American Meltdown: Book Two of The Economic Collapse Chronicles

by Goodwin, Mark

  “This is going to be a battle on two fronts. We’ll have massive rioting and looting in our cities by sundown and we will be fighting to keep the US military from marching on our streets and enforcing this unconstitutional gun ban. I won’t have our citizens disarmed at the time they need their weapons the most."

  "Have you floated this by any other governors around the country to see if anyone else is with you?" Randall asked.

  Governor Jacobs said, "South Carolina Governor Hayden Nicholas is sending an almost identical letter to D.C. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are coordinating their own styling, but the three of them will be sending one letter that represents the intention of all three. It is being termed the Northwest Coalition. They have invited North and South Dakota to join. eastern Washington and eastern Oregon have filed for an emergency partition vote to separate from the western halves of their two states. They are threatening violence if the partition is not granted. The liberals on the west coast have fought the partition for years, but they may be willing to grant it now. The irreconcilable differences are a bit more obvious now. If they get the partition, eastern Washington and eastern Oregon will also join the Northwest Coalition.”

  Governor Jacobs paused a moment. “Did you speak with General Jefferson?"

  "I did." Paul Randall said, "The brass at Fort Hood are holding a meeting right now explaining the intentions of the leadership on the base. They will offer any soldiers or officers who remain loyal to D.C. the opportunity to leave provided they are off the base by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Anyone who stays will be treated as a deserter if they leave or suddenly decide to renounce their allegiance to Texas.

  “Fort Bliss, Fort Sam Houston, all the Air Force Bases and Naval Bases in Texas seem to be coordinated to give the same opportunity. The good General offered to get some Bradleys, Cougars and Humvees out of Red River if you think you would have any use for them. Maybe a couple of those would be a good show of strength at the border roads; if the militia won't mind that is."

  "That would be much appreciated, Paul," Jacobs said. "I am sure Jefferson is aware of the Northwest Coalition. There aren't many bases up there, but the ones that are, would be worth locking down. There are some heavy hitters up that way. Specifically, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. They’re two of the three that "officially" control Minutemen ICBM Missiles."

  Paul replied, "I know he positioned leadership up there in hopes that Montana and Wyoming would side with the patriots. Jefferson is also hoping the partitions go through, specifically for Washington. Fairchild Air Force Base is right outside Spokane. The official story is that all of their nuclear silos were decommissioned, but General Jefferson seems to think that may not be entirely true. Same story with Vandenberg Air Force Base located in the People’s Republic of California. Not much hope for getting control of that one.

  “The only other active silo site "officially" is in Minot. We would have all of the official nuclear missile silos if North Dakota sided with us. Of course ICBMs are only one point of the nuclear triad. Weapons storage, B-52s, B-2s and nuclear subs armed with Tridents are sprinkled all over the country. If we’re talking quantity, there are over 2,000 warheads still waiting to be dismantled at Pantex, right here in Texas. Well, mutually assured destruction has kept us all alive this long. Have you thought about what you’ll do with the federal agencies inside Texas borders?"

  "I'll wait until the military bases get settled and then issue eviction notices as soon as I know we have the support from the bases," Jacobs said.

  “What about controlling the riots?” Paul asked.

  Jacobs replied, “I’ll issue a statement that everyone needs to stay home. I’ll make a point of reminding everyone of the Castle Doctrine and extend it to include their right to use deadly force in defense of their neighborhoods, but we don’t have the manpower to keep every street safe. Even if we had every soldier from every military base in America, we couldn’t stop this. The banking system just collapsed and no one can get a nickel out of their bank, write a check or use a credit card. I hope people took the opportunity to get prepared after that shot across the bow last November with the EBT riots.

  “I also hope all the good folks of Texas have guns and are ready to defend themselves. The bad element will have a heyday with this one. Not only has the government taught people that they will take care of them financially through welfare, they’ve taught them that the police are responsible for their safety. That’s a bigger lie than the welfare system. In the best of times, all a police officer can do is come file a report after the crime has already been committed. Sometimes they can catch the guy who did it, but even if they do, the damage is already done. I hope folks have figured out that they’re responsible for their own security. Tonight would be a bad time to come to that realization.”

  Randall stated, "I'm going to let you go. I'm going to get in as many phone calls as I can this evening. I want to get as much support as I can. We have a lot of work to do."

  As soon as Randall had hung up with Larry Jacobs, General Allen Jefferson called. "Paul, Lejeune and Bragg are all set, the leadership is just waiting for the Governor of North Carolina to make a commitment. Do you think you could call him and try to get a definitive answer? We put a lot of good officers there hoping that we can work with the state."

  "Sure, General," Paul said. "Governor Taylor supported me in the campaign. I hope we can get him onboard with the effort.”

  "Tell him it's time to man up!" Jefferson said, "We fight now or live as slaves for the rest of our lives."

  Paul Randall said, “Good-bye” and put in the call to North Carolina Governor Ronald Taylor. Randall quickly explained the support the movement had in Texas, the Northwest Coalition and South Carolina.

  “This is a tough call, Paul. I hope this will all blow over and things will get back to normal,” Taylor said. He was obviously torn on what to do.

  Randall replied, “Howe is going to be disarming the American people whether the financial crisis blows over or not. He couldn’t be more straightforward about his intentions to confiscate weapons. This fight was already coming. The banking system collapse just pushed it up on the calendar.”

  Ron Taylor said, “You’re right. We have been discussing that in the North Carolina State Senate. We just haven’t made a final decision on how to handle it.”

  Randall continued to explain, “General Jefferson put a lot of faith in you to do the right thing by positioning key leadership in Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg. It’s all patriot brass running those bases thanks to Jefferson’s planning. He won’t be able to move them around again. If you don’t commit to this effort, we may not be able keep America alive. I’m not being melodramatic, Ron. The freedom of this nation may very well depend on your faithfulness to the Constitution.”

  Taylor reluctantly committed to the effort. “Knowing how much I would be letting you and Allen Jefferson down, I’ll call an emergency meeting with the General Assembly. I’ll try to get this through tonight,”

  "You’re doing the right thing, Ron," Paul assured him.

  "You and Jefferson are going to have to hold my hand through this, Paul," Taylor replied. "I don't have much experience with coups."

  Continuing his plan to solicit support, Paul Randall called the Governor of Kentucky. With the dollar going away, it would be good to have the gold reserves being held in Fort Knox. There was no chance of getting at the gold reserves in the New York Federal Reserve. Randall was unsure of the amount still being held in Kentucky, but Fort Campbell was also there and it was a large military base. Since Kentucky had voted for Randall in the presidential election, he knew he had the support of the people. Governor Simmons talked with Paul for a long time, but in the end was unwilling to make a personal commitment.

  "Governor, are you willing to let the Federal Government march on your state and disarm your citizens?" Randall asked.

  "I will put it to a vote with the state legislature, Paul.
This is not my call," Simmons said.

  "Those people elected you to make crucial decisions for them, Governor," Paul said. "They overwhelmingly voted for me in the presidential election. You know where they stand. I am just asking you to hold an emergency session and to personally support it. You carry a lot of weight in the Kentucky General Assembly. I know a lot of those votes are going to go in the direction you recommend."

  Governor Simmons was silent for a moment as he contemplated Paul's words. "You are very convincing, Paul, but I can't give you an answer right away. I'll think it over and get back to you on it. I owe it to the people of Kentucky to examine all the angles on this one. The repercussions are tremendous. I can tell you that we’ll likely support you, but I don't make decisions this big in the blink of an eye."

  "I can respect that Governor," Paul said.

  He contacted the remaining state governors in quick succession. Several of them were on the fence including Nebraska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. Northern Colorado also demanded an emergency partition vote to separate it from the rest of the state. If it went through, Northern Colorado would become part of the Northwest Coalition. The economic problems, the political discord between parties, and the friction between states and the Federal Government had been building up to a flashpoint for years. No one could have ever imagined it would all erupt on the same day.

  CHAPTER 11

  "Our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty."

  -Samuel Adams

  When Matt, Wesley and Adam returned from Piggly Wiggly, the girls were all gathered around the television watching the news coverage and eating the cookies Karen had brought over.

  "What's happening?" Matt asked.

  "People are freaking out," Shelly answered. "This is going to be way worse than the EBT riots. L.A. already looks like a war zone and it isn't even dark yet."

  "How was Piggly Wiggly?" Karen asked.

  "There was a lot of tension," Adam said. "Several people are trying to pay with credit cards and they’re very upset that they can't."

  "How could people forget so quickly?" Janice asked. "We just went through this with the EBT riots. You would think that people would've been a little more prepared and have some cash around."

  Matt said, "The news and the government told them it was a mistake and that it would never happen again. People always believe their lies. That's why they keep putting these people back in office and keep watching the same old news channels."

  Wes asked, "What's happening in L.A.?"

  Shelly answered, "People are walking out of the grocery store with full carts and not paying."

  "Why are the managers letting them get away with it?" Wes asked.

  "Everybody is doing it," Shelly replied. "They can't stop everyone, so they’re just letting them walk out. The police are trying to lock down individual grocery stores, but they can't be everywhere at once. Store owners in Koreatown closed up their shops. They’re all posted up with their families around their neighborhood with shotguns and pistols tucked in their pants."

  "At least some people have a good memory," Wesley said. "The police aren't confiscating weapons?"

  "Not yet," Shelly stated. "The amnesty period lasts until March first."

  Wesley countered, "Yes, but police are authorized to start confiscating any firearms on the ban list if they come into contact with them in the normal course of duty."

  Shelly responded, "I guess they figure Koreatown is one area they don't have to secure if the residents are policing it themselves."

  Matt turned his attention to the television.

  CNC News correspondent Patrick James was reporting in a Chicago suburb. "We’re getting reports of looting and food riots from all over the city of Chicago. While this area we’re in now is safer than some, the situation around us has been deteriorating as dusk approaches. We’ll continue to bring you live coverage as long as possible.

  “Right across the street from us is a Target that was closed earlier today by management due to looting. Looters were seen running down the street with a wide assortment of goods. Some people had clothing and tennis shoes, others were carting off big screen televisions. I suppose if this situation proves to be the end of our civilization, one would like to witness it in HD.”

  Despite the flippant comment, Patrick James had a look of disgust on his face.

  He continued reporting, “High inflation already caused most Walmarts to close. People in the neighborhood turned to this Target store when the Walmart down the street closed. Now that Target stores have been raising their prices to keep pace with inflation, sales have dropped to a critical level. Corporate losses are quickly eating away at company cash. The new round of riots may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. This store across from us may never open again after today.

  “Two blocks from here is a Kroger grocery store that closed their doors only to have looters break through the front glass and clear out the shelves. We saw people running out with cases of beer and others wheeling away grocery carts overflowing with food items. As the shelves emptied, looters were fighting each other over the last few items on the shelves.

  “Other retail stores are also closing as the sense of civil unrest is rising throughout the city. Police departments here in Chicago have been stripped to unsafe levels by budget cuts just as they have in the rest of the country. The Chicago Police Department was already ineffective against the level of criminal activity taking place prior to the rioting and looting. This renders the city completely helpless. President Howe has pledged to send military support to help maintain order in major metropolitan areas. But if they don’t get here soon, there will be nothing left to defend.

  “As many of you may remember, I was in Detroit last fall reporting on the EBT riots. We witnessed violent clashes between police and protestors. Several people were killed right in front of our cameras. The city never recovered from those riots. What little resemblance Detroit still held to the civilized world was lost during those riots. Now, standing here in the Southside of Chicago, it feels eerily like the early evening on the night that the EBT riots destroyed Detroit.

  “President Howe has enacted a curfew beginning at sundown tonight. Here at CNC, we are encouraging all of our viewers to stay indoors until the curfew is lifted tomorrow morning at dawn. If the riots last fall were any indication of what we are facing, this is going to be a rough night. We are going back to the CNC studios where Ed Nolan is bringing you some breaking news."

  The television screen cut to the studio where Ed Nolan sat behind the desk.

  Nolan said, "Thank you Patrick. Be safe.

  “We have just received word from a confidential source inside the White House that Texas has issued a statement telling President Howe that federal troops will not be allowed to enter the state to enforce martial law. The letter is said to have come from Governor Larry Jacobs who was an avid supporter of Senator Paul Randall in last year's presidential campaign. We will be monitoring the situation closely and we will let you know what the response from the White House is, as soon as we have more information.

  “Earlier, President Howe issued a statement to the press stating that he would be using all of the resources available to him, including US military troops to maintain an environment of order and to enforce his dusk-til-dawn curfew.

  “Several conservative lawmakers have said the move to employ the military in a domestic peacekeeping effort is a precursor to an invasion of areas around the country that are known to be vehemently opposed to President Howe's semi-automatic gun ban. These lawmakers have long claimed the gun ban to be unconstitutional and say they will encourage their constituents to disregard the ban. None have said if they intend to defy the ban to the point of violence against the Federal Government.

  “We have seen states assert their rights in defiance of federal laws in the past, but if the report abou
t Texas turns out to be true, it will be the most defiant act by a state towards the Federal Government since the Civil War."

  Matt looked over at Wesley and Adam. The three men exchanged nods and smiles. Karen caught the look between them. It was obvious what they were thinking.

  Matt recognized the look on Karen's face and he quickly lost his smile. He felt for his wife. He didn't want war either. That had not been why he was smiling. Matt was smiling because he saw hope. He knew it only took one kid in the playground to stand up to the bully. After that, others would be encouraged to take a stand as well. Soon, the bully and his cronies would be outnumbered and he would be put in his place.

  While Paul Randall continued to give speeches of encouragement over the internet, no other leaders had publicly taken a stand against Howe.

  Matt said, “If this is true, if Texas Governor Jacobs is really standing up to the President, this is a game changer.”

  CHAPTER 12

  "Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct."

  -Thomas Jefferson

  Howe was still scowling. He had a drink in his hand and his tie was draped across the chair. The White House Chief of Staff Alec Renzi let himself into the Oval Office.

  "Mr. President, you need to read this.” Renzi handed the letter from Texas to the President.

  Howe quickly scanned the paper. His scowl deepened. "Get General Jefferson on the line. Have him send a platoon from Fort Hood to detain Texas Governor Laurence Jacobs under the 2012 NDAA Indefinite Detention Clause. Send Jacobs straight to a CIA black site before anyone gets a chance to talk to him. This is getting out of hand. I can’t have another Paul Randall running around sowing discord. Cut this off before it gets started."