Chapter 9 — The Coup
A serial novel in the form of correspondence among a family while the world as we know it collapses around us. I recommend you start at the Introduction:
https://readmedium.com/climate-for-change-introduction-5331d5ab9313
But you can start anywhere you want.
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Chapter 9
Email:
Dear Benji,
Here is my best guess about the food: The farmers’ market only has a small capacity, compared to the whole population of the Twin Cities. The farmers who go there are used to providing enough food for just a small subset of the city. The vast majority of the city people normally get their food from big grocery stores, which get their food from national distribution networks. There are regional warehouses located throughout the USA, and food is trucked daily to those warehouses, and from there it is trucked to the grocery stores and restaurants. Because of this (usually efficient) distribution network, at any given time most cities only contain about a week’s worth of food. The grocery stores always seem full, but that is not an endless supply of food. When the refineries went down and fuel prices skyrocketed, trucking became really expensive. In many places, fuel is simply not available. This is because both food and fuel are based on similar national distribution networks. With roads and bridges out all over the east and wildfires raging in the west, food is likely trapped in one part of the country and can’t get to the rest of the country. Also, the truckers who would be moving food around are not able to do that because, in many cases, their homes are underwater or on fire. California produces much of the country’s produce, and the fires have made the air quality so bad in the Central Valley that the workers have refused to work. The situation hasn’t been helped by the constant threat for the workers of being arrested by ICE. Many workers have simply disappeared over the last few years. Produce is probably rotting in fields, while people in the east are starving for food.
The problem is likely bigger than just moving food around. According to the EBG, the New York Stock Exchange has been closed all week. The major banks have also closed because they are afraid there will be a run on the banks, with people demanding their money. Ever since the PFL deregulated the banks again, they have not been required by law to keep enough funds to pay people if they demand their money. Instead, they were allowed to purchase insurance against a bank run. The problem, the EBG said, is that the same insurance companies that insure the banks also insure the houses, cars, and factories on the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, California, and in the Bible Belt. These insurance companies have nowhere near enough funds to pay out for all of the damage from Stormzilla and all the wildfires. The EBG is predicting that in the next few days, every insurance company in the U.S. will declare bankruptcy. This will likely trigger all of the banks to fail because they are dependent on the insurance companies, and in some cases they also are the insurance companies. When the insurance companies and the banks fail, the stock exchange will go into a tailspin. When this happened last time under a different president, the Federal Government was able to bail out the banks, auto makers, and the insurance companies and rescue the economy. The government borrowed from China and other countries, and a crisis was averted, but our remaining allies have no funds to loan us, nor should they loan us money, after the reckless way we have built such a fragile economy. As a country, we are simply not prepared for Justine, Harold, and Imelda to hit us at the same time while wildfires also rage all across the west. All of our systems are failing us and falling like dominoes. I wish I could say that I saw this coming, but I would be lying. I thought that the systems were too big to fail.
I’m going to load the truck and bring in as much food as I can for you all tonight. Watch for me after midnight, and we will fill your basement with food. There will be enough for your family to make it until the market figures out new pathways to get food to people.
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Dear Grandpa,
It was great to see you last night. Thank you for dropping off all that food. Bags of corn and beans, meat in the freezer, gallons of oil, salt, and bags and bags of potatoes — you really know how to stock the basics. It was good to see Malik and Erika again, too. It seems like they love the farm life.
You know I wanted to go straight back with you to the farm to help out there, but first I needed to make sure that Daisy and Jorge’s family is okay. I am planning to ride my bike out to the farm tomorrow with Jeremy. I know it is far, but I have done it before. That way you won’t have to use fuel to come get me.
I couldn’t get through on the phone, and she wasn’t answering my texts, so I decided to just go see Daisy. Her family was home, and they let me in the house and quickly closed the door. On my bike ride over I only saw military vehicles on the streets. Daisy’s dad asked me what I was doing out. He said there was a curfew and that everyone is supposed to stay in their houses. In case of emergency, people could call 911, and the military would send an ambulance, but otherwise people were told by text message to stay in their houses. We are to tune into Government News at eight p.m. tonight for an important announcement.
I told Daisy’s family about our food stash and that they should come over as soon as the curfew is lifted if they need food. Then I disappeared into the streets on my bike. I made it home by riding down the alleys and side streets. Now I am emailing you while we wait for the announcement. I wonder what it will be?
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Dear Benj,
THANK YOU for sending the email. None of our cell phones are working, so the government’s message to tune in to the news at 8 p.m. did not reach us. I have Roy and the Mississippi folks in the house streaming Government News right now, and I am going to the basement to listen to the English Broadcast Group. My guess is that the EBG will give an analysis after the announcement.
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Dear Grandpa,
I recorded the announcement on my phone, and I have transcribed it below. I don’t know if you were able to get the broadcast out there.
My fellow Americans, my name is General Dirk Stoneman, and I have the privilege and responsibility of being one of the leaders of our great nation during this trying time. As of yesterday evening at 6:45 p.m., the former President-For-Life has been placed under arrest. He and his former cabinet are currently confined to their bunker in the mountains of West Virginia. They have been relieved of their duties by the U.S. Military, and myself and the rest of the Circle of Command have assumed leadership of the country and all of the territories. Tonight I speak for the entire Circle, which consists of one general from each of the armed services as well as several regional generals.
We owe you, the American people, an explanation of the events leading up to the arrest of the former PFL. Please know that these actions were not taken lightly.
The military has prepared for this exact moment. It is our mission to study threats and analyze contingencies. We have been watching the way climate change has been affecting our bases and supply chains for over twenty years. We have been watching as climate change has destabilized one country after another. For many years, we have lost good servicemen and women, who have died while dealing with the civil wars that have resulted from climate refugees choking the world’s cities and demanding food, water, and shelter. We knew even before the former PFL was elected that we might need to prepare for this scenario. When he first declared himself President-For-Life, we generals met in Okinawa to create a plan to save America in case of a climate disaster, and we have been putting the pieces in place for the last few years. The recent hurricanes and wildfires have caused us to set this plan in motion. We have great respect and appreciation for the former PFL, however we recognized that his policies have endangered our great nation. His policies needed to be stopped for the good of the country.
Here is an outline of the plan. We are asking all patriotic Americans to do their part.
In order to have any chance of slowing climate change, we must give up the fossil fuel economy immediately and convert to renewable energy at all possible speed. To that end we have nationalized all petroleum and power generation companies, effective immediately. This new national entity will only produce the bare minimum of fuel and energy from fossil fuels required for the economy to function and will begin immediately to replace our electric grid with a decentralized grid powered by renewable and nuclear energy. The U.S. military has been stockpiling solar and wind infrastructure in preparation for this eventuality. In addition, our fleet of nuclear submarines and ships is currently being retrofitted to provide emergency power generation. Effective immediately, the ownership of fossil fuels by private individuals is prohibited, except where permission has been granted by representatives of the Circle.
Second, we have chosen to reject any plans to rebuild human habitation near the coasts, on floodplains, or in any fire danger areas. Our analysis shows that these dangers will only get worse. We are recommending a mass movement to population centers outside of the hurricane, flood, and fire zones. In order to encourage this movement, we are not planning to repair and maintain any roads or other infrastructure in the danger areas, and we will prevent anyone who chooses to attempt to repair that infrastructure. Our vision is a more concentrated U.S.A., with people living in orderly cities, safely outside of the hurricane, flood, and fire zones.
We are currently moving troops to the safe cities and creating new population centers in safe zones to welcome the refugees from the hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. People are arriving daily and being processed into the safe zones. Food, shelter, and medical attention are being provided to all who enter. Because food is a precious resource, the residents are asked not to leave the safe zones with their food rations. Guards are posted. Food rations, shelter, and medical attention will be provided to all who live in the safe cities and new population centers.
We have chosen many cities and new population centers for distribution of food and services, but unfortunately almost all of the rural areas and most of the small towns are too scattered, and we are unable to provide services and protection. Furthermore, without private ownership of fossil fuels, most rural areas and small towns will no longer be viable for human habitation. We urge those people to move to a certified safe population center with all possible haste. You will be provided food, shelter, and employment, until such time as plans are made to resettle the rural areas in a sustainable manner.
If you already live in a certified safe population center, please report to your local polling station any day this week, in order to register and receive your ration access instructions. If you live outside of a certified population center, you will be instructed about where and when to move.
When order and safety have been restored, please trust that we will begin the swift transition back to our democratic institutions. We are here to guard the future.
On behalf of the entire Circle of Command, thank you and Good Night!
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Wow, Grandpa! Just wow!
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Next chapter:
https://readmedium.com/chapter-10-city-life-2a3b17b88f7d
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