Beau nodded. “I know. I saw it first hand at the gates. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Garrett shook his head. “I’m ashamed of my country. I never thought I would say it but I’m ashamed. Just recently it came out that Bush and Obama used the IRS and ATF to monitor and control dissidents. Our country. Can you believe it?” Garrett mumbled when he said, “One was a Democrat and the other was a Republican. No wonder they lost this election. You can’t just steal people’s rights.” He sighed and continued. “If there was a problem they would go after guns and get them on gun violations.
“After the terrorists took out those Twin Towers in New York, the laws were changing every month under Bush. You could get anyone for breaking a law. After all of those CEOs almost broke the major companies in this country, they tried everything but couldn’t get them until they gave the IRS more power and started nailing their asses. Now the IRS did something cute. Called it indexing. At the end of the year they would add the cost of living to the Income Tax and presto, everyone would owe more taxes. Almost everyone would owe more taxes even if they should have gotten a refund. So anyone with a refund was cheating in the eyes of the IRS.”
“But that’s a retroactive tax. That’s against the law.”
Garrett nodded. “Yes, ex post facto. It’s in the Constitution. But nobody did anything. And guess what? This cost of living indexing started with that good ol’ womanizer Clinton.”
“I didn’t know that.”
With a cynical laugh Garrett said, “And neither did anyone else. Or no one bothered to do anything about it. Anyway, it’s too late. They billed everybody, charged everybody huge penalties and interest, and showed it on the budget as accounts receivable. The money just wasn’t there.”
“So the country is broke?”
“Flat broke! The military missed their last paycheck. To be honest Bush and Paulson destroyed the country when they gave away a trillion dollars to their wealthy friends in 2008. Welfare for the criminally wealthy. Who would have ever thought that would happen?”
“Sounds real bad.”
“It gets worse. Under Obama the National Debt has gone from eleven trillion to twenty-trillion. The interest alone is almost more than the taxes collected.” Garrett shook his head and to top it off a few months ago China, Japan and the Saudi’s refused to buy any more bonds.”
“I thought Japan was our ally?”
“They are but they were told that if they bought bonds they get no more oil.” Garrett stared at Beau. “Those three countries owned about ten trillion of our debt.”
“What is the government going to do?”
“God only knows, but they say it will be okay and not to worry, that this was just a clerical error that will be cleared up when Congress passes another appropriations bill. Rumor is even Congress is sweating this thing after seeing the real numbers. Something about the interest on the debt exceeds the taxes collected. Son, our country is broke.”
Rising from his chair, Garrett motioned to Beau. “I hate to put you through this again after they grilled you in Washington but the civilian review board needs to ask you more questions about this invasion.”
“A civilian review board?” Beau asked incredulously. “We need the military on this, not any damn civilians! What the hell do they—?”
Garrett grabbed Beau’s shoulders. “Listen! Don’t you think I know how you feel! I don’t like it any better than you, but the military is watched closely. The Air Force has sent General Waddle. He and another officer will be present. They will listen.”
Beau shook his head as he stood up to attend the meeting.
“You are assigned to me. Day after tomorrow you and Ruben will fly to Del Rio to demonstrate the new electronics on the F-18. The rest of us will leave early the same morning in a caravan of cars, go to San Antonio to pick up an arms expert, then rendezvous with the two of you for dinner.”
“On New Year’s Day?” Beau groaned.
“Orders.”
Admiral Garrett looked long and hard at Beau and reflected on the radical changes politicians had brought about in the previous five years. Under Clinton there was a move not only to admit gays, but to unite all the armed forces under one department. The forces themselves dismissed this move. The new century brought two new presidents who instituted their new programs and accomplished what Clinton had started. Soon the military fell apart, when hard-liners chose to retire rather than stay in with the new changes. Some, like General Waddle and Admiral Garrett, saw a necessity to remain and keep the military strong with their presence.
Still, under the financial mismanagement of the nation and the over-taxing of its people, the United States Congress brought about a steady decline in the people’s trust and the military strength. While both military expenditures and the American people’s net income dropped under the heavy burden, the promises to stop terrorism failed to materialize, and the national deficit continued to increase. The United States was bankrupt and the American people were beginning to understand the harsh reality of the facts at hand. The politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, had coerced the people into believing the monstrous debt was fine, while they continued to glut themselves with personal gain and American tax dollars through their ever-increasing entitlements.
President Clinton’s failure brought cheers from the Republicans, embarrassment to the Democrats, and the anger of the people. The election of 2000 brought President Bush. Democrats and Republicans still maintained power. Then in 2008 they jockeyed for position, power, and control of the world. The United States faltered and crumbled from within. Obama took over and America fell off a financial cliff. China watched and waited, hovering over Taiwan like a cat over a canary when the master was gone. But a giant has farther and harder to fall. The United States had not reached bottom yet. Then the United States ceased giving aid to Taiwan.
Garrett could see the decline and fall of the United States of America was inevitable, even without war! War would only hasten the end. He sighed as he walked toward the door of his office.
“The men don’t know but the country is broke. Don’t know how Congress will budget the military, much less finish Starburst. Cuts are coming. Obama intends to cut the military in half unless he can kill more Christians or help the Muslim Brotherhood. If what you say is true about an invasion, it could destroy the country. I never dreamed 2016 would be like this. Already the military is half the size we were in 2000. First double-digit inflation in eighty years, bombings, riots, nothing but chaos, and the country is broke. God only knows what 2017 will bring.”
Beau smiled. “I remember watching an old movie, 2001, a Space Odyssey. I guess 2017 will be an American Odyssey.”
Hesitating at the door to his office, Garrett regained his thoughts. “Our future rests with the SR-71 and the laser space station Starburst, if what you say is true. If you are right about the invasion, the Aurora Project will provide safety for our country and every American in it. When it’s completed next year, an invasion will be impossible.”
“I hope we have that much time,” Beau countered sadly.
Sitting in the center of the room, he faced a group of five people, more like a prisoner being interrogated than a man on a mission with vital information. Standing to each side of the five were Air Force generals, one of whom Beau recognized as General Waddle. The five seated interrogators consisted of Robert Newby, a Baptist minister to the far left; a local businessman, Charles Copeland on the right; then next to him, Judge Paul Medina; and two Texas legislators: Leonard Washington and Sarah Lipton. The only other person present was a painter at the back wall.