A Second Sunrise: Taiwan of 2020 Sent Back to 1911

[ChrisProvidence]

MIB Section 5 Headquarters, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Republic of China, 8 July 1917

In the last half decade, Director Martin Li had earned his fair share of odds and ends. And like most people with an office, he'd used them to decorate his office.

Be it katanas, medals, captured flags, letters from American presidents, or that tank shell Mike had given him as an ash tray (despite the fact that neither of them smoked), they all adorned his office. Every single one of them told a story,

But today was not a day for stories. Not when he had to read countless reports about what was going on around the world.

First was Chile, where the Haber-Bosch process meant the nitrate market practically cratered overnight, and with it, the Chilean economy and government. Riots broke out in the streets as the countless unemployed marched with those demanding universal suffrage. With their presence in Santiago, the Chilean government had no choice but to enact voting reforms and hold snap elections to prevent an all-out civil war.

Still, there was some glimmer of hope. While nitrates had cratered, the demand for copper had skyrocketed, leading to a few Islanders approaching the new Radical-led government with generous investment offers that the Chileans literally could not refuse.

All things considered, things were actually calming down. It would take time for copper to truly replace the nitrates-sized hole in their budget, but at least Chile wasn't on the verge on financial collapse. In fact, the first Chilean shipment had arrived earlier this year.

In contrast, Colombia and Venezuela were just getting started with their riots.

Colombia's Conservative government under Concha had followed in Restrepo's footsteps with his conflict with the Catholic church. In doing so, he had found unlikely allies with the more-secular Liberals, just as his predecessor had done.

That all changed when Do Not Look Away released. While the Catholic Church was always a force to be reckoned with, there were many Colombians who were outright furious with what they had seen.

Honestly, I'd be more upset if they weren't pissed off about all the modern slavery, abuse, and corruption going on in the Church. Christ.

No wonder I never show up when it isn't Easter or Christmas.

So right now, Bogota was on fire. Angry citizens marches around the town demanding answers from the local clergy and the bishops about just what the hell was going on in the Church.

The clergy did come up with a response, as priests often do, but it was unsatisfactory, to say the least. Martin knew the Church could handle a trickle of scandal by smothering it and transferring the priest. After all, that was what they did in his time.

But this, all at once? It hit the local church like a freight train, along with their Conservative allies.

At least Bogota is "only" rioting. Caracas is about to tear itself apart!

Now, information was spotty, to say the least. Sure, the RoC had an embassy over there, and that embassy could communicate with Nanjing via satellite.

But from what little he could gather, the embassy was locked down, save for the refugees running through the front door.

As for the rest of Venezuela, he knew even less.

Apparently General Juan Vicente Gomez is dead? Okay, he isn't the President anymore, but the current guy is his puppet, and we have no idea where he is, right now.

Revolutionaries are more promising, though. More liberal and democratic than the last guy, anyways.

Who am I kidding? The last guy's a fucking dictator who the revolutionaries claimed would "Sell the country out to Royal Dutch Shell!"

Note to Self: Emphasize not screwing over the locals when writing analyses reports that go up the chain.

But for all the craziness going on over there, it paled in comparison to what rumors he had heard of in Brazil. Because if his ears were to be believed, there was now a Brazilian Tongmenghui that formed in secret.

Now, a secret society meant that it was, well, secret. But at the same time, Brazil having their own version of the organization he'd fought with was not what he had on his 1917 Bingo Card.

Moreover, they were a complete enigma. Sure, if they were going to follow the Tongmenghui's example, then there was a pretty good chance that they would be progressive and liberal enough for China's liking.

That said, he truly didn't know. Even his analysts hadn't been able to dig up anything on them, what with the latter being a secret society bent on overthrowing the Coffee Milk Politics.

Li sighed and shook his head.

Somehow, Argentina having a vibrant labor rights movement was the thing he was happiest about, since at least that country wasn't on fire. Just slowly turning into the France of South America.

The phone ringing told him that this was enough about South America for now. He could follow up on the Russian and Qing arms showing up in Mexico later.

Right now, he had yet another report he needed to review.

"Line's secure," he said through the speaker phone. "You can start talking."

"Understood, sir-"

"Aki," Li shook his head again, "When it's just the two of us talking, you don't have to be all formal with me."

Plus, being called "Sir" all the time still feels weird. How the hell does Mike do this?

"Alright, Marty," she breathed. The analyst-turned-de-facto-field agent had been stuck in Indochina for the last few weeks while the Foreign Legion, Paris, and Phan's people were all trying to figure out just who was trying to burn down the Free Schools. "I looked into that issue with Le, just as you asked."

"Anything good, Aki?"

"There does not seem to be much. The attackers were local thugs hired by a middle-man. Problem is, finding him and his bosses is easier said than done."

"Aki, we're a little spread thin right now, so you're what we have until we can get more Indochinese agents in the field to capture this HVI."

"Oh, him? We got him."

"You what-"

"Yes. It turns out that Le is very good at tracking people down. Coupled with Agent Fong's assistance, and we have been able to track down and arrest one of these middlemen."

"Huh." Honestly, Li wasn't sure what to make of that, but he wasn't about to complain. "So, any trouble on your end? I can't imagine the French are too cooperative with you."

"Oddly enough, no. The Governor General had to step in, of course, but the local authorities allowed us to assist in the interrogation. There is one problem, though."

"How bad are we talking, Aki?"

"The UCIC."

"The what?" Li frantically looked through his computer's database to figure out just what was going on. "Aki, that's a company."

"It is, but the middleman we captured has ties to them. Apparently, he's a 'Fixer' of some kind."

"And you have testimony of this? Will he stand trial?"

"That's the weirder part, Marty. The man is dead."

"What? I thought he was in protective custody."

"He was. It seems that was not a problem for his murderer, though."

Okay, it's colonial police. These guys aren't exactly the most diligent.

Then again, it's not like these guys like Paris any more than the UCIC does. Wait... There's no way-

"Aki, who knows about this?"

"Besides us and Phan's organization?"

"Yeah."

"There are a few constables, but nothing much. They might be compromised, though."

"It's possible," Li figured, "But we don't know for sure. So, where does that leave us?"

"One dead prisoner, a colonial police full of potentially-corrupt cops, and a corporation that might be actively trying to sabotage Paris' plans for Indochina."

"Great..." He could practically taste the sardonic words come off his tongue. "And a dead witness who can't testify."

"We have the footage, Li. It should be in the archives."

Yeah, I don't think the UCIC or whoever the hell is trying to burn schools down thought of this one.

"Alright. So, anything else I should know?"

"Nothing much. Perhaps the need for more Indochinese agents? But other than that, I have nothing else to report."

"I see... Oh, before I forget, Mike told me to tell you he said hi."

"Marty, he called me last night."

Christ, Mike won't stop asking me about her. I mean, I get that she's his wife and this position puts her in some danger, but Aki's a smart woman.

"Yeah, I know. He worries about you."

"...He's bored, isn't he?"

"Yup."

There's only so much baseball you can watch before you get bored.

Ulsan Harbor, Ulsan, Republic of Korea, 11 September 1917

Park Jae-Hyun knew full well that he was not qualified for the job when he started, but in his defense, he was probably the most-qualified man in Korea for the job.

In his defense, he was a quick learner... Even if his lesson was that as Minister of Defense, he was just as much a politician as he was a soldier.

That said, his job was also easy on some days.

Today was one of those days, now that he was sitting at the opening of a new drydock. Apparently it was the first of its kind outside of China.

It wasn't too surprising, now that he thought about it. There was only so much space for drydocks on the Chinese coast, and they were building their fair share as fast as they could with modern equipment.

So when the Korean government offered Ulsan Harbor as a potential shipbuilding site, Nanjing had been more than open about it.

After all, Korea needed to do something about the trade imbalance with the Chinese, and if that meant manufacturing Chinese products on the cheap and building even more of the modern ships that the world kept demanding, then so be it.

Washington Naval Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, 7 October 1917


Colonel Smedley Butler had a lot of time to think these last few years. While there was always training to be done and correspondences with his Chinese counterparts to be written, he had more than enough time to himself.

Today, however, was not one of those days. As he and his men were demonstrating the M1916 Browning Automatic Rifle to the assembled brass and politicians.

The M1916, of course, was based on the Chinese rifles that had been gifted to the United States a few years ago. Once the handshakes were finished and the goodbyes were said, the rifles were whisked across the country via train and brought to Washington. There, Butler and his men would be testing the rifles while one John Browning reverse-engineered it into something they could produce en masse.

What they ended up with, however, was basically a cheaper, lower-technology version of the rifle. From the looks of it, the only thing that had changed was, in fact, the wooden furniture that replaced the plastic on the handguard, grip, and stock. Everything else, from the inner workings to even the ammunition, was more or less the same from what they had seen before.

That isn't to say that Browning couldn't make a rifle that could file .30-06 Springfield. The man had made a prototype, and Butler even test-fired it.

He hated it. His men hated it even more, now that he thought about it.

"Damn thing kicks like a mule," one of his soldiers told him.

"The .223's better at getting more accurate shots," said another. "Even if it's a smaller bullet, you ain't gettin' up if you get shot by that."

It was contentious, of course. .30-06 was the cartridge of the American soldier, and they wanted to abandon it entirely?

Even Roosevelt, a man who seemed to wholeheartedly embraced the future, was a bit hesitant.

It was only when somebody pointed out that soldiers could also fire it in full-auto that the White House relented. After all, who could say no to a lightweight and reliable automatic rifle?

Now, all that remained was Congress, and Butler knew enough about politics from his father to know just what to do for the crowd.

"I hold in my hands," he began for the crowd of politicians and generals, "The future of the American infantryman. After years of testing and providing feedback to Mr. Browning, I can say for sure that this is better than any rifle made in Berlin, Britain, or Bordeaux..."

 

[ChrisProvidence]

France in Thirty Years
By Jean Brodeur
L'Humanité, October 1917

Where will we be in thirty years?

Truth be told, I do not know.

Ideally, we will be a worker's paradise, where the technology of the future could allow for this "Fully Automated Socialism" that Marx so envisioned.

While I have much respect for our fellow Radicals and Revolutionaries in China, it is clear that their future is as much a warning as it is a technological marvel.

While productivity would increase exponentially, wages would be stagnant, and the capitalist class would pit us all against one another in a race to the bottom.

Our colleagues in Asia have decided that the best thing to do is to create a stronger welfare state, so as to meet the people's needs.

Though I do respect their insistence on caring for the needs of the common man, I must point out that capital in any form has the potential for exploitation.

To that end, it is imperative that we give the workers the means of production. Of course, this will likely be done through nationalization, coupled with workplace democracy, assuming we do not wish to repeat the mistakes of the Lost History.

Workplace democracy, as well as direct democracy itself, are inherent to the success of the working class. Elections and recall elections, while cumbersome at times, will be necessary to prevent the formation of a Red Aristocracy.

In short, the ideal Metropole in thirty years would be the most democratic nation on the planet, with workplace democracy and direct democracy playing integral roles in day-to-day life.

As for the colonies, that is another issue entirely. While I have railed against what some call "Developmental Colonialism" in the past, it is important to point out that the colonies are underdeveloped and under-educated.

To that end, Paris has introduced sweeping reforms to educate the people in the colonies and develop their infrastructure and institutions so that the local populations may play a larger role in the administration.

While some could argue thay this is very similar to the "White Man's Burden with Red Paint" I have railed against in the past, this is less an act of condescending "civilizing" and more an act of spreading our revolutionary republican ideals to the colonies.

One need only look at the colonial reforms already implemented. While many who preach about the White Man's Burden continue to exploit the local populace, we have implemented and enforced the same labor protections and workers' rights legislation that we enjoy here in Metropolitan France.

Come thirty years from now, and I could see these colonies becoming as educated and develop as the mainland.

I do, of course, have to address the elephant in the room:

What happens then?

Truth be told, I do not know. Ideally, the populations, once educated, could transition to Home Rule. As for our own relations, I can see two options.

First, it is possible that these colonies decide to become independent. Should that happen, I imagine that we ought to keep close toes with our socialist brothers.

The second option, however, is that they decide to integrate themselves with the French government. This would likely mean that they would have their own members in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, as well as vote in all of the general elections.

Personally, I would prefer the latter, but it is their decision to make.

Come thirty years, France will be a better place. We will be more democratic, more prosperous, and more egalitarian than we are today.

However, we cannot rest on our laurels.

No, if we want to live in that bright socialist future, then we need to start working today.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Book Review: The Chinese Man's Burden
By Christopher della Providenza

Of all the books I've been sent from downtimers, I never expected to read satire. Then again, it's only been a few years since Twain's death, so I ought to be unsurprised.

That is what The Chinese Man's Burden is, at the end of the day, and it is both funny and thought-provoking.

The story takes place in the early 1910s, in the aftermath of the Great Journey. As part of the first British delegation to the Republic of China, we follow the Baron McCartney, a British nobleman who is tasked with opening up trade with this Island of the Future.

Accompanying him is John, an everyman who often grows exasperated at the Baron's various antics.

As part of his journey, the Baron packs his ships to the brim with the epitome of British science and culture. From works of Shakespeare to machinery, he intends to show these people the might of the British Empire.

Upon making contact, he begins by speaking slowly with the Chinese, only to find that the diplomat speaks English with a London accent!

Taken aback by this, McCartney moves on to the gifts. He begins with the complete works of William Shakespeare, though to his surprise the man has his own copies at home.

Next comes the machinery, and he is flattered to learn that these gifts will be placed in a museum. That is, until he is told, "They belong in a museum."

Afterwards, he is brought on a tour of the island, where his arrogance is continuously thrown back into his face.

For example, he will extoll the efficiency of British industry, only to learn that modern machinery can match them tenfold. The same thing happens when he brags about culture, only to be shown modern music and cinema.

Again and again he is humbled by the Chinese, until he finally passes out from exasperation, allowing John, his beleaguered (though much more down to earth) assistant take his place.

While one would be forgiven for thinking this was a Chinese novel (as I did, at first), it was written by an Englishman.

The story seems to be a complete and utter mockery of British society as a whole, with Baron McCartney being seen as a satire of the British Upper Class' arrogance, while the beleaguered and plain-speaking John is seen as a representation of the British common man.

It's almost as if the author is saying, "We're not all pompous idiots like these guys. We swear."

As for the Chinese, they seem to be characterized as the British characters' equals, though they also share in John's exasperation at Baron McCartney.

There is a memorable phrase where one of the Chinese diplomats is hanging out with John, and he asks the latter about him.

"Oh, we are not all like him," John insists to the diplomat, "Most of us aren't born with a silver stick up our arse."

While the story loves to take the piss out of the British nobility at every turn, there is a hidden message underneath it all:

"The Chinese aren't that different from us. They may be ahead of us on technology, but they are people at the end of the day."

This is most prominent in the sharp contrast between John's open-mindedness and Baron McCartney, as the former is shown to be intelligent and open-minded, while the latter is little more than a pompous idiot with a title.

Does it try to be Shakespeare? No.

But just because it's not High Art doesn't mean it can't be honest and authentic. That's what makes this such a fun read.

And before you ask… Yes, it was published in French, and yes, the French love how it makes fun of the British elite.

"Antagonizing the English" is the second French pastime, after all.

Overall Rating:
Four Idiotic English Noblemen out of Five

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Comments on "Alternate History: What If China Invaded Russia and Japan in 1911?"

ModernSpartan • 8h ago

Should've gone all the way, imo.

cGh ONE • 8h ago

Dude, did you not watch any of the video? It would have sucked ass for everyone involved.

Russia and Japan get devastated, while China has to fight of rebellions all over the damn place.

ModernSpartan • 7h ago

Sounds like pussy talk.

cGh ONE • 7h ago

Eh, bring it up with Clausewitz:

"War is policy by other means."

As far as China was concerned, they got everything they wanted. Got their territory back and the Russians and Japanese to screw off.

Not really any point to go further.

AkiH85 • 7h ago

Not to mention that China might have been at its breaking point.

Sooner or later their enemies would adapt.

As my partner put it, "It was only a matter of time until we stopped rolling 20s and they stopped rolling 1s."

MrNegative • 6h ago

That, and the fact that Russia is really big, while Japan is really densely populated.

Not to mention that the NRA was already spread thin. If anything, the peace treaties allowed China to consolidate itself and become the global economic superpower it is today.

AkiH85 • 4h ago

According to some sources, we would need millions of men to occupy both countries.

And that would be the minimum.

ModernSpartan • 3h ago

Eh, the NRA could fuck up anyone who fought them.

FatherAnarchy • 3h ago

Which would lead to them fighting a guerrilla war against Russia, Japan, and the Qing remnants.

Have you seen what happened when Makhno used to fight Diterikhs' men?

Kept picking them off from the roadside. You really think the Russians, Japanese, and Chinese bandits wouldn't try something similar?

ModernSpartan • 2h ago

Okay, fair enough.

Still wish we'd have another war sometimes.

World's been getting too peaceful, imo.

cGh ONE • 2h ago

Yeah, okay, Sundowner.

MChen93 • 1h ago

Trust me, you don't want that.

ModernSpartan • 1h ago

And why not?

War is where boys become men.

War is the best way to build character. Just look at China!

MCfrom93 • 30m ago

Because actually fighting a war sucks.

Sure, some causes are worth fighting for, and you'll definitely have some friends and memories of the "good times."

But just as much as war can be necessary, it is guaranteed that actually fighting a war sucks ass.

You're often packed together, not showering every day, with crappy food that no amount of hot sauce will improve.

Not to mention the whole fact that people are trying to kill you. Keeps you on edge, sure, but it fucks with your head.

Sure, it's a job. One that I'm really good at.

And yeah, I love the guys I served with like they're my little brothers.

But if I can go the rest pf my life without killing anyone, I'll die a happy man.

ModernSpartan • 20m ago

The hell kind of soldier are you?

MCfrom93 • 10m ago

The kind that's won enough battles to know when to keep my sidearm holstered.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

6th Marine Division Headquarters, Ishigaki, Taiwan, Republic of China, 11 November 1917

To put it mildly, Michael had a lot on his mind right now. Between the Ottoman, American, Siamese, Korean, and Japanese soldiers all coming to the island for training and the fact that his wife was off in Indochina, he'd had his fair share of headaches.

That wasn't to say that he objected to it all. He knew full well that Downtimers were just as capable of learning as Uptimers; Hell, his wife was all the evidence he needed. Not only that, but these guys were learning pretty quickly, to the point that when they went home they'd be able to teach these same skills to their own men and women.

Not was he worried too much about Aki. Sure, she didn't have as much training as he did, but he and Rachel taught her how to shoot and throw a punch. That said, Marty hired her on for her brains, and she was pretty damned good at compiling and analyzing information over in the New Schools and the embassy.

Not only that, but it turned out one of his childhood friends had ended up in Taiwan when the whole Great Journey happened. Sure, Le Van Ninh was a couple years younger than him and Marty, but he'd known the guy since they were Boy Scouts back in Orange County.

Christ, it's like it was only yesterday that we were all kids going on campouts and I was teaching him how to handle a knife and start a fire.

Right. Don't get distracted.

Aki will be fine. Her dad said so himself.

And Michael knew better than to question Mako Higa's judgement. After all, his father-in-law trusted him enough with Aki, so the old man probably had a point when he said that she'd be fine.

Still, Michael worried about her. It was natural, as far as he was concerned, but that hardly made him feel any better about it.

Which, of all things, meant finding ways to keep his mind off of it.

And if that meant playing MVP Baseball 1917 with his men, then so be it.

"You know," Zhou said as his next batter was hit, "Sooner or later you're going to run out of pitchers."

"Eh, this one's a practice game," Fa scoffed, "Doesn't count."

"Yeah, just don't screw up the controllers, guys," Michael told them. "So, everyone has a team, right?"

"Pretty much," Chiu chimed in, "I've got Haishenwai, Fa has Lhasa, and Zhou has Urga. You called the Guardians, right?"

"Yup." Being General had some perks. In this case, it meant he had first dibs on teams. "So, we have people and alternates signed up, right?"

"Pretty much," said the loader-turned-Captain, "Some of the Americans, Japanese, and Koreans wanted in. Couple Ottomans and Siamese, too."

"Looks like we have ourselves a league."

It was a simple thing, if he was being honest. Sure, he could play against the CPU all day, but where was the fun in that? Better to bring out the old PS2 and let the men join an impromptu team-bonding activity. And if their guests wanted to join them, then all the better.

The Americans and Japanese had been the most-interested, what with baseball already being a thing over there. But over time, others ended up joining in to watch and learning how to play.

It wasn't real baseball, of course. But living on a tropical island meant that the diamond was often soaked into mud whenever they wanted to set up a game.

Or at least that was Michael's excuse. Truth be told, he'd rather be playing this than actual baseball because he sucked at playing baseball.

Turns out there isn't much overlap between pitching, fielding, and leading a military campaign. No wonder my position was "Equipment Manager."

Now, that wasn't entirely fair, if he was being honest. After all, he was damn good at fixing and organizing gear. It just also turned out that he sucked at anything more than playing catch.

"We have the schedule planned out, right?" he asked, turning to Zhou. "You did fill that out, right?"

"Ran it through the computer last night, Chen," his former gunner told him. "First game's in a few days."

"Thanks. Really appreciate-"

Once again, his phone rang. Michael looked at it to see his old friend calling him. "One sec."

A couple presses on the screen, and Marty was on the line.

"Hey Mike, you guys haven't been selling stuff on the black market, have you?"

"Hi to you too, Marty. And no. What, did somebody start selling bayonets and swords on ebay?"

"Nah. Apparently we have intel saying that old Qing rifles are showing up all over the place."

"Dunno man. Wish I could help with you, but we're kinda busy over here."

"Yeah, I heard. Anyways, wanted to run it by you. If you see anything, let me know."

"Sure, Marty. Is it okay if I run it by my guys?"

"Yeah, sure. Later, Mike."

"Later, Marty," the general said, before turning off the phone. "Huh."

"What's up, boss?" asked Chiu. "MIB?"

"Yeah. Apparently they found old Qing rifles on the black market. No idea where they're coming from."

"Triads, probably," Zhou figured, before turning back to the game. "Why? Is somebody taking surplus and selling it off to warzones?"

"Dunno. Apparently."

Location Unknown, Chiapas Province, United States of Mexico, 12 December 1917

As far as Emiliano Zapata was concerned, he didn't particularly care why the person was giving him and his soldiers free rifles.

He had thought it was a trick at first. After all, why were random Chinese people offering to give him and his men thousands of free rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition.

That said, he wasn't about to say no to free munitions to arm his men against his enemies. He was fighting for the people, after all, and if that meant making pragmatic compromises, then so be it.

That said, the Chinese merchants seemed remarkably enthusiastic to learn about his stances on land reform.

But as far as he cared, these were free weapons that worked, and they would be put to good use.

Chinese Consulate, Saigon, French Cochinchina, 20 December 1917

Le Van Ninh was more surprised than anyone to see a familiar face at the embassy, ever since that MIB agent had gone away for holiday.

It wasn't too surprising, of course, seeing that she was an analyst, not a field agent. Sure, Higa was good enough with a pistol, but she didn't get hired for that.

"So," a voice called on the other end, "Any update on the UCIC?"

"We have a few people on the inside, Marty," Le spoke into the phone. Technically, he was supposed to refer to the man as "Sir," but they were too busy catching up. "You'll never believe how it worked."

"Cleaning staff?"

"Yup. Oldest trick in the book. You'd think they would have caught onto it."

"This is a company that's trying to get into espionage, Le," the director pointed out, "They're not exactly professionals."

"You know how these guys work, Marty. Just because they're good at making money doesn't mean they're experts at other things. They just think they do."

I swear, CEOs are all the same. They're good at one thing, then they start thinking that they're experts on completely different things.

Honestly, the worst people in the world, next to people who get angry for money. Thank God we left them in the future.

"Anyways," Martin continued, "So, have they gotten anything good yet?"

"Yeah. They did it."

"Did what?"

"The attempted arson, Marty. Turns out they're working through fixers to hire criminals to start some fires around the New Schools. Guys we caught gave us a name, and the same names pop up in the UCIC files."

"Huh. Your people work fast, Le."

"They do keep trying to screw us over, Marty. So, is this enough to convict them?"

"Probably? I know Paris would want to hear this, but it'll get buried by the time they get back here."

"Yeah. Think the UCIC has people on the inside?"

"Probably? Le, you said it yourself that they have sympathizers in the colonial administration. They'll have a month's advantage against us if we leak this."

"Only if we go through the proper channels, Marty. What if we leak it to the press directly?"

"Hey, I'm not going to stop you. Wait, you do know somebody we can trust, right?"

"Yeah."

"Socialists?"

"Yup."

Mumbai, British India, 1 January 1917

"Get these onto the shore, now," said the first man, "We have only a few minutes until the patrols come back."

"The police aren't looking around here, Tejas," the second man hissed, only to lug the large crate onto the dock. "Ugh, it smells like fish."

"It was hidden in a fishing boat. What did you expect?"

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," the Ghadar agent muttered, "They couldn't think of a better way to smuggle these?"

"Well, we could always try to rob an armory. Would that make you feel better? At least you wouldn't smell like fish."

"Alright, Subhas. Now help me get this loaded into the cart."

Paris, French Republic, 21 February 1918

This was a shitshow. Jean Brodeur knew that much.

Not for us, that is. The UCIC and the Army, on the other hand...

How else could he describe it when it turned out that a French colonial company was actively funding acts of terror against a school?

Now, in fairness, said school was funded by Indochinese independence activists, but Jean knew that trying to burn down a school full of children would sit as well with the French people as bringing the Bonapartes back for a third time around.

Sure enough, the people of Paris were doing what they did best and rioting in the streets against what was known as the "Army Secret Organization," a network of French business interests, colonial officials, and members of the military that sought to hinder the colonial reforms at every turn.

It would all sound insane, if the evidence wasn't here. Random deaths, fires, and attempted assassinations? It all seems connected, and it's all in the UCIC's interests, as well.

Sure, the Indochinese could be trying to drive a wedge between us and our so-called allies, but they wouldn't bring this up unless they actually believed this.

After all, if they really wanted independence, they could just wait us out until 1925.

But this? This had the UCIC's fingerprints all over it. As in, it quite literally had their fingerprints, since he was fairly certain the whistleblower had literally dug these files out of the trash. Everything from memorandums to ledgers were now on his desk, verified by his own investigations.

Now, where did that leave them?

For starters, at least Paris now knew that the slow implementation of the reforms had come from the OAS, rather than the Governor-General's incompetence.

However, that left them with the same problems they had before.

Sure, Paris could issue orders to the Governor-General and have them enforced, but they didn't exactly have anyone who could enforce them, now that they knew how far the rot had gotten. Any order to Indochina would likely reach the UCIC and their allies before it reached the Governor-General, anyways.

It was a problem that he didn't know how to solve, if he was being honest, and Brodeur hated every second of it.

Sure, he wasn't a politician. He was a journalist and an advisor to Jaures, after all.

But at the same time, they needed to do something to deal with the UCIC and their allies.

He just didn't know what to do right now. Not over there, anyways.

As he looked out the window, he could see yet another businessman dragged into the street by the police over workers' rights violations.

Fifth one this week. Must be a new record.

Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India, 15 March 1918

One of the biggest obstacles in the fight against British imports had been prices.

After all, it was easy enough to say that you were opposed to buying British-imported cloth. The problem came when you had to pay more for Indian-made cloth in protest.

Truth be told, Vikram could sympathize with those who gave in. He didn't like it, of course, but he knew they had their reasons.

That was all a thing of the past, now that his textile mill was up and running.

This was the first of its kind in India, with its use of modern machinery bought from China, coupled with Indian labor and Indian-grown cotton.

"Vertical Integration," as the British called it. Or at least that was what his accountant had told him. Though if Vikram was being completely honest, that was such a mild term for the sheer impact it had had beforehand.

Back then, cotton would be grown in India, spun into cloth overseas in bulk, then it would be shipped back to be sold to the Indian people at unbeatable prices. While there was always the option of Indian-made goods, they lacked the efficiency that came with an economy of scale, leading to higher prices despite having to ship products halfway around the world.

But this? This was simpler, more-efficient, and by extension even cheaper.

Cotton would be grown in India, shipped to his factory, and then spun into cloth by Indian hands and Indian-operated machinery. There were no shipments halfway around the world this time, nor were the British factories even a fraction as efficient as his own operation.

When all was said and done, he'd saved money on logistics, operating costs, and transportation despite paying his workers a good day's wage.

That was what stuck out to him the most. With all the efficiency that came with modern machinery and not having to ship goods back and forth, he and his counterparts across India had beaten the British at their own game. They had managed to achieve the self-sufficiency of the Swadeshi movement without forcing their people to pay the price that'd come with it.

The British, for their part, had tried everything in the book to dissuade them. From tariffs on machinery to taxes on Indian-made cloth, none of them worked. In fact, the price of Indian-made cloth had been so low that his prices still beat anything the British could offer, even with the exorbitant taxes.

Now, Vikram wasn't about to object to taxes on principle. After all, he saw it as the cost of doing business and a means of contributing to the development of India. The problem, of course, was that none of the money was going there.

Apparently, the tax revenue was going to subsidize British imports to try and compete with their prices, along with customs enforcement.

That had been a thing, unfortunately. With the British at a disadvantage due to location and technology, the Empire had decided to place a heavy tariff on imported machinery from China. If they were to be believed, it was to "Protect India from predatory Chinese imports."

In practice, it meant that they needed to pay exorbitant prices to even import spare parts, which meant that the British were going to try to outlast the Swadeshi movement through sheer attrition.

That, however, was not something he was going to just let them do. Instead, he decided to bite the bullet and just buy the heavy machinery he'd need to build his own machinery in India.

It was a hard sell, of course. The Chinese factories weren't enthusiastic about India building their own machinery. While they definitely sympathized with him, they weren't about to sell the means to surrender their own market.

A licensing deal, however, had proven much more palatable to the Uptimer businessmen. It would cost him more in the long-term and the short-term, but that was a price Vikram was willing to pay.

If the British were going to cheat, then they just had to beat them at their own game a second time.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Comments on "America's Senseless Suburbs"

DelawareDiamond • 3h ago

That is a lot to take in, but it does make sense. Suburbs are very inefficient, now that I think about it.

You need to spread utilities all over the place, and it can lead to pollution and social isolation.

DowntimeDan • 3h ago

That's something I don't think we really thought about, but it does bring up a good point.

By keeping everyone so far apart, it does put a damper on the community coming together. The rural areas are far apart, yet people still rely on each other, while cities are more packed yet they still have that sense of community.

Suburbs, meanwhile, have neither.

JohnBrownWasRight • 2h ago

Not to mention the racial issues. The suburbs sort of applied a form of "Soft Segregation."

DowntimeDan • 2h ago

That as well, I suppose.

I grew up in New York City. I would hate to see my hometown decay as people flee it. It's not perfect, but those pictures…

Brings a tear to my eye to see what happened when all those people left.

CAinCN • 2h ago

The West Coast has the same problems. While we have more than enough space, these suburbs aren't the best use of our land.

And that is BEFORE we talk about the freeways.

Ugh.

JohnBrownWasRight • 1h ago

Tell me about it. Give me a train, any day.

DelawareDiamond • 1h ago

Amen, friend.

Cars are all well and nice, but they are a whole other hassle. The traffic would drive me mad."

CAinCN • 1h ago

Tell me about it. If I could walk everywhere I go and didn't need a car, then I would gladly not pay Old Man Ford.

MinnesotaNice • 1h ago

About that… Does anyone know what has gotten into Henry Ford? He has been going off about Jews again in his paper.

DowntimeDan • 50m ago

I'll take a racist loon over those weirdos in the Church of the Second Coming. I'm all for Freedom of Religion, but these ones have been trying to bring forth the apocalypse ever since the Chinese showed up.

JohnBrownWasRight • 45m ago

Is this about the Rapture again?

Downtime Dan • 39m ago

Yeah.

Don't know what's gotten into them. Apparently they think the Chinese coming back was God's Plan, so they want to replicate the same events.

Or something like that.

Truth be told, they don't make much sense to me.

DelawareDiamond • 30m ago

It could be worse.

DowntimeDan • 27m ago

Yeah. They could be like those guys who think the Chinese are "God's Final Test," or whatever nonsense they believe.

Apparently, they teamed up with the Klan.

DelawareDiamond • 21m ago

Of course they did.

JohnBrownWasRight • 15m ago

Oh great. Those guys.

CAinCN • 12m ago

At least they won't be taking up seats on the flights. You guys saw those, right?

DelawareDiamond • 7m ago

I've heard about them. Apparently the rich want to ride on the first passenger jet to fly across the Pacific.

Apparently they paid almost a thousand dollars for the opportunity.

JohnBrownWasRight • 5m ago

I say go for it. If anything goes wrong with their plane, nothing of value will be lost.

CAinCN • just now

Yup. If they want to cut ahead in line and test it out for us, then so be it.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Hanyang Arsenal, Hanyang, Hubei, Republic of China, 10 May 1918

Now, he knew his way around machinery. That much was true.

But seeing the sheer size of the expanded arsenal still awed the newly-minted general. Sure, he didn't exactly like war, but he still managed to appreciate the engineering marvel that was the world's largest arsenal.

Then again, they kind of needed it. With the Chinese government flush with revenue, that meant the military could finally get the funding it needed.

No more M14s for my men, unless we actually ask for them.

These days, Hanyang was spitting out modern rifles and ammunition faster than anyone could have ever imagined, and they had their share of customers.

There was the NRA and the Marines, of course, but Japan, Korea, Siam,, and even the Philippines were interested in arming their soldiers with modern weaponry.

The Ottomans, France and Russia had shown some interest as well, though they would be at the back of the line due to not being members of the Nanjing Agreement.

Not yet, anyways. Constantinople, Petrograd, and Paris were all at least somewhat interested, and they all had their reasons.

Paris was possibly the most ideologically-motivated, if Marty's reports were to be believed. No, he still couldn't believe that the fucking socialists were the ones who aligned with them the most on ideology.

That will never stop being funny to me.

Besides the military advantages of having an ally with modern weaponry, cooperation over Indochina, and providing a large market for technology, the French had a bit of a falling out with the English ever since the socialists came to power.

Sure, the Entente Cordiale still existed on paper, but the French (like the Japanese) had their reasons not to trust the British.

In contrast, the Russians and Ottomans partnered with China for more pragmatic reasons. Sure, all three nations were liberal to varying degrees and they all had a chip on their soldiers about being the "Sick Man" of their regions.

But at the same time, Petrograd and Constantinople presided over largely-underdeveloped countries, and they wanted to repeat what many were calling the "Chinese Economic Miracle" in their own countries.

Weapons and equipment were a part of that process, of course. Both nations were threatened by Central Europe, so they needed all the help they could get.

Planes were off the table for all three of them. Sure, they could probably train their three prospective allies to fly them, but China needed as many multi-roles as they could get their hands on right now.

Instead, exports would be limited to small arms, artillery, and vehicles. Sure, they would be a step down from anything the Chinese had, but they were a hell of a lot better than anything those three could produce.

Plus, it's not like a Humvee or a five ton truck is some technological marvel. Hell, even our Hueys are better than anything they have right now.

It would take at least a few years, of course, but China could produce enough equipment for themselves, their allies, and their (hopefully) soon-to-be allies.

The Russians using an AR-pattern rifle is going to be the most cursed thing I've seen so far, isn't it?

German Embassy, London, United Kingdom, 28 June 1918

As a military attache to London, Major von Lettow-Vorbeck had been disappointed. He wanted to be in the field, not pushing papers behind a desk!

Still, he had his responsibilities, and if that meant accepting mysterious packages from the British, then so be it.

It was more than a bit surprising, now that he thought about it. Over the span of a few years Germany and Britain had gone from naval rivals to allies of necessity.

That necessity, of course, being China. He'd seen firsthand the Chinese efficiency and military strength in mobile warfare, and he had compiled a report upon his return.

That report, which discussed the German strategy for fighting the Chinese, could be summarized in a single word.

"Don't."

The Chinese outgunned them, outpaced them, and if the stories were to be believed the Chinese out-produced them on every front, too.

They needed something to level the playing field. Anything, if he was being honest.

And when he looked at the files he had received from the British, he knew full well that it was a chance of leveling the playing field, if ever so slight.

This was one such means. Referred to as the "L1 Rifle" by the British, it was similar to the Chinese rifles in many ways.

The key difference, however, was the larger caliber.

Exactly how the British had acquired this information was up for debate, but the Lieutenant Colonel believed they had outright printed the blueprints at their embassy and had them shipped to London.

It was what he had done when he was stationed at the Embassy in Nanjing, after all.

The rifles, however, were just one design in the documents he had been given. After that came so many more, from pistols to panzers to aircraft, of all things.

Now, he had seen aircraft firsthand, from Richtofen's multi-winged planes to the Chinese jets. This, however, was something in between the two.

Built with an aluminium frame and a steel exterior, these planes were more advanced than anything he had seen outside of China.

Their key asset, however, was the sheer simplicity of producing them, given their relatively less-complicated design.

They weren't any match for a fighter jet, but they could shoot anything less than that out of the sky.

The British hadn't had the decency to provide prototypes, of course, but he doubted they would need them. Mauser and Fokkers would be having a field day once they got their hands on these.

And if rumors were to be believed, so would Vienna and (unfortunately) Rome.

These weren't wunderwaffe, and he knew better than to rely on such mythical technology. What these were was a whole set of weapons that would help them level the playing field, if ever-so-slightly.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Saint Oscar Romero Church, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China, 20 July 1918

"It's been over seven years," the priest said through the speakers, "Seven years since God sent us back in time."

And in those seven years, he had built his own congregation from an assortment of Catholics, be they converts, locals, or tourists sent back in time with them.

"It's been hard, I know, but we all have stuck together and rebuilt our lives. Though we have lost family and loved ones, our faith has helped us get through this."

"At the same time, I still ask myself why this had to happen. I'll be honest, I've gotten this question so many times over the years, and I still don't have an answer."

"As a scientist, I could say it's some fluctuation in spacetime that sent us back. Should this be the case, I guess we could argue that this is all part of the 'Hands-Off' theory of God, in the sense that He values Free Will above all else and largely doesn't interfere with our world."

"If that's the case, then life goes on. And it has gone on. In all these years, I've done my share of weddings and baptisms, and so many of you have rebuilt your lives in our new home."

Of all things, that was what he was most proud of. So many of these people, be they his former students, friends, and recent converts, were in the crowd today, along with their families.

Sure, not all of their spouses were even Catholic, but the fact that they were even here warmed his heart.

"Or, maybe God had a reason to send us back in time. If that's the case, I don't know what it is, but I'm always open to answers."

With this, he turned to the statue of Jesus on the altar, and that got a few laughs out of the crowd.

"Yeah, He's not talking."

That got even more laughs out of the congregation.

"I don't know what His plan is. But, if I am being completely honest, I don't think our mission's changed."

"We're still supposed to be good people and set good examples. We're supposed to spread the Word of God through our kindness and goodness to one another, just as He once did all those years ago."

"Does it matter whether we're doing this in 2028 or 1918? Goodness, kindness, and decency (and I'm not talking about the backhanded stuff you used to see on the internet) are universal goods that resonate just as much with us from the future as they do with all of us who came from the past."

"We can talk about Revelations, Raptures, and Divine Tests, but our duty to spread the Word of God through goodness and kindness have not changed, no matter what has happened."

"I know, I know, 'I don't know' isn't the best answer in the world. But it's an honest one, if nothing else."

Location Unknown, Salem, Oregon, United States of America, 1 September 1918

"I know what this is!" bellowed the Pastor Locke from his pulpit. "It is a warning from God! Nothing less than that!"

"Blacks and whites living with one another? The Polish and Irish living alongside us Anglo-Saxons?! Catholics and Protestants living alongside one another?"

"The world of the future is little more than a modern Sodom and Gomorrah of degeneracy where people have turned away from God and towards fornication with one another!"

"It is a sign of their moral decay that so many are poor and suffering, for they have turned away from God himself! That is the world that awaits us if we do not secure an existence for ourselves and our children!"

"It is a world of degeneracy, of weakness and impurity brought forth by those who claim to worship Christ but take orders either from Rome or Jerusalem!"

"And here we are, seen as outcasts for what we have said for our safety, for the protection of America's innocence against those who would rape and pervert her virgin innocence!"

"Tell me, would you want your daughter to marry a negro. For your beautiful girl to give birth to a mutt?"

The woman shook her head quietly.

"Or would you, sir," he said to one of the men in the front row, "Would you want your children to be taught the lies and slander of these so-called 'scientists' that God did not create the Earth in seven days?"

"Well no, I wouldn't!"

"Then it is all the more reason that we take a stand today to protect America. This Christian nation of ours is worth fighting for, even if our so-called 'leaders' in Washington refuse to fight for her.

"Our enemies are cowards, with how they sneakily try to infect our society. How they work in the shadows to pervert us and turn us against one another, enraging us into doing the Devil's work!"

"These cowards are the greatest threat to the existence of the American people! Not just the Negro, but the Socialist, the Progressive, the Chinaman, the Catholic, and the Jew as well! All of them seek nothing more than to see us weakened and feeble!"

"Then it is our mission to fight against these great odds and rid ourselves of these people. Don't get me wrong, brothers and sisters, there will be many who say what we are doing is 'immoral' or 'wicked.'"

To them I say to get out of our way. For just as God knows us as his beloved children, we know God! He sees us, just as well as he knows us, and he knows we are right in our cause!"

"And when that Judgement Day finally comes, we will be vindicated, for Christ himself will look upon us in approval while the naysayers look on in horror and regret at their decision to not join us in our heavenly struggle to do the work of our god!"

East Harlem Presbyterian Church, New York City, New York, United States of America, 30 October 1918

"The future?" Reverend Thomas said to the crowd, "It is many things. Promising and Discouraging all at once, depending on where you look."

At least that was what he could tell from his own readings. Here was a time when there was more food than necessary, yet people still went hungry in America.

"But it is the sheer capacity for progress in a hundred years that has amazed me the most. To think that in such a short period of time, Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans would be seen as, well, Americans. Or to think that Americans of different races could marry one another without any restriction."

"It is beautiful. Wouldn't you say so?"

Sure enough, many of his Italian-American congregation nodded their heads.

"However, the future is not a utopia, not should we think of it as such. Not when so many are as wealthy as the robber barons of our own time, with so many more willing to justify this greed and suffering with the claims lf hard work."

"If I am honest," the young reverend admitted, "It saddens me. There is so much potential for our future, but so much of it is wasted on the evils of Greed, Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Lust for power."

"Christ Himself could feed an entire crowd with a handful of loaves and fishes, yet the people of the future still had millions starving around the world."

"What saddens me more, my neighbors," he continued, using a phrase from a future Presbyterian minister, "is how so many use Christ Himself to justify these injustices. The Bible is a beautiful book that we can learn from, but I do not think that we should pick our favorite verses to justify our shortcomings."

"If anything, I would argue that we ought to use the Bible to be as close to Christ in faith and action as we can be."

"Prayer is all well and good. After all, I am a reverend." A few people nodded to that. "But as a Christian philosopher once said, 'You cannot eat Christ… Unless you are Catholic, of course."

Reverend Thomas looked to see his congregation smile at the joke. As funny as he thought it was, he had a point to it all.

A point that his now-engaged congregation seemed to have understood.

"That is the crux of this, I believe," he said to them. "Faith and Action. Through good works we can achieve the goodness of that future. Through our faith, we can guide ourselves away from making the same mistakes."

"A better future is possible," he surmised, before pausing to take a breath. "But if we want to live in that better world, then we will need to work hard for it. It will not be easy, I am afraid, but a future where all are welcome at the table of plenty is a future worth working towards."

First Methodist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America, 31 December 1918

"As our Lord and Savior once said, 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven," the preacher began. Sure enough, all the assembled were at least familiar with those words. "Then if that is the case, then would it not mean that this is the key to Christ's return?"

The people looked on at him with confused faces, but at least they were not enraged.

"As He said, 'On Earth as it is in Heaven.' Would this not mean that for Christ to return, His will must be done on Earth as it is in Heaven?"

Now the people nodded, which meant he was at least making some sense to them.

"And what is Heaven? It is a place of paradise, where there is no suffering. A home where nobody is homeless, with a table where nobody is hungry, led by a Christ who can heal the sick for no money. A perfect place to spend an eternity, wouldn't you say?"

"This, of course, is all God's will, isn't it. After all, He is the ruler of Heaven, so all of this would be through his doing. Does that make sense?"

Again, the crowd nodded, encouraging him to move on to his next point.

"Then if that is the case, wouldn't it mean that Christ will not return until we do on Earth as it is in Heaven? That is, an Earth free of sickness, homelessness, and starvation. A world of peace and love, just as Heaven will be upon our arrival."

"My brothers and sisters," he said to the congregation. These were bold words, of course, seeing that this was a congregation of black and white people, though he hardly cared. After all, he doubted Christ would, either. "This is our mission. If we are to bring forth the return of Christ, Our Lord and Savior, then we must do unto Earth as the Father has already done in Heaven."

"Why else would He send back an entire island's worth of technology back to our time, if not to help us achieve this? With this technology, God has given us the means to house and feed the world, just as we have the means to wipe out the perfidious diseases that have killed so many of our brothers and sisters."

"Only then will Christ return to Earth. Only then will our work be done, and we may ascend to Heaven just as He had done all those years ago."

"Now, I know that there are those who have their own questions. Those who would disregard the Lord's own words and ask, 'What if you are wrong?'"

"To them I ask them to look in the Bible and see how God is ever-present, ever-testing us. Be it through Christ, Solomon, Joseph, Abraham, or even Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord is always looking upon us and testing our character to see if we are as genuine in action as we are in faith."

"To them who would discourage us from acting with goodness and kindness with this kind of question, I have only one question for them."

"What if you are wrong?"

 

[ChrisProvidence]

As he exited the Haitian consulate in Paris, Foreign Minister Jean Jaures did not expect to have gotten most of what he wanted.

France's relation with Haiti was… complicated, to say the least. Here was a nation that had basically blackmailed its former colony into paying reparations for slavery.

Reparations which, until recently, had been choking the island nation into a vicious cycle of poverty and corruption. One which they could have never hoped to escape when they were forced to give France such a steep discount.

The Briand government had, of course, considered forgiving the debt wholesale, but the Senate had outright refused to even consider it. The Bank of France had said as such, what with their Governor still being from the old administration.

In short, the debts were to be continued, and both Haiti and the SFIO would be forced to deal with it.

That is, however, until the Chinese had decided to outright take on the debt themselves.

"A drop in the bucket," was how the Chinese ambassador had described it when the Governor of the Bank of France had pointed out the costs. "Besides, it is not as if we will pay it all at once."

Truth be told, nobody had expected this. Neither the Haitians, nor the Left Bloc, nor even the Bank of France themselves had thought that China, of all places, would be willing to pay off the debt over a period of years.

Nor were the Americans, who were honestly dumbstruck at the prospect. Now, they would be annoyed, had the Chinese not come to them with an offer.

In short, a Sino-American joint company would be investing heavily in Haiti's energy and mining sectors. Workers would be trained, while modern machinery would be brought it.

The profits, for their part, would be split three ways, with the Haitians receiving a third, the Americans receiving a third, and the Chinese receiving the last third.

It was a bold plan, but a welcome one nonetheless when the nation was otherwise a debt-stricken backwater. Port-au-Prince had practically leapt at the offer when the consul sent it to them.

As far as things went, this was one of the unique scenarios where everyone seemed to win. America maintained its influence, China gained a new source of copper, Haiti had its debts relieved, and the French managed to "complete" another campaign promise.

Even the Bank of France seemed content with the money they were owed, though they did sour on the end to the Unequal Treaty with Haiti.

If anything, the only ones who could complain were those who directly profited from the Unequal Treaty with Haiti, and Jaures paid little mind to them.

After all, those importers and merchants were already exploiting the global proletariat, and these were people who didn't like the Left Bloc in the first place.

Perhaps it has something to do with us being socialists. Capitalists tend to not like us.

China notwithstanding, of course.

He never knew how it had happened, yet somehow China, one of the most capitalist countries in the world, was one of their closest allies.

Then again, Jaures was not about to turn down an offer of help. Especially one that costed him absolutely nothing.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Knowledge of the future was a key asset, and that went for everyone.

Downtimer, Uptimer, it didn't matter. Knowing the future allowed people to know what to do in the present.

It started out with simple things. A story would get out from Taiwan about American society, just as so many had before. Some wowed the people, while others disturbed them greatly.

This, of course, fell into the latter. How couldn't it, when this was the PATRIOT Act we were talking about.

Sure, the average American understood law enforcement, and the purpose they served. What they didn't like, however, was how pervasive the surveillance state was in the future.

A warrant was all well and good, but the idea that the Federal Government could outright spy on their own people?

It shocked and disgusted almost everyone, be they Progressive or Conservative, Democrat or Republican, Black or Brown or White.

Quite frankly, nobody liked the idea of Washington spying on their own people. And that sentiment was as alive and well in Washington as it was in California, Florida, or Massachusetts.

This, of course, had led to politicians all across the spectrum proposing their own forms of legislation to ensure the right to privacy, but that was where the common ground ended.

Sure, nobody wanted the Federal Government to spy on them, but many still knew full well that the state needed at least some way to deal with domestic and foreign threats.

Debate had gone back and forth in the halls of Congress, until the White House had finally come up with a compromise:

People would be guaranteed the Right of Privacy, so long as a warrant is not issued.

In hindsight, it seemed like the most efficient answer. After all, unlawful search and seizure had been outright prohibited in the Bill of Rights. This was only the logical conclusion of it all.

And so it went before Congress, where an outright miracle had occurred: People had actually agreed with one another!

And as most proposed amendments do, they went to the states, where they similarly agreed with one another on the sentiment, even if it was for different reasons.

This time, there would be no gambits nor poison pills. Just the Nineteenth Amendment (commonly known as the Right to Privacy) passing in record time.

Of course, there would be some concessions. After all, this was a constitutional amendment that didn't prohibit the formation of a foreign intelligence agency. Only that it placed limits on said agency, so that the rights of its own people would be protected.

Which was a fancy way of saying that the Office of Strategic Services was formed in February of 1919. While several different branches had founded their own ad-hoc operations, this centralized the agency under one authority.

In practice, the United States was developing their own version of the Military Intelligence Bureau, with assistance from their Chinese counterparts.

For all intents and purposes, it was the Central Intelligence Agency born anew. Except this time, there would be enough active oversight to ensure that the same mistakes would not be made.

That, and Roosevelt had refused to call it the Central Intelligence Agency. In his words, he believed that if they were to create a new intelligence agency, then that new agency needed a new name.

In all likelihood, he'd done it in an effort to not "Accidentally piss off all of Latin America," as Deputy Director William Donovan had put it.