Interlude II:
ANALYSIS: Anderson and Shepard were war heroes. Why are they now political punching bags?
By: Emily Wong
© Future Content Corporation, 2185 C.E
It probably isn't a good day to be David Anderson.
It also probably hasn't been a good day to be David Anderson for most of his still-young political career.
The naval officer and special forces operative-turned-politician has been at the apex of humanity's political power for two years, after an endorsement by Council Spectre—and protégé—Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard reportedly tipped the selection process in his favour. Anderson is quick to downplay the former statement, repeatedly telling journalists and commentators some variant of, "The Prime Minister calls the shots."
He's frequently mum about the second statement, however.
Questions about Councilor Anderson's relationship with Commander Shepard have reportedly been subject to intense scrutiny within the Alliance for just a hair over half a decade. But these questions have been given new life after Anderson's impromptu speech less than a week ago. Speaking to a room full of reporters, Anderson outlined what in any other context would have been a fascinating science fiction yarn about the late Commander's resurrection and subsequent undead rampage through at least two human colonies.
· AUDIO: Anderson addresses Shepard rumours, implicates Cerberus
The problems: nobody on Anderson's political staff knew he was making this speech, and enough video evidence exists to back up the claim that Commander Shepard is back, though not in a way that would be cause for celebration. A consensus has been reached by most political analysts: Anderson must have felt that the involvement of human supremacists group Cerberus wouldn't have seen airtime, and he is more than willing to risk—and prematurely end—his political career.
-Hearing that Anderson made speech sans-staff. People panicked and tried to get him off stage. Lots of people asking where Udina was and if all this got cleared with him. Rest of Council plans to make a statement "in due time."
—Nate Campbell (attaboynateANN)
Ensuring that information about Cerberus comes to light and risking an improbable political career aren't necessarily connected. In fact, for some critical voices, Anderson's willingness to throw political tact out the window to defend Shepard harken back to the questions over their supposed closeness that have existed since the Massacre on Torfan. The concerns voiced by these critics go both ways: there are worries that Shepard's meteoric rise is partially due to Anderson's clout, and there are concerns that more qualified candidates for the office of Councilor were passed over thanks to Shepard's recommendation.
Establishment figures focus on the aid Shepard may have given to Anderson.
The fringes of the political right focus on the aid Anderson may have given to Shepard.
Wexler's Waxing
A leading voice claiming that Shepard may have benefited from an improperly close relationship with Anderson is Joseph Wexler. Wexler is a former marine and a major figure in Terra Firma, Charles Saracino's formerly minor right-wing party. He's one of the few figures who survived Saracino's purges two years ago, and he credits his military background with providing him unique insight into the "Spectre Situation," as he calls it.
Analysts and elections experts credit Wexler for moving the party out of irrelevancy and into mainstream popularity.
"[Joe Wexler's] been critical of Shepard—indirectly, in the beginning, then more overtly after the Torfan massacre—for most of his political career, well before he officially joined Terra Firma," says Melanee Huntington, a political scientist at the U Thant School of Government on Arcturus Station. "That's been an asset for the party, because they can portray themselves as being consistent in their messaging. Most other political parties have flip flopped on Shepard and other military issues, so they look weak-willed or like vote chasers in comparison.
"It's a big reason why Terra Firma has seen an increase in popularity without having moderated its views all that much."
According to Wexler, the single greatest threat facing humanity is a military beset by political correctness. Preferential treatment and a desire to "look good" are interfering with the Alliance Navy's ability to win wars and defend colonies.
"All I'm saying is, if [Shepard] was a John instead of a Jane, we'd have a much different situation," Wexler stated in a recent interview with Westerlund's Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani. "I legitimately don't think we'd have a human Spectre at this point, least not with the name 'Shepard.'
"The fact we do has more to do with aggressive marketing. Frankly, I've never seen that sort of marketing pressure on any other sailor or marine before."
· Wexler ups attacks on "political correctness" in Navy, suggests Shepard's Spectre status the result of "marketing"
· Gerwig: This isn't the first time conservatives have attacked women in the military
Wexler has thus far avoided implicating Anderson directly in any alleged preferential treatment. When pressed, Wexler typically defaults to decrying a "cultural issue" within the Alliance Navy.
"Anderson's likely untouchable just due to his role in the First Contact War," Huntington says. "It's possible Wexler respects Anderson too much to drag him into the conversation, but it's more likely party policy at this point to not cast a negative light on any First Contact veterans. Not with how essential the iconography of Shanxi is to Terra Firma's identity."
Huntington adds that this is the one issue where Saracino seems willing to censure his own party members.
"Recall that Tabitha Legwand called out Anderson directly—with the typical dog-whistles about being a 'child of multiculturalism'—back when we found out the SSV Normandy was a joint human/turian endeavour. She ended up being dropped from the party the day after."
Legwand is currently challenging leader Saracino's seat in the next election, running for the "Real Terra Firma Party."
Pundits—especially from Westerlund's various outlets—have echoed Wexler's criticisms of a "cultural issue" within the Alliance Navy, though they have been more willing to point the finger directly at Anderson.
"What would you say to the accusation that David Anderson has been sheltering Commander Shepard for years?" al-Jilani asked Wexler during their recent interview.
Wexler, sounding significantly more diplomatic than at any other point that evening, merely replied: "If it was just a problem with a single person, we'd have solved it a long time ago, right?"
Regardless of where the problem supposedly lies, criticizing Shepard—a once inconceivable notion, especially right after the geth invasion of the Citadel—seems to be paying dividends. Terra Firma has steadily risen in the polls, while public support for Shepard has dropped off.
· SNAPSHOT: Sir Arnold Powell, the controversial – yet almost forgotten – founder of Terra Firma
"It might have more to do with the 'Reaper' talk than anything else," Huntington says. "Though Shepard's support amongst other Council races hasn't decreased much at all. She's still well-respected by the asari especially, likely because of her diplomatic demeanour. There's suggestive evidence, then, that Wexler and [Terra Firma] might have dented her armour.
"This was all before Anderson's announcement about Cerberus and her resurrection. I'd be curious to see the latest polls and what they say about all of this."
Morton's Fork
For politicians of a more establishment bent, there hasn't been the same resistance to pointing fingers. And those fingers appropriate the blame evenly between mentor and protégé.
Leading the charge is Robert Morton, Minister of Defense and member of Amul Shastri's Moderate Party. Like Wexler, he's been the most visible party member besides the leader, and he's also survived a number of purges.
· BREAKING: Shastri shuffles cabinet, takes back Natural Resources portfolio from Social Democrats
· ANALYSIS: How long do coalition governments last? Leading theory says we're already past due for a break-up
Unlike Wexler, though, he doesn't have a military background.
The way Morton talks, that's an advantage.
"What Anderson did [speaking to reporters], it's clear he didn't have the backing of his staff," Morton said when pressed for comment. "You consult your most seasoned advisors and, if you've chosen them correctly, they'll tell you to your face what a stupid idea something like this was. [Special Advisor to the Councilor] Donnell Udina is as seasoned has it comes, so the fact that Anderson went ahead and did this anyways tells me he's not bothering to utilize his staff.
"Maybe that works when all you're focused on is putting bullets in the heads of batarians, but politics requires a finer touch."
Morton then added: "Look at the Alliance Constitution sometime. Look at all the bloody jurisprudence we've subjected it to. Note the lack of any mention of asking commandos to pick our leaders. The founders may have been on to something, there."
The focus on procedure over content is likely intentional, says Erika Kim, the former Director of Communications for Ambassador Anita Goyle and a senior fellow at the Centre for Innovative Media Strategies.
"For one thing, Shastri needs Morton to be outspoken and bombastic, but not in a way that locks the Moderates into any policy commitments. Morton's not exactly hard-right, but he's been known to ruffle the feathers of the more centrist Moderates, and making policy commitments would only make that worse.
"And on the other hand, we know next to nothing about Cerberus. If Anderson's bringing them up, most Moderate Party strategists are probably telling MPs to avoid the topic in case what they say gets proven wrong within a week."
-issuing a correction on a previous post of mine, regarding the terror group Cerberus. you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them"
—wint4.0 (dril_lives)
Jagmeet Sindhu, who served in a similar capacity for Social Democratic Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Jasmine Gerwig, said the same thing in reference to the other half of the Coalition Government.
"The SocDems have a reputation for being soft on defense. If they say something about Cerberus that's inaccurate, that's only going to isolate them more from any defense-related talks.
"And despite Jasmine [Gerwig's] best efforts, most of the Alliance's intragalactic policy comes out of the Ministry of Defense, so that would put the party in an even more awkward position."
· ANALYSIS: Rogue agency? Billionaire's pet? Batarian psy-op? Experts divided on Cerberus' likely origins
All of this wrangling over messaging has been seized upon by Morton, who directs it back to Anderson and his inexperience.
"It took him how long, exactly, to appoint a Director of Communications? And after how many speeches on key topics of interest? I recognize such a thing isn't a pressing concern on the front, but it's an essential component of the day-to-day political machinery.
"We're all grateful for what Commander Shepard did," Morton added at his latest press briefing, "but you don't ask a plumber to recommend a five-star restaurant and you don't ask someone with a license to kill who the face of humanity is going to be. You're liable to get someone in charge whose main negotiating strategy is so much blunt-force trauma."
Neither the Deputy Minister of Defense nor the members of the Admiralty Board were available for comment.
The Road Ahead
All of this raises questions about how long Anderson can hold onto his job, though seemingly nobody is in a rush to offer themselves up as a replacement.
It also raises questions about Shepard's place in the Alliance, especially now that she's back and seemingly a far cry from the women who died over Alchera.
This in addition to a litany of questions over how, exactly, Shepard was brought back to life, and how Cerberus could afford the technology necessary to do it. Rumours persist that the salarians have been working on similar programs—and some of those rumours allege that Cerberus must have swiped the know-how from the salarian STG—but Sur'Kesh has yet to issue a single statement either way.
So far, the only organization to broach this topic is Sirta Foundation, who released a public statement lamenting both the pain Shepard's loved ones must be feeling and also the shadow her botched resurrection has cast over research into life extension and cellular regeneration. They have thus far resisted calls to use Cerberus as a wedge-issue for more funding. Some commentators have been less diplomatic.
· Don't let Cerberus scare people away from life-extension work, says Open Letter by biomedical practitioners
And churning away in the background is an open debate over the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, also known as the Spectres. Between Saren Arterius two years ago and Commander Shepard today, calls have been reignited to disband the office and increase accountability over Council-backed special operations.
This has been the one issue the Council has spoken out on.
"Absolutely out of the question," Councilor Sparatus told reports.
Whatever happens next, one thing is abundantly clear.
David Anderson likely hasn't felt this surrounded since turians first poured through the Shanxi-Theta Relay.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Wong is a producer and writer for Future Content Corporation and a presenter on its flagship newsmagazine program, Citadel NewsNet. Well-regarded for her investigative reporting, she's also applied her keen analytical mind to political trends and questions affecting Citadel Space. She is a frequent guest on the podcast Second Star to the Right and, when she can find the time, writes the educational blog Bushisms in SPACE!, dedicated to cataloguing the strangest sayings from politicians across the Alliance. She can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(thank you to Guest2023 for catching the relay slip-up; been corrected to Shanxi-Theta)