2007 continued—The American Party starts to fall apart also. Talk of another new party forming is the big news of the time. In July the American Party officially closes down, and some of its members join the Republican Party. However, a Convention of American Conservatives is planned for December, since many feel the Republican Party is too moderate.
Statehood for Cyprus and the Trucial States becomes a big issue. There is a big pro-statehood movement in each, but also a movement to join the UAR instead. Berlusconi announces that each OT will hold a referendum choosing USA or UAR. Some Americans travel to Cyprus and the TS to try to sell American statehood.
In the referendum, Cyprus votes for statehood by a margin of 81-19. In the Trucial States, however, the margin goes 52-48 against statehood and favoring admission into the UAR. The pro-US faction is devastated. The local government of Dubai, the only emirate of the TS that voted for US statehood, doing so by a huge margin. They announce that Dubai will join the union as a state and break away from the rest of the Trucial States. They contend that Dubai is larger than Rhode Island in area, larger than many states in population, and stronger economically than many states. President Berlusconi rebuffs them, saying that the TS have made their decision, though he comes under fire from many Americans, over two-thirds of whom believe that Dubai should be admitted as a state. In November the UAR decides to negioiate, and Berlusconi is shown in a bad light over the “Dubai Affair.”
In the treaty, the United States is given Dubai, which the UAR is kinda glad to get rid of, in exchange for some naval bases on Cyprus, and the rights of the annexation of Turkey when it stabilizes.
In December, the Convention of American Conservatives meets, but is terribly divided. Senator Rick Santorum of PA makes a name for himself by stressing conservative values, but it is voted not to make a new party.
Dubai and Cyprus join the US, bringing the total up to 239, and both are of a quite small population, compared to the recently admitted states.
2008—On the Republican ticket, Berlusconi announces that he won’t run for another term for president. His VP Denis Burke takes the nomination, choosing Santorum as his VP. Burke is seen as an enigma by most Americans, as he’s not particularly well-known, coming from the District of Northern Australia and staying mostly out of the limelight. The Socialists do indeed nominate Ralph Nader for president, along with his old friend Antonio Guterres of Portugal for VP. The new Democratic Party decides to nominate Mel Lastman, the sometimes off-color former mayor of Toronto whose leadership after the 9/11 attacks was exemplary. He announces his candidacy from the skyfloor of the rebuilt AN Tower, now standing 2001 feet tall. He chooses Pat Cox of Ireland to be his running mate. In October, Nader, realizing how close Burke is to winning decides to drop out and endorse Lastman. The left is finally united, and really feeling good about their odds of victory, but the polls are still dead close. People begin to speculate if the extremely close election of 2004 could possibly be repeated.
Before Election Day, polls with Lastman ahead in Midwestern North America and South Korea give the left cause to be optimistic, but early returns show Burke with strong returns in Southeast Asia and Africa put the death kneel in Lastman’s coffin. Burke is elected the 51st president of the US.
The left is totally demoralized…four elections in a row, and some close calls, but no victory. Berlusconi, and now is heir, Burke are running the country. Making it worse, John Kerry is defeated for reelection in the senate by Mitt Romney and falls into obscurity.
2009—Denis Burke is inauguarated as president. The International Space Station is now totally complete. Ralph Nader finally retires from politics, and Ohio senator Dennis Kucinich becomes the chief advocate of the Socialist Party. Burke announces that UESPA will begin the construction of a
space elevator. The Soviet/Chinese Space Station превосходство/優勢 becomes the base for a planned Soviet/Chinese lunar colony. Burke steps up the UESPA space program, to aim for its own lunar colony. On the 10th anniversary of the return to the moon, Burke signs the bill allowing for the construction of a lunar colony by 2015, a measure supported by almost all in Congress, even Kucinich. The USSR and China begin an official joint space program, known as RCSF, headquartered in Wuhan, with aims for a lunar colony.
In December the foundation for the space elevator is laid outside of Quito, Ecuador. Some staunch conservatives in Congress complain that it’s not even being built in the US, and that the US is acquiescing to other UESPA nations, despite being by far its biggest contributor.
2010—RCSF puts a eight-man crew on the moon after a stop at превосходство/優勢, a number much higher than the US space missions ever had. Much progress is made on the CFR space elevator, though there is much worry as the USAR appears to be falling apart. The regional governor of Paraguay is assassinated in July, and vagabonds terrorize Asuncion for 18 hours before being contained. The mayor of Cuzco, Peru, puts the town under martial law after similar unrest occurs. By November, an official terrorist organization, wanting to go back to Communist control, terrorizes some of the USAR. Many fear for the safety of the space elevator.
Turkey officially joins the UAR.
2011—The CFR meetings have one major item of discussion: the deteoriating stability of the USAR. President Burke and Argentine president Guares offer to send troops into the area, and if the inhabitants want it, annexation. On April 18, Communist rebels pour into several major cities of the USAR and burn down government buildings. President Janez and many other government officials are shot dead. President Burke sends thousands of troops into Ecuador to guard the space elevator construction site, and Argentina sends troops into Paraguay to “maintain order.” An ambassador from China remarks that if China did that, the US would’ve gone nuts. Regardless, Argentina is successful at “maintaining order.” American troops maintain order in Ecuador and Peru, and the USAR maintains an uneasy stability.
House reapportment sees gains in Africa and losses in Europe, though no real ground gained for any party.
Dennis Kucinich is the only Socialist to announce a run for the presidency for the 2012 election. A few Democrats announce, including Anote Tong of East Pacifica and Nancy Pelosi of California, but none really ignite the party’s base. In December, Kucinich announces that he’ll be seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party as well, and under the combined banner of the Socialist and Democratic Parties, he’s confident he can bring down “16 Years in the Wrong Direction.”
2012—The USAR begins to fall apart when Bolivia secedes in January. No longer connected, the government of Paraguay falls and declares itself an independent Marxist republic on February 2, claiming the Brazilian jungles with it. Burke and Guares step up the number of troops and move into Paraguay. The country descends into anarchy. As Kucinich blazes through the Democratic primaries, he hits Burke on this.
Peru and Ecuador decide to finally dissolve the USAR and go their separate ways. Ecuador moves into close ties with the US, and seeks annexation. Burke signs a treaty bringing it into the US as a state effective January 1, 2013. The Reelect Burke/Santorum machine cranks up again, but from the get-go the chances look doubtful. The Republicans have won four consecutive elections; can they eek out another? Kucinich, perhaps remembering how East Pacifica decided things against Kerry 8 years before, chooses Gov. Tong as his running mate. The Kucinich/Tong ticket picks up steam in many areas. On Election Day a difference of 4% in the popular vote turns into an electoral trouncing, as Kucinich more than doubles Burke’s total of electoral votes, winning quite a few former Republican stronghold states, including a total sweep of Southeast Asia.
In Burke’s lame duck period he negotiates a treaty with the non-Communist faction of Paraguay to aid militarily and help maintain order in the country.
2013—Ecuador becomes a state on January 1. Kucinich is inaugurated on January 21, and announces a bold new plan of high government spending (and higher taxes) that will drastically improve the quality of life for US citizens, especially in the vast impoverished areas. He also steps up the space program, and calls for the space elevator to be completed by the end of the year. Some Americans tremble at his new plan, while others rejoice. Either way, the USA has entered a new era.
~to be continued~
