The Fall: A Country on Fire

By Clifford Reopel

Financial instability beguiles anger, and anger beguiles war!
The United States is under attack. Unrest lies around every corner.
The fall of the United States was bound to happen; they just did not know "the fall" comes from within.
Economic unrest, the national debt, an ineffective, deceptive government, and two men crash the strongest country in the world.
How did the United States fall to its knees?
How did one stronghold become five separate countries?
In 2023 it begins.
The better question is not when but how does it end?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504969512

Clifford Reopel

Clifford Reopel was born in Western Massachusetts. He moved to North Carolina in 1993 with his parents and brother. After graduating high school, he earned an associate’s degree in architecture from Forsyth Technical Community College. He is currently working as a crew chief for his father’s company. In his spare time, he likes watching movies and reading Tom Clancy novels. He wrote “The Fall: A Country on Fire” because he was interested in developing a back story to all the books and movies that reference the fall of the United States. He wanted to shed light in his own way on how the United States could fall. This is his debut novel. He currently lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with his wife and son.

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Prologue

April 14, 2023

United States Capitol

Washington, D.C.,

7:58 PM EST

The twenty-thousand-plus protesters outside had been yelling slogans like EVERY PROMISE UNKEPT IS JUST ANOTHER LIE and JUST KEEP ONE PROMISE for weeks on end. All these protests started in Austin, Texas one year after Owen Jackson was elected to the office of the President of the United States in a landslide victory over then-President Thomas Anderson. President Anderson took over after President Connor Grayson and the vice President were impeached and several members of Congress were expelled. The charge for the impeachment proceedings was premeditated mass murder and abuse of their power. However, if President Grayson had not deployed troops to Iraq, Syria and Turkey to stop the ISIS radical terrorist network, no one would have been impeached at all. Unfortunately, the President did deploy the troops. The war lasted eight weeks, but all the U.S. troops stationed in those three countries were ordered to stay to Quell any further violence in the area as President Grayson said in a statement that was broadcast on the evening news channels.

Walking in the tunnel beneath the street, President Jackson was thinking about everything that had happened to bring him to this point. He was on his way to the House of Representatives to tell the people exactly what he had found out in the last two years. Of course, he could hear the loud yet muffled chanting of the protesters outside and he knew that what he had to say would only anger them more.

But the truth had to be known. His speechwriter had done her usual excellent job, but Owen decided that a more personal touch was needed. It was not uncommon for him to collaborate with her on the final draft of a speech and this case was no different. The people of the United States deserved an explanation for what he was about to tell them. As Owen thought back he remembered what had happened in Syria….

2015

Syria

The troops not only stayed, but also grew restless with just waiting for something to happen. After three months of squashing several very minor uprisings in their areas, the senior officers started to wonder what they were still doing there. They had received no order to withdraw and no order to advance. As a matter of fact, there had been no orders at all in the last two months. Two weeks later the troops under their command started shooting anyone who approached their positions. Syria was still in a state of civil war that existed before ISIS came to the country.

After that it all seemed to happen so fast. The troops were growing desperate and supplies were running low. One night a squad of soldiers led by Lieutenant Peter Wheeler went out without orders and raided a small village for supplies—not a lot, just enough to last a week. When the base commander saw the supplies he asked where they had come from and Lieutenant Wheeler replied that a village two clicks away had donated them. Colonel Brandon Montel nodded and walked back to the command center. After two more raids Lieutenant Wheeler started to be celebrated as a hero on the base and his ego started to swell. The Colonel had started to suspect that something was going on. He was about to question the Lieutenant about the supplies when the Syrian military launched a heavy artillery barrage against the base. Colonel Montel was killed along with all of the senior staff. Lieutenant Wheeler was responsible for ending the siege. Being the only surviving officer, he took command with a new mission in mind.

Wheeler contacted the other three U.S. bases in the area and discovered that he was the only senior officer that remained in Syria. He told the others that until orders came in from Washington, they would have to do what was necessary to survive. If that meant outright fighting then so be it. He had six thousand three hundred and thirty-four troops at his command and he needed to save as many of them as possible in the war torn country. Wheeler was concerned that if the Syrian military attacked the bases again while their supplies were low, there was a good chance that all the U.S. troops would be slaughtered.

At first the operations started out small and no civilians were injured, but as time went on things changed. Wheeler promoted himself to Colonel at first and created the Syrian Alliance Force (SAF). As time passed and the amount of victories grew, he promoted himself to Lieutenant General and promoted his subordinates accordingly. He began to work with anyone who was willing to fight against the Syrian government—including any forces known to the United States as enemy forces operating in Syria.

By mid-October 2015, Wheeler was instrumental in taking apart the Syrian government once and for all. With the fall of the last major city held by the Syrian government, a meeting was held with the senior members of the SAF. At that meeting, a vote was held and Lieutenant General Wheeler was appointed to Five Star General of the SAF. Unfortunately the road to that point was long and bloody. Many of the freedom fighters in Syria worked with him jointly on many operations. Some were working separately. Any group that opposed him and his allies were slaughtered outright. When he entered Damascus on October 31st, he had twenty seven thousand six hundred thirty-four men behind him and only a handful of Syrian military troops in front of him. He was the first to open fire on troops standing in front of him. His example inspired his men and his troops followed his lead killing any Syrian troops they found. He walked into the Presidential palace and found President Sahir al-Diri in his office flanked by his two most trusted military advisors. Wheeler did not ask for surrender as he pulled his service pistol and quickly shot the advisors, then pointed his pistol at the President and pulled the trigger one last time.

The ability to kill without remorse did not happen easily. Wheeler had lost all compunction for killing people two months after assuming command of the remaining American troops in Syria. It happened in a small village when he was the last survivor of what should have been a simple operation. The villagers had been informed that there would be a raid by an informant. As soon as Wheeler and his men arrived, the villagers attacked. Within minutes of entering the village, his team had been killed. Wheeler could not let the killers go without punishment, so he killed all the men, women and children in the village that had tried to stop them except one. The last of the villagers died slowly after giving up all the information they had on how they knew that he and his team were coming to the village. He then went and killed the man who leaked the information.

With Syria now under his control, he moved on to other things. He went to reunite with U.S. troops in Iraq and found that they wanted nothing to do with him. He then tried doing the same with the troops in Turkey only to get the same response. Upset by the response he received, he decided to declare war on the U.S. troops in Turkey and Iraq.

Back in Washington, President Grayson became upset with the news of Wheelers declaration. He had watched while the Syrian government was destroyed and did nothing because it did not affect the people of the United States. But with this declaration against U.S. troops in Iraq and Turkey he had to act. While in conference with the vice President and several members of Congress, they all agreed that this needed to end quickly. Unfortunately, Wheelers exact location in Damascus was unknown so the easiest way to kill him was to smuggle a nuclear weapon into Damascus and detonate it while Wheeler was there. There were a few objections at first, but seeing as how Wheeler was starting to fight with U.S. troops he needed to be stopped. And so a secret plan was put into motion. They hoped that, with Wheeler gone the fighting would end and free elections would take place in Syria.

They were wrong.

On November 12, 2015, Damascus ceased to exist. A giant mushroom cloud filled the sky on that clear day and some two million unfortunate people lost their lives. A few days’ later, reports came out that pointed to the weapon being made in the United States and congressional hearings were scheduled. Those few who initially objected to the secret plan but ultimately went along with it testified to the accuracy of the weapon reports. As a result of the testimony, President Grayson and the vice President were impeached and dismissed from serving in any official capacity. The Congressional members involved with the plan were expelled from Congress and also barred from serving in any official capacity. A quick election took place shortly after and Senator Anderson was elected.

In Syria, Wheeler was seen as a martyr and the SAF continued the fight in his name. As a result, the U.S. military funding was increased to put an end to the SAF. President Anderson ultimately doubled the national debt in order to pay for the invasion of Syria to end the SAF threat. The fighting lasted almost five years. In the end, thirteen million Syrians and two hundred thousand American soldiers lost their lives, and the country was left in ruins. After President Anderson ordered the withdrawal of the remaining American troops, different Middle Eastern countries moved in and annexed various pieces of the country.

The Damascus blast zone would be radioactive for several hundred years and therefore was left untouched. Within a year, the country of Syria was almost totally gone with the exception of a small region in the southern area of the Ar Raqqah Province. In the spring of 2021, the small residual government of that region fell into disarray and Turkey took over control of the area.

1

April 14, 2023

House of Representatives

United States Capitol

Washington D.C.,

8:00 PM EST

These things always seem to start a little late. Everyone was seated by eight PM, but the President was nowhere to be found. With every seat filled in the chamber, the Speaker of the House stood up and walked to the podium to make his announcement. The chamber fell silent. As he looked out over the crowd, he could tell everyone in the chamber was asking the same question, What are we doing here? It’s not the night of the State of the Union address, so why was the President so insistent that he speak to everyone tonight. All the T.V., radio stations and social media outlets were to broadcast this event for everyone in the country to hear, something that hadn’t happened in recent history. The President must have called in a lot of favors to arrange all of that bandwidth. It was certainly not something that had happened in modern history and the Speaker was intrigued to find out what was going on.

Regardless of what that was, Speaker Ronald Willis had a job to do and he would do it. He positioned the microphone and said, Ladies and gentlemen of Congress, invited guest and all fellow Americans, it is my pleasure to be here with you tonight on this occasion. I would like to invite my good friend to come to the podium and address the nation. I present to you the President of the United States, Owen Jackson.

As the President walked in from the right side of the chamber he shook hands with several congressional members. As he stepped up on the podium, he shook hands with the vice President and Speaker Willis. He turned around and looked first at the teleprompter quickly and then at the people in the room.

My fellow Americans, I know that I promised to do something about the huge national debt that has weighed down this country since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. I also know that the country has been waiting for my response with growing impatience. Well, let me assure the American public now that I have done something about it. I have heard the people all across the country that have rallied and protested about this issue. Ten days after I assumed the office of the President of the United States, I directed Treasury Secretary Molly Gavin to tell me how much the U.S. Government actually owes, and to whom we owe it. It took her a little more time than expected to gather all of the information, but what she told me was not only astounding, it was also illuminating.

The President then pressed a button on a keypad that was mounted on the podium, and a large projection screen rolled down behind him to his left and a projector started up in the rear of the chamber.

What I am about to show you is exactly what the Treasury Secretary presented to me. Many of you are aware of the federal debt clock in New York City—if you are not, let me show it to you.

With the press of another button, an image of the debt clock appeared on the screen and showed the number scrolling up at an alarming rate starting at $34,684,348,967,187.

"That, my fellow Americans, is what you believe the national debt to be. However, that’s not the true number. The true number is much worse."

Owen pushed a series of buttons and the clock changed. Again the projector showed the clock, only the number had changed, drastically. The new number, still scrolling up was $49,213,697,554,231.

The entire room fell silent, after a few seconds a journalist in the back of the chamber did a low-pitched whistle. Next the members of Congress started talking amongst themselves, and later the finger-pointing as members of each party blamed the other party for the huge national debt.

The President raised his hands to silence the crowd.

Please, let me finish. As you can see, this number is extremely discouraging. Of this amount, we owe the most of it to China—some twenty-one trillion. We owe France about seven trillion, Great Britain almost twelve trillion, and we owe Germany nearly four trillion. We owe the remaining five trillion to various countries in small amounts and to private U.S. companies and investors.

Another low rumble fell over the floor along with the entire finger-pointing associated with it. Again the President raised his hands and the room fell silent.

"After conferring with Secretary Gavin, we have agreed that this information is accurate to the last detail. Secretary Gavin has informed me that, based on our currently foreseeable budgets and revenues, it will be impossible to repay all our debts to these countries. So I have been working with her on optional ways to reduce our debt at a much faster rate, and eliminate it once and for all. Unfortunately, all the options are extreme.

The first option involves raising tax rates. The problem with raising tax rates is that we would have to raise them to about fifty percent of everyone’s gross income, and even that would not totally solve our problem. This option also involves closing all loopholes in the tax system for everyone, including corporations. Any corporation that would move its headquarters out of the country to get a lower tax rate would be fined heavily. That fine would be equal to what the company would pay in taxes if the company was to remain in the country plus a twenty percent interest charge. This option would obviously anger everyone in the country and basically make everyone poor.

The next option would be to add new territories as new states of the Union, thus adding more population to provide more tax revenues to our government. The problem with that is once a territory becomes a state, we would have to protect that state. We would need to add a population of about one hundred million people, comprising of one or two states, from territories with a current physical infrastructure that is close to our standards. That way, it would not cost much to bring the new states into compliance with our federal requirements.

The third option would be to turn back the clock on what the government does for the people. The government was originally set up to do two things: to pass and execute just laws under a Republican form of government and to protect its citizens from invasion from outside threats. Over time the government took over other responsibilities. In order to maintain an effective government, the executive branch would be reduced to four departments: state, treasury, justice and defense. All other responsibilities would be returned to the states, where they belong. This would reduce the amount of funds needed to keep the government running and help pay down the debt in the most efficient way.

The forth option would be to reduce the size of the Congress and the amount of compensation paid to all three branches of the federal government as follows.

1. While the number of senators for each state would remain at two, the number of representatives would be fixed at three. This means that states that have less than three representatives would be increased to maintain equality. To prevent career politicians, no member of congress would be allowed to serve no more than two full terms.

2. The base annual salary for senators would be reduced from $295,000 to $115,000. The base salary for representatives would go from $286,000 down to $100,000. Additional annual pay for all leadership offices in both chambers would be reduced in a similar fashion.

3. The annual salary for the President would be reduced from $625,000 to $300,000; the salary for the vice President and all cabinet members would be reduced similarly.

4. All Supreme Court justices would receive similar cuts in annual salary.

5. Finally, all elected and non-elected federal government officials would be required, under the laws of the Affordable Care Act, to purchase their own health insurance, just like everyone else in America must do.

Obviously, adopting all the changes in the fourth option would not make a very large change in annual government expenditures when compared to the overwhelming national debt. In order to make a larger change, we would also need to incorporate significant parts of the first three options."

A thunderous laugh rose up from the chamber. The President heard things like Good luck with that, we just overrode your veto for the raises, and That will never happen. To this the President raised his hands again, looked directly at the camera and said, Very well, I will show the American people a closer look at what Congress has done that justifies these raises. He pressed some buttons on the keypad and an image of a document showed on the screen replacing the national-debt clock.

"Since I have taken office, Congress has sent twenty-two pieces of legislation to my desk. Of those, I have signed just three into law. Those three have been the Veterans Affairs Bill, the Infrastructures Improvement Bill and the Social Security Management Bill. All three of these were for the betterment of the American people and I applaud the Congressional leaders for sending me these bills. As I heard some of you state, Congress overrode my veto giving us all a raise. That bill was one of nineteen that I vetoed because it did nothing for the people of the United States.

I have also compiled a list of what Congress has talked about while in session and the list is appalling. I have been in office since January 20, 2021, and Congress was in session for one hundred twenty-seven days during my first year, drafting eleven of the first pieces of legislation that made it to my desk. In the second year, you worked for one hundred two days to send me eight pieces of legislation. That means that, for this year so far, you have sent three to my desk. In the second year, sixty-two percent of the time you spent working had been reading the paper just so you could say you were working, and that is a matter of public record. This year has been a little bit different. You have actually worked hard for eighty-four percent of the time on the three bills I actually signed into law. The other sixteen percent has been spent reading the paper.

To say that Congress has done little to nothing for the American people is an understatement, and I am extremely discouraged about the lack of effort produced from this body to do what your districts’ citizens pay you to do. If you think that this amount of ‘work’ justifies a raise, then I think Congress has been away from private employment far too long."

Taken aback by what the President just presented, there were some quiet conversations; but most of Congress just sat there quietly and glared at the President. Again the President raised his hands to bring the meeting to order for one last time.

"The last option is probably the most drastic of them all. We would dissolve the United States of America. Each state would have time to review and update its own constitution before the dissolution; but each state would, at that time, become its own country. U.S. military personnel and equipment would be allocated to each state based on population.

Judging by the looks of horror around the room, I can tell nobody wants that. However, I can promise you all this: If Congress cannot reach a decision by the end of April on a plan using the first four options that eliminates the national debt within five years, I will make the decision for you quickly—I guarantee neither of you will like the results."

At first the crowd was silent. Then, as the President left the podium and started walking to exit the chamber the same way he came in, the silence wore off and everyone started yelling at the President’s back. He did not turn around, nor did he halt or pause his step—he just kept walking out of the chamber.

President Owen Jackson had just finished his speech, and everyone outside had been watching and listening carefully to what he was saying. As they watched him leave the House chamber, they all witnessed the screams and yells of the people inside on the T.V. screens and the large speakers that had been set up outside the Capitol for the broadcast. After the President left the chamber, the people changed their chants from JUST KEEP ONE PROMISE to MAKE A DECISION, QUICKLY! and from EVERY PROMISE UNKEPT IS JUST ANOTHER LIE to CONGRESS HAS LIED TO US ALL ALONG! It did not take long for the first person in the crowd to cross the police line and start fighting with a pro-government supporter. That individual yelled at an anti-government supporter that THE GOVERNMENT WILL PROTECT US AS THEY HAVE ALL ALONG! Pretty soon it was a mob fight, and the riot police which had been patiently waiting in front of the crowd moved in to break it up. As soon as that happened, the fight got a lot bigger as the crowd thought they were going to be arrested. As the violence grew, people from both groups stormed the Capitol Building. The Secret Service began shooting the protestors from the roof and from inside the building. It did not take long for the protestors to reach the building and overwhelm the Secret Service at the entrance. Once inside however, they found members of the elite Marine Barracks inside the building.

2

April 15, 2023

The White House

Oval Office

Washington D.C.,

9:21 AM EST

President Jackson was sitting at his desk, reading the official report on the violence spawned by his address to Congress and the nation the preceding night. Sitting in the Oval Office with the President was his Chief-of-Staff, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by special invitation the admiral of the Coast Guard. The others normally present at this type of meeting were on other assignments around the country and could not make it back in time. They were all waiting patiently for the President to finish reading the report. Of the twenty-thousand-plus protestors that attended, three hundred sixty-eight were killed, according to the local hospitals some four thousand five hundred were wounded and two thousand three hundred seventy-one were arrested. Across the country however, the results were much worse: twenty-eight thousand four hundred fifteen dead, over ninety thousand wounded and sixty-seven thousand two hundred thirty-six arrested. As he was reading it, he got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had always sensed it, even as he running for President, but now he knew it: he would be the last President of the United States of America.

Much of the violence had been quelled overnight, but some areas were still fiercely being fought over. Austin, Detroit, Charlotte, San Francisco, and New York City were all still under siege. The protestors had dug in and were fighting the police and the military wherever they were. Some of the protestors, themselves, were in the military or in the police force, which is why the fighting had continued.

The President looked up from the report and said, Well, that went well. Any comments General Davis.

General Bryan Davis of the United States Marine Corps and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs looked at his President and replied, We advised you not to do this conference Mister President. However, what is done is done. I have marines fighting protestors who are backed up by multiple branches of the military and police force, Sir. This is not a good thing. If you ask the military to move in on the protestors you will be throwing out about a dozen laws, not to mention the U.S. Constitution. Of course, we could always say that the protestors started using military grade weapons, but we would have to prove that.

As the President looked around the room, he could tell that the others present all felt that making such a statement would cross the line. What about a cease fire that would give Congress time to make a decision? Do you think they could by the end of the month Jerry?

The Presidents Chief-of-Staff, Jerry Spalding, just looked at the rug on the floor, embroidered with the Seal of the President of the United States of America, and said Mister President, I don’t think there is any way it will happen. The American workers will revolt before giving up fifty percent of their income, the states will not accept turning back the clock and suddenly taking on all those responsibilities—Congress will not allow you to reduce their numbers or their salaries. Finding new states will not work and you knew that before you even said it. You also must have known that the last option was never going to be approved by any sane person. My question, Mister President, with all due respect, is, ‘Why did you even mention that one at all?’

With all due respect Jerry, you are correct. I knew nothing I said would be acceptable. As for the last one, it may be the only way to save us in the end.

Everyone in the room looked at the President when he said that, but no one said anything until Admiral Robert Maxwell of the United States Coast Guard said Sir? It was a very unusual thing seeing as how when he was there he hardly ever spoke unless spoken to.

The President stood up, walked around his desk and perched himself on the corner of it. He grabbed a remote control and hit a couple of buttons. From a recess in the ceiling, a set of layered maps lowered sequentially into view. The first was a map of the world, then a map of North America and finally, a map of the continental United States.

The President picked up a laser pointer and said, As the protests have spread, I asked several think tanks to make some projections based on the population of the country. Using the laser pointer, he put a dot on Austin, Texas. "The first protests started in Austin, Texas as we all know. It spread west before it spread east. As we all know, Texas is an economically powerful state with a good military influence. However, if you combine Texas with New Mexico, Arizona and California then that is something not even our military can stop, given our already diminished ranks and low public opinion from the conflicts of Afghanistan, Iraq and most recently Syria. It is projected that that group will eventually take over the entire west coast up into Colorado if we try to fight them. If we don’t, then we will only lose maybe a couple of states.

I’m not worried about the Canadians moving south—they never wanted anything to do with us in any event—but they may take Alaska. The center of our country will eventually fall apart into individual states that want to protect their own interests. The east coast is the problem. It may be in for many years of bloody war as old rivalries start anew.

Now I know what you are thinking: ‘If we act now, none of this will happen.’ But think about what happened back on April 19, 1775. Americans stood up and fought the redcoats with no commander, no organization, no understanding of what they were doing or how it would change history. They did it for their homes and their freedom. Ever since the day we signed the Constitution of the United States of America, we have been slowly decimating the document, piece by piece, until it would now be unrecognizable to those who worked so hard to create it. Maybe this is the best thing for us. Another shot heard ‘round the world could lead to good things, don’t you think?"

Sir, said Jerry, I would never presume to debate you once you have made your mind up, but I think that is a long and bloody road you want to go down.

I know, said the President, but something needs to change, otherwise, what will be left is nothing at all. Every country that we owe money to has been screaming in my ear for the last few months looking for something. We have not paid a dime to any of them for seven years. They either want their money or they will invade us and take everything that is left. If you haven’t noticed gentlemen, our global influence has diminished since Syria and though we are still a ‘superpower’ we are quickly losing that title in the view of the world.

What’s to stop them once the government is gone, Sir? Bryan asked.

"Before the government disappears, we will pay off the French, the Germans and the British. As a matter