Battery Seventeen - Pluto Defense Fence, Outer Defense Ring, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:02:16 ATC / March 2nd, 1969 - 09:21 / 9:21 AM
"Divert from your current vector and prepare to be inspected!"
"No can do! We are hot and intent on landing, boys!" The voice of the pilot proclaimed, smiling smugly in the hologram. "This is a gift from Zeltros!"
"Listen, this is a restricted area! You are now unauthorized for passage so turn away or you will be fired upon!"
"You seriously need to relax along with the Earthlings as the inhabitants in America and Europe need to ease away from monogamy and their 'conventions' and have a good time!" The Zeltron laughed as she turned off from further communication.
"Oh kriff. That explains it."
"Explain what?" Captain Gary Crossley, the executive officer of Golf Battery, wondered.
"The Zeltrons are lazy thrill-seekers with hedonistic pursuits known to dress in wildly colorful or revealing attire with bizarre color designs, patterns, and symbols and they also view monogamy as quaint and if they see someone not having a good time, they'll use their pheromones."
"Just like fucking Hippies." Gary realized after his eyes widened and recognized that it sounded like the insane spiking the Hoover Dam with LSD scheme two years ago with hopes of contaminating the water supply and spreading their supposed 'Peace and Love' through the hallucinogenic drug. "Shit!"
The two officers and their subordinates watched as a squadron of Liberator-class starfighters which had been in pursuit disabled the transport with an EMP torpedo that left it dead-still in space with two other transport craft - those of the Republic Navy - prepared to latch on and board it to sort this mess out but from the announcement it did not sound to be an attempt at smuggling at all but more of an presumptuous attempt at a cultural interchange given the sharp contrast.
Out of his peripheral vision, Crossley watched one of his men rushing to where the 'trigger' of the battery was located in the station and sat down as if he was going to target the dead-in-the-water, more like 'dead-in-space', vessel.
"Hey, get off that control panel!"
The United States soldier however fired off the turbolaser, sending the bolt streaking at the disabled transport and upon impact, it was obliterated with only debris and corpses of Zeltrons that were vented in this part of space, one which was a vacuum unlike the known Galaxy.
"What did you do that for!?" Crossley growled. "That was uncalled for, Specialist!"
"I did it for my niñita, sir!" The Specialist 5 justified the act as he was forcibly pulled away from the controls. "For my baby girl!"
Marcos Coronil Bienvenida Ureña
Stearns Wharf - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
January 14th, 1967 - 1:05 PM
"Daddy!? Daddy!? Can I get some Ice Cream?"
"I suppose we could get a cone, pequeña niña." The father chuckled as he allowed the tugging toddler to lead him to the stand, but in spite of the lengthy line, Marcos was willing to wait and get his daughter a treat, even go for a chocolate with sprinkles himself. As he and daughter walked on the boardwalk to the concession stand selling ice cream, the father couldn't help but to notice a few of the flower children were mingling and he shook his head, why anyone decided on such a repulsive lifestyle was beyond him.
It was unAmerican.
Still, he ignored the bums who should find employment and stepped behind the lengthy line with his little girl clutching his hand, waiting patiently to grab their cones.
The father watched in horror as a Hippie stepped forward to expose a vest rigged with dynamite, his finger clutching a pulley to the cord.
"Fuck Uncle Sam, screw Capitalism, and Long live the Revolution! The Weathermen will see it through!"
Before anyone could react he and other bystanders saw an explosion, the blast knocking them down on the planks with splitters becoming additional projectiles and only added to the carnage.
Marcos crawled to where his daughter was lying unconscious, parental concern and instinct taking precedence over his own health.
"Dora? Dora!?"
"D-daddy?" She acknowledged, her voice raspy. "W-why?" The girl coughed painfully, and as much as the father wanted to deny it, the severity of her injury was mortal. "W-why d-do...People hate each other?"
Marcos watched as she closed her eyes and he frantically, clutching her tight.
"Dora? Stay with me, sweetheart. Dora!"
Specialist 5 Marcos Coronil Bienvenida Ureña - Battery G, Second Battalion, 43rd Space Artillery Regiment, Space Artillery Corps, United States Army
Battery Seventeen - Pluto Defense Fence, Outer Defense Ring, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:02:16 ATC / March 2nd, 1969 - 09:30 / 9:30 AM
The day was unforgettable with his daughter dying in his arms, murdered by one of the Weather Underground and having one's child killed by a bomb was something no parent should ever experience and it still haunted him. He wished that the Hippies never came into being but to have newcomers that were similar to them was too much to bear.
No, it could not happen, never again! He was one of the American GIs garrisoned at this allotted station, protecting his home and everyone from the scourge of a reignited Hippie Movement, one that claimed to be of peace and love but became militant due to not getting what they desired, the collapse of decent civilization into anarchy and repugnance.
'This is for you, mi pequeña niña.'
Queen Lista - The current elected monarch of Zeltros
Supreme Chancellor's Office - Senate Building, Senate District, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:11:16 ATC / March 11th, 1969 - 13:14 / 1:14 PM
"Two of my handmaidens were on the shuttle and all they desired was to ease off the uptightness in certain areas."
"May I remind you that it was Republic personnel who disabled the shuttle and it was going to be boarded?" Saresh pointed out, not believing what she just heard. "The situation on Earth is delicate and they're mistrustful of outside influences that conflict with what they value. You and I can agree that there should be a change in attitude before they integrate with the rest of the Galactic Community, even becoming a member-world of the Republic but that will take time."
"Yet you are defending this smite." She accused impatiently.
"No, I don't agree with this affair at all, but I also must accept the facts that led up to it. While it is unintentional, you are very remarkably reminiscent of these Hippies and one thing led to another. I'm sure your people had good intentions, Lista, but the natives are still weary of the past few years and don't desire any further chaotic upheaval in their perspective."
"We have been made privy to the information in regards to recent history but unlike these...'Hippies', we're warriors, Chancellor, not pacifists and this insult won't go unanswered." Lista threatened irkly. "They are judging us by what they know about the movement that occurred and petered out, we are not Hippies."
"Look, let's not think drastically here, Lista." Saresh soothed. "I'm prepared to compensate for the lives lost from this incident with funds from the treasury. I just need to do a few taps on the datapad."
"Nothing short of indemnity after retaliation is sufficient." Lista snarled. "I'm doing what's best for my people and it is evident that this meeting today between us is not going to resolve anything."
Leontyne Saresh - Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic
Supreme Chancellor's Office - Senate Building, Senate District, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:11:16 ATC / March 11th, 1969 - 13:28 / 1:28 PM
Saresh felt trapped as a siege mentality was taking shape on the planet of Earth and this affair only exasperated the psychological belief, completely in contradiction to what she envisioned, a model world for what the entire universe should represent.
Equilibrium and acceptance, one completely rid of all previous boundaries and rivalries to collaborate toward one goal, yet her subtle attempts backfired and the only reason why she decided on this course was to finally have peace in the entire galaxy, first would be the Empire then the Chiss and finally the Hutts, something that only three of her confidants knew due to it being beyond uplifting and she believed that this one planet held the key, being an unstoppable juggernaut only if they took the right path but it was baffling how it seemed subconsciously they just don't see themselves as the Galaxy's best hope.
Now unless she acts quickly to salvage it, it may fall apart. She was intelligent and ruthless but this situation was out of her hands.
"Force, I could use a Coruscant Cooler or two right now." The Chancellor muttered as she massaged her temples yet a sight for sore eyes might give her some reprieve. "Ah, Satele, it's good to see you."
"I heard about the failed attempt to settle it privately."
Or possibly not, so much for hoping that another subject would get her mind off the incident for the time being.
"Yes, it's a grave matter unfortunately." The green skinned Twi'lek sighed. "The Zeltrons have the right to be outraged but there's also justification in regards to security as well."
"Normally I wouldn't suggest this but Prime Minister Trudeau and William Shatner are interested in heading to Zeltros to attempt rapprochement. They proposed it at the United Nations and Krasul."
"William Shatner? As in the holo actor who stars as Captain James T. Kirk in 'Star Trek'?"
"The very same." The Trekker convert smirked.
"Do they know what they're getting themselves into?" The Chancellor inquired given the facts about the Zeltron homeworld.
"I'm sure they know before committing and we'll provide all the information they need as well of course." The Grandmaster soothed. "It's ironic how Kirk in a way is going to get himself acquainted."
"It is." Saresh chuckled. "Has there been any development on which the Imperial Agent infiltrated this office?"
"Unfortunately not, your excellency." Satele divulged.
"It's a shame that the facial software was tampered with as somebody used the 'James Bond' franchise and the face of Sean Connery specifically to overlap the culprit."
"It's probably an 'red herring' as the Earthlings say." Leontyne surmised. "Though is it funny how coincidentally Mister Connery was at Montgomery's office that day before signing autographs for British troops who wanted them?"
"It's a small galaxy after all."
Orbit over Coruscant - Coruscant System, Corusca Sector, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:11:16 ATC / March 11th, 1969 - 13:28 / 1:28 PM
"It is becoming apparent that the Republic may no longer have our interests." Lista justified it as she discussed the meeting with one of her advisers. "I think we may have to reconsider our relationship and look to the Empire for guidance."
"The Sith Empire, your Majesty?"
Nodding. "Yes, Narla. The Sith Empire."
"With all due respect, my Queen, but I'm uncomfortable with entangling ourselves with them."
"I know but at the same time declaring neutrality before striking at Earth would be seen as supporting the Imps anyway." The monarch sighed. "I'm not considering this lightly, Narla, but if we decide to retaliate and only if, then we must do so from a position of strength and be willing to commit to it."
"Be willing as a civilization to commit to it you mean."
The monarch nodded her head. "These are grave times after all." The communicator buzzed and
"Excuse me, I must take this."
"Of course, your highness." Narla bowed and departed to give her Queen privacy, not knowing that the caller was more of a contact.
"It seems like the cards are falling together, Your Highness." An Imperial Agent with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes chuckled with her arms crossed over the recognizable gray fatigues with the purple collar tabs representing Sith Intelligence. "The Republic at times...overlooks history in regards to newly discovered worlds. It's almost as if they forget that neglecting to learn about history is dooming them to repeat it."
"That they are, Cipher Nine. Just like with the Tingel Arm in the last war."
"Though I cannot believe that the shuttle was destroyed since it would have been boarded and discovered that some of my court wished to spread lightheartedness."
"Their sacrifice will be remembered for generations to come."
Galactic Senate General Assembly - Senate Building, Senate District, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:11:16 ATC / March 11th, 1969 - 15:30 / 3:30 PM
"Order, order!"
"Friends, gentlebeings, it is with a heavy heart that I must profess that we have a quandary Zeltrons have a right to be troubled at this indignation but we must remember that we couldn't have known at the time that the ship included some of her retinue and retainers aboard or what their intentions were, the intention of which they see as goodwill in lightening up the mood of the inhabitants yet would instead backfire with the recent history in mind. I have offered compensation from the Republic Treasury but Queen Lista refused and believed that this redress must be an indemnity, this must be an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth." Saresh informed the chamber. "However, the Jedi still believe diplomacy is possible."
"This is a time, an opportunity to emphasize our commitment to be mediators between worlds, members of the Republic and newly discovered worlds alike, diplomacy is preferable than escalation and we believe that we can respectfully resolve this before it could reach a breaking point."
"I, however, must take some of the blame as it was I who assisted in constructing the defenses during the few months advantage we had, designed by Doctor Oggurobb to not only be a planetary defense system as otherwise our newfound allies would be exposed but to also be the most elaborate trap in rooting out spies and as a side benefit prevents smuggling due to the measures enacted and enforced, some of which may be implemented elsewhere due to the outstanding effectiveness at apprehensions. That is all."
"Safehouse" - Raider's Cove, Horizon Island, Rishi, Rishi System, Abrion Sector, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
03:12:16 ATC / March 12th, 1969 - 07:50 / 7:50 AM
"You have to be kriffing me." Sara muttered as she read the Holonet news article on her datapad which remained neutral and illustrated the points of the opposing parties, she was astonished that this incident even transpired but given the nature of members of a specific civilization and the chaotic period on the discovered planet, it wasn't surprising that it was a diplomatic affair, more like a nightmare.
"What's the matter?"
"It seems as if some Zeltrons went rogue and decided to try visiting Earth."
"So...What's the problem?"
Sara rolled her eyes at the indifference but then again he was not really interested to say the least while she had on-the-ground witnessed reasons why it was no surprise such an incident even occurred at all. "Zeltrons, other than being warriors, are approximately one of the few cultures in the galaxy who would be reminiscent of Hippies alongside the Chandrillaians."
It took the SIS agent a moment to connect the dots between the remarkable similarities and realize the reasoning. "Oh."
"'Oh' would not be the descriptor I would use for this circumstance. No doubt some of Becky's friends have commented about the comparison in regards to the attempted spreading of pheromones on the planet plot."
"Is that Jake's mother?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
Sara decided to humor the burned SIS operative out of enjoyment. "I'll privy you that in some ways she is more studious than her son."
"Good to know I suppose." Theron muttered. "I couldn't even begin to imagine what her outlook is if Jake is a moderate in comparison."
Private First Class Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:12:16 ATC / March 12th, 1969 - 16:00 / 4:00 PM
"I don't think we need Space Hippies resurrecting love-ins anymore than we need Space Nazis goosestepping victoriously on Broadway with the banner covering the Empire State Building." Jake expressed over a can of Schlitz beer. "I mean from what I read and heard about them, they are the equivalent of flower children with colorful garb and all, not to mention their pheromones could be a standin for acid. What's the difference besides being so similar?"
"Normally I would say you're a nut but in this case maybe it was a good thing that ship never reached the planet."
"Actually, come to think of it, I wonder if Mom overstated her opinion?" Jake wondered. "No doubt she and her friends at the quilting bee discussed it."
"She's on some morality committee, isn't she?" Marvin's eyebrows furrowed as he guessed what it unofficially was, a cabal of likeminded women to discuss their political stances and maybe even kickstart letter writing campaigns.
"Minute Women of the U.S.A. and its sister organization - the American Public Relations Forum - as well." Jake grinned with pride. "You think I'm stubborn, then you shouldn't underestimate my mother who in some ways could make Senator William Jenner seem to be an apparatchik for the Politburo and I don't mean to disrespect Senator Bill Jenner in the slightest but mom has been regretting voting for Kennedy in 1960 even though she saw Nixon as being too soft and she also sees Scoop Jackson as a Pinko despite his hardline against Moscow."
"You're still a wingnut regardless."
"Not really. I'm just someone who's proud to be an American and believe that All Men are Created Equal." Meyer chuckled. "Eddie and Carter didn't take freedom rides or sit-ins but they and their families certainly did their part with fundraising and writing editorials, I even donated to the NAACP twice myself before they denounced Goldwater of course."
"How come I never heard about them before?"
"Maybe because I don't have to say everything about my personal life?" Jake reasoned. "Besides, Eddie is with the Seventh Marine Division currently and I heard Carter is a field hand back home."
"Oh."
"To be fair, not everyone can be inducted as there's production and occupations essential for war."
"I know that, everyone does. Why did you think my cousin decided to contribute at the local munitions plant doing heavy lifting and operating the forklift at the facility?"
"Because the Rosies are trying to find a husband?" Marvin wondered rhetorically but he was joking.
"Maybe. But at least he's no fucking Jodie."
The Jarheads laughed at the quip about that always sly bastard back home, the ever loathed Jodie.
Senator William Ezra "Bill" Jenner - [Republican - Indiana] and Chairman of the United States Senate's Special Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws
Senate Chambers - The Capitol Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:12:16 ATC / March 12th, 1969 - 16:00 / 4:00 PM
"With respect to the Great Senator of Wisconsin and Chairman of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I must implore that this matter should be handled with care as we can ill afford to have another war on our hands."
"And you sir must remember that there were freaks terrorizing the country with their indecency and openly collaborating with the enemy in California, Viet Cong fighters that our boys should have dealt with in Vietnam, not in our backyard." Tailgunner proclaimed, pointing his finger at the Rockefeller Republican and personal enemy, Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush of Connecticut, from the stand. "I want it to be known that no longhaired flower children whenever foreign or domestic will be tolerated in these United States and it doesn't matter if they were fellow travelers, card-carrying members of the Communist Party, or coincidentally existed before we were made aware of the other galaxy, it will be treated and dealt with equitably."
"We all remember the past few years, McCarthy." Prescott sneered at the ignorant Midwesterner who was in his opinion a guzzled buffoon. "My son George is out there fighting in a naval squadron and my grandson will be heading off to war soon with his Texas Air National Guard unit as well."
"Mister Vice President? May I say a few words to the Senator of the Great State of Wisconsin?"
The Vice President of the United States, William Edward Miller, nodded and gave the floor to the Hoosier. "Go ahead, Senator."
Jenner rose from his seat and interceded, hoping to reason with someone who he agreed with. "I have known Joe for a long time and we have worked together to jointly investigate the infiltration of our structure by Communists and even found additional spies who forwarded research material on the Manhattan Project to the Kremlin, not to mention our former colleague who as we all know was the very individual who established the House Un-American Activities Committee in the other chamber of Congress. But at the same time, Prescott is also in the right. While we don't agree on every principle despite being both Republicans albeit of different wings of the party, this matter should be attempted to be resolved initially through diplomatic means since as Abraham Lincoln once said during the Trent Affair: 'One war at a time.'."
Knowing the credentials of Jenner, McCarthy reluctantly relinquished the speakership and headed back to his seat but not before deciding to converse with his compatriot.
"What was that all about, Bill?"
"Look, Joe, we both know that we must do everything in our power to protect our country against any acts of espionage and sabotage and I don't think that act was wrong but for the sake of fighting the actual threat, we must not divert ourselves from fighting the Sith Empire and we cannot afford to shoot ourselves in the foot by giving them new allies."
"You're right. But I just wish we weren't dealing with any more Hippies, especially ones from Outer Space."
"You and I both."
Captain Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul - Flight Surgeon, Texas Air National Guard, Air National Guard, United States Air Force
Ellington Air Force Base - Houston, Texas, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:13:16 ATC / March 13th, 1969 - 11:00 / 11:00 AM
"Now, Lieutenant, I'm honestly surprised that your outfit was called up to serve outside the U.S. like most of the National Guard."
"It sure was surprising to be called up as I was under the 31st Air Division of Air Defense Command but I understand that there is a need to use any available manpower which can be spared without impacting continental defenses, agriculture, and wartime production."
"Can you please extend your arm like this?"
The patient and grandson of United States Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush of the state of Connecticut followed the directive of the physician and superior, extending his right arm and clutching his fist.
"Good, good. Now I'm going to check your pulse and blood pressure."
"By the way, sir-"
"Please call me Ron." The Captain insisted. "I don't mind informality when in private."
"So, Ron, will you be heading to the other galaxy as well?"
"I sure am and for some reason I'll be attached to a Company of the 82nd Airborne Division as the lead physician."
"Paratroopers are not pilots." Bush pointed out. "That's a very odd transfer even if it's interservice."
"It's a long story but a good friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend's grandfather with the surname of Westbrook for some darn reason thinks someone needs to keep an eye on their grandson and I'm sure you're very familiar with WASPs of New England with your own grandfather in mind. Now hold still, George."
Second Lieutenant George Walker Bush - First Squadron, Second Flight, 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard, detached from the 31st Air Division and being transferred to the 8th Air Division, United States Air Force
Ellington Air Force Base - Houston, Texas, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:12:16 ATC / March 12th, 1969 - 11:40 / 11:40 AM
"How did you fare on your physical, George?" The son of the current Governor of Texas, John Connally III, wondered.
"I passed with flying colors."
"We're going to war." Connelly laughed, thinking how he, Bush, Lloyd Bentsen Jr., the son of U.S. Senator John Tower, James R. Bath, and seven members of the Dallas Cowboys were all being sent to the front in the other galaxy. "We are heading off to war!"
"Yeah, I know." Bush sighed. "We are literally going to war, in outer space no less."
Alright, maybe it didn't came out right in Chapter Twenty-Eight to say the least and put it lightly but the fact is the Zeltrons would be reminiscent of the Hippie Counterculture per the lore about them and I wouldn't have done it if there wasn't any purpose behind it as I figured that having a diplomatic nightmare could be a significant twist and admittedly the Empire could use some help here in this tale even if diplomacy prevails as undoubtedly there could be those who may very well decide to fight for the Empire.
You don't have to agree with my above reasoning, my justification for this and I sincerely respect your opinion, I even had to correspond with Mando as it was intended by yours truly as a surprise for everyone and he wasn't aware of it at all.
I should have expanded it and go into detail but I was on a deadline and wanted to keep everything chronological for Star Wars Day (err…of 2021 that is, I still can't believe it's been so long either but hopefully the readers are doing well despite the circumstances).
Take it for what it is, but I did it for a justifiable reason and while I won't apologize for sticking to my guns and therefore won't scrap the concept for the aforementioned reasons, I will however apologize for the lack of in-depthness and suddenness in that scene.
I truly could have presented it better and I take full responsibility as it was exclusively my idea here, my concocted intention, and solely mine alone.
I will be uploading the revamped and cleaned up version of Chapter 28 after this one is published to hopefully provide clarity but even so, be aware that the elements are going to remain unchanged.
So, with that out of the way, if you decide to discontinue reading this story as a result of it, I understand as that is your right.
If you want to flood my PM Box with accusations, go ahead but just know that I'm being honest about the disclosure of this concept regarding the Zeltrons was a personal decision by a single, lone individual based entirely on what would seem to be a sensical step for the story and be a significant plot twist diplomatically and militarily, not a decision by the consensus of a group.
Again, to reiterate, I'm not taking the heat by being some sacrificial lamb but as a person who believes in honesty and courtesy, for the sake of transparency I just want it to be openly known that in regards to Chapter Twenty-Eight it was by yours truly and yours truly alone and the others had nothing to do with it at all in the slightest.
To quote famed Eighteenth Century French Philosopher Voltaire:
"I may not agree with what you say yet I will defend your right to say it to my dying breath."
~ Voltaire
With that out of the way, I hope this clears it up as I was going to purposely expand upon it in this very chapter anyways and I think some of you may respectfully be surprised by the Meyer / Cameron family and I apologize for this upcoming lengthy explanation here but I might as well go ahead and clarify for context purposes the historical political situation in the U.S. during this timeframe.
Based on everything I have read thus far to format this tale including material on John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his brother Robert Francis Kennedy, and Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, it is in my opinion, unlike the alternate history novel:
If Kennedy Lived
THE FIRST AND SECOND TERMS OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: AN ALTERNATE HISTORY
by JEFF GREENFIELD
That Kennedy would have not been supportive of the 'New Left' and there has been a controversy over Greenfield's decision to portray it. Please allow me to explain...
Was Kennedy a Democrat?
Yes. But during the era both Democrats and Republicans had three major wings due to both being 'Big Tent' Parties up until the 1980s and declining to the current level sometime around the 1990s: The Liberal Wing, the Moderate Wing, and the Conservative Wing.
Also, both parties other than some members of the liberal wings of both parties were arguably socially conservative until the late 1960s. In fact, in the elections during the period, it just more often not simply boils down basically to does one support the New Deal or not?
For instance, during the 1950s and up to the mid 1960s African-Americans living in rural areas of the South predominantly voted Republican and the Dixiecrats (a group of Southern Democrats) supported Segregation. In the North, on the other hand, African-Americans in urban areas voted for Democrats or occasionally Liberal Republicans like Nelson Rockefeller.
So it's not just a clear cut case of Liberals versus Conservatives unlike nowadays but regionalism and factionalism intermingled as well.
Here's another revelation that may come as a surprise to many and it is the complete truth: John Fitzgerald Kennedy voted AGAINST the Civil Rights Act of 1957 that was proposed under the Eisenhower Presidency while McCarthyist William Ezra Jenner voted FOR the same piece of legislation that became law.
Yes. JFK. The very man who conspiracy theorists believe had more than one assassin firing at him on that tragic day on November 22nd of 1963, supposedly from either the grassy knoll or a man with an umbrella.
And to use an Conservative-leaning Republican example other than Everett McKinley Dirksen and William Ezra Jenner, a certain Barry Morris Goldwater did vote ONLY against the 1964 Act despite voting for ALL previous Civil Rights bills, but he was a huge supporter of the Civil Rights movement.
As a matter of fact, Goldwater helped found the Arizona chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People / NAACP and up until the 1964 Civil Rights bill he voted for every single civil rights bill he could. And he only opposed the '64 bill because two of the seven main provisions were against his libertarian beliefs. Here they are (paraphrased):
Title II
Which outlawed discrimination in hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, and all other public accommodations engaged in interstate commerce; exempted private clubs without defining the term 'private'.
And
Title VII
Which prohibited discrimination by covered (taxpaying) employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Now he supported the other titles that prohibited discrimination on any federal/state agency or entity that received funding just not on individuals engaged in private commerce with the exceptions of religious and indian groups.
Despite being for Civil Rights, Barry was a firm believer in giving EVERYONE an equal opportunity even if they decided to be discriminatory. And I do hold a similar philosophy: Don't like the owners of a business? Go shop somewhere else or open one up that is entirely inclusive. Maybe the store owner doesn't like shoplifters and has a lifetime ban policy on shoplifters or maybe in another shop they don't agree with something because of their religion. It's up to the consumers themselves where they want to go buy merchandise from, not sue someone trying to make a living.
In other words: Vote with your wallet. It's common sense.
Again, folks, everything I have researched about Goldwater including and especially those from nonpartisan sources always mentioned the same thing: Goldwater valued honesty. And I'm confident that he was an individual who indeed did 'told it as it is', hence the 1964 Campaign Slogan 'In Your Heart, You Know He's Right'
Now in comparison, there's this quote by Lyndon Baines Johnson that is from a RECORDED telephone call and thus in the historical record:
"These Negroes, they're getting pretty uppity these days and that's a problem for us since they've got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we've got to do something about this, we've got to give them a little something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference... I'll have them niggers voting Democratic for the next two hundred years."
~ Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States.
Goldwater interestingly later his life evolved to hold more Libertarian views on homosexuality, abortion, and eventually marijuana unlike many of his peers and constituents, not to mention being regarded as one of the forefathers for the U.S. Libertarian Party but initially during the Sixties he was mostly a Social Conservative attempting to wrangle in the Federal Government albeit Libertarian leaning.
Overall most but not all politicians of both main American political parties (Democrats and Republicans alike) before the mid-1970s meet the current 'pro-guns, anti-gays, anti-abortion' definition of social conservatives. The distinctiveness is literally on economic and social welfare policy.
But to go more in-depth and provide clarification even though as a disclaimer this is a generalization as individual politicians (such as the aforementioned views Mister Conservative believed in) had different personal opinions:
From just before World War Two when Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the New Deal until the end of major U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in 1973, both the Republican and Democrat Parties during what historians refer to as The Fifth Party System have three major competing Interparty wings: Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy is a perfect example of a Moderate Democrat in the 1960s and his views were mainstream during the period: Kennedy believed in a strong military, made tax cuts after thinking they would lead to economic growth, and was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
Yes, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was actually a Life Member of the National Rifle Association.
On March 20th, 1961 JFK became a life member and in a letter to then President of the NRA, Franklin L. Orth, Kennedy wrote: "Through competitive matches and sports in coordination with the National Board for Promotion of Rifle Practice, the Association fills an important role in our national defense effort, and fosters in an active and meaningful fashion the spirit of the Minutemen."
And John Fitzgerald Kennedy's privately owned National Match M1 Garand (serial number 6086970) brought in a whopping $149,500 at auction in October of 2015, setting a world-record price for a Garand that was previously held for only five months by an M1 bearing the serial number of '7'.
Quoted word-for-word from Business Insider :
Roughly 20% of US presidents have, at some point, been members of the National Rifle Association.
Since the NRA's founding in 1871, nine of the following 28 presidents were NRA members. Of those nine, eight were Republicans while one, President John F. Kennedy, was a Democrat.
The first president to join the NRA was Ulysses S. Grant. The ninth president to also be an NRA member is Donald Trump, who touted his NRA connection and pro-gun rights platform along the campaign trail last year.
And in John F. Kennedy's own words:
"... By calling attention to a well-regulated militia for the security of the Nation, and the right of each citizen to keep and bear arms, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fear of governmental tyranny, which gave rise to the Second Amendment, will ever be a major danger to our Nation, the amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic military-civilian relationship, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason I believe the Second Amendment will always be important."
That was from the famed 35th President of the United States himself, folks.
Northern Democrats were generally speaking supportive of Civil Rights as were a majority of Republicans.
The Dixiecrats (i.e. Southern Democrats), on the other hand, were staunch Segregationists and opposed Labor Unions but were war hawks and otherwise supported nominally the New Deal.
Unlike the Dixiecrats, the Conservative Republicans abhorred segregation and racism as a principle but otherwise were Socially Conservative, Strict Constructionists when it came to the United States Constitution, and were vocally opposed to the New Deal programs and anything seen as socialistic.
That's not to mention up until the death of Robert Alphonso Taft Sr. in 1953, ideologically Conservative Republicans were mainly isolationists in regards to foreign affairs and just like with the League of Nations, they didn't want the U.S. to be in the United Nations nor get involved with world affairs.
However, the 'Conservative Coalition' in both chambers of Congress (the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate) was an unofficial Congressional coalition that brought together a conservative majority of the Republican Party and the conservative (mostly Southern) wing of the Democratic Party.
The coalition was dominant in Congress from 1937 to 1963 and remained a dominant political force until the mid-1990s when few Conservative Democrats remained in Congress, the Blue Dog Democrats. Yet most of their votes were on issues impacting labor unions.
The final footnote example is the Liberal Republicans, aka the 'Rockefeller Republicans' and 'the Eastern Establishment', who can be best described as being Liberal for Social Policy and either Fiscally Conservative or Moderately supportive of the New Deal Financially. A wing for businessmen of the East Coast more or less and the father of George H.W. Bush and grandfather of George Walker Bush: Prescott Sheldon Bush was one ideologically as was Mitt Romney's father: George Wilcken Romney.
Ultimately the overall decision of who to vote for in the primary and election was down to whether a person supported the New Deal or Not.
Thus, unlike today as a result of evolution in the 80s and 90s, politics in the U.S. wasn't exactly clear cut in the Post-War period and especially so during the 1960s when the so-called 'New Deal Coalition' was collapsing. I understand that it was quite a bit to process but the information is freely available if you wish to check it.
Still, the day where both Democrats and Republicans had the 'Big Tent' political policy of mishmashing social liberalism with fiscal conservatism and so on between rivaling intra-party factions in the United States is arguably ancient dust.
In fact, there is argument that John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Robert Francis Kennedy, if the brothers were somehow politically active today, would in all likelihood form a Third Party that is economically liberal but socially conservative in philosophy yet please don't take it as gospel as everything written here is ultimately guesswork based on what I have read from books, academic papers, and posts by fellow members on alternate history dot com.
Does it mean Republicans are better than Democrats principally or vice versa?
No. Not at all.
But it goes to show that while the political parties have changed somewhat considerably since the 1960s, at the same time arguably the so-called 'Party Switch' is possibly a complete fallacy and in fact a grave oversimplification, one which fuels misconceptions about both major political parties to this very day.
Ultimately however, I'll leave the actual Post-1960s (such as for example: the current "Sixth Party System" in the United States unlike the above full-blown explanation about the historic "Fifth Party System") political opinions up to the readers as:
1) I'm not going to discuss current issues, which while some of it can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, the majority internationally has been ongoing since the 1980s and 1990s.
But, for here, I was only JUST sharing what I have found out after reading for contextual reasons and it is just amazing how polarized the political situation has evolved (or devolved) into nowadays
AND
2) I'll be frank and admit that I personally am a Republican who had at one point considered changing his political affiliation with the Constitution Party but in no way I'm being biased here and as aforementioned you can fact check everything here for yourselves.
I actually urge readers, if they so choose, to research the subjects for themselves and your opinions / conclusions may very well respectfully differ from my own yet it is on the historic record that JFK did vote AGAINST the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
It is also on the historical record that Kennedy is the only Democratic President of the United States to date to also have been an official member of the National Rifle Association, LBJ did utter those racially charged words in a recorded phone call, and Barry Goldwater was a member of the NAACP and Desegregated the Arizona Air National Guard historically before President Harry S. Truman ordered the entire military to be desegregated.
Would the history of the United States be better off if Richard Nixon won in 1960 or Barry Goldwater in 1964? Or would it be better off if Hubert Humphrey defeated Nixon (Yes. Mister Watergate ran for President twice as he was Dwight D. Eisenhower's Vice President) in 1968 or Mondale defeated Reagan in 1980?
That is an answer that will forever remain untested but I'm only stating this after researching works, studies, and findings by, including but not limiting to, authors who are openly Liberal Democrats currently or Nonpartisan Independents.
Again, I only stated the facts here after feeling comfortable that the above statements are in no way biased, false, nor misleading and I do know people who, while they disagree with me politically and openly supported Bernie Sanders in 2016, can vouch for my sincerity in the above presentation here.
And I will be sure to list all of my exact sources once this story is completed so you, the readers, are aware of what works and articles I have used to help me format this as I'm perfectly willing to be open about it and won't hold anything back from you.
Now moving on before either someone decides to begin trolling after reading the above or someone thinks I'm attempting to start an actual political conversation despite explicitly stating that I was explaining the difference between political parties in the United States specifically compared to then and now in a historical context and also help answer what Liberal / Rockefeller Republicans and Dixiecrats are for clarification purposes were as an courtesy for those who were unaware:
I will let it be known that I'm going to have Earth be developed into a retro futuristic society to a tee as envisioned during the 1950s and early 1960s and I'm also exploring other avenues such as having a feasible African Union coming into existence and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics not collapsing at all.
While in this tale the mainstream culturally and socially for the U.S. is, I won't lie, is evolving into a more conservative direction, the United States of America is still only one sovereign nation among many after all and the Side-Story 'Tales of Forged Destinies' which is the Expanded Universe for 'Earth: A Rendezvous with Destiny' will delve more in-depth into what isn't presented here or explored further due to constraints.
And to be honest I will have to brush up the chapters that have been published in TFD and update the long-overdue spin-off even though I have been primarily focused on the main story, E:ARD, here yet you have my word that it will be updated even if not congruently nor frequently.
By the way, in case anyone was wondering, the title of this chapter was taken from the vintage record 'What's Come Over This World?' by Billy Carr and the song is available on YouTube.