Congress Destroyed: September 11th Alternative History

For many avid readers of Tom Clancy books “Debt of Honor” had a shocking conclusion and the follow up “Executive Orders” was, in many ways, a sobering what if. Let it be said, I’m a big fan debating alternative history and this essay is only meant to be taken in that vein. This is not a political commentary.

For those of you not familiar with either book you may be familiar with the main protagonist in Tom Clancy’s writings from books translated to the big screen, John Patrick Ryan, or Jack Ryan. Ryan has been portrayed in films by Alec Baldwin (Hunt For Red October), Harrison Ford (Clear and Present Danger & Patriot Games) and Ben Affleck (Sum of All Fears). The movies are a mix of spy, techno thriller and terrorist threats. Most were terribly inferior compared to their literary namesakes.

“Sum of All Fears” was so bastardized from the book version as to be laughable. In the book Islamic terrorists blew up the Super Bowl in Denver. In the movie it was European Nazi holdovers and descendents that blew up an NFL game in Baltimore. The film can only be described as a literary and cinematic PC abomination unparalleled in book to screen adaptation. Especially given the more probable of the two scenarios meeting reality head on.

At the conclusion of “Debt of Honor” a disgruntled JAL pilot at the conclusion of a brief Japanese war with America flies a 747 into a joint session of Congress celebrating the end of hostilities. The prime time address is, of course, stuffed to the gills with a political who’s who. Now, prior to this session Jack Ryan is sworn in as a caretaker VP who is supposed to serve no more than two years of office and has no political aspirations beyond serving out a previously vacated office. After the terrorist strike wipes out several hundred members of Congress, kills the President and vacates the Supreme Court Ryan is sworn in as President.

The follow up book “Executive Orders” is an interesting look at how America is suddenly reshaped after a decapitation of political leadership. No, the country is not thrown into chaos. Surprisingly, and I think realistically, President Ryan calls on governors to hold numerous special elections and not to appoint political cronies to fill vacated seats. He puts out the call to teachers, business owners, farmers, housewives and normal Americans to run for office in the spirit of the original intent of the Constitution.

This throws the Washington establishment into a tizzy. There are representatives and senators that refuse to meet with any lobbyist. Others refuse to meet with lobbyists without a business or office in their district. The most creative, in this writers opinion, is a guy who sets a 5 minute egg timer on his desk at the beginning of a meeting and the meeting concludes when the timer goes **DING**! If the point isn’t made or he hasn’t been convinced the lobbyist is shown the door.

The press corps is no longer invited to the White House for gala balls and parties. Foreign dignitaries are welcomed during the day without state dinners and in a very business like setting. Several political wrongdoings with foreign nations (Covered in history of the Ryan saga.) are covered privately with national ambassadors and the honesty exhibited by a non-political leader is absolutely shocking in comparison to the real world. Last but not least government is turned on its head at the cabinet level. The Secretary of Defense comes from a defense contractor and is told to clean up the purchasing and procurement maze that adds countless tens of billions to appropriations. The Secretary of the Treasury is a self-made Wall Street power broker who saved the world from a financial meltdown in “Debt of Honor” and given carte blanche to re-establish government/market relations. In short, his role was as back to the drawing board as Alexander Hamilton’s original role was in creating the model that exists to this day.

The summary of this tale? The political game in Washington is destroyed. Lobbyists, attorneys, the press and power brokers are only meeting, partying and having rubber chicken dinners with their own, their influence destroyed. President John Patrick Ryan, whose political affiliation is never disclosed, turns out to be elected by a plurality only exceeded by George Washington in American history (Disclosed in the book “Red Rabbit”.) for his reinvention of American government.

So, on this day, September 11th 2006, I pose the question; would this nation look like politically had United 93 actually struck the United States capital building and killed 2/3rds to 80% of the Congressional delegation?

Forget the abject horror of your initial reaction. Suppress it. This is not a partisan attack piece. Though I am a Republican, and the majority of the House and Senate on September 11, 2001 were Republicans, I am not being critical of my party or the leadership, as it existed on that day. Nor am I interested in churning out a Democratic hit piece on their current leadership, positions and rhetoric.

Now, got that out of your system? Are you ready to read with an open and objective mind now?

How would America be different today if we had to elect 80 Senators from scratch in one fell swoop? What would have changed with 350+ freshman representatives? How would Washington culture have changed? Would it have changed? Would our nation be better or worse off?

Personally I think we’d be cleansed in a manner that would shock not only ourselves but also the world; friends and enemies alike. Current Washington is a stagnant black blood filled bowel that desperately needs to be expelled. Congress is, to me, a diseased intestinal tract. There are countless examples that both right and left leaning individuals can point to for political corruption, lack of common sense to abject rejection of veto proof polling levels for certain issues. Look no further than public outcry for border security and illegal immigration changes. An issue that 70%+ of Americans feel need to be comprehensively addressed yet Congress does nothing.

So ask yourself the previously unimaginable question. If Congress was left in ruins that day would a reconstituted legislative branch have provided a rebirth of American identity and direction unseen since the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction? Or would we be mired in more of the same, doomed to repeat the mistakes we make district-by-district and state-by-state each and every election cycle.

Given the optimism I have in the American public I think the incredible rebirth from such a disaster would shock each and every American. Furthermore I believe the world, friend and foe alike, would be quaking at a reconstituted American image and self-assuredness on the world stage.

So on a day of remembrance remember those that died, remember who our enemies truly are and ask yourself how would we have been different if the 4th plane did reach the United States Capitol instead of being downed by courageous citizens in a field in my home state of Pennsylvania?

I haven’t read the books in question but from the writer’s description and the numbers supplied above I believe that the status quo would reassert it self in fairly short order.

The 20 Senators remaining would be the proverbial bad apples in the bunch. They would assert an overwhelming influence unless the new class could organize themselves in to some kind of new party.

The same would likely occur in the House with 350+ freshman representative chaos would reign unless the remaining Seniors Reps could assert control.

Then there is the influence that Congressional aids would wield over the new congressman. Aids are the real workhorses of Capital Hill. A Congressman with out good aids is not going to get much done.

More than likely the replacements would come from the political class of the various states regardless of what a new non-partisan President said.

True outsiders rarely run for office (as a major party candidate) and are even more rarely elected. You therefore have a self limiting effect to prevent such a scenario coming to for. You would no doubt have a few outsiders come to Washington but most would serve only the remainder of the unfinished term and those that survived would be those that took on the accepted practices of business as usual.

As much as I would desire such a fairy tail to come true (the turnover of Congress part not the terrorist attack part) I can not believe that it really have a lasting effect on how business is done.

In Clancy's book, it was a joint session of congress, and the plane hit dead on. In the proposition - let's say they fly it right into the dome - maybe you get lucky and get a dozen congresscritters. A majority wouldn't even be close to possible.

How would things have been different, even with this small number? Tremendous. A lot of the left, and some of the right, are aided in their dismissal of terrorism by lacking the personal connection to the terrorism. I can't remember who it was, but a reporter had to remind a congressman about the Pentagon when the critter was talking about 9/11 - all the critter had recalled was United 93 and the WTC.

The state funeral for the dead congressmen and senators would have made the whole day real, rather than an abstraction for some. I sincerely doubt that the left would have been able to pull off the anti-war party line; which would have actually made them more threatening in the 2004 elections.

It really depends upon who was killed as to how much US foreign policy would have been changed. A few key people, and there might have been US troops right next to Israeli troops attacking Hezbollah positions.

If, however, we're talking a joint session of congress hit, and 80% of the critters gone, yeah, I honestly think that Clancy's vision might have come true. It'd probably take maybe once or twice, but by the second time a new senator or congresscritter says 'we're done doing it the old way', that will likely become the new way.

Why would anyone believe that it would be different? The chasm that exists between the two parties would remain. Political campaigns would still spend all their time attacking the opposition and trying to destroy their character rather than debate issues, and as a result the same third rate party hacks would run for elective office. The only thing that would change would be the faces. The government itself would be the same endless litany of partisan attacks, sniping, obstructing, and pork-barrel spending.

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