1968 presidential election - plus psionics - Page 2

RogerBW · 11-25-2012, 08:45 AM

I've been running a game set in 1967-1968, dealing with the discovery of psychic powers. It's mostly set in the UK, but American politics have become a significant background matter. I don't want to give away too many secrets, since the players may read this, but I invite suggestions.

Quick summary for people who don't want to read the full campaign journal: it seems that spacewalking, or certain classes of near-death experience involving hallucinogenic drugs, induce psychic powers (the latter with a very high death rate). The NSA has psi operatives, and was involved in a plot to subvert the government of the UK (part of its global psychic dominance programme). Since then, the existence of psi powers has become public: the UK has a Ministry of Paraphysics, the Soviets have claimed that they have had superior psi powers all along (and they certainly seem to have some psi operatives), and the USA has said nothing official.

It's currently early March, 1968. In mid-February, for no apparent reason, the battle of Khe Sanh ended as the North Vietnamese forces started to surrender en masse. This has been repeated across the country. It's not clear why this has happened, but the smart money is on the American intelligence services. Historically, LBJ bowed out of the presidential race because he was exhausted from dealing with Vietnam, and not being able to concentrate on the things he wanted to do, the Great Society and domestic policy in general - so I think he's likely to stay in. One assumes the NSA, or whoever, will want something from him in return for that victory.

Meanwhile, Wallace/LeMay have tried to win the southern youth vote by pushing for compulsory psi registration - and LeMay has gone public with his wish to remove "the American phobia about psychic weapons", though it's not at all clear how much he knows.

Which leaves Nixon as the only candidate who doesn't appear to have a psi dirty tricks department. And I don't see that lasting.

I'd be interested in thoughts from people who know the era, or study American politics in particular...

11-25-2012, 08:45 AM	#1
RogerBW Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: near London, UK	1968 presidential election - plus psionics I've been running a game set in 1967-1968, dealing with the discovery of psychic powers. It's mostly set in the UK, but American politics have become a significant background matter. I don't want to give away too many secrets, since the players may read this, but I invite suggestions. Quick summary for people who don't want to read the full campaign journal: it seems that spacewalking, or certain classes of near-death experience involving hallucinogenic drugs, induce psychic powers (the latter with a very high death rate). The NSA has psi operatives, and was involved in a plot to subvert the government of the UK (part of its global psychic dominance programme). Since then, the existence of psi powers has become public: the UK has a Ministry of Paraphysics, the Soviets have claimed that they have had superior psi powers all along (and they certainly seem to have some psi operatives), and the USA has said nothing official. It's currently early March, 1968. In mid-February, for no apparent reason, the battle of Khe Sanh ended as the North Vietnamese forces started to surrender en masse. This has been repeated across the country. It's not clear why this has happened, but the smart money is on the American intelligence services. Historically, LBJ bowed out of the presidential race because he was exhausted from dealing with Vietnam, and not being able to concentrate on the things he wanted to do, the Great Society and domestic policy in general - so I think he's likely to stay in. One assumes the NSA, or whoever, will want something from him in return for that victory. Meanwhile, Wallace/LeMay have tried to win the southern youth vote by pushing for compulsory psi registration - and LeMay has gone public with his wish to remove "the American phobia about psychic weapons", though it's not at all clear how much he knows. Which leaves Nixon as the only candidate who doesn't appear to have a psi dirty tricks department. And I don't see that lasting. I'd be interested in thoughts from people who know the era, or study American politics in particular... __________________ Podcast: Improvised Radio Theatre - With Dice Gaming stuff here: Tekeli-li! Blog; Webcomic Laager and Limehouse Buy things by me on Warehouse 23 Last edited by RogerBW; 11-25-2012 at 08:58 AM. Reason: More on LBJ