Soviet Union Joins NATO; Constitutionalists Surrender

ALTERNATE HISTORIAN'S NOTE: we have our second anniversary coming up on May 27th, and we would like to have another contest. For our second anniversary, send us up to three of your own alternate histories, and we will publish the best - no limit on how many will end up on the final page! We would like to see as many of you enter this as possible, so please - think 'em up, write 'em down, and send 'em on to us at rat4cat@gmail.com! Help us celebrate our 2nd year of existence in style! Oh, and if you're like Sean and we owe you an appearance in TIAH - email us! SEAN - EMAIL - NOW!

May 7th, 2006

in 1763, Ottawa chief Pontiac, having been lobbied by Mlosh for 5 years, joins the Iroquois Confederation. He sees the coming unification of North America and wants to make sure that his people aren’t left behind. The joining of the Ottawa to the Confederation prompts many smaller native nations to seek entrance to the Confederation, swelling its importance.

in 1812, poet Robert Browning was born in London, England, to a wealthy banker of the same name. Browning was the very picture of the tragic poet pining for his love, since he lost his heart to Elizabeth Barrett, who married American author Edgar Allan Poe.

in 1954, in spite of stiff political opposition, NATO allows the Soviet Union to join. Although their presence in the alliance creates tension for a few years, the tie to western Europe does open them up when reformers gain control of the Kremlin and Politburo in the late 50’s. This gesture, hard-fought at first, is often given credit for avoiding a Cold War between the east and the west that might have lasted many years.

in 1960, Tsar Nicholas III appoints Leonid Brezhnev his Ambassador to the Soviet States of America. Brezhnev had flirted with American-supported communists in his youth, and the Tsar wanted him out of the country because of his popularity with these groups. Brezhnev, once he saw the reality of communism, was put off by it and became an ardent Russian capitalist.

in 1968, piano-playing British rocker Reginald Dwight thought about changing his rather staid name to something more glamorous, and came up with Reggie Dee, under which he recorded his songs Crocodile Rock, Rocket Man and Honky Cat. His flamboyant style and rather scandalous personal life as an out-of-the-closet homosexual made him a top-flight rock-star in the '70s and '80s.

in 1969, child actress Nora Kuzma was born in Steubenville, Ohio. Her mother moved the family to Los Angeles after divorcing her husband in the 70’s, and concentrated on getting her children into the movies. Young Nora caught the eye of a couple of commercial directors, and her career took off from there. She became a B-grade sci-fi staple until her breakout role in Blade as a vampire security chief.

in 1985, with the teenage Patience Redding in tow, Chelsea Perkins and Debra Morris find a witch that Miss Morris knows in the future and attempt to sort everything out. All the talk of witchcraft fascinates Redding, who makes a vow to become one herself. Chelsea attempts to persuade her otherwise, saying, “You have no idea how unglamorous it all is.”

in 1997, America’s surviving Constitutionalist government officially surrenders to the British, Egyptian and Chinese allies in Yorktown, Virginia. It is a symbolic surrender, since fighting had already stopped and the Constitutionalists had lost power in most of the country long before President Ralph Shephard killed himself.

in 2003, in the middle of performing the Broadway comedy The Play Wot I Wrote, Roger Moore collapses and dies of a heart attack. The former James Bond actor’s funeral was attended by all the remaining Bondsmen: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.

Timelines in today's post: the Mlosh, Communist America, the Chelsea Perkins timeline and the Ralph Shephard timeline

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Pope Henry IX Crowned; North American Confederation Declares Independence

May 28, 2004

in 1704, Pope Henry IX succeeded his father, Stephen II, as pope of the Holy British Empire. Stephen II left behind a legacy of fanaticism unequaled in the history of either the church or the empire; thousands of so-called "Protestants" were put to the stake under his reign.

in the 18th year of Cheokhan's reign, the Army of the Upper Nile put down a rebellion in the Slav kingdoms of the north. A warrior claiming to be Wotan himself began stirring the Germanic peoples against the rule of the Pharoahs, a movement which would end with Europe finally gaining independence from Africa.

in 4558, Emperor Min-Yuan granted freedom to the vassals of the west. It was a controversial move that caused the Viet and Siamese people to attempt secession; in the war that followed, the Viet were almost wiped out, and the Siamese eventually switched sides back to the Empire.

in 1899, Thomas Edison announced the new Eddie for a new century, the Mandarin. The 20th century line of Eddies was named after orange varieties, and proved to be very popular; the cost was down to that of a new car, and they were the size of a large car. Edison vowed that with the Orange line of Eddies, by the end of the next century, an Eddie would be the size of a desk. Skeptics abounded.

in 1947, the German Reich declared victory in Europe.

in 1963, Comrade Elvis Presley, People's Attorney for the Soviet of Tennessee, declared that counter-revolutionary Lee Harvey Oswald had not acted alone in the assasination of Comrade President Rosenberg the year before. His far-reaching investigation was quashed by the Federal Soviet.

in 1977, the Confederated States of America, after a century of pressure from other nations, officially ended slavery.

in 2000, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ascended from the depths and began His Unholy reign.


May 27, 2004

in 1800, the Mlosh finalized the independence of the North American Confederation from Great Britain, France, Spain and the Iroquois Confederation. The 3 European nations went into rapid decline following the loss of their North American colonies, but the Iroquois began a healthy alliance that lasts to the present day.

in 1872, on the 50th anniversary of Charles Babbage's difference engine, Thomas Edison unveiled his electric-powered version of the machine. The Edison EDE's, (Eddies, as they were known popularly), initially sold only to the US, British and French governments, became so useful that within a decade, most governments and large businesses were using them.

in 4600, the Emperor Chengzu's Star Fleet landed Ouyang Ziyuan on the moon. The Star Sailor's first words from the satellite were, "This is one small step for a humble servant, but a great leap for our Glorious Emperor." A dozen landings and a small colony followed, but with Chengzu's death in 4623, the Star Fleet became less of a priority for the Emperors of China.

in 1919, the Greater Zionist Resistance rose up in the European area known as The Pale, beginning the movement that would bring chaos to eastern Europe for the next 30 years. Begun by Astrid Pflaume, a fascist German time-traveler, a member of a neo-Nazi group seeking to foment an actual Jewish conspiracy, she succeeded in ways they had not anticipated.

in 1956, Joel Rosenberg secured the nomination of the Communist Party to represent them in the general election. He would face Socialist President Adlai Stevenson in the general election and defeat him soundly, ensuring Communist control of the Soviet States of America for the next 16 years. His own Presidency was sadly cut short in Dallas in 1962, when he was assasinated by a fascist counter-revolutionary, Lee Harvey Oswald.

in 1981, Fuhrer Adolf Hitler of the German Reich died in his sleep after almost 50 years in power. Europe was plunged almost immediately into civil war as dozens of subjugated peoples attempted to throw off their yokes after decades of fascist oppression.

in 12-19-6-1-0, King Chihuehue of the Inca declared himself the heir by marriage to the Mayan throne, after the death of his father-in-law, Emperor Mectezume. He was uncontested, and is expected to rule until the end of the age in 12 years, when Quetzelcoatl shall return.

in 2002, the immortal Comte de St Germaine finally achieved his goal of uncovering the Holy Grail. With its power, he began his campaign to have himself declared King of the Holy British Empire.

Society Of Jesus; The Shroud Of Turin

September 27th, 2005

in 3986, an earthquake in the Gulf of Chili is the source of a new set of regulations from the Emperor about housing construction. 100,000 died during that earthquake because so many houses were not built well. After the lesson of this earthquake, fewer buildings collapsed in subsequent ones, saving countless lives.

in 1540, Pope Paul III charters a teaching organization he calls the Society of Jesus, led by Father Soledad de Leon. Ignatius de Loyola, a priest who had once been a soldier, had suggested the idea to His Holiness, but the pope felt that Loyola was too hard a man to lead what he hoped would become the Church’s greatest teachers.

in 1821, Mexico asks for admittance into the North American Confederation. After making a few concessions such as allowing democratic government, they are brought in, doubling the size of the Confederation.

in 1869, James “Wild Bill” Hickok, the sheriff of Hays City, Kansas, is killed after shooting a bar brawler in the head. Instead of calming down the brawl, the brawler’s death inflamed the crowd, who rushed Hickok and tore him to pieces.

in 1935, young entertainer Frances Gumm turns down a contract offer from MGM after being repulsed by Louis B. Mayer, the studio chief she had auditioned for. She eventually ends up with Warner Brothers, and works loyally for them for decades, making over 60 films and personifying the musical star of 1950’s Hollywood.

in 1962, the rising star of Bob Dylan continued to shoot further into the heavens after a concert at Carnegie Hall. The Rolling Stone magazine declared him to be a “folk singer unlike any other,” and he decided to embrace this moniker. He began incorporating electric guitars, synthesizers and exotic instruments into his increasingly drug-fueled music. Although his musical experimentation was triumphant, his drug experimentation led to his accidental overdose and death in 1965.

in 1988, tests on the infamous Shroud of Turin show that blood is indeed part of the image that is faintly painted on the cloth. That blood does not test as human; indeed, it matches no known animal type on earth. This mixed message is met with confusion by the religious community, and the Catholic Church allows a larger sampling of the cloth to be used by the scientists. After months of testing, the blood is announced to be extraterrestrial in origin. The results are immediately denounced by all Christian organizations.

in 2001, Swiss Member of Parliament Friedrich Leibacher introduced legislation to institute a larger degree of governmental oversight on the public ownership of firearms in this famously gun-friendly nation. Although there is a general outcry among the more conservative elements in the Parliament, the legislation is seen as long-overdue by a majority, and passes with ease.

in 2002, another pilot is taught to control the object in Edwards Air Force base. Professor Thomas then asks for another pilot to train while Dr. Courtney speaks with the Pentagon personnel who have been debriefing their trainees. “We need more pilots,” Dr. Courtney says to these officers. “Many more.”

in 2003, Estelle Gerard resurfaces in Stratford, England, and speaks to hundreds in the village square of the coming day of hope; “I know how hard you’ve worked, and how patient you’ve been, and how you can’t stand the bad men. Remember where you come from, and apologize for your own wrongs, and I and my Father will be with you soon.”


TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST

In order to provide for the upkeep of our new historian, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Boring contest information was available on our Forum link below, but since the forum has been hacked, we'll email it back to you if you want to know what it is. No one reads this far, anymore, so blah blah blah, anyway. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Happy Anniversary!

May 27th, 2005

in 1800, the Mlosh finalized the independence of the North American Confederation from Great Britain, France, Spain and the Iroquois Confederation. The 3 European nations went into rapid decline following the loss of their North American colonies, but the Iroquois began a healthy alliance that lasts to the present day.

in 1872, on the 50th anniversary of Charles Babbage's difference engine, Thomas Edison unveiled his electric-powered version of the machine. The Edison EDE's, (Eddies, as they were known popularly), initially sold only to the US, British and French governments, became so useful that within a decade, most governments and large businesses were using them.

in 4600, the Emperor Chengzu's Star Fleet landed Ouyang Ziyuan on the moon. The Star Sailor's first words from the satellite were, "This is one small step for a humble servant, but a great leap for our Glorious Emperor." A dozen landings and a small colony followed, but with Chengzu's death in 4623, the Star Fleet became less of a priority for the Emperors of China.

in 1919, the Greater Zionist Resistance rose up in the European area known as The Pale, beginning the movement that would bring chaos to eastern Europe for the next 30 years. Begun by Astrid Pflaume, a fascist German time-traveler, a member of a neo-Nazi group seeking to foment an actual Jewish conspiracy, she succeeded in ways they had not anticipated.

in 1956, Joel Rosenberg secured the nomination of the Communist Party to represent them in the general election. He would face Socialist President Adlai Stevenson in the general election and defeat him soundly, ensuring Communist control of the Soviet States of America for the next 16 years. His own Presidency was sadly cut short in Dallas in 1962, when he was assasinated by a fascist counter-revolutionary, Lee Harvey Oswald.

in 1981, Fuhrer Adolf Hitler of the German Reich died in his sleep after almost 50 years in power. Europe was plunged almost immediately into civil war as dozens of subjugated peoples attempted to throw off their yokes after decades of fascist oppression.

in 12-19-6-1-0, King Chihuehue of the Inca declared himself the heir by marriage to the Mayan throne, after the death of his father-in-law, Emperor Mectezume. He was uncontested, and is expected to rule until the end of the age in 12 years, when Quetzelcoatl shall return.

in 2002, the immortal Comte de St Germaine finally achieved his goal of uncovering the Holy Grail. With its power, he began his campaign to have himself declared King of the Holy British Empire.

in 2004, I started this blog as a fun little time waster, thinking I would put down some ideas for different stories I was working on every now and then, using it as kind of a writer’s scratch pad. Instead, it got noticed by such diverse sites as Boing Boing, Metafilter, USA Today Online, Steve Jackson Games, and even Instapundit, of all things, and here we are a year later with over 107,000 visits, around 800 daily readers of the site and the various feeds that have sprung up for it, only one missed date, (the day after my daughter’s birth), and almost 170,000 words of alternate history fun. Today’s post is the one that I started off with last year; you can see the beginning of several of the recurring timelines in it. The one about Hitler dying is not part of the G.Z.R. timeline, in spite of some similarities – it’s just that all good alternate histories have to have something about a triumphant Nazi regime, (it’s in the Constitution or something). I really appreciate your time, and hope that you’ve found this site entertaining enough to keep coming back to.


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Remember The Alamo

February 23rd, 2005

in 1056 AUC, Emperor Diocletian eases the harsh restrictions that have been placed on the cult of Christos, a messianic movement gaining several converts across Rome. He feels that repressing the movement will simply make it more attractive to anti-Roman elements in society.

in 1607, members of the Conquerors, the faction of The Speaker’s Line that wishes to take control of the world, ambush a small meeting of Conspirators, the Speaker’s Children who wish to keep their existence secret. Although only fifty people are involved, two of the greatest scientists in the line are killed, and the Great Project is set back decades.

in 1836, the Alamo, a small outpost in Texas with barely a hundred defenders, is besieged by General Santa Ana’s 2000-strong army as he makes his way through the rebellious Texican forces. Unfortunately for the great leader, rebel reinforcements arrive and are able to crush him against the mission’s walls. He is forced to grant independence to Texas, and the fledgling nation learned that no matter how dark a situation may be, triumph may be just around the corner; after all, Remember the Alamo.

in 1825, Great Britain grants independence to the South African Confederation, a loose confederation of small nations in southern Africa. Held together by Mlosh diplomacy for twenty years, it eventually splintered into a dozen tiny countries, each with a remarkably small amount of influence in the world until diamond mining began in earnest in 1851.

in 1868, one of the most powerful influences of the Semitic-African Resistance movement in America was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. William DuBois, a towering intellectual of the late 19th-early 20th centuries, provided the foundation for an African and Semitic-American mass movement with his founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Oppressed Peoples, a Marxist organization that fought injustice against oppressive governments around the world.

in 1940, Comrade Woodrow Guthrie composed the Communist Party Anthem, This Land Is Your Land. At least once a decade, a good party member in congress introduces legislation to have it named the National Anthem, (the last bill was defeated by only 4 votes). Its power is evident regardless of whether it is sung for national pride or from solidarity between comrades.

in 1981, Spanish soldiers, unhappy with democratization in the country after dictator Francisco Franco’s death, seize control of Spain’s parliament and demand a return to fascism. King Juan Carlos attempts to convince the rest of the military to repudiate these hotheads, but is unsuccessful, and Lt. Colonel Antonio Tejero assumes dictatorship of Spain.

in 1985, the Constitutionalist Party assigns a small number of seats in the House and Senate to the Democratic and Republican parties. In the House, each party is given 20 seats; in the Senate, 10. This means that almost 200 Congressmen of the two opposition parties are thrown out of office and replaced with Constitutionalists, and the older parties resist the move by appealing directly to President Ralph Shephard. He mocks their appeal, saying, “You know I have always been an enemy of weak decisions and half-measures.”


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Estelle Gerard Provides Message Of Hope

September 27th, 2004

in 3986, an earthquake in the Gulf of Chili is the source of a new set of regulations from the Emperor about housing construction. 100,000 died during that earthquake because so many houses were not built well. After the lesson of this earthquake, fewer buildings collapsed in subsequent ones, saving countless lives.

in 1821, Mexico asks for admittance into the North American Confederation. After making a few concessions such as allowing democratic government, they are brought in, doubling the size of the Confederation.

in 1869, the sheriff of Hays City, Kansas, sparked a riot by shooting the instigator of a bar brawl in the head. Friends of the brawler attacked the sheriff, James Hickok, and his deputy, who barely escaped with their lives. Most of Hays City was burned to the ground before Hickok, with the aid of several hastily-deputized assistants, could restore order. “Wild Bill” Hickok was never allowed to occupy another public office after that disaster.

in 1960, Comrade Sylvia Pankhurst died in Walla Walla, Washington. Comrade Pankhurst was a strong advocate of socialism and women’s suffrage in her native England, but the reactionaries in that country forced her into exile in the Soviet States of America, where she was welcomed as a comrade-in-arms of the revolution.

in 1962, Robert Zimmerman’s career took a nose-dive when, after a performance at Carnegie Hall, the Rolling Stone declared him, “a folk stylist indistinguishable from the rest.” Zimmerman’s next album failed to sell more than 1000 copies, and he was dropped from his label. In spite of his early promise, he ended up, like so many other folk singers, returning to life outside of music.

in 1988, tests on the infamous Shroud of Turin show that blood is indeed part of the image that is faintly painted on the cloth. That blood does not test as human; indeed, it matches no known animal type on earth. This mixed message is met with confusion by the religious community, and the Catholic Church allows a larger sampling of the cloth to be used by the scientists. After months of testing, the blood is announced to be extraterrestrial in origin. The results are immediately denounced by all Christian organizations.

in 2001, Friedrich Leibacher entered the state parliament building in Zug, Switzerland, and killed 14 people, wounding a dozen others, with a high-powered automatic rifle and small explosives. This incident led to the nation, once the most gun-friendly nation in Europe, to adopt harder gun laws, such as the banning of private ownership for assault rifles.

in 2003, Estelle Gerard resurfaces in Stratford, England, and speaks to hundreds in the village square of the coming day of hope; “I know how hard you’ve worked, and how patient you’ve been, and how you can’t stand the bad men. Remember where you come from, and apologize for your own wrongs, and I and my Father will be with you soon.”

Secrets

Indira Gandhi	In 1966, the only daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, became the first woman prime minister of India. Mrs Gandhi led the nation into a new period of enlightenment by pursuing Bapu's policy of brahmacharya, meaning 'control of the senses in thought, word and deed'. No better demonstration could be given that her survival from a hail of bullets from her Sikh bodyguards in New Delhi in 1984. She had after all witnessed Bapu survive a similiar attempt on his life in 1948.
Prime Minister

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T.E. Shaw	The earth trembled with the wrath of the warring nations, as Shaw's fame spread fast and with the momentum of the fabulous through Asia. All the metals were molten. Everything was in motion. No one could say what was impossible. Shaw realised Napoleon's young dream of conquering the East; he arrived in Constantinople in 1919 with most of the tribes and races of Asia Minor and Arabia at his back. ~ epic coda to the Final Arabian Tale 'Byzantium', by fantasy writer Ned Lawrence © Oxford University Press, 1919.
Fictional Hero

On completing his degree (1910), Ned Lawrence commenced postgraduate research in medieval pottery with a Senior Demy at Magdalen College, Oxford, which he abandoned after he was offered the opportunity to become a practising archaeologist in the Middle East. In December 1910 he sailed for Beirut, and on arrival went to Jbail (Byblos), where he studied Arabic. He then went to work on the excavations at Carchemish, near Jerablus in northern Syria, where he worked under D.G. Hogarth and R. Campbell-Thompson of the British Museum. He would later state that everything he accomplished as a fantasy author he owed to Hogarth. While excavating ancient Mesopotamian sites, Lawrence met Gertrude Bell, who was to influence him for much of his time in the Middle East. In late summer 1911, Lawrence returned to England for a brief sojourn. By November he was en route to Beirut for a second season at Carchemish, where he was to work with Leonard Woolley. Prior to resuming work there, however, he briefly worked with William Flinders Petrie at Kafr Ammar in Egypt. Lawrence continued making trips to the Middle East as a field archaeologist until the outbreak of World War I. In January 1914, Woolley and Lawrence were co-opted by the British military as an archaeological smokescreen for a British military survey of the Negev Desert. They were funded by the Palestine Exploration Fund to search for an area referred to in the Bible as the "Wilderness of Zin"; along the way, they undertook an archaeological survey of the Negev Desert. The Negev was of strategic importance, as it would have to be crossed by any Ottoman army attacking Egypt in the event of war. Woolley and Lawrence subsequently published a report of the expedition's archaeological findings, but a more important result was an updated mapping of the area, with special attention to features of military relevance such as water sources. At this time, Lawrence visited Aqaba and Petra. From March to May, Lawrence worked again at Carchemish. Following the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, on the advice of S. F. Newcombe, Lawrence did not enlist in the British Army but held back until October, when he was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps. During this period, he wrote a series of fantasy novels that were published after the war after he resumed his education.

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In 736 AUC, Caius Lumis Juventus, Roman inventor extraordinaire, demonstrates the most powerful steam engine ever built. Caius had been a student of the ancient Greek sciences, and had learned of the simple uses they had put the power of steam to in the old days. Jove’s Thunderbolt, the engine that Caius Juventus built, was capable of pulling a carriage with three heavy men for miles. His designs revolutionized Roman society.

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In 3896, Japanese Zen philosopher Dogen Kigen is born somewhere in southern Japan. As a young man, he traveled to the Chinese Empire to study the true ways of Zen at Mount Tendo. His mountain temple in Echizen has become a regular stop for pilgrims, including every Chinese emperor; tradition dictates that the emperor spend a week there before his coronation.

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In 1809, renowned author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachussetts. The most popular writer in America during his lifetime, Poe invented detective fiction, as well as popularizing what would come to be known as horror stories by those who sought to imitate him at the end of the century. Poe died in 1883, a wealthy and happy man of letters.

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In 1840, Captain Charles Wilkes claims a third of Pluto for the North American Confederation. Although considered a bad piece of property to own at first, Pluto’s position at the outer reaches of the solar system becomes important when the Congress of Nations decides to build its defensive base there, and the N.A.C.’s importance in system affairs is increased.

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In 1943, singer Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Her hard living fueled the blues that she sang so beautifully, but it all came crashing down on her when she missed the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 because she was too drunk to perform. She checked into rehab after that, but her music never recovered. Today, she runs a counseling center for performers trying to kick addictions.

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In 2001, Chairman McPherson issues the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances of the fatal car crash which killed the heir to the throne Prince Charles Windsor and his lover Camilla Parker-Bowles in Paris on 31st August 1997. McPherson finds no grounds for conspiracy. The British Public will have none of it, and the McPherson report overtakes the Warren Commission as a source of conspiracy theories on the Internet.

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In 1840, Captain Charles Wilkes attempts to circumnavigate Antarctica to claim so-called Wilkes Land for the United States. The southern lights known as the aurora australis terrorize the mission as powerful magicks force Wilkes to turn back and abandon the mission.

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In 1943, singer Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. A charismatic and leading member of the counter-culture, conspiracy theorists believe that Joplin was a victim of the authoritarian problem implemented by President Richard Milhous Nixon in the late sixties / early seventies. Defeated in the '60 election, America entered a crazy decade of anti-social behaviour which threatened to rip the country apart. A strong disciplinarian, Nixon got the country back on track when he was re-elected in '68 with a 'secret plan'. His dislike for the hippie counterculture and the anti-war demonstrations emerged during the campaign when he had intimated 'I think some of these young people need what my father would call a visit to the woodshed.' The essence of the 'secret plan' soon emerged following the mysterious deaths of numerous counter-culture personalities including Janis Joplin as well as Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix..

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In 1940, the anti-German Underground film by the Three Stooges, You Natzy Spy, premiered in America. The highly controversial film featured comic Moe Howard as a Hitler-like figure who ruled over an amorphous country known as Moronica. The American Bund called for a total boycott of the film, and incited riots at many of the theaters showing it.

In 1971, European Space Agencies described Apollo 13 mission mechanical failures as a self-inflicted wound. The British really had to do something about this quality control problem for next time.

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Mike Gatting	In 1990 police in Archona armed with batons and dogs broke up a demonstration against English cricketers who arrived for a tour of the Domination of the Draka. Several hundred protesters, many waving placards saying "Domination is not cricket" and "Ban racist tours" had gathered in the arrivals hall at the Eric von Shrakrenberg airport to wait for the 15 England tourists led by captain Mike Gatting.
England Capt.

The cricketers were three hours late - by which time the police had moved in waving batons, setting the dogs on protesters and firing tear gas. Winnie Mandela - wife of the jailed African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela - was seen among the crowd wiping tears from her eyes. She later complained of police brutality.

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