End of the Beginning: Chapters 26 & 27
Chapter 26: September 19th (Sunday)
New York City, U.N. Building 6am
President Hufang had made a habit of personal addresses to the Chinese people, greatly increasing his support among the population. This would be the most important address though, as he asked for a recommitment to the vision of the pioneers of the Communist Party while also asking for the sacrifices needed to meet the emission reduction goals. For the address to be delivered from the United Nations building in New York, after the momentous Security Council vote, only added to the sense of occasion. He had thoroughly prepared and repeated his speech many, many times. Now was the moment of truth.
“My fellow Chinese compatriots, I speak to you this evening from the United Nations building in New York City. It has been a momentous few days, as the international community has come together to combat the greatest threat to our civilization; that of climate change. Over the past two decades our nation has set a great example to the world by showing that we can continue our march to prosperity for all while reducing our carbon emissions. We are respected throughout the world, and China has taken its rightful position as a leader within the international community.” He looked solemnly into the camera for a few seconds, as he thought about the millions at home watching his message.
“Through the fundamental structural reforms and far-sighted planning of the past few five-year plans, and the great exertions of all of you, we are well prepared for the measures agreed to by the Security Council. There will be short-term sacrifices required to meet the immediate reductions in emissions, but these will be small compared to the threat that will be averted. It is through our cohesion and solidarity that we have gained so much in the past decades, it is through that cohesion and solidarity that we will emerge victorious from this challenge. We must all work with commitment and humility for the common good of China. We must also maintain social fairness and justice as we meet the challenges ahead of us. The strict discipline of the Communist Party will be used to strike down any of the tigers, and swat the flies, of corruption and freeloading.” Again, he took a few seconds to allow for his words to sink in.
“Our nation has an illustrious history as a leader of nations, and an example of greatness and progress to the rest of the world. We stand at an historic moment where we can do justice to our ancestors, and achieve an even greater future for our nation and our children. During this year we solemnly celebrated the 111th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, and it is also the 96th anniversary of the Long March by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. We must remember those pioneers, and their aspirations for a fair and decent society for all. The Communist Party of China is fully committed to that vision of our future, and I ask all of you to recommit yourselves to that vision. A moderately prosperous society that is both fair and decent, and respects the limits that the Earth places upon us.”
“Comrades and friends, we will not dim our commitment to achieving a prosperous and happy future for all. We must see this challenge as a great opportunity to show our communal strength, solidarity, focus and creativity in fashioning a prosperous, just and sustainable society. If all 1.4 billion of us work with one heart, and with a united and shared set of aspirations from top to bottom, we will be invincible. We are one family in a united nation, and also part of the human family. We are committed to helping others also reach a prosperous and happy future, especially those still troubled by war, disease, disaster and poverty. We must show our generosity to others, as any member of a family should, and uphold a vision of a community of common destiny for mankind; for a more peaceful and prosperous future for all. Let us welcome this new future with confidence, high hopes, and generosity. Thank you all.”
New York City, U.N. General Assembly 10am
Molefe proudly walked up to the lectern to address the General Assembly, as the cameras of the world pointed toward him. He took a sip of water and composed himself for the most important speech of his life. The clicking of cameras died away and the room became silent.
“With this resolution the Security Council has made a historic leap in securing the future safety of humanity and in redefining what security is. In our interconnected world no country can despoil the environment without taking into account the concerns of the global community. A refusal to take action on the carbon pollution of the climate will be treated as just as much an aggressive act against the international community as would a military attack upon one of its members. The full force of the Security Council will be brought against those that endanger our global community through such a refusal to take action. The unanimity of this decision underlines the commitment that the Security Council to take the measures required, and discipline those that fail to fulfill their responsibilities. We will only succeed if we act as one, there can be no freeloading when it come to the challenges ahead of us … ”
Washington, D.C., Russian Embassy Building 11am
President Yazov walked up to the podium situated in the Russian Embassy; he paused for a moment and then looked into the camera:
“Citizens of Russia, I speak to you tonight from the Russian Embassy in Washington. A few months ago Russian scientists alerted the world to the need for radical action to combat climate change. Your government took a leading role in pulling together the international community to agree on the actions that are required to protect our civilization. These actions will require sacrifices and the overcoming of significant challenges, but our great nation has shown its ability to emerge victorious many times. In such times we show our true strength, by coming together as one to overcome whatever threatens our great motherland.” Holding both sides of the podium, he looked through the camera to the citizens back home in Russia.
“Over the past decade we have made great strides in our move beyond the dependency on fossil fuels, and those strides have created a strong base from which to move forward. I would like to thank you all for those achievements and the understanding and trust that you have shown in my leadership during these difficult times. We possess a vast country with huge resources, which stretches from the middle of Europe to the shores of Asia. We are in a unique position to show leadership in this move to a sustainable future and to help others along their path to sustainability.”
“We stand at a crossroads, in one direction is a difficult transition to a better future, in the other is a future of increasing crises and disasters that will overwhelm and destroy our homeland. We must choose the first path, as a duty to our ancestors that have protected this great homeland and to our children; to give them a future with the freedom and prosperity that we ourselves enjoy. I ask for your support and commitment to that first path, and a journey in which I am sure that we will surprise ourselves by what we are truly capable of when we come together as a nation, as one people with one heart and one purpose.”
“I wish continued peace and prosperity to our common great homeland, Russia. I look forward to our future great achievements and the future that we will make together. Goodnight, and thank you.”
Washington D.C., The White House 6pm
“One more run through should do it Mr. President” stated the director as they rehearsed the message to be broadcast that evening. Ashbridge was happy, he was getting the rhythm of the speech right. He just needed to tweak the emotional level in some parts.
Washington D.C., The White House 8:59pm
It was time; the teleprompters were ready, the lighting perfected and the cameras pointed. Ashbridge breathed deeply as he calmed himself and the director counted him down.
“Good evening, my fellow Americans. Over the past few months is has become apparent that our nation’s journey, and the journey of human civilization as a whole, has reached a fork in the road. For ten thousand years, we have flourished upon the nurturing Earth that was provided to us, our very own Garden of Eden. With its’ support together with the combination of fossil fuels, science and technology, we have been able to reach previously undreamt of heights. Raising countless millions from the despair of hunger and infectious disease, adding decades to the average person’s lifespan, sending men to the moon. With these accomplishments though we have also grown arrogant and forgotten how dependent upon this Earth we are; arrogant enough to talk about ‘saving the Earth’. The Earth does not need saving by us, it will continue on its travels with or without us. It has put up with our arrogance and despoilment, but the time has come where it has run out of patience. We must leave the arrogance and hubris of youth behind and accept the humility and acceptance of limits that is a mark of true adulthood. If we reject this path and continue upon our present ways we will push the Earth to respond on a colossal scale that will both overwhelm and destroy us. All of our accomplishments will have been but a flickering in time which we ourselves helped extinguish, removing the hopes for our children’s futures.”
“Scientists talk about ‘runaway climate change’ when the giant upon which we live stirs in response to our insults and moves on; on to a much hotter climate with much higher sea levels, much less predictable and stable weather patterns, much greater storms and droughts. The giant is now stirring, and we only have a short amount of time before we will be unable to slow the giant’s movement. Earlier this year, scientific and policy representatives of the major nations met in New Zealand and thrashed out the drastic actions required to limit the damage. Yes, even with drastic actions there will be damaging effects that are not reversible in our lifetimes. Perhaps not even our children’s. These actions include immediate reductions in carbon emissions together with what scientists call the ‘geo-engineering’ of the climate to reduce the amount of heat taken in from the Sun and to take carbon dioxide out of the air and store it in the soils. This is the reality that we face, and the international community has come together as one in an historic agreement to take those drastic actions.”
“As a nation we have faced many challenges and have always prevailed; this challenge is no different. We will be a shining light to the rest of the world in how a nation can raise itself above individual interests and come together for the good of the country, and for the future of its’ children. There will be significant sacrifices along the way and these sacrifices will be shared equitably; there will be no place for those that attempt to shirk their responsibilities to their fellow citizens. There will be no shortage of work required to retool our great nation for a low-carbon future and everyone will be able to find work building that future; a future that we can be proud of, a future of greater respect for our Earth and our neighbours, a future that we will bequeath our children. I call upon every citizen to reach out to their neighbours and their wider community to come together as one in what will be a great challenge, but will also be a journey of new discovery and growth. I know that we as a country are up to the challenge. God bless you all, God bless this great nation, God bless America!”
The director held up his thumb to both show his approval and to mark the end of the broadcast. Ashbridge breathed a sigh of relief, content that he had done what he could. Now it was up to the American people to respond.
Chapter 27: September 20th (Monday)
Washington D.C., The White House 10am
Michael Richardson was not a happy man; he was beginning to understand that the President was becoming much more independent than he and his fellow financiers and businesspeople were comfortable with. As he read through the executive orders his concerns deepened. The fact that the President had sent Richard Evans to inform him of the changes, rather than review them with him in person beforehand, left a bad taste in his mouth.
“This puts me in a very bad position with respect to my associates Richard” he stated calmly as he subsumed his annoyance “they do not like surprises, and these are certainly not good ones. The state taking over control of money creation was certainly not something that I had discussed previously with the President.”
Evans detested what he saw as the corrupt financiers that paraded themselves around as heroes of the free market when in fact they worked so diligently to gain insider information, stifle real competition and oversight, get regulations altered to their liking and dodge their social responsibility of paying a reasonable level of taxes. By being forewarned Richardson and his friends had been able to protect their wealth, while many others would be ruined. They should be eternally grateful, rather than complaining that they could not treat the President as their personal puppet. It was time to put Richardson in his place, but also to keep him and his associates as allies.
“Michael, I feel that we have been more than fair to you and your associates in providing enough time for you to protect your wealth before the closure of the markets. I am sure that you will be able to make a killing from all those distressed sellers once they reopen and your fortuitous investments in mining and construction companies will certainly provide an excellent return. The President will always be grateful for the help that you have provided throughout his political career, but he is his own man and will do what he sees as the right thing for the country. We both look forward to your future support, and what can be a very beneficial relationship, but the President must now be seen as not reliant upon any specific interests. Only in this way can he make the changes, which are necessary while keeping the social calm and stability that serves to protect your wealth and position. Things have changed and we must all adapt.”
Richardson raged deep inside, not only was he being demoted to an audience with the Treasury Secretary. That official was also having the temerity to lecture him on political and financial realities. His pride rampaged through his mind, screaming insults and wishing horrible injury to those that had insulted him. None of this was visible in his calm exterior.
“I can understand the President’s position, but he does need to understand the need to keep his friends close during such a difficult period. I will discuss with my associates and I think that it would be appropriate if we could discuss directly with the President within the next couple of weeks.” He understood the need to keep the relationship with the President, even if that meant his having to put up with the upstart’s insulting behavior.
Evans was comfortable that the first stage of the reorientation of the relationship was going as planned. Richardson may not be happy, but he understood that even a reduced supporting role was better than being in opposition.
“I am sure that we can find some time on the President’s schedule once things have calmed down a little. We will of course strive to keep you in the loop on future announcements, accepting the need for a public image of independence and fairness.” The meeting ended, and they shook hands politely as they stood up. After exiting, Richardson pulled out his mobile and started calling his associates; time for the many difficult conversations that awaited him. Ashbridge was certainly not making his life any easier.
Island of Curacao, The Caribbean 11.15am local time (10.15am in Washington)
Meghan Turner felt the soft, warm, breeze brush across her body, as she lay naked on the bed. She could hear the gentle sloshing of the waves against the platform upon which the cabin sat in the middle of the bay. It was such a delicious experience after the annoyances of dealing with the new Brazilian mining affiliate. She was so used to dealing with the clarity and beauty of numbers and conceptual patterns, together with other intellectuals and policy wonks. The messiness of business, especially in the world of nods, winks and greased palms of Brazil, was deeply discomfiting even though she knew that it was something she needed to master. In this new world, she would have to deal with the messiness of the business world to make money much more than the rarefied mathematical representations of that world in the financial markets.
Li lay messily wrapped up in the sheets beside her, having flown in from his meetings in India. As she looked at him, she felt something, a feeling of comfort, even of coziness to be with him. More than just physical, although they had certainly burnt though their physical desire the night before. She languidly raised herself from the bed and went outside, feeling the warmth of the sun meet her body as she emerged from the shade. The water offered an irresistible invitation and she launched herself into it.
Vernazza, La Cinque Terra, Italy 5:50pm local time (11:30 in Washington)
The chilled white wine rolled smoothly down Guiseppe’s throat as he relaxed in his chair and surveyed the colourful buildings and the clear waters of the Mediterranean that surrounded him. It had been a good day for him; as others had awoken to the realization of financial losses, he was secure in the rebalancing of his portfolio that would deliver great profits; profits that would secure a privileged life for his family. Instead of worrying, he could enjoy a beautiful summer’s day with his daughter on the coast. He loved these days, just him and Isabella. She sat with her dark eyes quietly enthralled with the movie about Peter Pan, calm after a day of running her father ragged.
She looked up at him, a questioning look replacing the calmness, “Papa, in the movie things are different to how they are in the book”.
He smiled, “sometimes things that work well in a book don’t work so well in a movie, so they have to change it a bit” he said softly.
She thought for a second, and then finding the answer agreeable, returned to her movie. He sighed to himself and took another sip of wine.
Berlin, Germany 6pm local time (noon in Washington)
“What was he thinking, taking over control of the creation of money from the banks without even discussing it with us!” raged Brune Schmidt, “does he understand the problems that this causes for all of the other leaders?”
The tall, elegant woman sitting opposite her remained as composed as ever, “Ashbridge certainly is displaying an unexpected level of independence and cunning. We must accept that he has put himself in a very powerful position and adjust our tactics accordingly. Ours is the long game that will outlast any individual President. The most important thing is to protect our position when circumstances don’t go fully in our favour; ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. His new domestic position, together with his alignment with Hufang, shows that we must take a more defensive and publicly amenable position. We must also understand the realities that he is facing. The transition in the United States will be much more brutal than in other countries, given the general lack of readiness. The resulting economic slump will be much deeper, and the reconfiguration of the economy much more rapid. His control of the creation of money, and the further shrinking of the banks, significantly reduces the complexity of making such changes.”
Mr Faded Gucci jeans nodded in agreement, “The level of financial reset in the United States will be wrenching, and so taking direct control of the financial system makes sense. He needs to be able to share out the losses in a way that keeps the support of the general population. You can argue that in Europe you were much better prepared, and therefore did not need to take such drastic actions.”
Brune was not fully convinced, “We have to watch Ashbridge carefully. In Germany we had an autocratic leader that the elites thought that they could control for their benefit, and then he turned the tables on them. This U.S. President is proving to be much less malleable and more resourceful than we had anticipated. I fear that if he sees the need, he will move against us, especially with Hufang by his side.”
It was time for the tall, wiry man to provide his advice, “Brune has a point. We have underestimated Ashbridge and must be very wary of his future motives. At the same time, his currently strong position argues for extreme care and discretion in our actions. We must be ready to do whatever is required to protect our position, but at the same time we must guard against stirring the wrath of other newly powerful players. Better to have them as allies, for now.”
Danny’s Bar, Washington D.C., 10pm
“If I have to listen to one more bank CEO or hedge fund manager tell me what an incredible service their organization does for the country, and if they are not saved the world will end, I will have to start using some of those ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ on the insufferable assholes” Richard Evans blurted out before picking up his glass and taking another mouthful.
“Richard, you are seeing this from completely the wrong perspective. They may not be very good at begging, most ridiculously rich and powerful people aren’t, but begging they are. You should just relax and enjoy the moment. I have spent all day with people trying to crawl so far up my ass that I swear that I can feel them tickling my appendix!” Jose Calabrez stated, as he realized that he was quite impressed with his use of words.
“That’s definitely not an image I want to have in my head” Richard retorted.
Jose ignored him and carried on “you and I pretty much control this country, you should stand back a bit and just take that in. What we are doing will be talked about in history books and analyzed in countless PhD dissertations. We are the big men of the tribe, who all others bow down to. You just have to get used to the part and act like it, become it, and the others will naturally take their subservient place. Power is also an incredible aphrodisiac, so instead of downing another drink you should get yourself home and enjoy the admiration of that beautiful wife of yours.”
Richard knew that Jose was right, with his new power must come a new attitude. He must assume that others would do what he requested, rather than him having to bargain. He must at last become comfortable with power, and the wielding of that power over others.
Queens, New York City 11:30pm
Julia wearily closed the door behind her and made her way to the kitchen and quietly dropped her bag onto the floor. She reached over to the fridge and pulled out the bowl of veggie chilli that her sister had left for her and placed it in the microwave. She would have preferred some meat, but her sister was being annoyingly fervent in following her patriotic duty to reduce meat consumption. The heavy carbon taxes had helped with that decision of course, as did the images of the muscular president working out on a low meat diet.
Maybe I’ll get abs like the Yankees short-stop passed through her mind as a flicker of sexual arousal struggled for life, only to be rapidly extinguished by exhaustion and the need to review the day’s work.
Thankfully, John had been able to pick up Emily and Liam from school and the three of them were fast asleep upstairs, together with the rest of the extended family that was crammed into her sister’s house. Her insurance company employer needed to understand the implications of the vast policy changes that the government was putting in place, and as one of the senior risk analysts she had been working flat out to provide those answers. It didn’t help that a couple of senior people had been lost in the hurricane, and another was still on leave after the death of her son.
I have a job, and great prospects she told herself as she took the reheated chilli from the microwave. She pulled out her tablet and started flipping through the projections as she mindlessly ate the chilli. It had been a real wakeup call listening to the investment analysts. With the probable economic contraction would come lower rates of return, even possible losses, for the company’s investment portfolio. Thankfully, they had quietly removed their investments in any commercial properties close to the coasts. With the government’s pronouncements on sea-level rise there was bound to be a knee-jerk drop in the prices of anything near the ocean. The lack of government borrowing, as it printed the money it needed, also removed one of the safe investments for the insurance premiums. Those premiums would have to increase to make up for the lost investment income, at a time when the country may very well be entering a steep recession. Not good for revenue growth. Some big cuts would also be required on the annuities that they had sold to pensioners.
At least the investment guys had a handle on the issues; on the risk side there were just so many unknowns! The only way around them seemed to be to change the wording of insurance policies to explicitly exclude the impacts of extreme climate change and geo-engineering, as it was simply impossible to reasonably predict the possible problems.
Even the climate scientists themselves were admitting that they didn’t really have any definite answers, “like pissing in the dark, the result may not be what you expect” was the exasperated expression from one of the climate scientists that she had been able to contact. She would be spending as much time with the lawyers, rewording insurance agreements, as with the risk models. With it becoming harder and harder to keep her eyes open, she decided it was best to get to sleep. She quietly put the bowl and spoon in the dishwasher, cleared away her work stuff and made her way carefully up the stairs.
Peeling off her clothes, she rolled herself under the sheets, cuddling into her husband’s warm body. John stirred and turned his body to face her as he wrapped her in his arms.
“Hello” he said sleepily “how is my little investment genius wife?” as he kissed her softly. “Most of my day was one long complaint session by the guys about how much money they will lose when the stock market reopens. I had to keep my mouth shut about you moving all our investments out of harms-way.”
She felt that strength in his arms and the tightness of his body, “Baby, I’m totally exhausted, a rain check?”
John frowned in the darkness, “Ok, your bad breath was beginning to turn me off anyway.” If she had had more energy, she would have punched him, but instead she just closed her eyes and her body went limp as she fell into a deep sleep.