“I don’t call them douche bags because I trust them to be real people who care about other real people.” The president was pissed. The NRA had successfully lobbied enough of Congress to kill his bill geared toward gun sale background checks even though 90% of Americans favored them. His calm had slipped enough that his reaction speech was rife with frustration. He usually didn’t show the public that side of himself. He paced the oval office.
“I still think you've got to laugh sometimes,” Joe kept smiling. “Shake it off dog, shake it off. Considering who you’re taking on, some feel you’re lucky to be alive.”
“Is this it?” The President pondered aloud, “are we stuck in the status quo while I’m in office just because they don’t want me to succeed?”
“Awww, don’t take it personal kid. Power is a never-ending game,” Joe mused. “I’m just grateful you ‘da man’ instead of some of those guys on the other side. I know you to be honorable and not just another crony capitalist.”
“It’s been almost five years of the same horseshit.” Now the president was getting on his own nerves, “is this it?”
“The tipping point is just around the corner,” Joe crooned. “You don’t get a letter full of poison unless they’re scared you have the upper hand on them.”
The president stopped pacing. “What do you mean?”
Joe’s smile faded. “Do you remember the anthrax scare in 2001?”
“Sure…Tom Daschle…some news stations.”
“All three major media, ABC, CBS and NBC as well the New York Post and the National Enquirer. It all went down one week after 9-11, and it was a message.” Joe paused. “One month after 9-11, Daschle and Leahy got higher doses sent to them.” Joe stared at the president. “The country was awash in opinions as to what really happened during those ‘terrorist attacks.’ The message was an attempt to curb any ‘facts’ outside the official story.”
The president paled. “The NRA is sending me a message now?”
Joe got out of his chair and stood facing the president. “Well, let’s just say they’re scared of a rumor going round the camp fires.”
“What rumor?”
“The Boston Marathon bombing was more psy-ops geared toward gun control.”
The president had already wondered this himself. “Is it a rumor or…”
Joe sidestepped the question. “It was a drill that went ‘live’ when the operators felt there was a minimal amount of casualties to be had, but enough impact on public opinion that it was the right time.”
The president felt a surge of adrenaline mixed with sadness. He took a breath and asked, “can you tell me how these operations go down?”
Joe picked up the pace. “In US war games, we don’t just prepare for an enemy assault scenario, we play out both sides. Team A (allies) has the objective of finding Team B (bad guys) and shutting them down. Team B isn’t just paper targets, it’s our soldiers actively seeking ways to undermine Team A so as to fully simulate actual tactical combat.”
The president stared into space.
“They figured out well before 9-11 that the US was too secure. Our enemies were impotent. The cold war was over, tax dollars for defense were drying up and contracts were scarce. The military industrial complex needed a reason to exist. They had two options: wait for an enemy to attack which was risky, not likely and beyond our control, OR preemptively attack the country in a ‘shock and awe’ campaign with the benefits of limited casualties, complete control and the ability to passively guide public opinion toward unlimited military funding via the Patriot Act.”
It really is this simple the president thought.
Joe continued. “It’s amoral military strategy, man. Why wait for the bad guys to come and do who-knows-what when we can fake something of minor consequence and update our security? That way, we’re always ahead of the game and the real enemies are constantly behind. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, it’s just the military’s utilitarian version of how to keep America as safe as possible.”
“And the Boston bombing is keeping us safe?”
“The rumor has it that the bombs were made of gun powder extracted from ammunition.” Joe sighed. “Public opinion might be swayed to limiting ammo sales if that comes to light.”
“So, three deaths and thirteen amputees…”
“Become martyrs that might just save thousands of lives after the right legislation is passed.”
The president felt his hair graying further. “I don’t know Joe. It doesn't feel right."
"What does it feel like?"
"It feels like Team B is winning.”
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