“All of you already know the plan: After the November election, the Worldwide Investment Trust is ready to force countries A, B, and C—you all know who they are—into default by calling loans they have no chance of repaying, never had any chance of repaying. The government will lose the confidence of the people. The generals are in our pocket, will overthrow the civilians, and declare martial law. Then, under their extraordinary powers, they’ll open bidding to privatize all public services and resources, because the state treasury won’t have money to keep the country going. But we know who will win them.
“We’ve already taken out unofficial contracts on state-owned power companies, seaports, airports, national lotteries, state-owned media, national banks, railway systems, and airports. Everything will be sold at fire-sale prices. If there are any protests from state workers who’ll lose their jobs or who have to take a pay cut, the military will take care of them too. Assets are supposed to be auctioned, but that’s just for show. After that, there’s nothing between us and trillions of dollars. All the money the government used to collect will turn into our profits. It will implement the corporate state model, just like the CSA, and we can keep replicating it around the world, faster and more easily after A, B, and C are successfully taken over. I repeat,” he says, looking directly at Cooper, “nothing and no one can be allowed to stand in our way. We’ve worked too long and too hard for this and too much is at stake.”
“Aristotle, I refuse to take your comments personally. One thing you learn being the head of the CSA is that you’ve got to have a thick skin. You know, everyone here knows, my administration and I are not going soft on anything. We came into office to continue Free-for-All economic policies. I’m not going to waste time listing all the accomplishments we’ve had since I became national CEO. But I’ll remind you, in case any of you have forgotten, who was responsible for pushing to rename the country the Corporate States of America in the first place. So, I’ll leave it at that. Unless any of you have further comments or questions, we have to clear this room while it’s set up for my address to the nation and news conference. I hope all of you will attend.”
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1 P.M.: THE WHITE HOUSE, EAST ROOM. Twenty-five members of the press and all but five of the members of the Corporate Council who just met with Ham Cooper are in the room when the president steps up to the podium and speaks to the nation.
“My fellow Americans, investors in the Corporate States of America, I am speaking to you from the historic East Room of the White House,” Cooper begins. “In good times and in bad times, in this very room, much of our glorious history has been written and reported. It is the duty of every president to speak honestly to everyone who has a stake in his company. And today is no exception. I am proud to say that the Corporate States of America remains the shining example of a company of collective interests. The bottom line is—and ultimately we all know that the bottom line is all that counts—the more dedicated we are to our corporate good, the stronger and more profitable we all will be. You know the guiding principles of the Galtian Restoration. You know how they have changed this country and the world for the better. You, we, are all living proof of the greater good that flows naturally from a free-market nation.
“Unfortunately, I have to look all of you in the eye and tell you the sad, honest truth: There are enemies among us—not just people who disagree with us, we always welcome open, honest, constructive debate—but forces whose sole purpose is to overthrow the CSA and all the good we stand for. Here’s the proof, right here in my hands. I am holding up the complete and objective FBI report—‘The People’s Riot on the National Mall’—on the events that recently took place in and around the National Mall. Every stakeholder must feel confident that those who lead their enterprise are open, honest, and transparent in their dealings. So, let me be blunt and absolutely clear: My administration is in no way responsible for any violence that occurred on the Mall. As the FBI report makes clear, the events of this past Wednesday were intentionally provoked by illegal squatters and outside agitators. Everything that occurred was part of a well-orchestrated plan to discredit those of us who represent you honestly, ethically, and sincerely.
“Early Friday morning, acting upon only the most reliable and pressing intelligence collected over a period of months, capital security forces entered the illegal encampment on the Mall. They were searching for drugs and illegal weapons that they had every reason to believe were there.”
Cooper holds up the FBI report. The camera focuses on it, while he turns the pages.
“Just look at conclusive evidence of the violent plot that was being hatched on the Mall. Yes, just blocks from the White House. Here you see photographs of the hundreds of items that were found. I know you’ll be as shocked as I was when I first saw them. You’re looking at full-fledged terrorist weapons: AK47 assault rifles, semiautomatic pistols, revolvers, rifles, machine guns, knives hidden in belt buckles, hairbrushes, and combs. There are even playing cards with metal tips that can cut someone’s throat. There’s pepper spray. There’s nothing innocent about the meat cleavers and box-cutters that we found. They weren’t being stocked to make dinner or unpack household goods. Make no mistake about it: The Mall was an arsenal waiting to be unleashed until security stopped the plot. It was a violent revolution waiting to happen.
“Take a look at the photographs of the drugs that agents found—marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and mountains of prescription painkillers. Drug deals were helping to finance the Mall camp. Detailed kidnapping plots against corporate officials were also found. So, no matter what anyone tells you, people who took over the National Mall—your mall, a treasure that belongs to everyone—were not innocent victims of our economic policies, as they’ve led the press to report. They were criminals, pure and simple. If anything, we tolerated them for too long, because we’re decent and humane and we give people the benefit of the doubt. In our defense, we waited until we had absolutely irrefutable evidence against the violent perpetrators before we acted, because we must always be accountable and honest. Because we believe that foreign agitators infiltrated the Mall encampment, I have asked the CIA to investigate and report to me immediately on all aspects of the international plot. As you can see, on the grounds of national security—protecting each and every one of you, as well as the nation’s capital—we had every reason to search the Mall and move people living there to RFK Stadium, where they could be held and processed before they were prosecuted. They posed a real and immediate danger. That place could have erupted in violence at any time.
“My fellow investors, the next conclusive proof from the FBI report will no doubt astonish you as much as it did me, particularly after the fictitious story that the media have made up about what happened to the young boy Adam. Anti-government, subversive elements have seized upon the incident to attack me and my administration, but they are lying to the nation and the world about what really occurred in order to advance their self-serving political agenda. We have still photos and video, showing conclusively that the horse was in no way responsible for his death. If anything, it was the reverse. Adam collapsed—and the screams of the people around him scared the horse. It reared back on its hind legs and then fell forward, only when provoked. Adam was already dead when the horse’s hoof came down on him. Adam was a sickly child from birth. For his whole life, he was weak. He had a congenital heart defect. His parents should have provided for him and protected him, instead of neglecting him.
“That brings me to another important, but sad, point: We are looking into bringing charges of parental child abuse against Adam’s parents. I have asked the FBI to turn over all the incriminating evidence they have regarding…whatever their names are…to the District security forces to determine if further criminal prosecution is warranted. And, if it is, and I believe it is, let me assure the nation, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. My administration is 100 percent, categorically, against child abuse. It simply will not be tolerated.
“The
FBI report also deals with a dangerous group of criminals that calls itself the Prometheus Project. Using the legal surveillance and clearing of the illegal encampment on the Mall and the death of Adam as a pretext for rebellion, those guerrillas orchestrated an attack on private businesses, threw the stock market into chaos, and brought transportation, the lifeblood of business, to a standstill. They claim that they are ‘the people.’ And they have set out to show the decent, law-abiding, productive investors in the prosperity of the Corporate State of America that they and ‘the people’ they represent are really in charge and that the nation must be governed in the interest of something they call ‘the common good.’
“Well, I have news for them. They are in for a big surprise. Our opposition may delude themselves into thinking they are Prometheus—protectors of others, people with social consciences. But every true citizen of the CSA is an Atlas, and not just an Atlas but an Atlas drugged on boundless self-interest. We are the freest people in the world. We know no limits. And we will trample anyone who tries to hamper us.
“It is illegal to do anything to bring business in this country to a standstill. In fact, it’s unconstitutional. We just celebrated sixty-seven glorious years of the Galtian Restoration that made protecting business the primary concern of government. It is the primary concern of my administration, of course. If businesses are not making profits, nothing else matters. I swore an oath to protect this country’s corporations, and nothing—not a person, not a mob, not even the death of an eight-year-old boy—will stop me from fulfilling my responsibility, especially after we have discovered the lies and deceptions behind his death.
“Finally, my fellow investors, the FBI report on the riot blames the District security forces for overreacting to the violence that erupted in and around the Mall. It states, and I am reading directly from the report, ‘District security personnel should have shown greater self-control in responding to the provocations of the rioters.’ As a result, I have ordered the head of security for the District to implement a comprehensive training program in crowd and riot control for all security personnel. And now, I’ll be happy to take questions from the press. Let me see, the first on my list is Maya Fitzpatrick of News of the Nation.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Who were the people living on the Mall Cooperville?”
“If you don’t mind,” Cooper says visibly infuriated, “the proper term is illegal encampment. I refuse to be slandered by having my name attached to something for which I am in no way responsible. To rephrase your question, Who were the people illegally encamped on the Mall? They are deadbeats, people who refuse to work, people who want ‘the government,’ someone else, anyone else, to take care of them.
“Bernard Brill of Truthdotcom…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Are you sorry that Adam died?”
“Of course, I’m sorry. But as you heard me say before, my administration is in no way responsible for what occurred, directly or indirectly. We’re not guilty of anything. I am most sorry that he was there in the first place. He and everyone else had no business illegally camping out on the Mall. If his parents hadn’t put Adam’s life at risk, he’d still be alive.
“Angelina Pescadore of The International News Syndicate…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Do Coopervilles—I mean illegal encampments on the Boston Commons and in Santa Fe, New Mexico pose similar national security dangers? And if so, what are you doing to protect the nation?”
“Ms. Pescadore, all illegal encampments are under surveillance. At the moment, none has posed a threat to national security comparable to what was detected on the Mall. People illegally squatting would be advised to leave all encampments immediately rather than allow themselves to be used as pawns by outside agitators. We can’t guarantee their continued safety. We have taken an oath to protect the nation—and protect it we will.
“Baird Williams of National Television Syndicate…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Some studies have shown that most, if not all, of the residents on the Mall had actually been previously employed, had owned homes, but had been dispossessed as a result of economic policies enacted by your administration and previous administrations. Are those studies accurate?”
“Baird, you know better than that. Of course, they are not accurate. They are absolute lies. They are nothing more than socialistic propaganda. Anyone who wants to work in this great country can do so. Anyone who wants to start a business has free rein. We’ve gotten rid of almost all regulations on business. This is the greatest nation on earth for making money. If you can’t make it here, you can’t make it anywhere. But this is not a country for loafers and looters and people who want everyone else to ‘do it’ for them. That’s who’s really trying to discredit our policies with the false studies you’ve quoted!
“Susanna Rutledge of United Markets News…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. The members of my trade association are extremely concerned after the Prometheus Project’s ‘People’s Strike for Adam.’ They’ve lost billions of dollars. And they don’t know when or how the attacks are going to be stopped. They’ve asked me to ask you how your opposition managed to shut down the country and how you’re going to handle it.”
“Susanna, first of all, they are not ‘my’ opposition, as you say. They pose a much bigger threat to the stability of the nation. They are opposed to all of us, to everything we all stand for. They are attacking the fundamental principles upon which the CSA was founded. How the Prometheus Project works and how we are going to stop them is top secret information, which, of course, I am not at liberty to disclose. But let me assure you that…”
Suddenly, transmission from the White House is interrupted. Cooper’s microphone goes dead. He taps it, scratches his head, and looks around for assistance. Aides immediately rush up to his side, but no one is able to restore power. Then, a picture of Adam being trampled by the horse that killed him replaces the live feed.
A voice from the back of the room shouts, “Mr. President, Mr. President, I’m Roger Fitzpatrick.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you,” Cooper answers, cupping his hands over his ears.
“Mr. President,” Fitzpatrick repeats, raising his voice so the whole room can hear him. “Mr. President, visuals positively show Adam standing and being struck by the horse. One of the pictures is on your monitor now. The pictures are all over the Internet. There’s absolutely no denying it. How can you possibly say he collapsed and scared the horse?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you,” Cooper answers abruptly while leaving the podium. Backstage, he asks his press secretary, Rhea Pullman, “Who’s that Fitzpatrick guy, and how did he get in? You were supposed to screen the media for ringers. Another mistake like that and you’ll be out on your sweet, fat ass—and you know I mean it. Now, call the FBI and the CIA and tell them to find out who pulled the plug on the transmission and how the picture of that fuckin’ kid got on the screen.”
MONDAY, JULY 4, 7 P.M.: WASHINGTON, D.C. The stage is set for the national birthday celebration open to the general public. Twenty billboard-size TV screens have been set up so that the events may be seen on the Mall. Since the Cooperville on the Mall was leveled, crews have been working around-the-clock to remove debris and plant sod. Cooper has personally inspected the progress almost daily. “I want every memory of that fucking trash heap of human waste gone in time for the 4th,” he told his staff. “I want the public to be able to enjoy a concert and fireworks again. And I want the whole world to see that we’re still in charge.”
Privately, Cooper told his inner circle that, in this election year, he sees the evening as make-it-or-break- it for his administration. “Spare no expense,” he commands his chief-of-staff. Irate because of the growing backlash from the killing of “that little bastard,” as he refers to Adam, he has already fired the head of his reelection campaign and his White House press secretary. He told both of them together, “We still don’t know why the feed at m
y press conference went dead, how the picture of ‘that little bastard’ got on the screen, or who that hostile last guy was. You gave me a list of people to call on. Everything was supposed to be orchestrated. Our people own the media. So, if you can’t keep me from getting shit on, there’s something wrong with you. Bottom line is: You don’t produce, you’re outta here. Business is business. You’ve got twenty minutes to pack up and get out. ”
Since 5:30 p.m., guests have been arriving for the exclusive July 4th Presidential Gala at the Washingtonian Hotel. Paying $1,000 a person, the 400 confirmed guests are a Who’s Who of Free-for-All economics, national politics, and international business. Count Henry de Horsch, the evening’s principal honoree, arrives early so he can attend a brief run-through of the program. He exits his limousine, followed by a stunning brunette in her mid-twenties. Her hair is pulled straight back in a severe boyish cut. A single, emerald-cut diamond, of at least eight carats, graces her neck. The count helps her gather up the material of her evening gown so it doesn’t touch the ground and takes her by the hand. They slowly make their way down the red carpet. The staff member who precedes them makes sure that no photographers are able to take a picture, at the insistence of the count.
Next, Hilton Manfreed, accompanied by Baron Rooky his assistant, Enrique Reyes, Zora Tremmon, and Albert Swift exit the Atlas Fitness corporate Hummer. The words “Drug Yourself On Atlas” are written on all three sides and on the hood. Aristotle Khouris’s limousine arrives, preceded and followed by security details in separate SUVs. With him are Horst Breckvold, the head of the Worldwide Investment Trust; Maximilian Lipper, chief strategist for TransWorld Energy; and Prince Siegfried IV of Moldavia.
In the lobby, during cocktails, Jonathan Smythe of Consolidated Industries, who had been openly critical of President Cooper during the Corporate Council briefing at the While House two weeks ago, tells Harold Klein of International Networks, another one of the president’s critics, that Cooper has lost touch with reality. “I couldn’t agree with you more,” Klein replies. “In business, it’s strictly ‘what have you done for me lately?’ And Cooper’s been nothing but a liability. I know what he hopes to accomplish tonight, but I doubt he can bring it off.”
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