Consequences

In 1766, amongst the Catskill Mountains lived Dame Van Winkle, her morose husband Rip, their two children and dog named “Wolf”. They were getting on with their lives in peace, albeit for the wife’s hot temper, frustrated by her husband’s inactivity. Dame had dreams, bigger dreams. So did America.

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Count László de Almásy

In 1938, the world-renowned archeologist Count László de Almásy made an announcement from the Gaya district of the Indian state of Bihar. A set of scriptures had been discovered written by a Siddhārtha Gautama at least twenty-five centuries before.

The author had spent forty-nine days in meditation under a tree in Bodhgaya. A complete awakening had achieved an insight into the nature and cause of human suffering, which was ignorance, along with steps necessary to eliminate it. Quoting from Samyutta Nikaya VI.1, de Almásy explained that after his Enlightenment, the Buddha decided he should not teach the Dharma to human beings. He was concerned that, as human beings were overpowered by greed, hatred and delusion, they would not be able to see the true dharma, which was subtle, deep and hard to understand.

In 1946, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Yet the defeat of Japan was only a stepping stone to the re-conquest of the Far East. Supreme Allied Commander General George Patton had wired the President a request and also a proposal to establish US ground control in the theatre. Thirty to fifty nuclear strikes would be required to subdue irregular forces led by the maverick warlords - Mao, Jinnah, Uncle Ho plus General-san Douglas MacArthur and his Filipinos harriers. Truman fired Patton and appointed Eisenhower, ordering him to think the unthinkable.

Zapruder Camera	In 1963, journalist Dan Rather receives a knock on his apart door. He opens it to find nobody there. However, on the step is a small box containing a Model 414 PD Bell & Howell Zoomatic Director Series Camera. Engraved on the base of the camera is the name Abraham Zapruder.

In 1963, on this day at the garage to the Dallas Police Headquarters deep sleeper Soviet agent Jacob Rubenstein shot and killed the switched “Oswald” with a Colt Cobra .38. His KGB training was impeccable, Ruby had impersonated a newspaper reporter and was at the police station on the night of November 22 to find out how to gain access to “Oswald”. Agents acting under the orders of George HW Bush had indiscreetly “permitted” access. Of course Bush himself was only troubled by how to dispose of the other five Oswald doubles he had on his hands, those included the actual assassin and also the man who killed officer J.D. Tippett.	Alek dies

Snakeyes	In 1963, irrepressible physical evidence from the second-floor lunch-room of the Texas School Book Depository on Elm Street forces a decision. Trouble is numerous witnesses including a motorcycle policeman & Mr. Truly saw the Patsy in the lunchroom with a Coca-Cola bottle as the shots were fired. Describing his appearance as proof of being cornered red handed, even Police Chief Jesse Curry and District Attorney Wade are struggling to sound convincing. Snake eyes calls in the hit on Oswald, and several more hits on some witnesses. And then some more hits. He feels a little more confident after taking some action.

in 1946, the second set of trials of lesser war criminals at Nuremberg commenced. In the Sailor's Trials, charges were brought for the destruction of the British Fleet at Scapa Flow by the French Navy which took place on 3 July 1940. A Task Force based in Mers-el-Kébir killed 1,297 and wounded 350 British sailors in this “wanton and unnecessary” attack. The surrender demand from Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul mirrored demands already ceded by British First Sea Lord Winston Churchill " your ships..entrusted to the United States and remain safe until the end of the war, the crews being repatriated... I have the orders from the Élysée Palace to use whatever force may be necessary to prevent your ships from falling into German hands." is presented to the court. Further noted was a contemporaneous statement by Gensoul who was less enthusiastic about the action saying that it was "the biggest political blunder of modern times and will rouse the whole world against us…we all feel thoroughly ashamed…". At the Sailor's trial, Gensoul took ultimate responsibility for the action and was executed before Christmas Day 1946.

Scapa Flow