The Situation Room:2034

[ORE]

♫


[...] "And that was our coverage of the Fink inauguration. Riveting stuff eh Jessica?
Well I don't know John, President Fink was long on stirring rhetoric but short on details. What will the Fink Presidency be like?
Well we'll have no shortage of opportunities to see the Fink presidency in action in the coming days[...]




[...] Hurricane Matthew has now reached a category 6 storm and is projected to make direct landfall in Miami in a matter hours. Despite the efforts of Governor Jonathan Lubin to encourage evacuation of the area, Mayor Riley Marresca has refused to order a state of emergency nor order evacuations in his city. With so many people still in the city, this historically powerful storm looks set to do truly unconscionable damage [...]


[...] Driven by years of political disaffection and the economic strains brought about desertification intensifying in the Sahel region, today fighters from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad declared Azawad a new independent Berber nation. Already fighting has begun in Mali, Algeria, Niger and Libya. French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a French response to the sudden intensification of conflict in the region [...]

[...]The United Kingdom is in crisis today. After appalling reports of Coast Guard Conduct in the channel towards migrant vessels leaked last Tuesday, King Charles made the rare public statement of calling the evidence "Heartbreaking" and calling PM Patel "Heartless". In response the Prime Minister has introduced legislation to abolish the Monarchy and has shown every sign of being determined and able to force it through. Further escalating the crisis the First Minister of Scotland, Stephen Gethins has issued a unilateral declaration of independence. It has been said "there'll always be an England" but at this moment whether there will always be a Britain is unclear at this moment [...]



[...] The new Workers' Left Front – Unity government in Argentina faces its first crisis, as its ambitious program of nationalizations have led to a open succession movement in the north of the country, with its heart in Catamarca province. With the revolting regions controlling the Argentine portion of the so called "Lithium" Triangle, international observers have expressed concerns about the Argentine debt as well as disruptions to the international lithium market. [...]​

 

[ORE]

In Other News​

​

Tom Brady wins his eight Super Bowl Ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Average Russian Life expectancy drops to 64 years, the lowest in Europe

Radiation Levels in the Himalayas drop to "acceptable levels" reports Indian Army.

Supreme Leader Kim Yo-Jong reappears on state media after a 6 month absence, squelching rumors of her death​

 

[Weygand]

Statement on Hurricane Matthew​

I have just finished speaking with Governor Lubin, who is a terrific servant of his state and whose concern over the situation in Florida is very clear and very real. We agreed that despite our political differences, catastrophes like this transcend party lines, and it is important that we present a united front for the safety of the American people. This nation has grown so polarised over the last few years, and even the most practical issues of government function - basic disaster relief - have become political point-scoring exercises. If you're worried about government overreach, folks, let me tell you: a hurricane is a hurricane, and - small or big government - it's not going to respect your principles. Now maybe I agree with my Eagle colleagues on some matters: I share some of their concerns about government interventionism run amok, and it is one of the oldest tenants of our democracy that it is the right of the individual to defend themselves against an overbearing state. But in matters like this, common sense and elbow grease aren't going to cut it. We can't expect people to conjure a relief effort out of that. They need us there, on the ground, helping them get to safety, and, then, rebuilding their lives.

Governor Lubin has requested a state of emergency be declared in Florida, and I have granted his request. FEMA personnel will be at his disposal to coordinate the comprehensive business of getting the people of Miami out of harm's way. We can't have the government asleep at the wheel on these things - at any level - as they grow increasingly common. I wish our first responders and the federal workers now in the field the very best, and God bless them.

 

[Carol]

THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
1000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1000
​

Mar - 4 2034
​

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EMPLOYEES

SUBJECT: Message to the Force

As the Secretary of Defense, it is my responsibility and pleasure to ensure the Department harbors and develops the correct personnel, focus, and purpose of mission to ethically defend our Nation from any threat, domestic and foreign. This Department must work to embody the highest principles of the Constitution as required of its guardians. We must adapt to a landscape of changing threats with the temperate appraisal of strategic needs and capabilities of our Department, augmenting the protection of national interests with the championing of justice. ​

Let the defense of the Nation, care of our principles, and success through cooperation guide our efforts.​

​

DEFENSE OF THE NATION​

• Democratize information on the DoD. The Department is accountable to the people that fund it. We are doomed without their trust in us. The veil of unneeded secrecy over information not vital to the defense of the Nation must be democratized. As a challenge to ourselves, I pledge that the Department will pass its first ever clean audit since 2017 in two years' time at most.
• Prioritize Advanced and Persistent Threats as the Pacing Challenge. We must prioritize the unstable nations of China and Russia as our number one challenge while not being forgetful of other threats emanating from isolated regions or natural phenomena. It is our duty to develop the right operational concepts, capabilities, and plans to bolster deterrence and maintain our competitive advantage. We must innovate at a speed and scale to match them. And the innovation will take into account climate considerations in all that it does. Where able, we will find sustainable alternatives to reduce our carbon footprint and go carbon neutral as soon as safely possible. At the same time, the Department will prioritize efficiency from long-term and short-term programs.

CARE OF OUR PRINCIPLES​

• Fight Abuse of Authority. The trust placed upon us cannot and will not be breached by unprofessional and unethical behavior from members of the Department. They undermine our readiness and put our effectiveness at risk. The Department must be a safe working space for all of our people. We do not tolerate sexual assault, sexual harassment, and discrimination. The Department as a whole will meet and rise above the abuses of a few tainted individuals.
  Grow our Talent. The members of the Department are its flesh and blood. Those in and out of uniform create the most preeminent fighting force in the world. Opportunity, growth, and development are this Department's watch words. We will invest in training and education that drives promotion and retention of our total workforce. The skills required to succeed in and out of the Department must be fostered, too.

SUCCESS THROUGH COOPERATION​

• Cooperation with our Allies and Partners. Our modern force is built with international cooperation in mind. Our allies and partners provide the force multiplier and strategic assets needed to defeat any global threat. When it is appropriate, we must consult and act as a united and equal force of good in the world.
• Teamwork with Our Nation. Every level of government from state, local, tribal, and Federal is responsible for the defense of the Nation. It calls to notice the spirit of teamwork of those parties that have a stake in our national security. This spirit comes from a belief in diplomacy as the greatest tool for safety. Only force as the last weapon of a cooperative, whole-of-nation approach to national security can provide a system safe for American democracy.

I firmly believe that our Nation will be safer and healthier under the priorities that I have outlined here. I trust that all of you will help me articulate this into proper policy. Thank you for all that you have done in service to your country so far. I look forward to meeting and working with you in defense of our national security and honor. ​

​

​

 

[Weygand]

 

[Furrybacon]

​

"I can't believe I let the interns run my Twitter." Senator Bob Sinclair said, pretending to pout over his coffee.

"You don't let them run anything sir, your wife made you give it to them after you posted a picture of the UK PM's Spitting Image Character." His aide replied, dryly.

"It was funny, and you know it."

"It was irresponsible and you know it."

"Hogwash."

Silence returned as the Senate Leader of the Eagle Party finished his breakfast - good old fashioned and American Biscuits and Gravy. His doctor said he should tone back on the stuff, especially as he got up in the ages, but unlike his wife, he could ignore his doctor. "So tell me, Matt, what do you Fink is going to happen now that the new Administration is getting its feet wet?" It was an empty conversation. They'd had it every day ever since the Moose Party got the Election in November. Matthew was clearly tired of having the discussion, but the beauty of being old was that you could always get things to be repeated. "The Admin shows off their agenda, we sandbag em once or twice, they trip on their own imperialisms, and we sweep the 2038 election."

"Did the party write a script for you? You always say that."

"Do you disagree?" The Senator shrugged, scrunching his face as his fork collected up the escaped bits of biscuit and gravy that had thusfar escaped him. Capturing the last remnants, he swallowed it before continuing. "That plan reads a lot like sticking the cart before the horse, but nothing else. And how about my flanks?"

"Some Traditionalists are calling you a Closet Liberationist and the Liberationists are calling you a Traditionalist bootlicker. " Matt replied, referring to the party split. "Of course, once we see some real Moose Legislation they'll be more amicable.

"Excellent. Today will be a good day." The old Senator replied declaratively, as he signaled for the check, eager to see what mess would come next.

 

[Namaroff]

Frederick's Draft Memo to the White House
on the Developing Sahel Crisis
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
​

Macron is an authoritarian, a strongman. This isn't the first Azawad uprising this century and the last one opened up the door to Islamists taking over Timbuktu. Unless the French intend to hold a huge swathe of territory and keep the cooperation of multiple...difficult governments simultaneously for an indefinite period, going in and squashing the Berbers without any other viable alternative could just make things worse. We could have a new Islamic State on our hands.

In my opinion, the United States is better equipped to bring Mali, Algeria, Niger and LIbya to the table together despite regional rivalries and work to strengthen their existing institutions through military and non-military aid. Otherwise we could see a state form, implode, and then require the kind of invasive state-building exercise that drains years of blood and treasure while inflaming international terrorism.

 

[Aquadragon10]

​

The room was dark, just how Kane liked it. It let him think about the numerous things going on in both the USA and the world. Although certain situations did give Kane worry, both Azawad and Britain looking to cause international problems, and Argentina causing distruption in the vital lithium trade the United States and his agency needed. But none of that was his concern. Let the CIA worry about that. The FBI dealt with domestic issues. And Hurricane Matthew was a problem. Sadly Kane couldn't just make Miami's mayor disappear due to the man's incompetence but he would offer FBI support to the Commander-in-Chief to help with the Miami evacuation. Specifically so no criminal got any ideas about looting, which those greedy crooks often did during natural disasters.

Outside of Matthew, Kane had other ideas to get the FBI back on top of crime and other domestic issues. Oh yes, he would ensure it. For now though, he would just think, feed his pet scorpions, and hope FBI agents busting up a drug trade didn't accidentialy uncover it was a CIA Op or anything. That would annoy him greatly.

 

[ORE]

Second Page News​

Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota and Eagle Party Presidential Candidate who lost to Deval Patrick in 2022 passes away in his sleep

Lin-Manuel Miranda's new musical: Taft, releases on Broadway to rave reviews

Curse of Strahd, the fourth film in the Dungeon and Dragon's cinematic universe releases in theatres.

The previously defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam movement resumes operations with attacks on several Sri Lankan army bases

After decades of construction, severe delays and 100 Billion dollars in expenses the South–North Water Transfer Project is formally inaugurated in its completed state. The General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Chen Jining, officiated at the ceremony.

Arusha, Capital of the East African Federation, surpasses Nairobi in population

 

[Karen]

​

I - Prelude and Development​

​

No one quite knew how a guy like Robert Banks got into the White House on a carte blanche of independence and with the honeyed words of a crafty, admittedly inexperienced, politician. Unlike the rest of the staff, which gathered around the talking heads of Marv and Billie, Banks was an outsider, a political reject of his own party who'd struck big in the financial sector over the 'Years of no Debt' - in truth, he was a rare commodity. Competent economists combined with the virtue of being part of the Hail Mary administration that had reduced the debt to an absolute null was something of a firecracker in the pan for President Fink. Naturally, the first thing he did when he received the call was former President Morton, apparently asking for the man's blessing to fully strip himself of the purple banner and settle into a cool blue. The stars, it seemed, had aligned for the young Secretary Banks.

It was no secret that the trick to securing a null debt was inactivity, the Treasury Banks stepped into was a complete dead space, offices that had been largely abandoned by his precursor and the few talking heads left were almost all unfathomably conservative. Staunch fiscal natives who spoke of pennies and quarters, not of the future, of the current day. The new secretary was something of a maverick in that regard, built up on a less rigid foundation that meant he'd been put into a position where he had to build that foundation, glue and spirit, all by himself. The myth of the balanced budget had driven the invisible hand loose and left it only tickling the vast financial reserves of the United States of America. On the contrary, the IRS was a goliath, and one manned by a staunch lineman of the Moose Party; one Seymore Butz, and appointed by President Fink himself.

On the other hand, Banks had control of all the deputies and special counsels that came and went between the Reserve, the Department and the IRS as per his role in cabinet. As he poured over nearly decade old files (some as long as that) and shredded what wasn't part of any public record, Banks placed himself, his small cohort of fellow aspiring economists quickly slid into their high seats at the proverbial table. At the inaugural meeting between the big heads - Banks included - the man gave a short speech, describing his intentions to his allies (and enemies) in government, though they weren't words defined with any clarity, described as 'sentimental, yet optimistic' by his peers.

"Responsibility. Now that's a big word. You look at the old dogs we have lined up in portraits behind us, and you think 'Man, those are some rocks we're going to have to scale.' in which case you are mistaken. We are not here to follow the same line of thinking, of reasoning, that these United States have brought about. When I got the call for this position, you know what my partner said to me? Ceremonial. That's what he described the Treasury Department, the IRS. Just dustcoats in the breeze, making those unprepared dizzy. DC has been happy riding on fat-cats without responsibility for a long, long time. Eight years too long. We are going to be that change. Shit, we're going to be the whirlwind."​

- Rob N. Banks​

According to the next issue of the Post, fire could be seen on the roof of the Treasury Building on the day of Fink's inauguration, with a drone camera spotting what appeared to be state portraits - later reported as replicas held in the building - of past Secretaries being set on fire in a colossal bonfire, along with equipment that the drone operator described as painfully outdated. Whatever the origin or reasoning behind the fire, only the new secretary and his allies could really discern.

 

[ORE]

2034​

The First 100 Days:​

♫


With the inauguration behind it the new Fink Administration began its first one hundred days with the formal unveiling of Marvin Fink's presidential agenda: 'Wake Up America'. A bold policy proposal calling for an age of American rebirth and renewal, Wake Up America contained the following proposals:
- Stimulus checks and spending for the average American under a certain age
- Green Energy subsidies for the expansion of solar farms, nuclear power, etc.
- An infrastructure bill with a particular emphasis on trains and power grids: improve access to electricity and generation, make it more affordable.
- An LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Act, aiming to codify their access to equal rights under the 14th amendment as well as enforcement, guarantee their right to medical procedures related to their sexuality and gender (as paid for by insurance or Medicare), and lift the ban on gay people giving blood.
- A conversion therapy ban.
- And an expansion of the EPA and FEMA, creating a joint agency (the Climate Response Agency) to produce a report on necessary spending and measures to protect the country from the ecological effects of climate change.
From the House side of the Moose party were added plans to: Expand Medicare Medicaid and Food Stamp programs and subsidize Lithium-ion batteries and other needed components for electric cars.


Like any great American policy proposal Wake Up America quickly stumbled upon the realities of law making. More specifically the Eagle party majority in the Senate. The Senate Majority Leader "Bleeding Heart '' Bob Harold Sinclair had a long history of rallying to two wings of his party together to stall out Moose legislation, but the Moose program seemed specifically designed to both dare opposition, and to exploit Eagle party divisions. Many members of the Eagle party quickly moved to distance themselves from Sinclair as Sinclair took a strong stance against the stimulus, program expansions and subsidies. Certainly the more extreme fiscal conservatives agreed with Sinclair's strong stance against increased government spending but there were more than a few senators who looked at their reelection campaigns and were reluctant to publicly oppose spending money on giving Americans money or reducing expenses that were a perpetual point of complaint. Sinclair had more success in holding up and reducing the size of the infrastructure bill. Trains in particular saw the wrath of the moose party. Sinclair publicly and constantly questioned all the reports put forth by the CRA and complained about potential cost. As for the Civil rights act, rather than tackling it head on and risking party fracture Sinclair instead fought to detooth every part of the act that gave it actual enforcement and teeth, trying to portray his opposition as concern over something that was properly a constitutional question not legislative. Whether or not anyone truly believed his explanations, the LBTQ+ Civil Rights Act was, unlike the rest of the Wake Up America, unable to be passed through budget reconciliation. The Moose were able to get enough Eagle senators to break ranks to pass Wake Up America even in a somewhat diluted form but Bob Sinclair filibustered civil rights to death.
The Treasury Department took to spending with gusto.


.
Another important piece of business before the legislature and executive in the first hundred days was staffing and appointments. This task was mostly delegated to the White House chief of staff, with the President stating "We should prioritize qualifications over dispositions: the America we're looking to build is steered by progress, sure, but competence is key". In other worlds while a competent moose party member was preferable, a civil service was preferable to a loyal incompetent. This agenda, unlike Wake Up America, faced little moose party opposition and before long most positions were filled. This was less true in the Treasury Department which experienced an unusual amount of staff turnoff in the lower ranks during the transition, and therefore taking longer to probably fill out.


Matthew, the greatest recorded hurricane in the history of the United States of America, struck Miami not long after the Fink inauguration. Though the resulting devastation was terrible, it was not as terrible as it could have been, thanks to the efforts of both Governor Lubin and President Fink. The early days of the Fink administration would have plenty of photos of Vice President Billie Clifton Francis III taken together looking very decisive in the ruins. Between the efforts of state government FEMA, the military and the FBI what could have been a horrible disaster became merely a bad one. Previously a political unknown, soon Lubin 2038 bumper stickers were being sold on etsy.



​

The Rest of the Year​

Matters Domestic​

…..climate change has dominated much of the rest of the year for the Fink administration. In the Pentagon climate change has been declared a serious national security threat. Plans are being drawn up to allow future deployment of military resources in the face of emergencies such as natural disasters or infrastructure failures. According to a Pentagon inside Matthew was a close thing, and in the future response times will need to be swifter. A similar conclusion has been reached on the more civilian end of things. The newly formed CRA has special climate disaster forming task forces, supposedly with the resources and transportation to respond within 24 hours anywhere in the US……


….While the new secretary of Defense has brought a new breeze into the Pentagon, promising new audits the pentagon will pass for the first time ever and a reduction of spending by scrapping any programs without a reasonable schedule on deployment. The Military proper and the new head of the Joint chiefs of staff have spent time on two military exercises, and improving interservice cooperation, not to mention an assessment of the state of the military's bases and supply lines, and we're told these assessments have shown the previous administration had badly neglected military infrastructure abroad. Despite this plans were made for a larger NATO exercise in the coming year….



...We interviewed pedestrians to learn what the man on the street thinks and here's what they had to say.
"I do appreciate the stimulus checks, money in my pocket is always nice, but what about a tax cut. That's as good as putting money in my pocket if not better."
"If a historical hurricane wasn't enough now there's an upswing in hard drugs and violent crime? What did Florida do to anger god so much- oh wait stupid question"
"You know I'm 1/25th Welsh and I have to say I'm pretty concerned about the situation in the United Kingdom. Shouldn't the President do something?"...



​

Matters Foreign ​

….President Fink's first trip abroad was to Paris where he met with President Macron to discuss the degenerating situation in Mali and north west Africa. Though no boots on the ground have been offered, American tactical and logistical support are helping bring the nations of the region together in partnership. French troops and American drone strikes soon contained the situation but it's unclear if this is a permanent solution. What is certain is that ties were being built between American and French leadership and we've received reports that a paper has been circulating through the federal government proposing the abandonment of the special relationship in favor of France….


…In China the scars of the Nepalese defeat still linger, not only in the diminished stature of the nation abroad but also that those troops which returned to China from the terrible defeat in Nepal returned bitter, and exposed to the political ideals of the Communist Party of Nepal. Maoist ideals, Gonzalo ideals. It is unclear how many of the Nepal generation had become radicalized but the Chinese government is increasingly under pressure from various extremist groups that called themselves the new Red Guards…

…The situation in Argentina has only grown more tangled and unstable since the beginning of this secession crisis. The new Workers Left Front government, a merger between four separate Trotskyite parties has struggled to come up with a united response to the crisis as its governing partners have increasingly degenerated into squabbling. However thanks to support from the American National Endowment for Democracy their somewhat disjointed response has at least not allowed the situation to get worse, but the private armies the oligarchs of Catamarca have raised are only growing as they spend prodigious amounts of money on PMC soldiers. Cartel soldiers too have been seen in the region…


Romania and Moldova voted for unification between their two nations today, something that saw widespread celebrations in much of those two countries, but strong condemnation from the Kremlin, which expressed strong reservations about the status of the Russian minority in Transnistria. As Russian forces are believed to still be stationed in Transnistria it is unclear what will come of this."


…Tamil terrorist activity has only escalated in the last year in Sri Lanka, something that many Sri Lankans is like a nightmare come to life as old hatreds have come boiling back to life. The Sri Lankan government has promised increasingly harsh responses to this insurgency but the Indian government has cautioned the Sri Lankan to respect the rights of Hindus….


….Britain today is on the brink of disaster. Everyone can feel the pressure building, waiting for the dam to burst. Mass protests and counter protests have broken out across the country in England, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Scotland against the Prime Minister, and in response Piri Patel has responded with strict curfews and police suppression. In Scotland the PM has refused to acknowledge Holyrood's declaration of independence and is demanding the loyalty of the police there as well. Though things have yet boiled over into open violence there have been scuffles at the border, and it seems that the PM intends to squeeze Scotland into submission by maintaining control over important locations such as military bases, the border, governmental headquarters. Of special importance is Clyde naval base in Scotland, the home of Britain's nuclear weapons and for now in government hands. As for the now former Royal Family their current location is unknown leading some to accuse the Prime Minister of outright murder, something she hotly denies….​

 

[Aquadragon10]

A Nod to Current Events
​

Kane was sitting once again in his office. The blinds closed and the lights turned off. He had been told this was bad for his eyesight but that hadn't stopped him yet. Looking over issues in the USA. He pointintly ignored foreign problems. Had to remind himself that it wasn't his department and that others jobs were to focus on that. Still, he had to keep an eye out to prevent any riots from breaking out due to foreign problems. Still, problems still ended up on his desk.

Hurricane Matthew was a disaster, but the joint relief work had made it easier to handle anyways. So that worked out well. But the upswing in drugs, hard drugs at that, and violent crime was ... irritating to say the least. This rise annoyed Kane greatly but it didn't surprise him too much. Despite the reports about it, Kane was aware prosperity invited crime as much as poverty did. Kane needed to plan here to solve this. For America he must do this.

Also find some time to go and visit Dune World. He needed to see if it lived up to the hype.

 

[ORE]

Second Page News​

Dune world, the Dune theme park opens
Attractions include, but are not limited to, the sietch resturant, with a variety of cinnamon based cuisine and 30$ bottles of water, the Shai Hulud Rollercoaster, the Baron's float chair drop tower, and the Salusa Secundus dark room experience. The theme park has been a smashing success and plans are already underway for a Caladan based water park expansion.

HBO announces plans to adapt Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné series

Generalísimo Francisco Franco is exhumed and rereinterred in the Valle de los Caídos

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi wins reelection as President of Libya with 89% of the vote. International observers were not invited

 

[ORE]

It's Coming Home​

♫


Despite the high tensions across the country, as the Patel government entered 2035 it entered confident that the situation could be contained. The initial spikes of protests had begun to wither under the weight of harsh curfews and the Scottish "government" seemed reluctant to take a stand and make their declaration of independence anything but hollow bluster. But then the unthinkable happened. Across the world in Taipei where the 2035 world cup was being held the English National Football team was putting in a historical performance, but few expected them to make it as far as they did. When the English Team beat France 3-1 to win the World Cup, the reaction in England was riotous. Everywhere the curfews were violated as people took to the streets, and the police made little effort to stop them as the police too joined the celebration. Soon the crowds went from merely celebrating England's victory to demanding Patel's resignation. Patel was defiant, but her party was far from united against her. When tory backbencher Matt Hancock put forth a motion of no confidence the floodgates were opened. The political death of the bogus Caesar was sealed by the knives of her former colleagues and the Patel government was overwhelmingly rejected. Patel's fall and the announcement of snap elections did much to calm the situation in Britain. The results were a historical route for the Tory party and a lesser extent a setback for the SNP as voters expressed their dissatisfaction with how close they had led the nation to the abyss. The liberal democrats did well but the real victors were the Labour Party. The new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham's first speech promised referendums on the status of monarchy and Scotland and a return to responsible humane governance after "years of tory misrule".

Time will tell if Britain can walk back from it's downward spiral.​

 

[Karen]

II - He Saw an Opportunity
​

Fire ran hot up and down the tracks of the Treasury. Metaphorically, at least. The massive reshuffling and restructuring of the department that Banks' had personally undertaken went largely unnoticed by the rest of the government. Many hard-working accountants loyal to the Ponzi scheme of the Reserve suddenly found themselves out on the streets while liberalizing were pushed forward without much hesitation. Cuts here, lawful layoffs there, and suddenly the department's efficacy was now angled directly towards whatever Banks had planned for. And he had planned to make it count.

The first major move of the new government was to spend. Prioritizing all expenditures on the budget and adjusting the government's trajectory by making sure very American got stimulus, welfare payments, every loan that was left on the backburner was paid out with interest, and the massive heaving bulwark of the sleeping United States was put kicking and screaming onto the front priority. Banks was by no means acting in vague and hasty terms, instead applying the methodology that America had corner-cut it's allies and been far too effective at cost-cutting.

It was time to seize on the blood in the water.

​

 

[Aedan777]

For a Better Future​

A man is laying strapped down on a table leaning back. Over him are two masked individuals, clad entirely in black.

He begins shouting in an unintelligible foreign language, but is drowned out when they throw a cloth over his head. Then they begin pouring water onto him.

After a few seconds of this, they stop and take off the soaked cloth. He sputters out more foreign words, so the cloth goes back on and the pouring resumes.

Again they stop after a bit. This time the man quickly responds in a haggard voice, in English, "No more, no more. God bless America, I will be a terrorist no more."

The two masked figures nod and then walk away, towards the camera. They stop about five feet away and remove their masks. One is revealed to be a beautiful woman, the other a Native American man.

The latter speaks first, directly to the viewer, "I may be gay."

The woman follows next in the same manner, "And I'm a gal."

"But in the CIA."

"All are pals."

Text comes up on the screen- Diversity, Acceptance, the CIA. Apply today.