TransUral Empire
Mess with the bull, you get the horse
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Curtain Call: The end of a one-party USA
"...and here comes the boys around the bend here, having just marched across the Happy Chandler Memorial Bridge. Most of this corps is made up of former workshy individuals or petty criminals who were reformed under the Spartan program..." - Christ Rather, Presenter, 1985 Olsen Day Parade in Washington DC
"...and here comes the boys around the bend here, having just marched across the Happy Chandler Memorial Bridge. Most of this corps is made up of former workshy individuals or petty criminals who were reformed under the Spartan program..." - Christ Rather, Presenter, 1985 Olsen Day Parade in Washington DC
What is this?
This timeline is about aftermath of the end of a one party socialist run USA, well socialist-y USA. More economically populist/statist really.I plan on updating it occasionally, which is the best I can manage right now. There's a lot of other stuff going on in my life.
The first post will cover the general history of the US from roughly the late 1800's until 1986 which is where our story will begin. I will probably also have a couple more history related posts for the sake of extra context. We'll play it by ear. In general though the background to the scenario isn't like super plausible and the focus of the TL is on the afterwards portion of this history.
What about HALF PAST NOON?
Thanks for asking. I'm still working on HALF PAST NOON's Part II and Part I redux, I'm just in a bit of a slow period and feel like working on something else. There's also a couple things that were supposed to happen later on in Part II that have actually happened since ending the Part I of the TL so I have to do rewrites.
If you want to read it, I'd suggest waiting for the new version. But if you absolutely must, check out the link in my signature.
Prologue: Our America, 1986
...And so it begins...
Since the late 1800's the US suffered from economic instability and inequality. A number of panics had rocked the economic system of the US repeatedly and there was little that could be done, it seemed. Corruption and inefficiency seemed to be endemic in the American system. Massive monopolies, Trusts, had come to control large swaths of the American economy. Things seemed impossible to change.
Enter the Labor Party.
Fusing together populists, reformers, anti-monopolists, socialists, trade unionists, and so on, the party was an idealistic group made for saving America. Or at least they tried. In 1908 they ran their first campaign, McKinley's selected successor Charles Evans Hughes easily trounced them and the Democratic opposition. These were Republican days.
The Bosnian Crisis which gave birth to the first world war in 1915 nearly drew America into it. Lord knows Hughes, the moderate reformer that he was, wanted to involve the nation in the European conflict. Only the gift of Washington's precedent regarding terms saved America. Hughes decided against running in 1916 and his VP, Mr. Taft who was a 'Hughesian' reformer, lost to Champ Clark in a close race.
Clark was not a particularly talented politician and spent more time fighting with the Republicans and opposing entering the war than implementing progressive policy.
The failure of the Victor Murdock ticket to capitalize on Clark and Taft's unpopularity was a major turning point for the Labor Party and the American Progressive movement as a whole. At the same time that more "typical" Rooseveltian progressives were either changing their views or being alienated from the party (the case with Murdock) more radical elements of organized labor entered the party and the wider progressive movement. In the midst of economic instability and crises which had plagued America for decades, the lack of real change from DC led to the beginnings of a real progressive movement.
With the war over for good in 1920, Europe was falling apart and the global market was falling apart. But America was looking good, for a time. Trusts were still endemic and corruption was even worse, but by giving loans to the Triple Entente, America had made an incredible investment. For the first time in more than a generation economic stability was returned to the US.
An odd sort of placidity came across Europe and indeed the US. Save for radical socialists which the US and Europe (Russia, Germany, and Italy in particular) had to deal with, a new normal came about. The Labor Party appeared to be nearing its end.
But of course, it took but a short period of time for issues to reappear. After a period of more or less conservative and moderate political domination from 1920 until 1936. It was in 1934 when things changed. Economic disaster. Black Wednesday. Just as the new Bolshevik military government proclaimed only years before, capitalism appeared to be on its death bed. The Lowden administration had no way of dealing with the event.
...The Party of Lazarus...
In 1936 the Labor Party made its miraculous recovery. The Republicans simply had no one to run who could compete and they gave up a sacrificial lamb. The Democrats faced an insurgent campaign from Huey Long who's death by assassination was awfully convenient for the party. With Long's death, party favorite Cordell Hull went against the man who made the Labor Party what it became famous for - Floyd B. Olsen.
Olsen is an interesting man in the sense that everything good you hear about him is true, while everything bad you hear about him is also true.
Populist demagogues... can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em
It's true that he forged the beginnings of the American recovery from Black Wednesday. It's also true that he packed the courts and ruled with executive fiat. It's true that he fought for worker's rights. It's also true that he used violent intimidation and extortion by way of his connections to organized crime to control votes and "handle" certain opponents. It's true that he fought against the KKK and tried to force an anti-lynching bill that couldn't pass muster in Congress. It's also true that he "handled" J. Edgar Hoover and staffed the FBI with his lackies.
Olsen, in all his accomplishments and controversy, died in 1939 after a hard fought battle with cancer. His successor was not a his VP, but was instead Kentucky Senator and all around strongman Happy Chandler.
By 1939 Olsen's ugliness had caught up with his reputation. Chandler promised to continue the good parts of Olsen's program but discontinue the ugly elements. The voters assumed that this meant that he would reverse the packing of the courts, the criminality and illegality of various elements of Olsen's programs. What he meant really was that he was going to shift things a tad more rightward.
...Chandlerville, USA...
Under Chandler's watch the Labor Party obtained an understanding with big business. Chandler would break up the worst and biggest trusts but he would calm down on some of the red stuff. Keep things capitalist, you know?
Chandler forced the party to remove the most extreme socialists (most of whom joined the underground CPUSA) and he broke the worst trusts up, most of which were acquired by the government. He also abandoned most of the racial politics and the southern Democrats were placated in many instances. In return Chandler refused to give up the powers and privileges gained under Olsen.
With a loyal FBI (now both a crime fighting force and burgeoning secret police), broken court system, and a military unable to act politically, Chandler increased the power of the executive and began creating new programs. Known in their time collectively as the "Economic Foundation Package." These new programs were distinct from previous Olsen programs. These were more populist than socialist in character, and in some instances perhaps para fascism. Instead of 'socialism' it was 'Americanism'. But Chandler was no Fascist really, an authoritarian yes, but a fascist he was not.
The rise of the Axis, led by a resurgent Germany, went mad in Europe. Chandler saw his chance. He worked closely with the western allies and he declared war on Germany and her European allies and co-belligerents in shortly after being elected in 1942. The peace movement in the US was opposed, naturally. The Japanese also took it poorly and took the opportunity to declare war in return. And so everyone decided to duke it out.
During the war the US economy was increasingly and unceasingly nationalized and the power of the federal government increased. Chandler used every opportunity to increase the power of his secret police and executive powers. A series of war bills which restricted the freedom of speech and chipped away at due process were enacted by the now hobbled congress at Chandler's behest. On top of that, an increasingly ridiculous series of requirements for elections were enacted under the new Department of Elections. Meant on paper to certify candidates for election and ensure peaceful/orderly elections the real purpose was to make it as difficult as possible for candidates from outside the Labor Party from winning office.
Of course, the oppression wasn't enforced fully so as not to be overbearing. In this period of the Chandler led US the government was never a full dictatorship. Outcomes of elections were respected more or less, and people could still disagree with the government on key issues, just not loudly.
Once the war was over, well, you know the story. The US had a breakup with her former allies and the three sides began to form their own spheres of influence. Then finally, to cap things off there was the abortive coup of 1946 which ended the career of MacArthur and put Chandler back on a leftist course.
Chandler felt betrayed once his FBI traced the money paid out to the coup's top participants to the Rockefellers. So ended the American nobility. Chandler's new course was more leftist and anti-trust. Trusts were broken and placed under government control, the welfare system was widened even further with a national healthcare and a variety of veteran programs, unions were increased in freedoms but at the same time placed under Federal control. Of course all of this angered many and so at the same time the FBI and the CIA began to increase in size and importance.
This was not Olsen's socialism, it was Chandler's "Americanism." Welfareism, latent authoritarianism, statism. A socialism of a sort, perhaps. Chandler rejected the old socialism and instead promoted what he termed "socialism of the consumer" or "socialism of America." It was just the worst aspects of the Gracchi come to manifest in Rome's lesser pretender. Bread and circuses for the masses, as they say.
The US focused its foreign policy on sheer power relations rather than ideology. It's opposition to the Soviet Union occasionally made them and the European bloc occasional allies but these periods were awkward and forced. America had its influence, Europe had its influence, and the Soviets had its ideology. Many a life was lost in defense of petty national interest.
Chandler relaxed controls over cultural affairs, especially movies and music. He had figured out that if you let people believe that tyranny was minimal and gave them lots of things to enjoy, then there was little to complain about in reality. This was Chandler's charm, he knew just how hard to push it. Presidential elections continued, elections all over the board continued. Just more illegitimate than legitimate.
Things would change of course. It was the 50's and people were starting to become tired of Chandler and the issue of Civil Rights had begun to become a serious political issue. After a close election in 1956, Chandler was challenged during the balloting of the electoral college. Up and comer Democrat George Smathers declared the election a sham and the other segregationists followed suit. It was in retaliation for finally extending a federal works program into black majority areas, but for the public it looked like the political theater was a protest against tyranny.
Chandler was enraged and went to war. The FBI's armed squadrons were called in and the offending politicians were removed. The following week all non-Labor Party politicians were ordered removed from office. Chandler had lost his touch, but with the FBI and military backing him, there was little room for dissent.
These were the days of one party rule. Chandler was able to rule via fiat. Things got harder and harder for the average man, but prosperity continued to grow. The constitution was rewritten and congress was merged into a single house and its power was minimized.
In the 60's Chandler tried to thread the needle on Civil Rights. Slow, moderate progress is what he promised (and wished for). Intractable social violence and upheaval is what he got. The 60's were a time of change for the US and a time of violence. To compensate for the terror of Segregationists and Civil Rights activists, Communists and White Nationalists, Liberal humans rights activists and so on, the surveillance state and powers of the FBI and CIA increased. A tighter and tighter grip came about in American life. Chandler's previous velvet glove had become a steel hammer.
In the place of the expected compromise and moderation on the issue, what he created was the so called "American Bush War" or more recently, the American Dixie Wars. Insurgency and terrorism began to take root in the south and the US military was called in. The situation only got worse.
With an economic decline from the highs of the 40's and 50's and the military situation at home, by the 70's American power was shot. In 1973 Chandler's career was also shot. Quite literally, actually. While in Miami on tour to show America that the situation was under control the now infamous White Revolutionary Army shot and killed him. Dictators rarely die peacefully.
...And so the curtain closes...
In his place the party had no one to replace him. Not fully, anyway. Henry Jackson, his sometimes second in command took the the reins of power. He tried to ease the situation at home and abroad. Jackson loosened controls and privatized some government run companies, he also went about trying to militarily eliminate the threats to the government. He was a student of Chandler in many ways.
Things calmed down a little. The growing middle class dissent was assuaged by Jackson but the military situation was still rather rough. The US was fighting a different type of war, different but slightly similar to their war in Bolivia only so many years before. Here they had to fight the funding methods of the rebels just as often as they had to fight their insurgents. Violence was often random and deadly.
Jackson continued to lessen controls over the nation and decreased the power of the FBI. The single party situation continued, but factions began to emerge. People began to get ideas. Dissent paradoxically began to grow rather than decrease. The economy began to recover however, and with that things began to change for the better for the regime. Entering the 80's things were looking upwards, at least a little bit.
Foreign policy consensus with the Europeans had eliminated most of the reasons for conflict between them at the time and the Atlanta Agreement in 1981 which ended the 2nd phase of the Dixie Wars. But as the economy began to slow again the regime looked even weaker than its previous low point. Protests and civil disobedience campaigns broke out in 1983 with the goal of a fair election in '84. Jackson promised to wipe them out and struck back.
But Jackson wasn't well. He had a heart attack in 1985 and was debilitated.
With the situation quickly falling apart, Jackson was approached by the military. It was an unprecedented incident. Jackson had no support in the party or among the public, but he retained the support of the FBI and CIA. Rather than let the situation devolve further, the military met with Jackson. Collin Powell, a black man who rose through the ranks during the Dixie Wars, led the thankfully metaphorical charge.
Powell explained in no uncertain terms that either Jackson resign and hand over power to the party or he would be forced to move against him. Jackson, elderly and infirm, resigned.
It's now 1986. With Jackson's resignation and never being given a VP, the power of the office fell to the Speaker of the Congress, young anti-Jacksonite Hillary Clinton. Together with the Mike Espy and Penn Kemble, they formed the 'Young Turk Triumvirate' which they used to end the era of one party rule. Leading the Congress they revoked many of the anti-constitutional laws and damaged the influence of the FBI, CIA, and Department of Elections.
Elections have been announced and are planned to occur in 1987.
And so it begins.
(Very rough and very much not final) Map of the world, 1986
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