No Southern Strategy: The Political Ramifications of an Alternate 1964 Election

[Prince Daemon Targaryen]

Well damn! That was interesting.
Prime Minister Yontan Netanyahu? Nice! What's up with Benjamin ITTL?

 

[Beata Beatrix]

Kahane?

 

[Heat]

This is why people say NSS is a dystopia.

 

[djPROUDGEEK]

Nukes, Nazis, and Netanyahus! Oh my!

 

[Nofix]

Nukes, Nazis, and Netanyahus! Oh my!

That would be a great alternate title if it didn't give away the plot of the update.

 

[lord caedus]

Romania's long time Communist Leader, and President, Ceaușescu had, since the sudden death of his wife in 1973 car crash, been suspicious of the Soviet Union. For the remaining two decades of his reign, he tried to separate the nation from Moscow's grip and orient it more toward Europe and the developing wold. Competent but harsh, his later years allowed him enough popularity that, even after being forced from power in 1993, he clawed his way back into politics.

Like with Romania, Albania's shift from Communism was abrupt and bloody.

I can buy Ceaucescu as Pinochet, but if the transition was bloody, I can't imagine the guy who IOTL eventually taxed people for being childless and ran his country into the ground economically would escape his OTL fate.

​

On 63.45% turnout, nearly seven hundred thousand voters approved of the re-establishment of the Albanian monarchy. Leka, awash in joy, gave nearly hour long speech to his supporters, pledging to modernize Albania, and protect “as [his] father had”. Opposition forces noted his “presidential” manner, and drew attention to his fascistic actions, such as reintroducing the Zogist salute as the official gesture of the army, and the general white-washing of the crimes of his father's regime.

Shortly after midnight on the 9th November 1980, Mengele was led out of his cell and towards the gallows. He was reportedly aided by the guards up the steps of the gallows, owing to his lack of strength and ill health. When asked if he had any last words, he shook his head and muttered to himself. Once the trapdoor was released fell and everything quickly turned to darkness for the 'Angel of Death.'

Good to see Mengele brought to justice.

Al-Hourani realising that many individuals in the former regime and opponents were either in exile or dead, came to the rather startling decision of appointing Brunner as the nation's new Minister of Defence. Most officials within the military were either confirmed or expected fatalities of the fighting, meanwhile, Brunner would be the ultimate snub to Israelis and their French backers. Most expected that his appointment as Minister of Defence would be short and would end with the chorus of international condemnation becoming ever louder at the selection of Nazi war criminal as a government minister. There were calls for sanctions and condemnation from France and Israel in particular, but the stomach of a diplomatic spat was not there in most nations; in the US most people were preoccupied with rising gas prices and the wave of radical-leftist domestic terrorism sweeping California. Rather the wave of condemnation that was predicted was met with applauds from the likes of Uganda's Idi Amin who hosted Brunner at his Presidential compound (and enlisted Syrian Republican support for his war against Tanzania, which saw a Ugandan victory.)

The Israeli government was incensed by the selection of an unrepentant war criminal as a government Minister in a nominally hostile nation. Mossad set into motion a variety of assassination attempts against leading Syrian officials, in particular, Brunner. While he was seriously injured in one attempt, Brunner would live and would not receive any serious wounds (despite a fear he could lose several fingers after a Mossad mail bomb in 1980 (a mail bomb in 1960 had cost him an eye.)) During his tenure as Minister of Defence the Syrian Republic was engaged in gun running and arms sales to anti-Israel and anti-western groups around the world. The nation was self-proclaimed 'Social Nationalist' nation, which found itself the welcome home of many Nazi apologists and Holocaust revisionists, notably former Ralliement des creditistes and later Liberal Party Quebec MNA, Ernst Zundel and Ukrainian-American Ingrid Rimland who would flee after being indicted under anti-Holocaust denial laws. The nation had support from some individuals within politics in the west, notably Front Nationale leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, National Front leader John Tyndall, and National Front MP & maverick historian David Irving. Brunner would remain in place until his protector President Al-Hourani died in 1995.

From then on he became an interview subject in various western publications, where he remained adamant and unrepentant: "All of [the Jews] deserved to die because they were the Devil's agents and human garbage. I have no regrets and would do it again" he said in an interview conducted by Der Spiegel in 2001. Since the late 1990's there have been a variety of reports of his death, though reports of sightings and 'media appearances' (via phone) have continued until 2010; the Syrian Government maintains that the former Minister of Defence is "alive and well" at the age of 104.

Israel: Yay, Assad is dead! No one can be worse than an aggressive quasi-fascist on our border.
*new Syrian government gives a Nazi war criminal the defense ministry and becomes the mecca of anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers*
Israel: ಠ_ಠ

The nation's relations with the United States had been rather frosty after the latter's inaction during the 1973 conflict, thus throwing the Jewish state into the arms of the French and British. Relations further deteriorated after the Fedorenko and Demjanjuk cases in the United States. The final 'slap in the face' for Israel was to occur in May 1985 at a German military cemetery in Bitburg, a town near the border with Luxembourg. The trip, a brainchild of White House Chief of Staff Roger Stone and (allegedly) Presidential advisor and later White House Press Secretary Pat Buchanan. The trip was supposed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the warming of relations between the two nations (the US and the Federal Republic of Germany.) President Cohn had been attending a G7 economic (along with Canadian Prime Minister Eagleson, British Prime Minister Clark, French President Chaban-Delmas, West German Chancellor Vogel, Italian Prime Minister Occhetto, and Japanese Premier Nakasone) in Bonn the week of the 40th anniversary of V-E Day. Vogel believed it would be a good opportunity to demonstrate the strength of friendship between the two former foes. It was suggested that Cohn, a Jew, should accompany Vogel to a concentration camp and the suitably close Kolmshohe Cemetry (due to the fact that 11,000 Americans attached to a nearby airbase lived in peace and harmony with the same number of Germans in the local town.) Cohn considered and accepted the proposal, feeling indebted to Vogel for not siding with the French and British, and remaining a steadfast US ally.

Buchanan announced at the weekly press briefings that Cohn would be visiting Bergen-Belsen and the military cemetery at Bitburg. When asked who was buried there, Buchanan replied that German and American servicemen had been interred there. The media soon found out that no American servicemen were buried there (all the remains of US servicemen had been removed from German soil long before), rather near the premises Waffen-SS graves were located.

Despite public calls from 48 (including 17 Republican) Senators and 236 (including 92 Republicans) Congressmen, Elie Wiesel and many public officials, Vogel pressed ahead and was determined to hold the wreath event at the cemetery. Cohn gave a public explanation of his reasoning: "These [SS troops] were the villains, as we know, that conducted the persecutions and all. But there are 2,000 graves there, and most of those, the average age is about 18. I think that there's nothing wrong with visiting that cemetery where those young men are victims of Nazism also, even though they were fighting in the German uniform, drafted into service to carry out the hateful wishes of the Nazis. They were victims, just as surely as the victims in the concentration camps."

Cohn was criticised by various groups, such as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (who's President, Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler stated it was "a callous offence for the Jewish people, like President Cohn.") Several days before the event Vogel called up the White House to make sure that Cohn was not wavering in the face of pressure, even from his own wife, Barbara. When Cohn found out that Vogel would be badly damaged by backing out, he became more adamant in his resolve to go.

On Sunday, 5th May the two leaders appeared at the concentration camp where Cohn gave a "skilful speech" according to Time magazine. Cohn himself would only spend ten minutes at the Cemetery, leaving a wreath and standing to attention in honour while a short trumpet salute honoured the 90-year-old German Matthew Ridgway (who had commanded the 82nd Airborne in WWII) and Luftwaffe ace and former head of NATO, General Johannes Steinhoff.

The event led to criticism from many in the United States, some protesting along the excursion zone at the cemetery. No criticism was more severe than that of Israel, which ceremonially temporarily cut off diplomatic relations with Washington, only to re-establish them within a week. Despite Cohn phoning Dayan personally to explain his actions, the damage had been done.

Roger Stone and Pat Buchanan arranging a trip marking the anniversary of World War II in a way that is antagonistic to Jews? I'm shocked.

This gave the opposition Likud led by Lebanon war hero Yonatan Netanyahu a metaphoric shot in the arm, leading to their landslide victory over Alignment in the November Knesset elections. Likud would rise to 51 seats, Alignment would slump to a mere 31 seats. In third place came the radical Orthodox Zionist ultranationalist Kahane Chai party (which advocated the removal of all Arabs and Muslims from Israel), led by the charismatic rabbi Meir Kahane (who was known in the US for using tactics, notably against Pete McCloskey in a debate, where he would call his opponent an anti-Semite, without any real evidence); which shot up to 18 seats - in effect buoying the right-of-centre government.

Well, not yet, anyway.

​

Despite condemnations from abroad, Kahane continued to rise in popularity, so much so that his abrasiveness is seen as an important reason for his victory in the 1993 Israeli presidential election over establishment Labor Party candidate, Yitzhak Rabin.

 

[Bulldoggus]

Nazi hunting was not consigned to South America, throughout the late 1970's and 1980's, there were a variety of court cases concerning alleged former Nazi collaborators within the United States; though no cases were as high profile and important as those of Feodor Fedorenko and John Demjanjuk.

He ran a garage down the road from where my dad grew up in Cleveland. My grandpa got his oil changed and stuff by him. My uncle applied for a job there.

 

[Bulldoggus]

The nation had support from some individuals within politics in the west, notably Front Nationale leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, National Front leader John Tyndall, and National Front MP & maverick historian David Irving. Brunner would remain in place until his protector President Al-Hourani died in 1995.

Front Nationale leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, National Front leader John Tyndall, and National Front MP & maverick historian David Irving. Brunner would remain in place until his protector President Al-Hourani died in 1995.

National Front MP & maverick historian David Irving.

MP David Irving.

via Imgflip Meme Generator

 

[Lost Freeway]

Israel: Yay, Assad is dead! No one can be worse than an aggressive quasi-fascist on our border.
*new Syrian government gives a Nazi war criminal the defense ministry and becomes the mecca of anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers*
Israel: ಠ_ಠ

Fun fact: Mein Kampf is pretty popular in the Arab world IOTL.

 

[Bookmark1995]

Fun fact: Mein Kampf is pretty popular in the Arab world IOTL.

In other news, the sky is blue.

 

[wargamer6]

Gonzo what have you done?

 

[Bulldoggus]

Fun fact: Mein Kampf is pretty popular in the Arab world IOTL.

As a committed zionist... any comment I make on this will likely be tasteless and insulting, and will guarantee me a kick at the minimum.

 

[TwisterAce]

Let's not forgot about Uganda winning the war against Tanzania, which means Idi Amin might stay in power for a while longer...

At least Mengele was brought to justice.

This was a very interesting update. It was great to see more of what's going on in the world.

 

[asanh]

Interesting to see how this will be resolved.... I do echo the aaaaa

 

[Nofix]

I can buy Ceaucescu as Pinochet, but if the transition was bloody, I can't imagine the guy who IOTL eventually taxed people for being childless and ran his country into the ground economically would escape his OTL fate

But you see lc, all those children that exist because of him are now his supporters. It is a totally logic chain of events and not at all contrived. Yes.

 

[lord caedus]

But you see lc, all those children that exist because of him are now his supporters. It is a totally logic chain of events and not at all contrived. Yes.

 

[Nofix]

On a more solemn note, the real life Albert Brewer has passed away. May NSS's favorite Alabaman rest in peace.

 

[Lost Freeway]

[SMASH CUT TO A WORLD WHERE AL SHARPTON IS RUNNING THE GAY CONCENTRATION CAMPS]

Is that going to far?

This isn't Family Guy.

 

[Gonzo]

Israel has a pirate as PM?

Of all things in the TL that draw your attention, that is the one that came to your attention first?

Nice to see Mengele face justice.

Naturally.

>nuclear bombing of Damascus
>Social Nationalist Syria
>Nazi war criminal as Syrian defence minister
>David Irving MP
>MEIR KAHANE
>PRESIDENT MEIR KAHANE

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

>I assume you've all known about that, it's been cannon for... *checks* since in 2015!
>Makes Ba'athism look rather tame, doesn't it?
>The scary thing is that Brunner was a senior advisor of Assad and aided in torture (think of him as Syria's version of Moussa Koussa except far more evil.)
>Irving OTL in the early 1980's was interested in forming his own party. Here I just had him be a NF MP - they're seen as more respectable ITTL (not saying much there...), plus with this PoD, he is still seen as a well read, if not maverick, historian on the Third Reich. Remember his work on Dresden was considered the authoritative work on the bombing and was considered as fact... which it continues to be ITTL.
>Yeah he was a delightful figure wasn't he?
>It's a ceremonial role... right?

There appears to have been a right-ward shift in my intestinal organs

I've made even you squirm... Goodness...

So Yoni lives, Mengele is strung up, and we have a nazi converting to Islam (I assume Hafez is out of the picture?), as well as altBitburg - intriguing. Is Bibi in Pennsylvania?

Yup, yup, he could very well have done that (a lot of what I wrote about Brunner is what occurred OTL, it's just with many leading officials in the govt. dead or missing, he is the most senior figure in the intelligence community in Syria left) (Hafez is MIA presumed dead, the remnants of the Assad family currently live in exile in London), indeed - except this Bitburg has a more prominent role played by the likes of Buchanan (who Cohn has been receptive to). Bibi is a media personality in the US hosting his own show of the conservative fourth network HTN under the name Ben Nital, though without the 'shift' in the 1980's the conservative-right remain more on the pro-Palestine side (on a roundtable discussion show he has come into conflict with the decidedly anti-Zionist Joseph Sobran, among others), he is becoming a rarity on the show.

Well damn! That was interesting.
Prime Minister Yontan Netanyahu? Nice! What's up with Benjamin ITTL?

Thank you indeed. Yup Yoni is PM [see above for Bibi's activities].

Kahane?

Indeed it is.

This is why people say NSS is a dystopia.

Hey at least we didn't have the Sino-Soviet split go nuclear!

Nukes, Nazis, and Netanyahus! Oh my!

"I am Bibi, the great and powerful. You need to bring me the [INSERT OFFENSIVE OBJECT HERE] of Abbas now!"

That would be a great alternate title if it didn't give away the plot of the update.

I proposed the current one, so we're keeping it!

Good to see Mengele brought to justice.

Hear hear.

Israel: Yay, Assad is dead! No one can be worse than an aggressive quasi-fascist on our border.
*new Syrian government gives a Nazi war criminal the defense ministry and becomes the mecca of anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers*
Israel: ಠ_ಠ

What makes it worse is that they tried to blow Brunner up twice, and they only proceeded to give him non-life threating injures. The fellow seems to be indestructible, he could very well be still alive to this day OTL.

Roger Stone and Pat Buchanan arranging a trip marking the anniversary of World War II in a way that is antagonistic to Jews? I'm shocked.

I know, Stone is and always has been an outstanding figure in US politics and society! Anyone who says otherwise is a statist cuck.

Well, not yet, anyway.

Like many figures who spoke before the IHR, I have no idea what he was doing or why he felt it was a good idea to address the group, especially on that issue.

He ran a garage down the road from where my dad grew up in Cleveland. My grandpa got his oil changed and stuff by him. My uncle applied for a job there.

Interesting. The case against in the eighties was incredibly dodgy (as I outlined in the update), apparently the Soviets fabricated evidence about him after he had written to his mother in Ukraine to say that he had made it to the US alive. Not to mention the case against him in Israel seemed to hinge on the testimony of someone who was found to have lied and who had said that 'Ivan the Terrible' had died in a prisoner riot during the war.

Wow, well, lets just hope that-



Uhhhh.....

The Israeli President is ceremonial, thank GOD!

Nah ITTL we changed it so that the system in Israel is like the Presidency in Weimar Germany.

via Imgflip Meme Generator

As I said before, he was generally a respected and maverick historian OTL until the early 1990's; ITTL he's not on the radar and the actions of Israel have to an extent legitimised (in the eyes of some!) some of the apologism concerning the 3rd Reich's disgusting and heinous acts.

Fun fact: Mein Kampf is pretty popular in the Arab world IOTL.

Yes I have heard of that. I've read it and I thought it to be rather incoherent at the best of times. (A bit like that Strong Together book that Clinton and Kaine 'wrote'.)

In other news, the sky is blue.

Actually it's been rather overcast and grey here in NI today so far.

Gonzo what have you done?

Israel still exists; the West Bank is in Arab hands! See!!!

As a committed zionist... any comment I make on this will likely be tasteless and insulting, and will guarantee me a kick at the minimum.

I can respect that, I've found myself becoming more in favour of the two state solution and recognition of Palestine in recent months.

Let's not forgot about Uganda winning the war against Tanzania, which means Idi Amin might stay in power for a while longer...

At least Mengele was brought to justice.

This was a very interesting update. It was great to see more of what's going on in the world.

Didn't anyone pick up on that from the world map I posted a while back? (He gained that territory he wanted along the border with Tanzania.)

Indeed, this is a sentiment that is unsurprisingly common here.

Indeed. We'll have some other world events up soon enough.

Interesting to see how this will be resolved.... I do echo the aaaaa

Thank you and a aaaaaaaaaa to you indeed (perhaps).

But you see lc, all those children that exist because of him are now his supporters. It is a totally logic chain of events and not at all contrived. Yes.

He has a point there to be fair.

On a more solemn note, the real life Albert Brewer has passed away. May NSS's favorite Alabaman rest in peace.

RIP good sir.

This isn't Family Guy.

No, it's more like South Park.

 

[Morraw]

On a more solemn note, the real life Albert Brewer has passed away. May NSS's favorite Alabaman rest in peace.

It's just a shame he couldn't beat George Wallace in OTL. Oh well; rest in peace.