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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Sept 5, 2021 22:43:30 GMT
Funny how the orange juice incident still occurs as per OTL. Even more so, it's Zhirinovsky that is the recipient of it. Another irony ITTL: Cesar Sayoc almost becoming the victim of a parcel bomb attempt on his life, given what he did IOTL.
Well, China and Europe aside the world is increasingly dominated by hard right groups but the redeeming feature is that their squabbling among each other. The US had got the desired Neo-fascist regime Mexico but while murdering left wing opponents its also turning its attention towards the domination by the US. Similarly the ESF sounds like its going to head rightwards at some pace, which is a pity as I had some hopes for the states there, and will likely be pushed further in that direction by Kemp's hostility. From what's been said the Philippines will finally start to recover from Tadiar's horror but a lot of the rest of the world is looking very dark. 
Steve
Tadiar's Philippines would eventually recover, but we're still not out of the woods yet. There's also the upcoming 2000 US Presidential Election of TTL, which will definitely be interesting, given that the 3rd Parties might become a bit stronger. And we're also about to see what TTL's EURO 2000 will be like, and unlike OTL EURO 2000, this time around it's England who will be the defending champs. |
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Sept 14, 2021 3:47:28 GMT
Chapter Seventy-Six: The EURO 2000 Tournament and More Sports Madness
EURO 2000 Qualified Teams:
Qualified Teams:
Group #1: Denmark
Group #2: Spain, Turkey
Group #3: Sweden, Bulgaria (won via the playoffs)
Group #4: Italy
Group #5: Germany, Greece (won via the playoffs)
Group #6: Portugal
Group #7: England, Romania (won via the playoffs)
Group #8: France
Group #9: ESF, Czech Republic (won via the playoffs)
Playoff Round:
FR Yugoslavia vs Bulgaria (Aggregate score 1-1, Bulgaria wins on an away goal)
Romania vs Greece (Romania wins with an aggregate score of 3-1)
Czech Republic vs Norway (Aggregate score 0-0, Czech Republic wins 5-3 on Penalties)
Austria vs Scotland (Scotland wins with an aggregate score of 1-0)
Group Stage:
Group A: Netherlands, ESF, Bulgaria, Portugal
Group B: England, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic
Group C: Italy, Romania, Turkey, Scotland
Group D: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain
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1999 North American Professional Baseball Post-Season (Before the 2005 Expansion and Conference Realignment):
AL East: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos
AL Central: Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins
AL West: Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Angels, Houston Astros
NL East: Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs
NL West: San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies
ALDS:
(1) New York Yankees vs (3) Texas Rangers: NY Yankees win series 3-1
(2) Cleveland Indians vs (4) Boston Red Sox: Cleveland Indians win series 3-2
NLDS:
(1) Atlanta Braves vs (3) Cincinnati Reds: Cincinnati Reds win series 3-2
(2) San Francisco Giants vs (4) New York Mets: NY Mets win series 3-2
ALCS:
(1) New York Yankees vs (2) Cleveland Indians: NY Yankees win series 4-2
NLCS:
(1) Atlanta Braves vs (4) New York Mets: NY Mets win series 4-3
World Series:
(AL1) New York Yankees vs (NL4) New York Mets: New York Yankees win series 4-2
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EURO 2000 Tournament:
Group A: Netherlands (H), ESF, Bulgaria, Portugal
Netherlands 2-2 Portugal
ESF 3-0 Bulgaria
Netherlands 5-1 Bulgaria
ESF 1-1 Portugal
Netherlands 3-2 ESF
Portugal 2-0 Bulgaria
Group B: England, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic
Czech Republic 0-0 Denmark
England 1-1 Sweden
Czech Republic 2-1 England
Sweden 1-2 Denmark
Denmark 1-1 England
Sweden 0-1 Czech Republic
Group C: Italy, Romania, Turkey, Scotland
Italy 4-1 Romania
Scotland 1-3 Turkey
Italy 2-0 Scotland
Romania 1-1 Turkey
Italy 2-0 Turkey
Romania 0-1 Scotland
Group D: Belgium (H), Germany, Greece, Spain
Belgium 3-1 Greece
Germany 0-3 Spain
Belgium 1-2 Spain
Germany 3-0 Greece
Belgium 2-2 Germany
Greece 0-4 Spain
***
Knockout Rounds:
Italy vs Belgium (Italy wins 2-1)
Netherlands vs Denmark (score ended in 1-1, Netherlands wins in penalties)
Czech Republic vs Portugal (Portugal wins 1-0)
Turkey vs Spain (score ended in 0-0, Turkey wins in penalties)
Semifinals:
Italy vs Netherlands (Netherlands wins 2-1 in added extra time)
Portugal vs Turkey (Portugal wins 3-1)
Finals:
Netherlands vs Portugal (Netherlands wins 1-0 in added extra time)
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HOME SWEET VICTORY! NETHERLANDS NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM WINS SECOND EURO CUP ON HOME SOIL AS PORTUGAL COMES UP SHORT
The Sun
July 3, 2000
(Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS) - Topping off on their previous Euro Tournament win back in 1988 when the old Soviet Union was still around, the Netherlands managed to pull off what seemed to be a tough victory over emerging rival in Portugal, at the score of 1-0 in added extra time. CB Jakob "Japp" Stam was the unlikely hero that ultimately scored the only goal in the finals after his teammate, MF Marc Overmars, was tripped by Portuguese defender DF Beto, just inside the goal line. Referee Hugh Dallas, who was assisted by Igor Sramka, Jens Larsen, and Kyros Vassaras, had assessed the tripping incident, before awarding the Netherlands a penalty, and Beto was given his first yellow card of the tournament. Although there were fears of potential fights leading up to the final match, the Dutch government has announced that it will deploy riot police to Rotterdam to prevent such incidents from occurring. Moreover, both the Portuguese and Dutch national football associations warned their respective fans that any further violence and incidents will result in their permanent ban from attending future matches involving their national teams.
"To all the fans that are attending the final match of the EURO 2000 tournament, the Dutch government would like to remind you all once again that anti-hooligan laws and mandates are in effect. Any violation of these laws and mandates will result in harsh punishments, up to and including a 5 year ban on entry for offenders," Dutch Prime Minister Frits Bolkestein announced during a press conference a day before the final match is set to begin. "Anything else, I hope to see our country win its second Euro cup."
Meanwhile, as the Portuguese team had left the country dejected after their loss, the Dutch football fans had started to launch a post-tournament party to celebrate their victory. Yet, at the same time, Frank Rijkaard had announced his resignation from his position as manager of the Dutch national football team after being offered a similar position from the Turkish national football association as its general manager due to Mustafa Denizli's resignation as well. Denizli, who coached Turkey's team to a surprise elimination in the semifinals, has been approached by both the Pakistani and Indonesian football associations with offers to coach their national teams, but so far, he has yet to decide on which team he will choose. In addition, the East Slavic Federation national football team has decided to retain the services of French national Philippe Troussier until after the 2002 FIFA World Cup is over.
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2002 FIFA World Cup Qualified Teams
AFC:
Group 1: Uzbekistan, Kuwait, China, South Korea, Qatar
Group 2: Syria, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Iran
Qualified teams: South Korea (Group 1 Winner), China (Group 1 Runner up), Iran (Group 2 winner), Kazakhstan (Group 2 Runner up)
Playoffs:
Saudi Arabia vs Uzbekistan (Saudi Arabia wins 2-1 aggregate)
UEFA:
Group 1: England
Group 2: Turkey
Group 3: Italy
Group 4: Spain
Group 5: Romania
Group 6: Germany
Group 7: Portugal
Group 8: Sweden
Group 9: ESF
Playoffs:
Denmark vs Netherlands [Netherlands wins on a 3-1 Aggregate]
Slovenia vs Ireland [Ireland wins on a 2-0 Aggregate]
Czech Republic vs Austria [Czech Republic wins on a 4-2 Aggregate]
Croatia vs Belgium [Belgium wins on a 2-1 Aggregate]
Intercontinental Playoffs:
Greece (UEFA) vs Saudi Arabia (AFC) [Aggregate ends in a 2-2 tie, Greece wins on penalties]
CAF:
Group A: Cameroon
Group B: Liberia
Group C: Morocco
Group D: Tunisia
Group E: South Africa
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay
Intercontinental Playoffs: Colombia (CONMEBOL) vs Australia (OFC) [Australia wins on a 2-1 Aggregate]
CONCACAF:
Group 1: Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico
Group 2: Honduras, Jamaica
Group 3: United States, Guatemala
*Cuba and Nicaragua did not participate in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying due to the ongoing US military occupation of their countries.
Revised: Mexico, USA, Jamaica
Final List of Qualified Teams:
AFC: South Korea, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Japan (Host)
UEFA: England, Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, ESF, Netherlands, Ireland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Greece
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay
CAF: Cameroon, Liberia, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa
CONCACAF: Mexico, Jamaica, United States
OFC: Australia
---
1999 Portland Thunderstorm NFL Draft:
1st Round:
1) 8th Pick: DE Jevon Kearse
2nd Round:
2) 51st Pick: WR Peerless Price (from Arizona)
3) 57th Pick: DT Montae Reagor
3rd Round:
4) 88th Pick: CB Mike McKenzie
5) 92nd Pick: FB Jeff Paulk (from Atlanta)
4th Round:
6) 148th Pick: OL Brad Chalmers (from Cleveland)
5th Round:
7) 159th Pick: OT Derek Smith (from Green Bay)
6th Round:
8) 174th Pick: TE Desmond Clark (from Chicago, via Cleveland)
9) 200th Pick: K Jose Cortez (from Atlanta)
7th Round:
10) 242nd Pick: QB Matt Lytle
11) 246th Pick: P Brian Moorman
---
"The biggest shocker of the 1999 NFL off season was the Portland Thunderstorm's decision to trade their 1st overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals, in exchange for the Cardinals' 8th overall pick. The Cardinals would also receive both T Jeff Kysar and MLB Al Smith as well, and in return, the Thunderstorm would get the Cardinals' 1999 2nd round pick. Buoyed with their pick, the Cardinals would select for their 1st overall pick in QB Akili Smith. Portland on the other hand, would use their 8th overall pick to select DE Jevon Kearse. New Orleans, likewise, had kept their 5th overall pick to select RB Ricky Williams, while Baltimore would have the worst 1st Round in their franchise career, when they selected OT Aaron Gibson. Gibson only played for two full seasons, before being traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for DB Deltha O'Neal. Overall, Portland's rebuilding period would last from 1999, until 2003. Between those years, Portland would often search the waivers for any players that have been released by other teams. While this practice was viewed as self-defeating by any other teams, Portland under coach Gary Moeller had a keen eye for any player that may have fitted in with what his gamestyle wanted. Furthermore, with the collapse of the Canadian Football League, it was only a matter of time before all of the CFL teams would file for bankruptcy, leading to its demise and the NFL's opportunity to take in all of the unemployed ex-CFL players. However, starting in 2010 when the NFL would award two Canadian franchises to Toronto and Vancouver, the power dynamic within the NFL would shift northwards, as teams like the Buffalo Bills, the two New York based teams, the New England Patriots, and the Detroit Lions would find themselves developing a vicious rivalry with the Toronto Redcoats, while the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Thunderstorm, and San Francisco 49ers would likewise develop their rivalry with the Vancouver Ramparts. Portland's reputation as a dark horse team would eventually fade after 2011, when both Vancouver and Toronto would overtake them as the biggest attention grabbers in the League." Ron MacLean, from the short documentary "Cutthroat Politics in Sports".
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stevep
Fleet admiral
Posts: 24,843 
Likes: 13,227
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Post by stevep on Sept 14, 2021 11:10:39 GMT
Ouch that was nasty. Two draws and a defeat. However given how erratic England has been in tournaments historically I can see it happening. Hopefully we can do better in the world cup.
Steve
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Sept 14, 2021 13:55:09 GMT
Ouch that was nasty. Two draws and a defeat. However given how erratic England has been in tournaments historically I can see it happening. Hopefully we can do better in the world cup.
Steve
Let’s say England is experiencing that old championship hangover, as any team would have after they won a championship. |
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Sept 26, 2021 5:56:57 GMT
Chapter Seventy-Seven: Rinse and Repeat
Portions from the Interview with Benigno Simeon Aquino
60 Minutes Interview, February 17, 2016
Discussing the Philippine Legal System Under the Tadiar Regime
Interviewer: You've described the Tadiar years as one of the worst periods in Philippine history, in terms of how the legal system was manipulated and abused for Tadiar's own ends. Yet, he also made an effort to make it look like he was doing it by the book whenever any dissident was arrested. Do you agree with the statement?
Aquino: I agree.
Interviewer: All right. First case that I wanted to talk to you is the infamous kidnapping of former Communist Party of the Philippines member Walden Bello from his exiled residence in Atlanta, Georgia, in January 30, 2000, during the infamous Georgia Dome Incident, where three masked men had kidnapped Bello. The incident happened when the Super Bowl was in Half Time, between the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Redskins. Although the news of the kidnapping did not break out until February 2, 2000, most of Atlanta's left-wing community had sounded the alarm when they noticed that Bello did not arrive on time for his lectures. How did you feel about this incident?
Aquino: It was appalling, to be honest. First and foremost, Walden Bello had been a major activist during Marcos's regime, and he narrowly survived that same attack that killed Jose Maria Sison a few months after Marcos's downfall. To send three of Tadiar's agents to America, disguised as exiles looking for work, and in the sanitation department? It seemed a bit unusual, until the Philippine government-in-exile in Whistler received a vital information from the last group that we expected to see.
Interviewer: You are of course, talking about the CIA.
Aquino: Yes, and it was the Cowboys under Edward G. Shirley who traveled all the way to Whistler to deliver that tidbit of information.
Interviewer: What was the damning evidence that it was Tadiar who ordered the kidnapping of Walden Bello?
Aquino: That it was the Cowboys' rivals in the Corsairs who participated in the incident. Even as early as 1990, the Corsairs were also involved in the American domestic front, monitoring the Filipino exile community that had emerged there, as well as coordinating intelligence efforts with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to surveil the same exile community in Canada as well. They kept an eye on Bello for a long time, and he was also involved in several anti-war protests and anti-Tadiar demonstrations during that time. When President Jesse Jackson was president, he suspended the Extradition Treaty between Tadiar's Philippines and the United States, but when Jack Kemp became president, he repealed that suspension quietly, and gave his approval for the so-called extradition of Bello to the Philippines.
Interviewer: And we knew what happened after that. He was placed on trial, but it was Brigadier General Calida who oversaw the trial. It was more of a court martial than a formal trial, and Tadiar did not employ Miriam Defensor Santiago to oversee the trial, as he still viewed her as a threat to his regime. The second case that I wanted to talk to you about, is the role of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio in the codification of Tadiar's 1998 constitution and the overhauling of the Philippine Criminal Code. Moreover, he was known for streamlining a series of jumbled laws that were focused on telecommunications, shipping, civil aviation, and many others. However, his most important work during the Tadiar regime was the notorious Defense of National Sovereignty Act, which allowed the same junta to sentence any dissident to various maximum sentences, up to and including the death penalty. What was your opinion on the Defense of National Sovereignty Act?
Aquino: When my mother heard of that law being passed down by Tadiar, she actually wept as the provisions of the DNSA effectively made the entire leadership of the Whistler-based government-in-exile targets for liquidation by the Tadiar regime. Tadiar himself saw the threat that the exiles pose to his regime, but thanks to the diplomatic isolation that the Philippines imposed on itself, it could not ask foreign governments for help. It can however, request through back channels, aid from foreign intelligence services. Yet, in this case, there were reports of foreign agents being manipulated into becoming double agents. The dangers of the double agents was present with the Georgia Dome incident, as many FBI, NSA, and CIA agents were hoodwinked into working for Tadiar as double agents. They passed the information on Walden Bello's whereabouts to the NISA agetns, and in turn, the NISA agents would notify their double agents of the local accomplices who aided the exiles that were a threat to them.
Interviewer: I see. Do you know of an incident in Pemberton where former Foreign Minister of the government-in-exile Virgilio Garcilliano was poisoned?
Aquino: I remember that too well. At the beginning of March in 2002, Garci, as we called him, was feeling well. Only a week later, he started to get sick more often. It was not until he saw the doctor that he was admitted into the hospital. We later found out that Garci was poisoned with polonium-210, but we didn't know where it came from. Moreover, there was also a high concentration of mercury in the drink that he took, just before he was admitted. By the time he died on August 2, 2002, my mother was about to retire from her post as President of the Government-in-Exile. We knew instantly that Tadiar must have sent his agents to poison him, but we didn't know who collaborated with the double agents. There was however, one shocking thing that we learned from the death of Garcilliano.
Interviewer: What was it?
Aquino: There was an Australian businessman who attended a business conference in Whistler that Garcilliano went to, as well as a Russian entrepreneur. That 'entrepreneur' however, was his cover, as his real job was being a highly placed agent within the FSB. Apparently, that Australian businessman held a meeting on how his company will thrive when the economic sanctions on the Philippines will be lifted, but in reality the Australian businessman and the Russian agent were manipulated into working for the Tadiar regime. The Australian businessman's reasoning for working for Tadiar was that he was blackmailed with a lot of debt that he accumulated. Debts, which the Tadiar regime wanted it paid.
Interviewer: What kind of debts?
Aquino: Loans. The Australian businessman was struggling to maintain the financial health of a construction company he helped set up, in plain violation of UN sanctions on the Philippines. Tadiar threatened to deport that businessman unless he agreed to work for him. As for the Russian agent, he was actually a rogue agent who nearly caused a massive scandal within the FSB. The international press knew of his name: Mikhail Trepashkin.
Interviewer: That must have caused an outrage within the East Slavic Federation.
Aquino: Yes, and Trepashkin's accidental discovery of one of Tadiar's worst kept secrets was the reason why he was blackmailed into working for him, until he agreed to defect from the ESF to the Philippines. You see, Trepashkin had uncovered a series of plots, schemes, and worst of all, an underground arsenal where the Philippines was developing chemical weapons of a different sort. Some of those chemical weapons were actually given to them by defecting former Ba'ath generals who fled from Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, and Tadiar was going to give his chemical weapons to various anti-Chinese groups, both within China and outside China. He had in mind the most important customer that he was going to give the weapons to.
Interviewer: The Uyghur separatists were going to receive the chemical weapons from Tadiar? That sounded far-fetched.
Aquino: Yes, and it was only by Trepashkin's change of heart that he was able to warn Chinese intelligence of Tadiar's plans to detonate the chemical weapons throughout major Chinese cities that Jack Kemp was able to propose a deal that Tadiar was wise to accept: he would surrender the chemical weapon arsenal to the United States, in exchange for additional military aid, and a chance to participate in what was an unfinished conflict in the Korean Peninsula. It was Trepashkin, who would eventually create a chain of events that led to the Korean Reunification event, which would also allow the UN to lift its economic sanctions on the Philippines.
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ORENBURG HIT BY MULTIPLE CAR BOMBS AS CASUALTIES CONTINUE TO RISE, US TO LAUNCH PUNITIVE MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO RISE OF ESF
Moscow Times
February 14, 2000
(Orenburg) - A series of bombs were detonated in Orenburg's bus depot as hundreds of people were confirmed to have been killed. The attacks occur while the morning commute was about to begin, but as the first bus was about to leave the depot, it suddenly exploded. Multiple other buses soon exploded after, as panic swept throughout the city, before paramedics and OMON police personnel were deployed to the scene. Although there was no word as to which group was responsible for the bus bombings, both President Gennady Burbulis and Presidential candidate Nikolai Azarov agreed that it may have been Al-Qaeda operatives working from their base in Kazakhstan.
"While we cannot rule out the possibility of other Al-Qaeda operatives working from the Caucasus that are responsible for the attacks in Orenburg, the fact that they were able to get away with such an attack is a reflection of our leadership's failure to tackle such acts of terrorism," Burbulis said over the press conference in the Duma. "However, I honestly believe that we need to stamp out the terrorists in the Caucasus before turning our attention to Central Asia. As long as we neglect our security, the terrorists will be able to deal significant damage to us."
The significant changes in national security are huge, given the recent merger between the three former Soviet republics in a controversial referendum that was seen as viewed by the West as a 'sham', and an attempt at rebuilding the Soviet Union, according to top officials in Washington. In addition, US President Jack Kemp has issued sanctions on several prominent government officials that took part in the referendum, and has even proposed to issue a national emergency to deal with what has happened inside the three former Soviet republics.
"I hereby declare that the foreign and economic policies of the so-called East Slavic Federation, which is essentially a Greater Russian Empire in a repackaged form, pose a threat to the security and economy of the United States, and as a result, I am obliged to not only resort to punitive measures, but we will also coordinate our efforts with our partners in NATO and the ECA to contain this new Russian threat," Kemp announced during a C-SPAC session in the White House, much to the applause of the American politicians. "Even if Russia had a legitimate excuse for such activities, combined with the recent bombings within its territory, we will not recognize the validity of such a referendum."
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NO SHOCKER IN RUSSIAN PRESIDENTAL ELECTIONS AS AZAROV CLAIMS VICTORY
Moscow Times
March 27, 2000
(Moscow) - In a foregone conclusion to the most anticipated election in the history of the new East Slavic Federation, former President of the short-lived Union State of Ukraine and Belarus and official President-elect of the East Slavic Federation, Nikolai Azarov (in Ukrainian: Mykola Azarov) has been declared the winner of this year's Presidental Election. Azarov, who campaigned as an independent candidate, had become popular with most of the voters from the former Union State, although Russian voters have also taken a liking to him, as he made several campaign promises, among them the implementation of massive reforms in the legal system and has talked a tougher tone on the worsening situation with the Islamists that have operated in Central Asia.
"Our victory today is an indication of how far reunification has achieved many of our national interests, and will continue to build upon the projects that President Burbulis has started," says Azarov during his victory rally in the city of Kharkov, where he currently resides for the duration of the Presidential campaign. "Yet, our work is not complete. There are many enemies who wished us ill, and there are many allies who wishes us for a better future. I would ignore what those ill-tempered American politicians say in Washington, for they do not have the right to determine how we should live."
Azarov's reference to US President Jack Kemp's imposition of limited sanctions on several top government officials from both Russia and the former Union State for their involvement in the reunification process was not ignored by the international community. At the same, the ECA had not yet responded to events that are unfolding in the post-Soviet space, as they did not want to needlessly provoke the East Slavic Federation into an unnecessary confrontation that no one would benefit from. In the midst of the Presidential campaign, both Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the National Bolshevik Party and Vladislav Surkov of the Rodina Party have also mounted a serious challenge to Azarov, but the final results had been published, with Surkov gaining 36% of the popular vote, and Zhirinovsky gaining a paltry 21%, to Azarov's 57% of the votes. Unfortunately, various protests mounted by both far-left and far-right groups have nearly destabilized the electoral process, as both sides boycotted the elections.
"What we need is a leader who truly represents the interests of the various peoples of the East Slavic Federation, who isn't easily bought by the international bankers!" says Slavic National Assembly leader Aleksander Ivanov-Sukharevsky during the nationalist march in Moscow on the same day. "Azarov unfortunately, is a compromised individual who can easily be swayed by the same bankers who funded the communists!"
Likewise, the far-left had condemned the election as a farce, and also complained about the current lustration policies that the Burbulis government implemented to ensure that former Communist Party officials could not run in the post-communist government.
"President Burbulis has revealed himself to be the traitor and enemy of the people, for he has unceremoniously handed the keys of the Russian state to oligarchs and other cutthroat capitalists," Zyuganov addressed the crowd during the same day, albeit only a few blocks away from where Ivanov-Sukharevsky held his rally. "Thanks to Burbulis and Nikolai Azarov, we now have the worst elements of the Banderites, Vlasovites, and Astrouskites occupying our government. Lenin will definitely roll in his grave, and so would the late Comrade Stalin."
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Excerpts from "When Civilization Collide: America in the Age of Rogue Generals"
by: Paul Manafort
Simon and Schuster, published 2019
Chapter Ten: Aggression and Collusion
Nothing prepared us for what was to come in the year 2000, as the world was mainly focused on the insurgency in Nicaragua and Cuba. Despite our best efforts, the resistance movements there kept tying down much needed American soldiers that President Kemp would have to use for any more commitments elsewhere. We already had to scale down much of our peacekeeping mission in Iraq because of this, but at least we managed to build together a functional government that will take care of the interests of the Iraqi people. Ayad Allawi was recently voted as the new President of Iraq, although not many people were pleased with the results of that election lately. Moreover, according to the UN peacekeepers stationed in Iraq, the Allawi government faced four coup attempts, mostly led by former Ba'ath Party generals that did not flee into the Philippines, among them Farhan Jubouri. At the same time, the former Basra enclave that the Iranians occupied during the Iran-Iraq War was instantly given back to Iraq, upon the condition that the Iraqi Navy be limited to just four destroyers, seven submarines, and thirteen torpedo boats, as to make sure that Iran retained supremacy over the Persian Gulf.
By now, President Kemp had reassigned our team from Japan to Oman, because he wanted us to observe what the Russians are up to. Back in December of 1999, the Russians announced that they were withdrawing their troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in Iraq, and their replacements will come from Kenya, while the replacements that will take over our mission will come from Nigeria. Since then, we've heard of the incidents in Orenburg where a chain of bus bombings had occurred, resulting in massive casualties. Even though it was confirmed that Al-Qaeda had claimed responsibility for the attacks, President Kemp was surprisingly silent about the affair. His silence was understandable, as he wanted the Russians to get out of northern and western Kazakhstan. Then again, don't we all want the Russians to get out of Kazakhstan, and even Ukraine and Belarus?
"I take it that the Russians are trying to sabotage the oil and gas industry in Central Asia, eh?" A tall man with a telltale Texan accent approached me as I looked up to him. "The president must be really scared to have sent someone like you all the way to Oman. Then again, the Omanis are getting too chummy with the Russians for our comfort."
I nodded. "Mr. Tillerson, I didn't know you were going to meet me all the way in a hotel in Muscat. I only represent Breitbart, while you have a huge stake in the Caspian oil business."
"Call it a hunch, but I think that the previous administrations' lessened reliance on oil and gas will eventually backfire, as we may find it more expensive to maintain this idiotic Green New Deal. Even that fellow from Ohio started criticizing the idea of Sustainable Development, and he is thinking of leaving the Democratic Party to start his own party, but as of now, he doesn't have enough power yet," Tillerson replied back sarcastically. He gazed at the view of the Persian Gulf, before sitting down. "Then, there is also Artemio Tadiar to consider."
"What's to consider?" I asked back scathingly. "Oliver North's 2IC has pretty much gained an audience with Tadiar, and his kids are currently enrolled in a Philippine school there. I'm surprised that John Bennett's kids aren't as mentally screwed up as the local kids over there."
Tillerson nodded in agreement. We knew too well that there were some other CIA agents who brought their families over to the Philippines, so they could be educated in those schools that were set up to educate the war orphans who lost their parents during the Chinese bombing, but we feared that those kids who went to those schools might have a harder time re-integrating back into the society they once grew up in. Even more, John Bennett already had a connection to the Philippines, having once been stationed there when he was still a US Navy sailor. Now that the Ramseys are in knee deep with the Tadiar regime, it would only take one unfriendly President to trigger the political collapse of that family. Even so, it would not have been in our best interest to intervene right now.
I accompanied Mr. Tillerson to his hotel room, where he kept most of the files within his suitcase. Of course, being curious, I wanted to ask what was inside, but as a professional analyst and owner of Breitbart, I wisely didn't ask any more questions. Tillerson however, wanted to satisfy his curiosity further.
"Why did President Kemp moved your operation from Japan to here in Oman?" he asked me.
I grimaced. "Well, President Kemp figured that he had to put his plans for Japan on hold, while the possibility of our flow of oil into the domestic market from the MidEast might be endangered by a potential Russian military intervention in Central Asia. Already, there has been reports of military activity on the border between the self-proclaimed East Slavic Federation and what was left of Kazakhstan after the Russians carved out their enclaves after the Second Russian Civil War. Furthermore, one of our agents stationed in Azerbaijan had gotten wind of Chinese military activity in Armenia, at the military base in Syunik, where the Soviet Army once built their base there. The closer relationship between Armenia and China has raised alarm bells in Turkey, and in addition to that, the President realized Turkey's vulnerable position. Despite that, Armenia is also vulnerable, as the Chinese will find it hard to reinforce their military presence there."
Tillerson sighed dejectedly and sat down on the bed. "Fucking hell. Armenia is in bed with the ChiComms, thanks to the screw up that was UNAACP. I gotta say, I'm glad I'm not in Los Angeles. The race riots there was brutal."
"I'm not surprised. LA is home to the largest Armenian enclave in the United States, but it also has a large Filipino and Chinese community there. Not to mention that Azerbaijanis are recently settling in California as well. This isn't really good." I turned to Tillerson and gave him a stern look. "Perhaps you should tell the President that while he's worried about what's happening here and in the Caribbean, he needs to pay attention to the home front. We might have a second potential race riot breaking out if things don't get under control."
Tillerson frowned for a minute, but nodded in agreement. "I am aware. That is one of the reasons why I was dispatched over here. President Kemp has advised me to negotiate a joint venture project with the Azeris and Kazakhs on the oil exploration project that they proposed, in exchange for intelligence sharing and a guarantee of defense against a potential Russian military aggression. However, I'm not sure if we can intervene against the so-called ESF, not with the rest of Europe so eager to build stronger economic ties to that behemoth."
I agreed with his statement on the growing economic collaboration between the so-called ESF and the ECA, but there is also fears that the collaboration between them would extent further beyond the so-called ESF's borders. India is already taking advantage of that situation to sign numerous deals with them, and both of them have a common rival in China. Zbigniew Brzezinski is right about one thing: the Eurasian heartland under a hostile rival is a threat to American interests.
"Mr. Brzezinski must be spitting a lot of blood from his ass when he heard of the 'reunification'," Tillerson chuckled. "He said, and I quote, 'we've spent so much money and other kinds of resources to destroy the Soviet Union, and now we find out that they have managed to rebuild it in a new form. What's next, an annexation of Kazakhstan?'"
I could not fault Ziggy for flipping out in response to the sham reunification, and while I share his sentiment regarding that sensitive topic, ultimately we need the help we can get in the fight against the twin threats of Islamist terorrism and Chinese military adventurism. At the same time, I don't think Ziggy has factored the Tadiar regime in his self-perceived war against the so-called ESF. However, the role of global policeman was something that President Kemp bitterly complained, as he stated that fulfilling that rule would have been left to the UN, while the United States can focus on the domestic front. I could see that statement going well with the emerging talking conspiracy heads. Lately, I heard from another American expat that the new channel called The TrippWire has been growing. From what I can gather, it was founded by none other than the President's primary cheerleader, Linda Tripp. Now that she's setting up her own news station, she has also recruited some lady who's living in Texas named Monica, and has even approached Hillary Clinton for a role in the TrippWire. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Hillary Clinton accepted. Of all the things I've heard, this would definitely take the cake.
---
"Welcome to the TrippWire, I'm your host, Linda Tripp. This is our first ever broadcast, and tonight, we'll be talking a lot about the impending Russian plans to take over Central Asia. It is not a secret that the Russians are still smarting over that terrorist attack in Orenburg, but at the same time, we have witnessed time and time again, certain major incidents that lead to war. From China's skirmish in the Spratly Islands, to the untimely assassination of former Governor Bill Clinton, to this. We have a problem in the world, and we can sum it up in just one word: Tonkin. Another Tonkin-like incident has happened in Russia, and we can only guess when the first column of Russian tanks will cross the unrecognized border imposed on Kazakhstan at the end of the Second Russian Civil War. Some clown by the name of Vladimir Zhirinovsky has it right: the world has a Nazi problem, and it is present in all the superpowers." Linda Tripp, on the inauguration of the popular conspiracy theory news channel, the TrippWire, March 15, 2000.
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gillan1220
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Post by gillan1220 on Sept 26, 2021 10:26:59 GMT
Does the fears of the Y2K bug still occur here? I'm guessing the NYE celebrations would be the same as OTL.
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Sept 28, 2021 2:05:10 GMT
Does the fears of the Y2K bug still occur here? I'm guessing the NYE celebrations would be the same as OTL. Possible, although the whole 'the world is gonna end' panic has already occurred when China and the US almost went to war with each other ITTL over the bombing. You might see an increased popularity among the survivalists and preppers for whatever they will be doing, simply because they have Jack Kemp as President, and backed by shadowy figures, they could easily extend the occupation of Cuba and Nicaragua to a kind of perpetual occupation. And the next update, we will see how Latin America deals with the rise of Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, and what I like to call, the Venezuelan Salah Jadid. |
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simeon
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Post by simeon on Sept 29, 2021 3:00:06 GMT
This timeline is just plain, fucking wild.
So, my hypothesis of "disappointed idealist Noynoy, the collaborator" seemed to fail as even he was seemingly spooked by Bello's abduction.
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Sept 30, 2021 3:23:51 GMT
This timeline is just plain, fucking wild. So, my hypothesis of "disappointed idealist Noynoy, the collaborator" seemed to fail as even he was seemingly spooked by Bello's abduction. If it's approaching unbelievable levels, I'll tone it down. Although given some certain questionable actions and behaviors that politicians IOTL have pulled and have gotten away with it, they certainly wouldn't be able to get away with it ITTL. As I might have said earlier, this TL is supposed to deconstruct the post-EDSA Filipino culture that has been a problem for us as a whole. Eat Bulaga ITTL has died a not-so tragic death, and Kapuso Mo doesn't exist, as Jessica Soho ITTL is in exile. I don't think Noynoy would have been an idealist, as the period in exile would have made him far more pessimistic than usual, and Kris Aquino might remain a nobody. |
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simeon
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Post by simeon on Sept 30, 2021 5:41:49 GMT
No, no need. Aside from the retconned Chinese holocaust, all's right with the world.
And also, the last time we've seen Noynoy, you've hinted something about him. That's why I was convinced all these times that he is a Tadiar sympathiser.
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gillan1220
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Post by gillan1220 on Sept 30, 2021 11:59:43 GMT
No, no need. Aside from the retconned Chinese holocaust, all's right with the world. And also, the last time we've seen Noynoy, you've hinted something about him. That's why I was convinced all these times that he is a Tadiar sympathiser. How is a Noynoy a Tadiar sympathizer when his family was almost killed by Tadiar's forces himself? |
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Oct 1, 2021 2:44:08 GMT
Given his exile, I would think that Noynoy would become a bit more pessimistic about his life in general ITTL. Although he does give the interviews, we're not really gonna see him become prominent.
However, the revelation that Tadiar is trying to rehabilitate his paternal grandfather is going to haunt the government-in-exile.
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gillan1220
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Post by gillan1220 on Oct 1, 2021 9:32:29 GMT
Given his exile, I would think that Noynoy would become a bit more pessimistic about his life in general ITTL. Although he does give the interviews, we're not really gonna see him become prominent. However, the revelation that Tadiar is trying to rehabilitate his paternal grandfather is going to haunt the government-in-exile. Correct me if I'm wrong. Is Ninoy Aquino Sr. is the one who collaborated with the Japanese during the war? |
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Post by TheRomanSlayer on Oct 1, 2021 14:41:34 GMT
Given his exile, I would think that Noynoy would become a bit more pessimistic about his life in general ITTL. Although he does give the interviews, we're not really gonna see him become prominent. However, the revelation that Tadiar is trying to rehabilitate his paternal grandfather is going to haunt the government-in-exile. Correct me if I'm wrong. Is Ninoy Aquino Sr. is the one who collaborated with the Japanese during the war? That is the one. |
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Post by kyuzoaoi on Oct 1, 2021 16:16:32 GMT
Also, what would Tadiar's influence he would have in South Asia at this point?
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