An Independent in 2000

PORTAL PAGE FOR An Independent in 2000 ATL

INTRODUCTION


The Point of Divergence of the An Independent in 2000 Timeline is discovery of a lost little boy in Mt. Rainier National Park by Seattle Couple Lisa and Forest Edwards on November 14th, 1963. Upon seeing these strangers the boy, no more than a year old and covered with dirt looking half starved, crawled towards them in an obvious effort to plead for food. Lisa Edwards immediately picked up the toddler, who was to skinny to put up any sort of fight, and turned to her husband knowing only one conclusion. They took the boy to the ranger station and asked if anyone had reported a lost child. There were no reports. Devout Christians and more than aware at how cruel the world would be to someone who would be seen as an outsider, for them being black, for the boy being without parents, elected to take him with them back to Seattle.

A month passed and the Edwardses quickly grew to love the child. Having nursed him back to health and cleaning him up, they found that he was quite energetic and curious about anything he seemed to come in contact with. On January 15th, 1964 they decided to adopt the boy, and named him Charles Malcolm Edwards.

Being Washington residence, a fairly liberal state in the 1960s, it wasn't extremely difficult to secure adoption papers for their child, though both Lisa and Forest knew how difficult it would be raising a white child as black parents, though the joy they gained from little Charlie eclipsed every fear and doubt. It wasn't long before the Edwardses noticed their son's aptitude for nearly anything he attempted. He learned to walk only two weeks after coming to Seattle, and was talking by February. By age two, he was reading at a fourth grade level, and could write full paragraphs. The couple knew they would never be able to encourage their son's gift of comprehension on their own, and so sought the help of their Church to create a savings bond for Charlie so that one day he might be able to rise above his meager stature. The Edwardses were very much indeed poor, but knew they could not let their son's gift go to waste, and promised themselves that they would do everything in their power to give their son the opportunities that they never had.

At age 4 Charlie entered School, and by the end of the day his teacher suggested that he be moved up to the fifth grade. At age 6 young Charles wrote his first real essay, on the plight of interracial families in America. The paper was so well loved by his teacher and the school that they helped him submit it for publication, where it was picked up by the Seattle Times. By age 9 Edwards had been promoted to high school as a freshmen, where he won the National Science fair for his tilt rotor helicopter concept. The victory caught the attention of UC Berkley which offered him a full ride once he left high school. At age 13 Charlie graduated High School Valedictorian and was accepted into UC Berkley where he entered into the schools Propulsion Engineering department.

By his Senior year Edwards had constructed a working scramjet engine prototype, and was well on his way to becoming the next great engineer. That was when disaster struck. Edwards' mother died in December of that year. After returning home and postponing his finals, young Charles soon learned the sinister nature of how his mother died. She had been diagnosed with early stage Ovarian Cancer in 1973. While treatable even by 1970s standards, she was denied her claim to her insurer off of the theory that her disease was related to a previous illness. Lisa hid the truth from her family and for six years fought with her ensurer to grant her the treatment she needed to survive, and for six years she was denied. With this knowledge Charles returned to Berkley to change his major to political science, with a new goal in mind, ensure that the kind of injustice that befell his mother, never happens to any one again.

Now no such child was adopted in OTL, Forest and Lisa Edwards are complete composites of just an average African American couple during the early 60s. Charles is just a gifted child, they exist, there is nothing particularly out of place with this situation, but rather the chain of events that follow that make this timeline special.

After Graduating from Berkley with a Ph.D. in Political Science and Propulsion Engineering, Edwards spends a year abroad and upon returning is hired to teach at Seattle University in his home state, where he meets Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos while giving a talk on civilian applications for scramjets. In 1988 with funds from Gates and Bezos, Edwards founds Seattle Dynamics, a propulsion firm that specializes in Scramjets. He quickly signs a contract with the US military to develop the AGM-129 Stealth Cruise Missile. In 1989 he announces his company's IPO making him billions. Following his research into hypersonic, Edwards continues to work towards more advanced jet engines and signs a series of military contracts and research grants over the next few years. He is given a column at Newsweek's Politics section where he writes along side George Will in his spare time.

In 1992 Edwards reveals the world's first Pulse Detonation Jet Engine, a propulsion system that makes it possible for any aircraft to fly subsonically to supersonic to hypersonic on one engine while using very little fuel. The first aircraft to test this revolutionary device is the X-30 NASP. This is the act that launches Edwards into the public light, and makes him a household name. The PDE speeds the development of almost every major aircraft, from the Boeing 777 to the Air Force F-22 now the world's first hypersonic fighter jet. The V-22 Osprey receives the necessary funding in 1993 and is completed by 1999 with the PDE acting as the main power plant. Seattle Dynamics grows into a major corporation, acting as a catalyst for economic growth in Seattle, and forcing Boeing to stay in its home city instead of moving to Chicago. It is this boom in Seattle's economy that made Edward's election as the city's mayor in 1994 so easy, and it is what allowed him to foster a Dubai esq boom in the city. Those are the moments that elevated Edwards to the national stage, and what made him a viable candidate for president in 2000.

YourNews NewsBar- the latest World Headlines
'''+++BREAKING NEWS+++November 4th, 9:35pm ET: The Results from the Mexican states have just come in, all of them for Senator Obama. This effectively makes the Senator the Presumptive 44th President of the United States.'

'++++November 19th, 1:45pm PT: It has just been confirmed that a Pakistani Strategic Nuclear Missile has been shot down over India by a US Airborne Laser. The Missile, which was aimed at New Delhi exploded over the Indo-Pakistani Border when the laser outfitted AC-130 gunship vaporized its fuel tanks. President Edwards is expected to make a statement within the hour.'

'++++November 19th, 1:55pm PT: President Edwards has just confirmed that the missile was shot down by his order, and that US policy in this circumstance will be to support which side is the victim of nuclear attack. The Joint Chiefs recently confirmed that a flight of F-35 Lightning IIs are currently orbiting Pakistan with orders to attack should they try to fire another missile. Breaking News: US Ohio Class Attack Submarines have just fired a series of non-nuclear warheads at major Pakistani missile sights. The Joint Chiefs are currently issuing a statement that the attack was based on live satellite video that confirmed Pakistan was preparing to fire another missile.'

'++++November 29th, 7:30am ET: President Elect Obama has announced his foreign policy team today in Chicago. He has asked current Defense Secretary Zinnie to stay on for at least a year to smooth the transition from the Edwards administration, and has asked his former rival Joe Biden to come on as Secretary of State. Retired General Jim Jones has been nominated for National Security Advisor, and Caroline Kennedy has been tapped for UN Ambassador '

+++December 4th, 5:15am ET: UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon in a press release this morning in Kabul stated that the UN is considering the first withdrawal of troops from Uzbekistan by the end of the year, with the potential to have almost all troops out of the country by 2011, this is in response to growing criticism that the UN has overstayed its welcome in Uzbekistan, which is debating whether or not to vote in 2010 to remain independent or join the Confederation of Afghanistan+++

+++December 6th, 9:31pm PT: Confederation Troops from the Pashtunistan Province of Afghanistan have crossed into the Punjab Province of Pakistan, this marks the first military force from Afghanistan to engage another country since the fall of the Taliban.

+++December 9th, 3:31am CT: We've just received word that Pakistan has detonated a tactical nuclear weapon on the Pashtune Line, President Edwards is now calling for an emergency session of the UN to consider a full scale allied invasion of Pakistan.

'+++December 10th, 11:37am MT: The UN is convening today to discuss an invasion of Pakistan with additional forces from the US, Europe, Brazil, Russia, and China. President Edwards has stated that if the invasion is approved the US would give their current nuclear countermeasure technology to all nations involved.'

'+++December 10th, 2:38pm PT: President Musharraf of Pakistan is demanding that the UN cease any and all involvement in the war with India. He has stated that if the UN invades, Pakistan will respond with a full tactical nuclear response.'

'+++December 11th, 4:24pm MT: The United Nations Security Council has elected to begin a full scale allied invasion of Pakistan. President Edwards has singed an executive order to declassify all information of nuclear countermeasures, and immediately begin sending scientists and engineers to fellow members of the Security Council and the Invasion to begin building additional Countermeasures.'

'+++December 19th, 1:44pm ET: The United Nations Multinational Force has just landed entered into Kashmir through China. We are receiving word that the force has is presently running artillery and airborne operations on the Northern Front. Pakistani military forces are reportedly engaging with the UN Multinational Force, though they are severely outnumbered. Chinese bloggers have just reported that some 2 million troops are currently deployed in Pakistan via the UN force alone. Airborne and Ground level tactical Lasers are currently scanning for all incoming nuclear salvos, though none have been launched so far.'

'+++December 23rd, 9:28pm MT: The UN Multinational Force has reported destroying up to six tactical nuclear weapons launched by Pakistan during the Siege of Islamabad. Multiple UN tank divisions are currently engaging the Pakistani 8th Cavalry Armored Division. We now know that most of Pakistan's military force is concentrated around Islamabad, the siege is expected to take quite some time before the city falls.'

+++December 24th, 11:06pm PT: We've just received word that the UN Multinational Force has begun full scale bombing of Islamabad, confirmation if the civilian populace has left or not has yet to be delivered.

'+++January 3rd, 2:38pm PT: It has now been confirmed that UN forces have taken Islamabad. President Musharraf was discovered in the bunker beneath his office, and has issued a formal surrender to the UN and India. President Musharraf is expected to be tried by the World Court for treaty violations and crimes against humanity for the use of nuclear weapons. India with the aid of the UN has begun full occupation of Pakistan and is expected to receive the remaining territory not allocated to Afghanistan and Baluchistan.'

'+++January 12th, 6:38pm ET: Secretary Powell has landed in New Delhi today to speak with the Indian President on the plan to annex Pakistan. While the White House has stated that US policy is to not intervene with Indian Policy, many anonymous White House staffers have stated that President Edwards is uneasy about Indian expansionism.'

'+++January 15th, 9:32pm PT: We are receiving reports that Israel has restarted missile strikes into Gaza today. President Edwards has stated, "I am sick and tired of Israel starting wars in the name of their own defense and than tugging at our heartstrings to make the west just look the other way, and if not outright support Israel. Its ridiculous, and it goes against everything this country stands for. Now being a lame duck there is very little I can do to any measurable affect; so instead of starting some useless middle east peace plan that has been almost right of passage by every president since that country was invented, I'm simply going to issue an executive order to cut Israel off from all US aid, and will be redirecting that money towards the US Peace Corps to being reconstruction and development efforts in the West Bank and Gaza. I strongly urge Israel to reconsider its standing in the world, when they don't have the shoulder of America to lean on." President Edwards will the first President to stop aid to Israel. He has also issued the fewest executive orders of any president since Theodore Roosevelt.

'+++January 16th, 6:38pm ET: With just days away from the inauguration President elect Obama has just announced the American Economic Growth and Reinvestment Plan. The Plan is to begin redistributing the surplus funds from the Asteroids to citizens and companies to encourage economic growth across the nation as a whole. The plan expands on the State Reorganization Act, in that it provides funds to the new states to bring them up to first world socio-economic status.'

+++January, 28th, 9:34am ET: We have just confirmed that the House has passed the American Economic Growth and Reinvestment Plan.'

'+++February, 25th, 3:29pm PT: Secretary of State Biden is meeting with European president Blaire today to discuss a UN invasion of Zimbabwe to remove Mugabe from power. Currently internal unrest in Zimbabwe is higher than ever before, with riots and multiple attempts on the life of President Mugabe. The European Union has been one of the most greatest critics against the Mugabe regime, and Prime Minister Sarkozy has stated that if the US commits to sending in troops, the UN will follow. President Obama responded today when asked about a possible invasion, "while it is the policy of this nation to never go to war unless provoked, should the UN invaded to remove President Mugabe from power the US will commit ourselves to seeing that Zimbabwe is left an economically stable, and politically free nation as was the policy in Afghanistan and Kurdistan."

Cultural Differences from OTL

 * Due to the continued international popularity of American Culture:
 * English is much more widely spoken around the World.
 * Bollywood never gained world wide popularity as it did in OTL.
 * France never had to withdraw support from Iraq, thus causing less French jokes in America.
 * Thanks to the birth of a YouTube like entity in 2000, social networking and P2P got a much earlier start.
 * The Toyota Prius never became a status symbol due to the higher CAFE standards forcing the Big Three to make high milage vehicles.
 * Al Gore never made "An Inconvenient Truth."
 * Michael Moore never made "Fahrenheit 9/11" or "Sicko."
 * "V for Vendetta" still had as much of a cultural impact as in OTL, but it was considered less controversial in some respects.
 * Emo and Goth cultural trends never make it into the mainstream, causing bands like Green Day and Three Days Grace to continue Punk Rock.
 * The television show "The West Wing" is written as a satirical comedy, with Charlie Sheen playing the President instead of his father.
 * The new success of the new space program triggers a boom in science fiction entertainment. The TV series "Firefly" goes on to four seasons and is made into a much larger blockbuster movie of the same name; The Odyssey series is made into a remake of 2001, and the remaining three books follow.
 * The US obesity rate is much lower than OTL due to the High Fructose Corn Syrup Ban.
 * Noam Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival becomes a smash hit after the North American Union Act, though the book is much less controversial due to the almost non-existent involvement of the US in Iraq. His follow up, Failed States, does not do so well.
 * George Carlin maintains his sardonically-upbeat style during the Edwards Administration. He still dies in 2008, but a statue of his likeness is built outside of the FCC with the 7 words on a plaque.

Religious Differences from OTL

 * Due to less influence of the Christian Right:
 * The Big Bang Theory is much less controversial.
 * Intelligent Design receives almost no attention, and Teaching Creationism in Schools is struck down by the Supreme Court.
 * The Terry Schaivo Affair acts more as a boost to Humane Euthanasia rather than a detriment.
 * Stem Cell Research is not nearly as controversial as in OTL.
 * The Da Vinci Code is considered to be much less controversial.
 * Jerry Falwel is not given any kind of national remembrance when he dies, but more of a good riddance.
 * Pat Robertson is viewed as an out of touch radical by the majority of Americans.
 * Rick Warren is not asked to speak at Obama's inauguration.
 * Prop 8 was never introduced in California.
 * The Westboro Baptist church are given the silent treatment
 * Only in the Hispanic states and the reddest parts of the Deep South can claiming to be a devout christian get anyone elected anymore.

Racial Differences from OTL

 * Due to the incorporation of Latin America and Canada into the US.
 * The Minutemen disband, and some of their more zealous members join the KKK.
 * English, Spanish and French are taught and spoken all over America.
 * Racism is much less acceptable with half the population being Hispanic.
 * Catholicism becomes the largest demomination of Christianity in America.
 * Interracial marigges are much more common.
 * The KKK begin to attack hospitals and schools in the Mexican states, leading to them being deemed a terrorist organization. Their meetings are raided by police and they are charged for crimes against humanity.

New Stuff
There is going to be improvements to the various maps on this timeline; and I am going to be adding a Indo-Pakistan War page.--YNot1989 04:20, 24 February 2009 (UTC)