Freedom vs.Tyranny

by Ira J. Tabankin

  The young man is taken to the hospital where he’s named John Doe, his gruesome image is displayed across the country. Someone calls the local paper saying, “Don’t cross ‘We the people’ or you’ll end up the same way.” The message is picked up and shown by the media as an example of the brutality of the right. Across the country people who support the President get beaten up when they threaten to turn in those who consider themselves patriots.

  Chapter 16

  The Speaker of the House and the Senate Whip meet for a secret breakfast four blocks from the Capital building. The Speaker lays out the case for impeachment, he tells the Senator his members are being bombarded by their people screaming for impeachment, the Senator confirms many of the Senators are also being overwhelmed with calls and emails. He tells the speaker; the Senate switchboard is overwhelmed to such an extent that no calls can come in nor can any outgoing calls be made. Both confirm the Capital internet provider has been hacked. Anonymous has completely taken over their access in and out of the Capital. The Speaker laughs saying many of the house member’s computers are locked on child porn sites; even their screen savers have been compromised. Most of their screen savers are streaming messages to the members to impeach now, or a message, “We, the People say enough, is enough.” None of the Congressional tech support can break the hold Anonymous has over their systems. They’ve bought new computers to no avail; members discovered that when they go home; their home computers and even their cable and satellite TV systems have been compromised; every channel displays the same message, “We the People say enough is enough.” The two Congressional leaders agree to make a joint announcement they will file articles of impeachment against the President the next day.

  The President’s Chief of Staff knocks and enters the Oval Office, “Mr. President, bad news, the Speaker and Senate Whip have agreed to file articles of impeachment against you tomorrow. Based on a test vote, you’re going to lose.”

  “Well, then we need to change the public opinion of me and put pressure on Congress to slow the process down or have them drop it completely.”

  “Sir, how are you going to do this?”

  “Please inform the media that at noon today I’m going to make a major announcement that concerns a new jobs program that will eliminate unemployment.”

  “Sir? Sir, there’s no way you can just say a few words and have the people believe you.”

  “Just inform the media, then stand back and get ready for a tidal wave of support.”

  “Yes sir.”

  The media and the internet are ablaze with the report of a special announcement from the President. The country comes to a complete stop during the “talking heads” debate what he might say; the media is consumed with their love for the President, they build up the announcement without knowing anything about what he’s going to say.

  At noon, every station switches to the Oval Office, sitting behind the President’s desk, dressed in a dark gray suit, the President stares into the camera. “My fellow Americans, I’m sorry to interrupt your noonday breaks, or for our families on the west coast, the start of your business or school day. For far too long I’ve heard the cries of the unemployed, the poor, the hungry. I’ve heard the begging from the hungry who can’t afford to buy food; I’ve heard your prayers. I come before you today to announce this administration feels your pain; we feel your hunger. We feel your needs. Unlike the Republicans who only care about their donors or big business, I care about you; I always have. Most of my policies have been issued to save our children, the most precious resource we have. I’ve felt the pain in your broken hearts for the loss of your children. My Affordable Care Act was designed to ensure no child would go without medical treatment; my Safe Act was designed to remove guns that kill our children from the streets, my curfew was designed to make the streets safe and ensure everyone got a good night’s sleep. Today I come before you to announce a new program; today I’m announcing the “Full Employment Act.” As of Monday, five days from today, every unemployed person over the age of 18 in America will have a job. Let me repeat that, in five days, every unemployed American over the age of 18 will have a job. These new jobs will start out paying $20.00 an hour. We’re going to open DHS and HHS offices in every town, go there, register, and you will be hired as a government employee on the spot. As a government employee, you will be enrolled in the government service employee workers union plus you will be enrolled in the government benefits programs. I’m sure many of you wonder what you’ll be doing. Everything and anything that needs doing. Some will repair roads; some will paint bridges; some will repair run down cities; some will perform a new census; anyone with medical training will be put to work in the healthcare field, veterans and ex-first responders will be enrolled in the TSA or other law enforcement departments within the DHS. We’re also going to build a new non-military armed force to keep the peace. In short, everyone, who wants to work, will have a job, on the other hand since we’re going to hire everyone, welfare for those without a job will come to an end. Disability will remain, Social Security for seniors will remain, most-other aid programs are going to end so we can afford to put everyone to work. Many of you may not like the type of work you are being assigned to, I ask you just have a little patience, everyone has to start somewhere, I think it’s more important to get everyone working and get everyone a paycheck then worry about why an ex-manager is now a painter. I promise you, over time we’ll sort these things out. So let me repeat, in five days, everyone goes to work, By this time next month, we’ll have less than 2% unemployment. America, the Democrat party feels and understands your pain and suffering. The Republicans have held control of both houses of Congress for two months, what bills have they passed? What have they done to help you? What have they done to get you back to work, or put food in your hungry stomachs? They have done nothing, only I, your President has provided for you. Remember this when Congress brings me up on impeachment charges. That’s right; Congress is going to file articles of impeachment against me tomorrow, they are going to impeach me because their big business, big corporate racist donors don’t want full employment, and they want you to suffer. In two weeks, when there’s a paycheck in your bank, when you go to bed with a full stomach, remember who did this for you. I want each of you to get ready for Monday, rest, and be ready to go to work. To assist the restaurant industry, I’m ending the national curfew effective tonight, go out, enjoy yourselves, remember to stay safe, be happy, in five days you have a job, we’ll have full employment for the first time since the second world war. I will leave you now to get back to your work or school. Good day and May God bless America.”

  As the cameras turn off the President, turns to face his CoS, “Well that ought to put an end to the impeachment process. Make sure the press reminds the people who put the country back to work. Remind the country that I’m the first President to get the entire country back to work without using war as an excuse. In five days, my approval rating will be in the high 90s; Congress is now impotent. I’ll rule without them. Now go spread the message and ensure Congress gets the blame.”

  The “Talking heads” are stunned into silence for a moment when the President stops speaking, no one had foreseen what he was going to say, none had the slightest idea what the President was going to say. When the words sank in, the “talking heads” went crazy, none could stop expressing their love for the President on the air.

  @@@@@

  The evening news program’s sound bites are;

  “The President ends unemployment with the stroke of his pen.”

  “FULL EMPLOYMENT!”

  “The President heard our prayers and has delivered.”

  “Manna from the White House.”

  “In five days the President creates full employment.”

  @@@@@

  The country’s mood swings 180 degrees, all anyone, can talk about is the President’s message. Full employment. $20 an hour, the end of poverty. With a single speech, the President has t
urned the tables on the Republican Party. Store owners foresee people with money in their pockets buying their goods, they start ordering new inventory, restaurants which had been closed due to the curfew make plans to reopen, they start calling back their staff, cleaning their buildings, kitchens, and ordering food. Overnight the economy picks up. Business picks up within an hour of the President’s speech; people buy new clothes, many spend their reserve funds to celebrate going back to work. Even drug dealers see their business increase. The country’s mood is bright; it’s as if after years of cloudy weather the sky’s parted with the light and warmth of the sun shining on everyone. Cities look cleaner; people walk with their heads held a little bit higher. Everywhere anyone looked; the news is good. The revolution plans are put on hold; the country is filled with joy, who wanted to dwell on pain and bloodshed when in five days everyone will be working, for many it will be their first job in years. For some it will be their first job ever.

  @@@@@

  The Speaker and Senate whip meets at 3:00PM. The Speaker says, “The SOB’s pulled a large elephant out of his ass. I never thought I’d see the mood of the country shift in a couple of hours; our members now don’t want to bring the articles to the floor, they’re afraid the people back home will recall them. My members don’t know what to do now. The sly SOB has outfoxed us. He has the public support right now; he can rule without us; he has effectively made himself king. Who’s going to vote against him now?”

  “All spending bills have to begin in the House; you could hold up spending for his master plan.”

  “And be run out of town on a pole to be tar and feathered? I stand a better chance of starring on Broadway than I do not fund this program. He just told the nation they’re going to have a job. I can’t pass a bill to defund any of his programs now. Even his massive expansion of DHS is going fly through Congress. He’s managed in one speech to kill our party’s chances of ever winning the Oval Office.”

  “Not so fast, give his new full employment program a little time, let’s see how the people like to work with their hands versus sitting in front of the TV all day not having to do anything to get their check. He ended welfare, and most other aid programs to pay for his mass employment program; Millions of people have never had a job before, many won’t like having to get their hands dirty or following orders. Plus now that he thinks he can do anything, I bet you he will show more socialistic moves very soon. He surprised us and the nation. He’s not changed; he did this to avoid impeachment, nothing more, he doesn’t care about the people’s pain and suffering; he never did. The media are already saying he’s a God, he heard the people’s prayers, and he answered them. The real God always seems to have a way of getting even with people who claim to be God. Don’t panic, give him a little rope, he’ll end up building his own gallows and hang himself. A tiger doesn’t change his stripes; he’s always been about power and control.”

  “I’ll wait; we don’t seem to have anything else we can do. I’ll see you in Church Sunday morning, maybe God will hear our prayers.”

  “The media says he already has.”

  “It never ends well for countries and people who worship a false God, that’s what worries me.”

  Chapter 17

  Immediately people rush to buy everything they've wanted, large screen TVs, tablet computers and jewelry. Store’s shelves are emptied quicker than they can be restocked. Most people started spending their new income before they even reported for work. The five days leading up to full employment Monday saw shelves cleaned off, restaurants reopened and were immediately booked solid. Thousands of arrests for DUI are made; people haven’t gone out since the curfew. The local DHS and HHS offices are swamped with people standing line for hours waiting for their chance to sign up for their dream job. Most learned their dream jobs were pure manual labor.

  On full employment Monday, millions of people report for work, some for the first time in their lives. Many can’t take directions; many realize they don’t like working. Projects slowed down to a slow crawl. Fights break out at hundreds of job sites, different gangs claimed projects close to their area fighting the workers who were assigned to the project. Even the best program managers can't control the chaos that spread across every government program. The government human resource software wasn’t designed to enroll millions of people at the same time, the system crashed hundreds of times, while people sat around doing nothing. Costs quickly increased off the scale. Every timeline moved far to the right.

  Three months into full employment, the results aren’t what the President had expected. Many companies can’t afford to pay their workers $20 an hour. Labor unions loved the President’s plan. Their ranks swelled; many of their labor contracts are pegged to the minimum wage which had increased to $20 an hour, as did most of their member’s pay. Union dues are pegged as a percentage of gross pay; union coffers are filling with cash quicker than they thought possible. Congress used this opportunity to pass a revised farm bill that ended most farm subsidies and killed most of the SNAP program. Overnight the price of a gallon of milk increased in price from $3.55 to $7.59. The price of fresh food doubles and triples within a couple of weeks. Increased labor costs spreads through the entire economy causing rapid high inflation which increased prices in every sector. In some sectors, inflation reaches 30% in three months. Costs are increasing faster than people can recover. As costs increase companies look for new ways to cut costs, the only way left for many of them is to reduce their overhead, they start firing workers trying to hold their costs down. The fired workers demand to be rehired; however the companies can’t afford to pay the higher costs so they refuse. With the previous unemployed hired by the government, the newly unemployed can’t find a job; food stamps assistance has been terminated, welfare cut, most other aid programs designed to help the unemployed and poor were cut to pay for the President’s full employment program. The newly unemployed march in the streets demanding they be either rehired or to be given a government job. The President is caught completely by surprise with these new rounds of layoffs. He issues new executive orders that companies can’t terminate workers. Companies are faced with very few options; the President signs an executive order mandating prices be frozen, even as costs rise. Hundreds of companies are forced out of business. They just close their doors or leave them open while their owners walked away. With no management, the workers, that are in these companies, sat down on the job or went home. Those recently unemployed applied to work for the government, who had no choice but to hire them further increasing government costs. With prices held down and costs increasing, sold products aren’t replaced, shelves remain empty; even items such as toilet paper and toothpaste are hard to find. Shopping malls start to fall apart as stores close due to higher costs and the lack of inventory. Working for the government isn’t the perfect job most thought it would be. Manual labor is much harder than most expected. Taking orders isn't something most are used to. Hundreds of fights break out between workers and management.

  Unions received approval to apply a special one-year dues increase so they can collect funds as quickly as possible. Dues are assessed at 20% of the new worker’s gross paycheck; medical insurance took another 30%, since everyone is working, earning at least $15/hour they earned enough so that none could receive a subsidy or tax break on their health insurance premiums. Even with their increase in pay, their buying power is now less than it had been when they didn’t work and were on welfare. If they quit, they couldn’t go back on welfare because the programs had been cut. People are depressed; they sit around not doing anything at their new jobs. Timetables stretch out, costs further increase costing the government more than four times their worst case projections. People drive by government construction projects seeing hundreds of people sitting around doing nothing earning $20 an hour.

  @@@@@

  The President and his CoS meet in the Oval Office, “Mr. President, we have a 100-day summary of the jobs situation; the good news is in 100 days
we’ve reached the highest ratio of working people in history outside of the Second World War. The bad news is due to the price controls; many companies have empty shelves, with taxes, union dues and medical insurance premiums, plus the inflated higher prices many of our people now have a lower disposable income than before they went to work. This isn’t turning out the way we thought it would. More people are unhappy than are happy. People are saying they have almost nothing to take home after paying for food, insurances, taxes and fuel; they have nothing left over to pay the minimum charges on their government bank issued credit cards. Mr. President, the newly unemployed are stuck in the middle; many are demanding government jobs. Sir, the new workers, aren’t working. Most sit around all day doing nothing; many have complained they can’t watch TV while working. Many have never done any work before; they are weak, easily tired and complain all the time about everything. Sir, the program managers, are saying if costs don’t start to decline very quickly then every program is going to come in way over the worst case estimates. All of the agencies say, given their budgets weren’t funded for minimum labor costs of $20/hour labor, they either have to cut labor or programs, there’s not enough money left for both.

  “Just give them more money. Why do I have to do all of the thinking around here?”

  “Sir, funding happens at the House, sir, you can’t just print money or issue new budgets.”

  “I can’t print money, but the Fed can. Get me the Fed Chairman.”

  “The Federal Reserve Chairman is on line one sir.”

  “Lisa, I’ve got this little problem; my agencies are running out of money, I know the House isn’t going to increase the spending levels, can you arrange to print more funds and deposit them into the agencies accounts?”