The story starts after the election of Willi Rottermeyer who has used her first two years in office to consolidate power, undermine the political opposition by blackmail and intimidation, increase taxes, expand welfare programs, weaken the states, increase federal power, and even provide various executive branch agencies with their own special police forces, including a much expanded secret service functioning as a secret police force. One of the things Rottermeyer has done is to give the Surgeon General his own police to protect abortion clinics, and this inevitably leads to conflict with right-to-life protestors whose politically incorrect freedom of speech is of no interest to the administration. A situation gets out of control when a bombing suspect takes sanctuary with a Catholic priest and the orphans he cares for in a church in Waco. A siege ensues, which in one of the weakest points in the book, is much too reminiscent of the siege of the Branch Davidian compound, with a similar outcome.
It turns out that the priest is the Texas governor's brother, and she sends in the national guard to try to relieve the siege. They arrive too late to save the victims, but end up arresting a Janet Reno-like Attorney General and the besieging forces. From there the situation escalates in a logical manner, with the ego-driven president intent on breaking the back of the rebellious Texans and using them as an example to assert more control over the other states, and the excesses and atrocities of the federal government eventually forcing more and more of the nation into open rebellion.
Common issues of political concern are used very effectively, including the increasing receptivity of the media to government propaganda, the continuing ideological division between 'red' and 'blue' states, the persistent unwillingness of the lower economic classes to believe the government just wants to help them, the dichotomy between the federal military and the national guard, and the hostility of politicians on the left towards the military.
Yes, much of it is over the top, but it's clear that the author is having fun and it's hard not to be carried along with him. I suppose that someone far enough left or fanatical enough about Hillary Clinton might find the book deeply offensive on many different levels, but I suspect that Kratman would be pretty pleased if that was the case.
Article comments
1 - T.C.
I was greatly impressed with this review, as it gives great insight into the book and its viewpoint. I am much more of a fantasy/fictional reader, but I am heading over to Amazon right now to pick this one up.
2 - Dave Nalle
So long as it doesn't offend your political sensibilities too much I think you'll find it a good read. I should have said this in the review, but this book really ought to appeal to those who like 'alternative history' genre novels.
Dave
3 - T.C.
My political standpoint is mainly independent, so I have little trouble seeing both viewpoints. If I find this to be a book that meets my satisfaction, I may look further into similarly presented 'alternative history' reads. Thank you for the eloquently-written, detailed and insightful review!
4 - Clavos
Just ordered it from the library.
Sounds like a fun read!
5 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net , which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States, and to Boston.com. Nice work!