not.)

      Nakagawa will need to get on media, explain clearly what happened, who did it, why he is the available successor and why he is tapping the former president as the interim VP. It may require having to tranquilize certain media mouths, or be very careful who is at the announcement (but that can be tricky, too, as those not invited can call into question the legitimacy of the succession.) (Of course, who knows how many in the media were in on the power coup by the President et al against the Constitution. Will be interesting to find out what part of major news media was working for or with The Bad People.)

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    3. As what is happening is in accordance with the Constitution, nothing needs to be spun or "presented the right way." The media has been silent so far in the story because grown ups with weapons are talking.

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    4. Since when lately have the eneMedia not spun the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth? Thus, Nakagawa needs to use words that can't be misinterpreted, while broadcasting on all media channels, the internet, across all radio frequencies etc. The media will still spin it, but if Nak gets it out firstest and loudest, the enemedia will have to work twice or three times as hard to spin the events the way they want to.

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    5. A new day is dawning in this tale, or so I hope.

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    6. Which is why the current administration is really working hard to sideline alternate news systems like the internet and such.

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    7. Damn good thing they are incompetent at best.

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  5. The past President as the new Vice-President... different.

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    1. As long as they only served one term, it's possible. However unlikely such a scenario might be.

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    2. Very Tom Clancy-ish in the way of succession. And not as unlikely possible back in the early days of our country, when people tapped for political office saw it as an onerous duty and not a lifetime of free grift and graft.

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    3. We'll see why Nakagawa chose who he did.

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  6. I think I heard, “Squirrel.”
    Another thought… the Muse is loose.
    Nice!

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    1. Keeping things unpredictable, sort of my mantra.

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  7. Chesapeake? I thought you were originally going for someone who already served two terms, until you clarified the situation. Couldn't you have put the former president in some more freedom-loving area like Florida (where, according to a New York judge, 100 acres on a private island and a huge estate is only worth $18 million...)

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    1. "New York judge," you might as well say "Nazi inquisitor."

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    2. Might as well... are "they" still out marching in the streets of NY calling for the extermination of the jews?

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    3. Probably, more useful idiots.

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    4. Rob, yes, they still are. At every available moment possible. And in most other big cities, too.

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  8. Very good, I'm going with your mantra. Reward your muse with an adult beverage.

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  9. Interesting. And I can hear the Talking Heads spinning Qanon* Conspiracy Theories about how the former POTUS orchestrated everything to get back into power after what he considered a stolen election. So Nakagawa must indeed lay everything out very clearly and concisely, and in a way to minimize how much spin Big Corporate Press can put on it.

    Very interesting, indeed. Muse has again outdone herself. Definitely deserves https://vamospanish.com/wp-content/uploads//parrilla-filled-with-meat-at-argentine-asado-1.jpg and a couple of mildly alcoholic grain based adult beverages.

    *Qanon - a leftist conspiracy theory dreamt up to smear conservatives as moronic conspiracy theorists.

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    1. Things are changing, at least in my story they are.

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  10. "Wing War Plan R", perchance? But with the current military leadership, WHERE will they attack? Probably flyover country in the US!

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    1. Again, this story only roughly parallels current events.

      As for the current military "leadership," their track record so far leads me to believe that whatever they would try to implement would turn into a fiasco. Think "pier in Gaza."

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    2. Military fiascos are seldom funny as regular people get smurfed from the idiot's dance macabre.

      Rocking story though, I wish things were as clear cut in real life(tm). I suspect a lot of good folks will think themselves as good guys and find as the Templar Knight in Indiana Jones "They chose poorly".

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    3. Many will indeed choose poorly.

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  11. I hope WISCONSIN can stay deep, and not come to launch depth.

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    1. Agree, that would signify really bad things were happening.

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