America's Funniest President: Mo Udall Presidency & Beyond

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Infinity-Blitz7 said:
What's the list of Canadian Prime Ministers since 1976 ITTL? I believe you mentioned it was pretty much the same up to Brian Mulroney. Who's the current PM as of '96?
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Ed Broadbent and the NDP, who basically is in a coalition with the Liberals as of 1993. I believe I had John Turner as the one prior to him in 1988.
 
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CountDVB said:
1995: The Oklahoma City Bombing

640px-Oklahomacitybombing-DF-ST-96-00588.jpg

U.S. Air Force personnel and firefighters removing rubble in the rescue attempt​

The United States been enjoying periods of mostly peace during the 1990s. While there have been some incidents, they were usually handled with care. One was the arrest of the Branch Davidians over in 1993 and a year earlier, a tense standoff in Ruby Ridge. The standoff was due to local authorities going to arrest Randy Weaver under a bench warrant after his failure to appear on firearms charges. However, resistance to arrest made the standoff and authorities came in after a negotiation led to Weaver assualting an officer and esolcating violence. Fortunately, no one was killed though the Weaver adults along with family friend Kevin Harris would be arrested and the Weaver children taken into protective custody. [1] Despite this, the signs of these attacks were brief exposures to a festering growth in the underbelly of America. Namely the gradual growth of paramilitary groups linked through anti-government conspiracy and shared beliefs such as anti-Semitism and white supremacism. While some of these groups such as the Posse Comitatus have been active since the 1960s, they only began getting more noteworthy attention over the past few years, with some speculating that with the growing political and cultural changes in the United States, these people were decreasing in number, but becoming more radicalized in their isolation and would begin leading to more trouble. And this would be seen with a sudden explosion in Oklahoma.

170 people were dead. Over 650 people were injured. And a large chunk of the building wrecked, needing to be demolished. All of this would be the result of truck bomb over at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building over in Oklahoma City. Occuring over in late April, the Oklahoma City bombing would be a large disrupton to the calm atmosphere going on. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 other buildings within a 16-block radius, shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings, and destroyed or burned multiple cars along with public transporation and causing an estimated $652 million worth of damage. Local, state, federal, and worldwide agencies engaged in extensive rescue efforts in the wake of the bombing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) activated 12 of its Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, consisting of 720 rescue workers who assisted in rescue and recovery operations. The attack would be considered the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history. The attack was committed by two anti-government extremists with white supremacist, right-wing terrorist sympathies, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, wth McVeigh having been considered the mastermind. Other arrests included Michael and Lori Fortier and being identified as accomplices. Within less than two hours after the explosion was released, McVeigh would be arrested. While initially concerning regarding gun charges, it quickly escalated as more and more evidence would be found regarding him and Nichols.

Oklahoma Governor Jack Mildren would announce a state of emergancy over in Oklahoma, and ordered all non-essential workers in the Oklahoma City area to be released from their duties for their safety. Meanwhile, logistics would have to handle the sudden influx of humanitarian aid that began pouring across the country as a result of this. And unsurprisingly, it would not be long before President Askew would hear of this and respond. He had learned of the bombing after concluding a meeting with an Iranian diplomat regarding the Turkish-Iranian war when he heard of this. He along with Vice President Chisholm would declare a federal emergancy along with federal financial assistance to the survivors along with reconstuction. All while rescue workers would be given aid and supplies to assist in their work. Back in the capital, Congress would immediatelybegin to work on ant-terrorism legislation to ensure such actions would not happen again. However, as more infomation would be coming out, especially regarding an infamous book known as The Turner Diaries and thus additional plans had to be made. Mainly, the creation of broader legislation to begin examining the overall trend of the potential increase of the activity of such groups. After all, such groups were present prior to this attack and there was always the possibility of imitators or other groups being emboldened by the attack to try such matter.[2]

The international community responded with sympathy and shock at the matter. From Queen Elizabeth II to General Secretary Zhao Ziyang of the PRC to Chief Director Georgy Arkadyevich Arbatov of the SUSR, various condolences came along with even various levels of support with the rescue and to aide in the counter-terrorism investigations. Thoughout April and May, President Askew and Vice President Chisholm would go over to speak to Oklahoma City. The attack would leave quite a considerable impact on the city. As the building would be rebuilt from the ground up, the attack would become a common talk over on various levels and even be considered part of the curriculum not just in the city, but also in the state. Over in Congess, anti-terrorist legislation was being laid out along with other key pieces. One was that after scientists, security experts, and the ATF have put in their concerns,[2] Congress would develop legislation that would require customers to produce identification when purchasing ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and for sellers to maintain records of its sale. On a wider scale, it would begin waking up the United States from the dreamy peace it has endured. While sch groups were few and far between who would do this, the sympathy they garnered along with similar groups who continued on, including the KKK, it was becoming clear that there would be a need to deal with the such dangerous organizations and the rhetoric they were spouting. Budget increases for counterterrorist organizations grew along with manpower to better focus on stopping these plots and the growing concern by these bombers. Pop culture would become influenced as the "white nationalist domestic terrorist" would become the growing archetype amongst villains in crime shows and other works of fiction. This would not stop with the concern of such increasing attacks and the pre-beginnings of facing some of the internal problems that America would have.

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[1]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ridge
[2]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
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Good stuff. Hopefully this leads to a large backlash against racists, both radical and casual alike.
 
Spring 1996- Montana Munafics
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    Spring 1996- Montana Munafics

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    The ranch where the Montana Freemen had an armed standoff with the FBI (Credit: Smithsonian)​


    While the American elections over 1996 were gathering attention and the Canadians have begun the process of overhauling their own electoral system after amending their constitution, Australia would have their own election. Despite the odds, the Labor Party would manage to win once more, exploiting the end of the Liberal-National Coalition. At the same time, it would also be seeing the Ausralia Green Party begin stronger connections with the National Party and even the Country Liberal Party while the Liberal Party would also begin connecting more with the Australian Democrats.[1] As such, many were wondering if this would be the beginnings of a new paradigm shift over in the nation. In the meanwhile, the Green Party would begin flexing their influence in focus of the potential of solar energy in certain parts of the continent along with other sources of renewable energy to cut back on the usage of coal. Other election-based news included on how Taiwan would hold its first direct elections with Lee Teng-hui getting reelected. On a more controversial note, the politician Robert Mugabe would get reelected as the President of Zimbabwe, albeit in an election that would only have a 32% turn out rate, matching the low one from last year's one for the parliament. The economy remained sluggish and complicated, but there was some signs of improvement, primarily from the push and influence of the Sovereign Union. That said, the attempts of land redistribution and others were still alot of trouble, primarily from the corruption aspect. Many would take this as trouble as Mugabe became more politically isolated and reactionary against his critics, especially as many noted his homophobic attacks to deflect from the economic problems of his nation. Such critics even began including some in the Sovereign Union [2]

    In the meanwhile, back over in the Middle East, the Iranian-Turkish War keep raging on as Armenia and Kartvelia are fully committed over to the war as they begin the gradual if rough shift toward the west, with the forces of those two nations with Iranian reinforcements. With Kurdish militias having cemented influence over in Turkish Kurdistan and finishing claiming the region, this would free up some of the Iranian forces over to help out above there. Domestically, with the new government formed in Turkey, it has become increasingly authoritarian and nationalistic, especially with the corruption concerns. Enough to where the Greek proposal to put sanctions on Turkey was starting to gain traction here while the US and SUSR were also having their talks on intelligence reports that the SUSR would be finding that could be linked over in the war. The war would also be a major discussion point over a peace summit in Egypt [1], regarding dealing with the violence there along with other concerns, such as the Sauds' regime, especially with growing protests over in the region and concerns of Afghan and Qatari influence over in the population. Despite this, there were no major signs over on the instability of the Saudi government, at least as of yet anyway, though the growing authoritarian measures have isolated them more from traditional partners and the protests were growing more intense. At the same time, regarding the war, Iran has noted the war was the result of the Turks' failure regarding their Kurdish citizens along with other issues. As the ultranationalists over in Turkey would gain more prominence in power, Iran would use it to justify their involvement in the war along with their concerns to other nations on Turkey's behavior.

    However, election fever was not the only thing the United States would be grappling with. The concern of domestic terrorism that had been haunting since Oklahoma would appear once more when American officials would be confronting similar extremists. Over in Jordan, Montana, federal agents would engage in a standoff against a group called the "Montana Freemen." [3] An anti-government militant group, The members of the group referred to their land as "Justus Township" and had declared themselves no longer under the authority of any outside government. The reason for their standoff started out from confrontations due to bank fruad by members of the group, using extensive counterfeiting to try and purchase over a million dollars' worth of firearms, ammunition and bulletproof vests. However, when the firing began, the agents draw back and a tense standoff occurred. Previously, such standoffs were refused ot handled quietly, such as what happened with the Branch Davidians, the Weavers and others. However, with the incident of Oklahoma still fresh on the minds of people, tempers were flaring up some more. Additionally, their claims to being thee direct ideological descendants of the Posse Comitatus movement, would add fuel to the fire. While there was some attempts over at peace, they quickly were dashed when some of the agents were wounded and the standoff would end wth some of the freemen shot and the others arrested after a show of force. The news coverage would lead to plenty of pundit talks and debates here though perhaps the most defining one was with an Iranian diplomat, one who noted he was with President Askew back during the Oklahoma bombing and he would end up interviwed by chance. Upon hearing how some of these groups called themselves "Christian Patriots," he notably scowled and commented that they sounded like "munafiqs". Coming from the Arab word meaning "hypocrite", the term was used in the faith to describe "false believers"; those who play the part of a believer, but are phonies who work against it in their heart or the community. The term would catch on though would be spelled as "munafics", likely as a result of playing off the term "lunatic" and to differentiate it from the traditional Arab term. While these groups called themselves "Christian patriots", to the outside world, they would be known as "munafics" or munafic domestic terrorists. The Askew administration noted the need for everyone to stand together and respect differences regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or so on while commending the need to handle those perpetuating such "unAmerican" beliefs and who threaten to harm people.


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    [1]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996
    [2]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe#Economic_decline:_1995–2000
    [3]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana_Freemen

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    "And here we have President Askew and Vice President Chisholm arriving in Oklahoma as Askew called upon a very important meeting..."
     
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    MNM041

    Around 2015, I remember there was called Killing Reagan which, as you can imagine was about the attempt on Ronald Reagan's life by John Hinckley Jr. Given that Hinckley still makes an attempt on the life of a US president, do you think similar works would be written about Mo Udall ITTL?
     
    1996- Remembering the Tulsa Massacre: 75 Years
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    1996- Remembering the Tulsa Massacre: 75 Years​


    Spectre of Hate
    The Oklahoma City bombing was a rude awakening over for the United States after years of a dreamy peace and state of ease, at least as a reminder that there were still plenty of issues to be confronted at home. It was difficult to believe at first. After all, For over the past 15 years, the American economy has healed and improved nicely, social welfare has expanded to assure quality healthcare for all Americans, infrastructure is being as urban planning has shifted to ecological mindfulness and further attention is being paid to rural areas. For many people, what was there to be upset about? Yes, not everything is perfect, but even the less fortunate like the poor and homeless have been getting help, such as New York's public housing plan revitalized and spreading across the union, which is helping it. Of course, sometimes it was not a matter of external issues, but internal ones. One of the focused aspects of the Oklahoma City bombing that would get attention would be regarding the sympathies of the terrorists, namely their bent toward white nationalism.

    Racial tensions have decreased noticeably over the past couple decades. This was the result of various factors such as communities coming together, the end of the War on Drugs and reversing the harmful policies and even attempts at addressing some of the systemic issues there. While there were more than a few close calls, the greater focus on peaceful solutions and helping others promoted by Udall and later Askew would help to avert any major disasters. That said, there was still some problems that were had such as certain violent cops along with others. However, the idea of such people being motivated by an ideology carried by the Nazis and still being torchbeared to the day was seen as shocking. However, various pundits in discussion would also look back and note the trend of some previous close calls and similar groups, looking at the similarities. It was a problem that had been festering slowly and smally, but still surprising that they would still be around. The incident with the Montana Freemen had also shined a light on these groups, beng put over for domestic watchlists.

    Reasons were scattered for this. Some believed it was the result of isolation of certain rural communities. After all, most of these happened in small towns that would be mostly insulated from te outside. Rural America certainly wasn't neglected by federal policy, especially Udall's push for assistence there regarding healthcare and the like and indeed, many people moving in would find work in the growing hospitals and healthcare centers opened there among other places. Others believed that it was the remains of older movements that were not addressed, like the remnants of the KKK. The organization had been added back to watchlists in federal and state governments, especially in trying to deal with their splinter groups. Regardless though, it was the United State beginning to confront or readdress the various sordid issues and ghosts of the pasts that alot of people thought have been dealt with.

    And it was one of these that Askew would confront over in Oklahoma.

    The Ghost of Tulsa
    Prior to ascending to the presidency, Reubin Askew was one of the New South governors, specifically of Florida. He was a massive supporter for school desegregation along with championing other issues such as tax reform and financial transparency. His time as Mo Udall's Vice President also influenced him; he would note that his time with managing the AIDS Crisis would have confront his biases toward SATMIN+ people and realize that they too were a suffering minority not unlike the African-Americans. He even noted that championing school desegregation while also opposing for queer people to become teachers was hypocritical and was something he apologized for, working to fix. This along with his intense sense of personal integrity made him well liked and respected among many people. During the time in looking over Oklahoma, he would be made aware of a certain scarcely-talked incident and something that would be of notable talks with Vice President Shirley Chisholm.

    The Tulsa Massacre.

    Taking place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked black residents and destroyed homes and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. [1]. The riot is is considered one of "the single worst incident of racial violence in American history", and is believed to be one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the history of the United States. The attackers burned and destroyed more than 35 square blocks of the neighborhood – at the time one of the wealthiest black communities in the United States, known as "Black Wall Street"[1]

    More than 800 people were admitted to hospitals, and as many as 6,000 black residents of Tulsa were interned in large facilities, many of them for several days. About 10,000 black people were left homeless, and property damage amounted to more than $1.5 million in real estate at the time (equating to $11.5 million in 1996) and $750,000 in personal property (equating to over $ 5.7 million on 1996.) Many survivors left Tulsa, while black and white residents who stayed in the city largely kept silent about the terror, violence, and resulting losses for decades. The massacre was largely omitted from local, state, and national histories.

    Until now.

    Confronting the Past
    The decision to travel to Tulsa to discuss the tragedy was a massively shocking one, especially that alot had to be prepared soon. However, for Askew, it was viewed as the right thing to do. It was 75 years since the atrocity that would see plenty of destruction done, all in the name of resentment. It was something that not even most of the African-American community knew. As such, to hear of it and the President address it in a manner of sorrow and atonement caught alot of people off-guard. The report started several months prior and the preliminary report would indicate that the city had conspired with the mob of white citizens against black citizens.

    And the larger evidence was in the "guests of honor", the assortment of elderly black citizens, suvivors of the tragedy. All arriving to share their story and discuss how things were. Historians, news reporters and pundits delivered various takes as more evidence was uncovered, stories were shared and plans with discussed on how to deal with all of this. The report that was established by President Askew would call for the following:
    • Direct payment of reparations to survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race riot;
    • Direct payment of reparations to descendants of the survivors of the Tulsa race riot;
    • A scholarship fund available to students affected by the Tulsa race riot;
    • Establishment of an economic development enterprise zone in the historic area of the Greenwood district; and
    • A memorial for the reburial of the remains of the victims of the Tulsa race riot.[1]
    Tulsa would become a very busy place over the next several weeks as tracking down survivors and descendents required the work of alot of people to prepare reparations. Many celeberties of color would chip to assist in with the development of the area along with arriving for their own reasons. For alot of people, it was confronting the horrid aspects of violence yet also a time to come together to rebuild and put these to rest. One notable instance would be the arrival of none other of Christopher Wallace, the hip hop star known as The Notorious B.I.G. meeting up and even doing a collab project alongside Tupac Shakur. This was significant in the music industyr as both were prominent figures in the so-called "East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry", noted between the feuds of the New York City–based label, Bad Boy Records and the Los Angeles-based label, Death Row Records. [2] While the rivalry had been deescalating in the past several months, the cooperation project along with reflection on past events helped to bury the hatchet between them.

    As they put it, there was alot of violence already in the world. Why add more?

    Ripple Effects
    The discussion of Tulpa and the confrontation of past racial tensions caused alot more painful introspection (with one pundit equating to ripping off a bandaid all at once). And for many young people, it further stirred the fires of activism and the seeking of justice and reparation. For example, in some places in the Deep South, there was the unsettling realization of various locations and statues dedicated to Confederate leaders. To these new heralds of the young folk, they found this not just insulting, but also unpatriotic. Why were the leaders of traitors being venerated, especially with their rather open purpose of maintaining the institution of slavery.

    Of course, these ripples also caused some backlash, from those that insisted the statues and memorials were part of history and tradition and thus could not be removed (which in turn got lampooned when it was pointed out that Germany lacked any statues of Hitler, so that logic failed). Some new politicians would legislate for the removal of them while other prominent figures would donate money to causes for removing such as, notably Ted Turner over in Georgia. Naturally, for those who had sympathies more toward the reactionaries, forceful confrontations were coming though the potential comparisons to the same sort of people as the Montana munafics or the Oklahoma City bombers caused instead introspection, doubt and second-guessing on the ideas they followed. Others would instead double down on them and would lead to increased security in various parts of cities or rural communities.

    Tulsa itself and especially Greenwood see an increase in people moving and a large influx of cash for the sake of investing in it to help build it up. Some were even wanting to make it back into the "Black Wall Street" once more, though there was a complex relationship of the old folk and the new folk coming in.

    This also played a part in dealing with some of the potential hate groups, especially as some believed this may out people who hid them, especially with the revelations that hate groups may attempt to infiltirate the military and police departments if not already done so with sympathetic members. All of these discussion points would be had in various parts of the US presidential election, with Arlen Spectre in particular taking on the "law and order" tone of ensuring the sanctity of American institutions, including harsher punishments for those associated with such groups along with reforms both to police and other handlings. Politically though, many were in support of the report regarding Tulsa if surprised by Askew even doing such a thing.

    Some believed that this was done because Askew was nearing the end of his term and had nothing to lose from this. Others believed it was because it was the 75th anniversary. Regardless though, many took note of both Askew and Chisholm's prominent integrity throughout it all yet also the visibile and painful scars of age left upon them. It was something painful to confront yet a necessary one all the same.


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    [1]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_massacre
    [2]- Information and phrasing from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast–West_Coast_hip_hop_rivalry
     
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