New Reality Seeds

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Drifter

That might make an good setting; Ruff-1, named after the author of How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years. President Reagan in the 70s somehow brings about the Soviet collapse in 1979, except this one is violent. A Russian coup leads to a limited nuclear exchange - while peace is quickly restored the world economy collapses in a heap. If Reagan is blamed (unlikely) you get Ted Kennedy overseeing a liberal super malaise while the US descends into chaos. Survivalists were right. Its 1988 and various Militias are begining to carve up the US as the feds retreat and local power brokers start to look like warlords in a coming civil war.

Of course Liberalism isn't generally linked to Malaise and Carter was trying to head the Malaise off. If Ted Kennedy is in office after the collapse of the USSR and a limmited Nuclear exchange, then you'd more likely have a New Deal like rhetoric of shared sacrafise and bright tomorrows. If Ted (under the stress of events) finds in himself some of the charisma of his brothers and a horseback load of his deeply crooked dad's shrewdness, as well as some of his mom's grit, you might have a very hopeful/selfconfident America. An America proudly going in a liberal/democratic socialist direction. The millitias would hate that like poison.