Iran-Contra and the Fall of Ronald Reagan
- Thread starter LHB
- Start date
Will Kürlich Kerl
Banned
One thing I can say for sure: Barack Obama will not come within a mile of winning the Presidency in 2008 TTL. How and why that is the case I'll leave to everyone's imagination and interpretation
He is a moderate republican.
How exactly do you mean? Please, ah... elucidate.
The fact that the Battle of Seattle and Occupy both happened under Democratic, rather than Republican, administrations speaks volumes regarding the forces that mobilized both. In each case you had a Democratic president coming in on the heels of long, conservative Republican administrations. Along with these victories came the expectation of at least a partial rollback of the abuses of their predecessors. When instead you had the enacting of neo-liberal politics of privatization, pursuit of free trade, and working with industry lobbyists instead of cleaning house that caused a series of backlashes among progressives and liberals. These backlashes would manifest under Clinton at Seattle and under Obama in Occupy.
On its face this sounds counter-intuitive as one would imagine a larger liberal/Left upsurge under a Republican president than you would under a President who would be, on their face, friendly to their cause. I think this is because whenever such upwellings of populist, left-friendly discontent emerged under Reagan and Bush the Democrats were able to position themselves as logical allies and co-opt the movements. When this happens under a Democratic administration there is no meaningful party to go to for the progressives and liberals but the outrage is going somewhere so instead it goes into the streets where you get interesting fusions between radical street action and liberal and progressive sentiments.
I personally think if John McCain had won the election in 2008 Occupy probably wouldn't have happened. Instead you'd get all that energy, fury, and motivation being poured into the Democrats' circular firing squad or on John McCain and the GOP which plays perfectly into the two-party dynamic. When both parties are seen as falling down on the job, as was the case leading up to 2011, that opens the door for the dynamic to be upset by a new, more compelling option that will speak to the concerns that are not being voiced.
Hate's a bit strong of a word there
Was Occupy such a bad thing? I can think of plenty of things I'd rather have avoided from the last four years than that bit of inconclusive awkwardness.
Love the timeline, by the way.
Thanks
And whoever said I thought Occupy was a BAD thing? There's a reason events like Tompkins Square Park, the G7 Summit, and other moments are getting the attention ITL that they are.
White House Press Conference, September 7th, 1989
September 10th, 1989: The Hungarian government opens the country's western borders to refugees from the German Democratic Republic.
September 15th, 1989: A bipartisan group of 12 Senators file charges with the Ethics Committee against the Keating Five, demanding immediate investigation.(1)
September 17th, 1989: Hurricane Hugo devastates the Caribbean and the southeastern United States, causing at least 71 deaths and $8 billion in damage over the next five days.
September 19th, 1989: Explosion of UTA Flight 772 over Niger, killing all 171 people on board. The Islamic Jihad Organization claims responsibility.
September 30th, 1989: Nearly 7,000 East Germans leave from Prague on special refugee trains for the West.
October 2nd, 1989: The Dellums Hearings conclude and the House Armed Services Committee releases their findings and conclusions on defense cutbacks. Dellums calls for a 25% cut in military spending through streamlining the procurement process, cutting back on nuclear arms spending, making the bidding process more transparent and competitive, and eliminating, “unnecessary waste, duplication, and redundancy.” Probably the most radical recommendation to come out of the Dellums Hearings is to permanently shut down the CIA and transfer the agency's funding and operations to the DIA. The Dellums Report adds fuel to the raging budget debate in Congress.
October 3rd, 1989: Manuel Noriega foils a plot by junior officers to overthrow him.
October 4th, 1989: The United States announces they are withdrawing diplomatic recognition from the Noriega government in response to their participation in the drug trade, support for the contras, and the suppression of recent free, democratic elections.
October 5th, 1989: The Brady Bill passes both houses of Congress and is signed into law by President Hart the next day.
October 6th, 1989: President Gary Hart announces the beginning of the withdrawal of all American short and medium range warheads from Western Europe. Conservative leading lights William Bennett, Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, and Newt Gingrich denounce the announcement as, “a betrayal of our western allies and a craven surrender to Communism.”
October 9th 1989: In Leipzig, East Germany, protesters demand the legalization of opposition groups and democratic reforms.
October 10th, 1989: The Human Rights in Commerce Act is introduced in Congress. The HRCA, if passed, would ban all commerce and military aid to countries with known histories of human rights abuses as determined by Congress. Any organizations or individuals in violation would face prosecution under the terms of the Trading with the Enemy Act. The HRCA explicitly names the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Iraq, and the Islamic Republic of Iran as the first group of nations to be subject to these terms and conditions.
October 12th, 1989: President Gary Hart threatens to veto the Human Rights in Commerce Act for, “Infringing on Executive powers to conduct foreign policy.” He says he will withdraw the veto if Congress makes the necessary changes to accommodate the needs of American foreign policy.
October 13th, 1989: Friday the 13th mini-crash. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 190.58 points, or 6.91 percent, to close at 2,569.26, thanks to recent the junk bond market collapse.
October 16th, 1989: House Speaker Tom Foley responds to the President's veto threat, saying, “The United States has seen too much Presidential abuse of power in the last two decades. The provisions of the HRCA are necessary to ensure the people have a say in our nation's foreign policy.”
October 17th, 1989: The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, strikes the San Francisco–Oakland region of Northern California, killing 67 people and delaying the 1989 World Series for ten days.
October 18th, 1989: The Communist leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker, is forced to step down as leader of the country after a series of health problems, and is succeeded by Egon Krenz. The National Assembly of Hungary votes to restore multiparty democracy.
October 21st, 1989: The Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations issue the Langkawi Declaration on the Environment, making environmental sustainability one of the Commonwealth's main priorities.
October 23rd, 1989: The Hungarian Republic is officially declared by president Mátyás Szűrös. In Pasadena, Texas a fire starts in the Houston Chemical Complex, culminating in a series of massive explosions registering 3.5 on the Richter Scale. The explosions and the fires that follow claim the lives of 23 workers, injuring 314 more.
October 25th, 1989: Logistics, reconnaissance, and support elements of the US Second Fleet are dispatched to the coast of Nicaragua. Along with this task force are Marines and Army personnel bound for the Panama Canal to reinforce the Canal Zone garrison.
October 26th, 1989: Congress passes the yearly budget. Of note is the 10% cut to the Department of Defense budget through tweaks in the procurement process, reductions in funds for the development of new nuclear arms, and other minor waste and inefficiencies.
November 1st, 1989: President of Nicaragua ends a cease-fire with U.S.-backed contras that had been in effect since April 1988. American advisers accompany Nicaraguan troops while American aircraft provide reconnaissance and logistical assistance including medevac support.
November 6th, 1989: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is founded. Founding members include the United States, Canada, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
November 7th, 1989: In East Germany the entire Communist government resigns, although SED leader Egon Krenz remains head of state.
November 9th, 1989: Günter Schabowski accidentally states in live broadcast press conference that new rules for traveling from East Germany to West Germany will be put in effect "immediately". East Germany opens checkpoints in the Berlin Wall, allowing its citizens to travel freely to West Germany for the first time in decades.
November 10th, 1989: After 45 years of Communist rule in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Communist Party leader Todor Zhivkov is replaced by Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov, who changes the party's name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
November 15th, 1989: Lech Walesa, leader of Poland's Solidarity movement, addresses a Joint session of the United States Congress. Brazil holds the first round of its first free election since 1960.
November 16th, 1989: Six Jesuit priests—among them Ignacio Ellacuría, Segundo Montes, and Ignacio Martín-Baró—their housekeeper, and her teenage daughter, are murdered by U.S. trained Salvadoran soldiers.
November 17th, 1989: A peaceful student demonstration in Prague, Czechoslovakia is severely beaten back by riot police. More people surge into the street in support of the students; their mood is defiant and angry. In Berlin West and East Berliners armed with sledgehammers, pickaxes, and whatever else they can find begin tearing down the Berlin Wall. After several hours heavy earthmoving equipment is brought up by the German Democratic Republic to expedite the destruction of the longest-standing icon of the Cold War.
November 20th, 1989: The number of peaceful protesters assembled in Prague, swells from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million. The demonstrators are demanding an end of rule by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
November 22nd, 1989: In West Beirut, a bomb explodes near the motorcade of Lebanese President Rene Moawad, killing the Lebanese President.
November 24th, 1989: Following a week of demonstrations demanding free elections and other reforms, General Secretary Miloš Jakeš and other leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia resign. Jakeš is replaced by Karel Urbánek.
November 28th, 1989: The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announces they will give up their monopoly on political power, announcing new democratic elections.
November 30th, 1989: Deutsche Bank board member Alfred Herrhausen is killed by a bomb. The Red Army Faction claims responsibility.
December 1st, 1989: In a meeting with Pope John Paul II, President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev pledges greater religious freedom for citizens of the Soviet Union. The parliament of the German Democratic Republic abolishes the constitutional provision granting the Communist-dominated SED its monopoly on power. A military coup attempt begins in the Philippines against the government of Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino.
December 2nd, 1989: After intense negotiations, including a very credible threat by Congress to override the President's veto, Gary Hart drops his veto threat against the HRCA and his objections to the process for adding additional countries to the HRCA list. The final version includes stipulations to consult with the Department of State and the Secretary of State prior to applying the Act's provisions to additional countries. The Act is passed by both Houses of Congress the next day.
December 3rd, 1989: The entire leadership of the East German Communist Party, including its General Secretary, Egon Krenz resigns. In a meeting off the coast of Malta, President Gary Hart and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements declaring the Cold War between United States and the Soviet Union is over. Both pledge to help, “Repair the damage done by the last half century of tension and conflict.”
December 5th, 1989: The Panamanian General Assembly passes a resolution declaring, “Recent hostile actions by the United States of America have caused a state of war to exist between our two nations.”(2)
December 6th, 1989: DAS Building bombing occurs in Bogotá, killing at least 100 people. Egon Krenz resigns as Chairman of the State Council of the German Democratic Republic, and is replaced by Manfred Gerlach, the first non-Communist to hold that post.
December 7th, 1989: Ladislav Adamec resigns as Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia. He is succeeded by Marián Čalfa on December 10. The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic abolishes the Communist Party's monopoly on power.
December 8th, 1989: The attempted military coup in the Philippines finally ends following a week of demonstrations, strikes, and mass civil disobedience. Aquino is retained as President of the Philippines.
December 9th, 1989: The East German Communist Party elects the reformist Gregor Gysi as party leader.
December 10th, 1989: President of Czechoslovakia Gustáv Husák swears in a new cabinet with a non-Communist and then immediately resigns as president. Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj announces the establishment of Mongolia's democratic movement, initiating the peaceful transition of the second oldest communist country into a democratic society.
December 11th, 1989: The International Trans-Antarctica Expedition, a group of six explorers from six nations, reaches the South Pole.
December 14th, 1989: Chile holds its first free election in 16 years, electing Patricio Aylwin as president.
December 15th, 1989: Drug baron José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha is killed by Colombian police.
December 17th, 1989: In Timişoara, Romania rioters break into the Committee Building and cause extensive vandalism. Their attempts to set the buildings on fire are foiled by military units, kicking off a wave of strikes and demonstrations throughout the country.
December 18th, 1989: After months of hearings, debate, and a grueling campaign the Healthy America Act is finally passed into law. The original act called for the establishment of an American version of the British NHS. This was fiercely opposed by the insurance industry, the American Medical Association, conservative Democrats, and the Republican Party charging the plan was, “Socialized medicine!” After many extended rounds of negotiation Speaker Foley and Majority Leader Byrd manage to cram an acceptable compromise through both chambers. The compromise version of the Healthy America Act does little to change how the insurance industry operates. What it does is establish a Medicare buy-in program open to all American citizens and legal residents. Individual participants would have to pay reduced premiums determined by economic means testing to gain access to the program. The program does not include an option for businesses or municipalities to enroll their workers in Medicare in lieu of conventional insurance.
December 19th, 1989: Workers in Romanian cities go on strike in protest against the communist regime.
December 20th, 1989: Operation Swift Response is launched in an attempt to overthrow Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
December 21st, 1989: Nicolae Ceausescu addresses an assembly of some 110,000 people outside the Romanian Communist Party HQ in Bucharest. The crowd protests against Ceausescu and he orders in the army to attack the protesters.
December 22nd, 1989: After a week of bloody demonstrations, Ion Iliescu takes over as president of Romania, ending the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu. The Romanian troops, who the day before had followed Ceausescu's orders to attack the demonstrators, change sides and join the uprising by arresting Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu as they attempt to flee by helicopter to Targoviste. Both are executed the next day by firing squad for crimes against humanity following a very speedy trial.
December 25th, 1989: Bank of Japan governors announce a major interest rate hike.
December 29th, 1989: Václav Havel is elected president of Czechoslovakia.
1. OTL on September 25th several Republican Senators filed charges against John Glenn only.
2. The ONLY difference between this event and OTL is it happened ten days sooner. In most cases of intervention in Latin America by the United States the US was pretty clearly meddling in the affairs of the local government. Noriega has to be the one of the ONLY examples of a Latin American dictator picking a fight with the United States.
Lou Cannon, Washington Post: Is the President planning any real response to the Tienanmen Square Massacre?
John McEvoy, White House Press Secretary: The atrocious behavior of the Chinese government and their response is inexcusable from any responsible member of the global community. The trade sanctions implemented by Congress and the administration are the first step in our efforts to bring China back into the family of nations.
Cannon: Mr. McEvoy with the increasing freedoms and progress we've been seeing in the Eastern Bloc wouldn't the PRC's crackdown suggest they don't want to be part of the global community?
McEvoy: The administration believes the Chinese government's recent actions do not rule out future normalization of relations if China improves their human rights record.
Helen Thomas, UPI: Regarding the President's recent statement on the War on Drugs what is the administration's stance on the August 8th federal indictment of Panama's President Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges?
McEvoy: The administration is looking into the situation.
Thomas: Wouldn't Noriega's ties to the drug trade and possible connections with the Contras imply the President should be giving this issue higher priority?
McEvoy: The administration is looking into the matter and will proceed accordingly. Next question please.
Steve Daley, Chicago Tribune: Is the President at all concerned about the prospects for health care reform in light of the Keating Five Scandal?
McEvoy: Gary Hart has the utmost confidence in Congress' ability and competence in spite of this wave of corruption scandals. He is optimistic the Healthy America Act will be passed before the end of the year.
John McEvoy, White House Press Secretary: The atrocious behavior of the Chinese government and their response is inexcusable from any responsible member of the global community. The trade sanctions implemented by Congress and the administration are the first step in our efforts to bring China back into the family of nations.
Cannon: Mr. McEvoy with the increasing freedoms and progress we've been seeing in the Eastern Bloc wouldn't the PRC's crackdown suggest they don't want to be part of the global community?
McEvoy: The administration believes the Chinese government's recent actions do not rule out future normalization of relations if China improves their human rights record.
Helen Thomas, UPI: Regarding the President's recent statement on the War on Drugs what is the administration's stance on the August 8th federal indictment of Panama's President Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges?
McEvoy: The administration is looking into the situation.
Thomas: Wouldn't Noriega's ties to the drug trade and possible connections with the Contras imply the President should be giving this issue higher priority?
McEvoy: The administration is looking into the matter and will proceed accordingly. Next question please.
Steve Daley, Chicago Tribune: Is the President at all concerned about the prospects for health care reform in light of the Keating Five Scandal?
McEvoy: Gary Hart has the utmost confidence in Congress' ability and competence in spite of this wave of corruption scandals. He is optimistic the Healthy America Act will be passed before the end of the year.
September 10th, 1989: The Hungarian government opens the country's western borders to refugees from the German Democratic Republic.
September 15th, 1989: A bipartisan group of 12 Senators file charges with the Ethics Committee against the Keating Five, demanding immediate investigation.(1)
September 17th, 1989: Hurricane Hugo devastates the Caribbean and the southeastern United States, causing at least 71 deaths and $8 billion in damage over the next five days.
September 19th, 1989: Explosion of UTA Flight 772 over Niger, killing all 171 people on board. The Islamic Jihad Organization claims responsibility.
September 30th, 1989: Nearly 7,000 East Germans leave from Prague on special refugee trains for the West.
October 2nd, 1989: The Dellums Hearings conclude and the House Armed Services Committee releases their findings and conclusions on defense cutbacks. Dellums calls for a 25% cut in military spending through streamlining the procurement process, cutting back on nuclear arms spending, making the bidding process more transparent and competitive, and eliminating, “unnecessary waste, duplication, and redundancy.” Probably the most radical recommendation to come out of the Dellums Hearings is to permanently shut down the CIA and transfer the agency's funding and operations to the DIA. The Dellums Report adds fuel to the raging budget debate in Congress.
October 3rd, 1989: Manuel Noriega foils a plot by junior officers to overthrow him.
October 4th, 1989: The United States announces they are withdrawing diplomatic recognition from the Noriega government in response to their participation in the drug trade, support for the contras, and the suppression of recent free, democratic elections.
October 5th, 1989: The Brady Bill passes both houses of Congress and is signed into law by President Hart the next day.
October 6th, 1989: President Gary Hart announces the beginning of the withdrawal of all American short and medium range warheads from Western Europe. Conservative leading lights William Bennett, Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, and Newt Gingrich denounce the announcement as, “a betrayal of our western allies and a craven surrender to Communism.”
October 9th 1989: In Leipzig, East Germany, protesters demand the legalization of opposition groups and democratic reforms.
October 10th, 1989: The Human Rights in Commerce Act is introduced in Congress. The HRCA, if passed, would ban all commerce and military aid to countries with known histories of human rights abuses as determined by Congress. Any organizations or individuals in violation would face prosecution under the terms of the Trading with the Enemy Act. The HRCA explicitly names the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Iraq, and the Islamic Republic of Iran as the first group of nations to be subject to these terms and conditions.
October 12th, 1989: President Gary Hart threatens to veto the Human Rights in Commerce Act for, “Infringing on Executive powers to conduct foreign policy.” He says he will withdraw the veto if Congress makes the necessary changes to accommodate the needs of American foreign policy.
October 13th, 1989: Friday the 13th mini-crash. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 190.58 points, or 6.91 percent, to close at 2,569.26, thanks to recent the junk bond market collapse.
October 16th, 1989: House Speaker Tom Foley responds to the President's veto threat, saying, “The United States has seen too much Presidential abuse of power in the last two decades. The provisions of the HRCA are necessary to ensure the people have a say in our nation's foreign policy.”
October 17th, 1989: The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, strikes the San Francisco–Oakland region of Northern California, killing 67 people and delaying the 1989 World Series for ten days.
October 18th, 1989: The Communist leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker, is forced to step down as leader of the country after a series of health problems, and is succeeded by Egon Krenz. The National Assembly of Hungary votes to restore multiparty democracy.
October 21st, 1989: The Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations issue the Langkawi Declaration on the Environment, making environmental sustainability one of the Commonwealth's main priorities.
October 23rd, 1989: The Hungarian Republic is officially declared by president Mátyás Szűrös. In Pasadena, Texas a fire starts in the Houston Chemical Complex, culminating in a series of massive explosions registering 3.5 on the Richter Scale. The explosions and the fires that follow claim the lives of 23 workers, injuring 314 more.
October 25th, 1989: Logistics, reconnaissance, and support elements of the US Second Fleet are dispatched to the coast of Nicaragua. Along with this task force are Marines and Army personnel bound for the Panama Canal to reinforce the Canal Zone garrison.
October 26th, 1989: Congress passes the yearly budget. Of note is the 10% cut to the Department of Defense budget through tweaks in the procurement process, reductions in funds for the development of new nuclear arms, and other minor waste and inefficiencies.
November 1st, 1989: President of Nicaragua ends a cease-fire with U.S.-backed contras that had been in effect since April 1988. American advisers accompany Nicaraguan troops while American aircraft provide reconnaissance and logistical assistance including medevac support.
November 6th, 1989: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is founded. Founding members include the United States, Canada, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
November 7th, 1989: In East Germany the entire Communist government resigns, although SED leader Egon Krenz remains head of state.
November 9th, 1989: Günter Schabowski accidentally states in live broadcast press conference that new rules for traveling from East Germany to West Germany will be put in effect "immediately". East Germany opens checkpoints in the Berlin Wall, allowing its citizens to travel freely to West Germany for the first time in decades.
November 10th, 1989: After 45 years of Communist rule in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Communist Party leader Todor Zhivkov is replaced by Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov, who changes the party's name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
November 15th, 1989: Lech Walesa, leader of Poland's Solidarity movement, addresses a Joint session of the United States Congress. Brazil holds the first round of its first free election since 1960.
November 16th, 1989: Six Jesuit priests—among them Ignacio Ellacuría, Segundo Montes, and Ignacio Martín-Baró—their housekeeper, and her teenage daughter, are murdered by U.S. trained Salvadoran soldiers.
November 17th, 1989: A peaceful student demonstration in Prague, Czechoslovakia is severely beaten back by riot police. More people surge into the street in support of the students; their mood is defiant and angry. In Berlin West and East Berliners armed with sledgehammers, pickaxes, and whatever else they can find begin tearing down the Berlin Wall. After several hours heavy earthmoving equipment is brought up by the German Democratic Republic to expedite the destruction of the longest-standing icon of the Cold War.
November 20th, 1989: The number of peaceful protesters assembled in Prague, swells from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million. The demonstrators are demanding an end of rule by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
November 22nd, 1989: In West Beirut, a bomb explodes near the motorcade of Lebanese President Rene Moawad, killing the Lebanese President.
November 24th, 1989: Following a week of demonstrations demanding free elections and other reforms, General Secretary Miloš Jakeš and other leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia resign. Jakeš is replaced by Karel Urbánek.
November 28th, 1989: The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announces they will give up their monopoly on political power, announcing new democratic elections.
November 30th, 1989: Deutsche Bank board member Alfred Herrhausen is killed by a bomb. The Red Army Faction claims responsibility.
December 1st, 1989: In a meeting with Pope John Paul II, President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev pledges greater religious freedom for citizens of the Soviet Union. The parliament of the German Democratic Republic abolishes the constitutional provision granting the Communist-dominated SED its monopoly on power. A military coup attempt begins in the Philippines against the government of Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino.
December 2nd, 1989: After intense negotiations, including a very credible threat by Congress to override the President's veto, Gary Hart drops his veto threat against the HRCA and his objections to the process for adding additional countries to the HRCA list. The final version includes stipulations to consult with the Department of State and the Secretary of State prior to applying the Act's provisions to additional countries. The Act is passed by both Houses of Congress the next day.
December 3rd, 1989: The entire leadership of the East German Communist Party, including its General Secretary, Egon Krenz resigns. In a meeting off the coast of Malta, President Gary Hart and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements declaring the Cold War between United States and the Soviet Union is over. Both pledge to help, “Repair the damage done by the last half century of tension and conflict.”
December 5th, 1989: The Panamanian General Assembly passes a resolution declaring, “Recent hostile actions by the United States of America have caused a state of war to exist between our two nations.”(2)
December 6th, 1989: DAS Building bombing occurs in Bogotá, killing at least 100 people. Egon Krenz resigns as Chairman of the State Council of the German Democratic Republic, and is replaced by Manfred Gerlach, the first non-Communist to hold that post.
December 7th, 1989: Ladislav Adamec resigns as Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia. He is succeeded by Marián Čalfa on December 10. The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic abolishes the Communist Party's monopoly on power.
December 8th, 1989: The attempted military coup in the Philippines finally ends following a week of demonstrations, strikes, and mass civil disobedience. Aquino is retained as President of the Philippines.
December 9th, 1989: The East German Communist Party elects the reformist Gregor Gysi as party leader.
December 10th, 1989: President of Czechoslovakia Gustáv Husák swears in a new cabinet with a non-Communist and then immediately resigns as president. Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj announces the establishment of Mongolia's democratic movement, initiating the peaceful transition of the second oldest communist country into a democratic society.
December 11th, 1989: The International Trans-Antarctica Expedition, a group of six explorers from six nations, reaches the South Pole.
December 14th, 1989: Chile holds its first free election in 16 years, electing Patricio Aylwin as president.
December 15th, 1989: Drug baron José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha is killed by Colombian police.
December 17th, 1989: In Timişoara, Romania rioters break into the Committee Building and cause extensive vandalism. Their attempts to set the buildings on fire are foiled by military units, kicking off a wave of strikes and demonstrations throughout the country.
December 18th, 1989: After months of hearings, debate, and a grueling campaign the Healthy America Act is finally passed into law. The original act called for the establishment of an American version of the British NHS. This was fiercely opposed by the insurance industry, the American Medical Association, conservative Democrats, and the Republican Party charging the plan was, “Socialized medicine!” After many extended rounds of negotiation Speaker Foley and Majority Leader Byrd manage to cram an acceptable compromise through both chambers. The compromise version of the Healthy America Act does little to change how the insurance industry operates. What it does is establish a Medicare buy-in program open to all American citizens and legal residents. Individual participants would have to pay reduced premiums determined by economic means testing to gain access to the program. The program does not include an option for businesses or municipalities to enroll their workers in Medicare in lieu of conventional insurance.
December 19th, 1989: Workers in Romanian cities go on strike in protest against the communist regime.
December 20th, 1989: Operation Swift Response is launched in an attempt to overthrow Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
December 21st, 1989: Nicolae Ceausescu addresses an assembly of some 110,000 people outside the Romanian Communist Party HQ in Bucharest. The crowd protests against Ceausescu and he orders in the army to attack the protesters.
December 22nd, 1989: After a week of bloody demonstrations, Ion Iliescu takes over as president of Romania, ending the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu. The Romanian troops, who the day before had followed Ceausescu's orders to attack the demonstrators, change sides and join the uprising by arresting Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu as they attempt to flee by helicopter to Targoviste. Both are executed the next day by firing squad for crimes against humanity following a very speedy trial.
December 25th, 1989: Bank of Japan governors announce a major interest rate hike.
December 29th, 1989: Václav Havel is elected president of Czechoslovakia.
1. OTL on September 25th several Republican Senators filed charges against John Glenn only.
2. The ONLY difference between this event and OTL is it happened ten days sooner. In most cases of intervention in Latin America by the United States the US was pretty clearly meddling in the affairs of the local government. Noriega has to be the one of the ONLY examples of a Latin American dictator picking a fight with the United States.
So Pamana still fucks enough that the US hand is forced. I wonder what Desert Storm will look like.
How is operation Swift Response developing? more or less like in OTL or there is more resistance.
With Gary Hart as president I think that we could have a START signed in the Washington/Camp David Summit of may 1990 (for an OTL depiction of Summit of may 1990 http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB320/index.htm)
With Gary Hart as president I think that we could have a START signed in the Washington/Camp David Summit of may 1990 (for an OTL depiction of Summit of may 1990 http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB320/index.htm)
Nice! It'll be interesting to see where the butterflies of a Hart Administration on US-China relations lead.
To be entirely honest, as much as I'm loving this Hart presidency? I hope it collapses right from beneath him.
Not from the standpoint a political opinion, just a dramatic one. If I learned anything from Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo, it's that nothing good lasts forever once butterflies have done their work.
Or, on a much more positive note, a significantly reformed Republican Party; with the disillusionment of the Reaganites and conservative movement, I hope this paves the way for more centrist, if not liberal, policies. The concept of Barack Obams being a moderate Republican greatly intrigues me.
Not from the standpoint a political opinion, just a dramatic one. If I learned anything from Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo, it's that nothing good lasts forever once butterflies have done their work.
Or, on a much more positive note, a significantly reformed Republican Party; with the disillusionment of the Reaganites and conservative movement, I hope this paves the way for more centrist, if not liberal, policies. The concept of Barack Obams being a moderate Republican greatly intrigues me.
To be entirely honest, as much as I'm loving this Hart presidency? I hope it collapses right from beneath him.
Not from the standpoint a political opinion, just a dramatic one. If I learned anything from Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo, it's that nothing good lasts forever once butterflies have done their work.
Or, on a much more positive note, a significantly reformed Republican Party; with the disillusionment of the Reaganites and conservative movement, I hope this paves the way for more centrist, if not liberal, policies. The concept of Barack Obams being a moderate Republican greatly intrigues me.
Yeah me too. What will 1990 bring for President Hart LHB?
John Farson
Banned
To be entirely honest, as much as I'm loving this Hart presidency? I hope it collapses right from beneath him.
Not from the standpoint a political opinion, just a dramatic one. If I learned anything from Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo, it's that nothing good lasts forever once butterflies have done their work.
That's getting into "seeking dystopia for dystopia's sake" territory. Such a thing would be unrealistic, and any problems that do come about in TTL (and they will, no question) will only appear after a buildup of a few years or so.
In any case, it's not as if the Hart administration is without problems. First of all Hart has to rebuild Americans' trust in the presidency after two massive scandals in less than 20 years. Second, the health care reform was a hard slog that took almost a year and came about as a compromise. Third, this will be dwarfed by the effort to cut back on the military industrial complex, which will ruffle more than a few feathers. Then there is also the Keating Five scandal affecting Congress and the fallout from the collapse of the East Block. And there's Saddam and his plans for Kuwait. So Hart definitely has a lot on his plate. But the US is not gonna become a Rumsfeldian hellhole here. At least not in the 1990s.
When I was reading up on the situation in Panama I was expecting to find another example of the US screwing over a Latin American country. I was quite surprised to see how much of the escalation of that situation was thanks to Noriega himself! He definitely shot himself in the foot on that one coupled with growing domestic pressures and the issue of not looking, "Tough" on something on Hart's side. I was debating butterflying that away by having the coup against Noriega succeed but keeping that in place opens up some fun, new possibilities in the early 90s for American foreign policy.
As to the Desert Storm situation, keep an eye on Jimmy Carter
Inaki said:
Pretty much as OTL, if anything it might go a little more smoothly since support elements were already in place to assist Nicaragua's campaign against the contras.
Black Belt Jones said:
Things are definitely not going to be proceeding as easily as one would imagine. There's a lot of political forces boiling under the surface just waiting for the right chance to explode.
Black Belt Jones said:
The GOP and the Democrats are going to be in a very different places come the year 2000 compared to OTL.
John Farson said:
He has a few things going for him on this particular issue but thanks to Nixon and Reagan the issue of the imperial presidency, executive privilege, and abuses of power are much more visible. Any act that looks like the President is trying to claim extraordinary powers is going to see more pushback from Congress, more attention from the media, and a stronger response from the public. This distrust of authority is also manifesting in some other ways such as how the Tompkins Square police riot played out.
John Farson said:
Both of which are going to cause problems no matter how it plays out; health care falling short of expectations and the campaign platform is definitely upsetting people in the Democratic Party base for ideological and practical reasons and he's going to get flack for cutting back on the defense establishment no matter what. If he cuts too much the Cold Warriors will be howling for his head on a stick, if he doesn't cut enough his party will see him as a wimp.
John Farson said:
Congress' recent string of scandals, and how Keating Five will play out, is not going to help with the whole project of rebuilding Washington's credibility and authority.
Which is already happening in a way that has the old Cold Warriors reeling and completely averts the development of the OTL myth. The idea that the Soviet Union fell in on itself and not as a consequence of any pressure exerted by the United States in the 80s is going to gain widespread acceptance much earlier than it has OTL. The facts that the US pulled back their nukes and cut back on military spending just before the Eastern Bloc collapsed is going to add a lot more weight to that argument. The lack of the myth of, "American might and resolve beat the USSR" is going to have big impact on how the 90s develops.
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