Five Decades of Fear & Loathing

[username5243]

Well, that was fairly decisive.

And now for that question I was holding off on...

Is this the last we'll be hearing of good(?) old Don Rumsfeld?

[anbarret]

Well, that was fairly decisive.

And now for that question I was holding off on...

Is this the last we'll be hearing of good(?) old Don Rumsfeld?

And Dick Cheney?

Keep in mind that without the George Wallace Presidency, the fracturing of the US political party system that was exploited by Rumsfeld/Dick Cheney and later the CV hasn't happened.

[username5243]

Another prominent person from Rumsfeldia who might not make it anywhere is Jeremiah Denton who just lost his Senate election that he won in OTL. Wonder if well hear any more of him...

[anbarret]

In a 21st Century where the USSR is still a power, I can see this becoming a regular concern once the TTL Internet gets up and running:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yDhTXAmOEkI

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ronald Reagan.

Wednesday, November 5th, 1980.

The White House.

12:10 AM, Washington, D.C.

[1]

“Thank you, thank you…thank you very much! Thank you!

Tonight, though our hearts are heavy, they are also full. Tonight the American people have spoken, and they have clearly vocalized their desire for change. I admit…I admit that this is a bitter pill to swallow, and I won’t lie to you and say it doesn’t hurt. But I have faith in our country, in her people, and in her decisions. And I have faith in the President-elect, Governor Carey, whom I spoke with tonight to concede the race. No, no, don’t boo….don’t boo, don’t hiss, Governor Carey is a fine man who worked tirelessly to pull New York City out of bankruptcy and will work hard on behalf of all Americans. I don’t agree often with the policy prescriptions he offers to solve America’s problem, but I believe that the President-elect will work decisively and with vigor on your behalf, and he can only succeed with the American people united behind him. And we owe that to him, and we will do so, because that is the American way!

I want to thank my wife, the First Lady…she’s been the First Lady of my life for a long time now, and will remain so for a long time to come. And I just love and adore her so much, and I am so proud of all of the work she has done during her time in the White House. And I want to thank my children, Maureen, Ron, Patty, and Michael, who worked so hard on my behalf, crisscrossing this great country, meeting people of all walks of life to campaign for me. And I want to thank of course the Vice President…maybe I’m speaking a bit of turn, but may I add “the future President,” to his long and extensive resume? George and Barbara, I am forever indebted to you for your tireless service and unyielding support. Ours was a true partnership.

Going forward into the 1980s, my hope for the American people is a decade of peace, prosperity, recovery, and renaissance. This country has endured the trials and tribulations of this last decade with the same poise and strength of those young men who stormed the beaches of Normandy – I have never been more optimistic for this country, regardless of who is President or what party controls the White House, because I know that the American people are bigger than any one leader, be it me or the President-elect or anyone else. I believe that in the last ten years, the American people have risen to the greatest of challenges with such grace and grit, that I believe firmly that any such obstacle that ever rises before us will be dispatched with easily. There is nothing this great country can’t do because we have such a great people.

So tonight, though we feel the sting of defeat, let us also feel the hope and optimism of our Creator…let us quietly thank Divine Providence for bestowing this great land upon us, for blessing us with such endless opportunities, for honoring us with the duty of holding freedom’s torch up high. Though this administration ends, the fight for freedom will always continue, and it is up to each and every one of us to make sure that it can be preserved and passed down to future generations. Freedom, it is said, is never more than one generation away from extinction. Keep your head held high; though we have lost this battle, this war – this crusade for liberty – still rages on. 

And so now, as I plan to ride off into the sunset with Nancy, I want to thank you. You, the people of this country who honored me so, I want to thank you. For your vote and your voice, and for honoring me by placing your confidence in my candidacy. I hope I did right by you. And I know you’ve done right by me. May God be with you, with President-elect Carey and his family, and may God forever bless America! Thank you! Thank you!”

Hugh Carey.

Wednesday, November 5th, 1980.

The Waldorf-Astoria.

12:45 AM, New York City, NY.

“New York, New York” blasted through the speakers as the President-elect, trailed by his fourteen children, emerged on stage to address the nation. The President had just conceded the election at the White House in a speech that was so gratuitously generous to the President-elect that Carey was actually rather annoyed – it would be a tough act to follow. But then again, Ronald Reagan was an actor after all. The crowd erupted as the Sinatra song bellowed through the ballroom, chanting “CAREY! CAREY! CAREY!” as the President-elect took to the podium to give his victory speech.

“Thank you, thank you! Thank you!"

"Tonight, the American people voted loudly and clearly for change - change from the politics of the past in favor of a new era of governance. I am greatly humbled by the confidence you placed in me and my running-mate, Senator Litton, and I have been moved by your generosity in these last few months as I traversed the nation campaigning for the Presidency. When our campaign began, just days away from the Democratic National Convention, we were shocked and horrified and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend, the late Senator Edward Kennedy. But as Democrats we were everything but undeterred; we united in the midst of the tragedy, and pulled together as a party because the stakes, we knew, were just too damn high for this country. We owe our victory tonight to our unity of party and purpose, and we owe the American people, as Democrats, to remain united in order to implement the change that the country so longingly yearns for!

I want to thank the President for his generous words tonight; I spoke with him earlier tonight and he assured me a smooth transition. And I also want to congratulate the President on running such a spirited campaign. I want to thank Senator Litton as well, for his hard work on behalf of our ticket and our party, and for his dedication to raising the plight of the family farm in America to the forefront of our national political dialogue. He will be a true partner in the White House, and I look forward to working with him and Speaker Brademas and Senator Byrd in passing and implementing a number of important bills that will uplift working class families and ease the burden faced by the American taxpayer.

My children - all fourteen of them - have been an integral part of this campaign, and I want to thank them - Chris, Helen, Alexandria, Susan, Michael, Donald, Paul, Nancy, Marianne, Bryan, Kevin, and Tom - from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank my brothers as well for their tireless and unwavering support, their wisdom and counsel, and for helping steady the ship through the turbulent waters of the convention.

But most importantly, I want to thank the voters of this country for honoring me with their support. Without your voice and your vote, we'd have been powerless to change this country. Tonight, with this clear mandate from the American people, we will move forward into a fairer future, where liberty and justice for all are not just platitudes, but realities. A future where every man has the dignity of gainful employment, where every family can live without fear of hunger or homelessness, an America where every student can obtain a solid education, an America where no sick or infirm citizen goes without medical care. Together, we can build a kinder, gentler, and more just America. And we begin that journey tonight.

So go home, get some rest, hug your kids, kiss your spouse, and thank God that we are blessed to live in this great country. Our American story is still unfolding, but this next chapter will be a period of peace and prosperity, a true American renaissance. And it is the characters like you, the everyday American, who contribute to the richness of this story. God bless you, and may God bless America!"
Wednesday, November 5th, 1980: President-elect Hugh Carey names New York businessman and financier Felix Rohatyn as chairman of his transition effort as the Democratic Party prepares to take the reins of government in the United States for the first time in twelve years.
Thursday, November 6th, 1980: President Reagan and President-elect Hugh Carey meet at the White House to discuss the transition between administrations.
Friday, November 7th, 1980: In a major post-election interview with CNN, former President Richard Nixon addresses the growing divide in the Republican Party in the aftermath of the election. “We have endured a depression, wars abroad, a constitutional crisis, and an impeachment – and we as a party survived. They said the same thing about Goldwater, you know. But then, four years later, there I was. The Republican Party will find itself, recover, regroup, and return – you mark my words. Maybe even sooner than you think.”
Saturday, November 8th, 1980: Spiro Agnew's program on the Hughes Network, Agnew on Point, is abruptly canceled due to declining ratings. Agnew's firing effectively ends the former President's career as a television pundit.
Sunday, November 9th, 1980: On NBC’s Meet the Press, Felix Rohatyn confirms that Basil Patterson, the Secretary of State of New York, will be joining President-elect Carey’s administration as the next White House Chief of Staff. Patterson, who like his outgoing predecessor Bob Dole has political experience, is expected to take on a more active role in the administration, compared to Dole’s more managerial style.
Monday, November 10th, 1980: Israeli elections result in Likud holding onto a plurality of seats in the Knesset, with Menachim Begin remaining the Prime Minister after forming a coalition government with other small right-wing parties.
Wednesday, November 12th, 1980: Voyager program: The NASA space probe Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn, when it flies within 77,000 miles of the planet's cloud-tops and sends the first high resolution images of the planet back to scientists on Earth.

In the British Steel strike The Sun newspaper took a very anti-strike position, as did the Daily Mail. Over time the Daily Mirror and The Guardian became hostile as the strike dragged on, largely due to the intransigence of the ISTC leadership. The Morning Star was the only national daily newspaper that consistently supported the striking steel workers. In the autumn, the ISTC strikers began establishing protest pickets around the major offending dailies offices, resulting in clashes with newspaper staff and police.

Around 3,000 strikers were arrested due to violence or other incidents either around the picket lines or at other demonstrations. An immediate concern was that a number of strikers were initially held without bail, and under circumstances which resembled the internment of Republican and Loyalist paramilitary prisoners in Northern Ireland (specifically without access to family or a solicitor) and that during interrogations strikers were asked extensive questions about their political leanings. A further outcry erupted when it was discovered that some strikers had been let go when they provided proof that they had contributed money to their local Conservative Party constituency organization. This immediately sent-up alarm bells about the impartial nature (or lack thereof) of the police.

Home Secretary Cledwyn Hughes ordered the practice stopped and issued instructions that strikers were to be arraigned in the normal manner and released on bail or recognizance according to standard practice for minor civil offenses. Hughes credibility was undermined however when it was discovered that some police had ignored the Home Office order and continued the internment practice. This lead to calls for Hughes resignation as he seemed to have lost control of the police. Hughes retaliated by personally visiting a number of the offending areas and processing cases for hearing before a magistrate personally. Four Chief Constables were re-assigned after this matter.

A rumor persisted that the ISTC received money from the All Soviet Confederation of Labour, which of course was most likely KGB money laundered through the ASCL. It is unclear who in the ISTC leadership actually received this money; Bill Sirs denied the allegation outright and no evidence was ever provided that he received money from Soviet sources (he did receive money from the French and Italian trade union movements and acknowledged the same, citing that both countries were Democratic. In the same vein the ISTC received some money from the United Steel Workers in the United States [which caused Enoch Powell MP (UU-South Down) to Brand the strike a US plot to weaken Britain].) More than likely if the Soviets did inject money into the strike fund, it would be laundered through more militant members without direct participation of the ISTC leadership.

MI5 in an internal report maintained for a long time that the Soviets used the ISTC strike as a recruiting ground for agents in Great Britain, something Bill Sirs disputed as well.

“Iron Maggie” Thatcher in the meantime received report of this alleged Soviet activity and used the rumour to further castigate the ISTC as a front for foreign subversion.

The National Front also made headway piggy-backing on increasing popular discontent with the British Steel Strike. While they had initial success getting support from those opposed to the strike and the government, they also rallied some discontent ISTC members who had turned on the union, blaming – as was their usual line – foreigners for having created the economic conditions that were forcing cuts in British jobs. The NF tried to latch on to Thatcher’s civic protest, although Mrs. Thatcher was careful to keep herself distant from the NF.
Friday, November 14th, 1980: President-elect Carey returns to Washington for high level talks with top prospective staffers and potential administration officials. The President-elect vows to name a number of national security appointments before the end of the month, with the rest of the cabinet and the administration personnel following in December.
Saturday, November 15th, 1980: The Catalan nationalist Jordi Pujol i Soley is elected the first President of the Federal Republic of Spain without opposition. Soley was chosen to cement the idea that the regions are as much a part of the fabric of the new Spain as the center, and so a non-Castilian was chosen to represent the new Federal character of the Spanish Republic. His term as President will last six years, and he will be limited to one term – the new Spanish head of state, much like the monarchs who proceeded him in the post-Franco years, will largely be a powerless and ceremonial figure.
Monday, November 17th, 1980: President-elect Carey announces he will appoint former Ambassador and Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach as Secretary of State. Katzenbach, who ran for Vice President in 1976 with George Wallace, was selected over Sargent Shriver, the Kennedy-in-law who had served as the Ambassador to France in the past. The Washington Post reports that the President-elects first pick was George Ball, but that Ball had declined the appointment due to his advanced age.
Tuesday, November 18th, 1980: The Carey Transition Team confirms that the President-elect will nominate Senator Henry Jackson (D-WA) to the position of Secretary of Defense. Jackson, a foreign policy hawk, is a disappointing choice for anti-war liberals in the party, with Senator Ramsey Clark (D-NY) immediately voicing opposition to the appointment.
Wednesday, November 19th, 1980: President-elect Carey announces the appointment of former Senator George McGovern (D-SD) to the position of Ambassador to the United Nations, where he will succeed Ann Armstrong as America’s representative to the global body. Carey had initially asked McGovern to serve as Secretary of Agriculture but was convinced by the former Senator to nominate him to represent the United States at the United Nations. McGovern’s nomination helps to ease rising tensions between the incoming administration and anti-war Senators like John Kerry (D-MA), Mike Gravel (D-AK), and Ramsey Clark (D-NY).
Thursday, November 20th, 1980: Hissène Habré and Hassan Djamous are killed by PJO suicide bombers believed to be working in the employ of Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi. The assassination gravely weakens the anti-Qaddafi forces still resisting the Libyan military campaign ongoing in Chad.

A Turkish Special Forces unit is caught by SAS troops patrolling Cyprus. The TSF was arming and instructing Turkish Cypriot guerrillas who had been attacking Greek Cypriot forces and installations. The episode causes a major diplomatic incident between Britain and Turkey, and between Turkey and the UN.
Friday, November 21st, 1980: A fire at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip kills 85 people.

The new Spanish government begins talks with the provisional Basque government on the thorny issues of status and boundaries. This will be a long and complicated process.
Saturday, November 22nd, 1980: Stanislaw Kania, Wojciech Jaruzelski, Florian Siwicki and Michal Janiszewski are tried for treason in Warsaw. They are found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Trials of their proteges and supporters follow.
Sunday, November 23rd, 1980:   Italian earthquake of 1980: a magnitude 7 earthquake in southern Italy kills approximately 4,800 people and leaves 300,000 homeless.

Ahmed Zaki Yamaani, the former Saudi Oil Minister, and two of his bodyguards are shot and wounded in New York by two gunmen who are later killed in a shoot-out with Yamaani’s bodyguards the NYPD. The gunmen are believed to be agents of the PJO, which has allied with resistance forces in Saudi Arabia fighting both the Iraqis and the return of the old regime. The incident becomes a major public scandal because three civilians are wounded, and one killed in the exchange of gunfire.
Tuesday, November 25th, 1980: President-elect Carey nominates former Ambassador Sargent Shriver to serve as the next Ambassador-at-Large, replacing the outgoing Jim Baker, who is eying a gubernatorial run in 1982 against incumbent Fraces Farenthold. Shriver’s nomination comes after being passed over for the top job at the State Department, with the appointment to Ambassador-at-Large being an olive branch of sorts to the Kennedy clan. The position of Ambassador-at-Large, created by President Gavin, has become an increasingly important role within the White House in recent years.
Thursday, November 27th, 1980: Zbigniew Brzezinski, a foreign policy analysist and adviser to President-elect Carey, is nominated to serve as the next National Security Adviser to the President. Senator Frank Church (D-ID) is nominated to the position of Secretary of National Intelligence, another appointment made by Carey designed to unify the battered but victorious Democratic Party.

Terrence Boston, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, told the House of Commons that there was still no consensus amongst the parties in Northern Ireland and little prospect for a devolved government in the region.
Friday, November 28th, 1980: In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Clint Eastwood expresses an interest in running for Governor of California in 1982, citing failings by Governor Tunney to address the economic conditions in the state. Former Governor Barry Goldwater Jr., who has already denied interest in a rematch with Tunney, endorses Eastwood’s prospective candidacy. Political analysts are skeptical that another actor could advance so far in politics, citing Ed Asner’s failed gubernatorial run in 1978 as well as the polarizing nature of the Reagan administration.   

Outgoing UN Ambassador Ann Armstrong meanwhile also makes waves when she appears on the Hughes Network’s Sunday Show with Brit Hume, where she announces that she is considering running for Senate against incumbent Lloyd Bentsen in 1982.
Sorry for the delay!

[1] Taken from YouTube (Reagan Library)

[anbarret]

Both Church and Jackson in OTL died before 1984. It will be interesting to see how this affects the Carey administration going forward.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Both Church and Jackson in OTL died before 1984. It will be interesting to see how this affects the Carey administration going forward.

Once again, I have to credit KingSweden24 of AH.com for most of Carey's domestic agenda and appointments. I wanted a more stable 1980s to follow a chaotic 1970s, and his timeline has given me a lot of inspiration for that. Carey, in this scenario, would try to balance out the competing wings of the Democratic Party in order to keep it cohesive and united. Hence why McGovern, Church, Jackson, and Paul Wolfowitz will end up in the same administration.

[anbarret]

Both Church and Jackson in OTL died before 1984. It will be interesting to see how this affects the Carey administration going forward.

Once again, I have to credit KingSweden24 of AH.com for most of Carey's domestic agenda and appointments. I wanted a more stable 1980s to follow a chaotic 1970s, and his timeline has given me a lot of inspiration for that. Carey, in this scenario, would try to balance out the competing wings of the Democratic Party in order to keep it cohesive and united. Hence why McGovern, Church, Jackson, and Paul Wolfowitz will end up in the same administration.

McGovern and Paul Wolfowitz in the same administration. Pat Robertson and Jesse Jackson in the same party. So far, the fracturing of the two-party system that happened in the Wallace timeline has definitely been inhibited!

I'll take it future decades won't be as stable though.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I have always been very insecure about my writing quality in terms of dialogue, which is why speeches written by me seem hammy and forced verses the original timeline's eloquent and flowing dialogue.

Recently, writing the last update, I have discovered a tool to help me, um, improve the quality of some of the speeches given in this timeline.

[anbarret]

Interesting.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

PART I IS COMPLETE! Took me two years (1/28/2022-2/12/2024) to write! Part II commences tonight, as will December - January, 1980-1981.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Monday, December 1st, 1980: The Islamic Emirate of Arabia announces that international participation in the Hajj will resume. The influx of international Muslims into the country to participate in the religious pilgrimage to Mecca is considered a security risk by the Ikhwan, who maintain strict security over the Islamic holy city and sites.
Tuesday, December 2nd, 1980: Vice President-elect Litton resigns his seat in the Senate. Governor Teasdale vows to name an appointment in the coming days.
Wednesday, December 3rd, 1980: Oswald Mosley, former leader of the Union of British Fascists, died of natural causes on 3 December 1980 in his Orsay home, aged 84. He was cremated in Paris and his ashes were scattered on the pond at Orsay.
Thursday, December 4th, 1980: Soviet Premier Arvids Pelse and Politburo Member Grigori Romanov make a state visit to Poland as a show of support for the martial law regime and to undo some of the political damage from the leaked Andropov memo which has encouraged some to believe that the Soviet regime does not fully support the Polish regime. Pelse gives an address to the Polish parliament expressing Soviet solidarity with the “ordinary, peace-loving, socialist people of Poland who crave not disorder, but a return to order so that they may work toward a greater, more productive Socialist society.”

Ordinary Poles show their disapproval for the Soviet visit by not showing-up for any public events, or by standing in stony silence when they are forced to attend. The results are few enthusiastic crowds, and where there is any show of support for the Soviet officials it comes from Polish Communist Party members staging pro-Soviet demonstrations. At one-point Pelse and Romanov’s motorcade is pelted with rotten eggs and Cuban pineapple slices, leading to the arrest of a dozen demonstrators.
Friday, December 5th, 1980: Bernie Sanders, a Vermont based activist and frequent candidate for statewide office on the Liberty Union ballot, announces he will run for Mayor of Burlington as the Ecology Party candidate. Sanders, who ran for Governor and was nearly elected as a socialist candidate, had previously supported the growing Socialist Workers Party for federal office.
Saturday, December 6th, 1980: Governor Dixie Lee Ray of Washington, a scientist by trade with an extensive background in academia as well as in the federal government, criticizes President-elect Carey after the latter confirms he’ll push for the creation of a Department of Energy. Ray, a relatively conservative Democrat with a populist stream, criticizes the planned federal Department as being a “redundant red tape dispenser.”
Monday, December 8th, 1980: A senior British government team comprised of Dennis Healey (PM), James Callaghan (Foreign Secretary), Roy Jenkins (Chancellor), and Terrence Boston went to Dublin for talks with Charles Haughey, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), and senior members of the Irish government. It was agreed at the meeting to conduct joint studies on a wide range of subjects. This represented the first visit to Dublin by a British Prime Minster since partition in 1921. The phrase 'totality of relationships' was first used at this meeting. However, it was later revealed that the constitutional position of Northern Ireland had not been discussed at the meeting.
Tuesday, December 9th, 1980: The Washington Post reports that President Reagan and the Hughes Network are in talks with each other about potentially replacing the freshly fired Spiro Agnew with the outgoing President. The White House denies that the President has any interest in broadcasting, with White House Communications Director Patrick Buchanan firmly shutting down the suggestion. “Such a job is beneath Ronald Reagan” Buchanan declares.
Wednesday, December 10th, 1980: Turkish forces crackdown on an Islamist protest in Istanbul, which ironically was partially (and covertly) organized by the Grey Wolves. The hardline nationalist movement in Turkey has embraced Islamism to a certain extent in the years following Colonel Turkes downfall, a political marriage of convenience not unlike Turkes willingness to cozy up to the Soviet Union during his time as Prime Minister.
Friday, December 12th, 1980: President-elect Carey announces he will name Governor Cecil Andrus of Idaho as the next Secretary of the Interior. Andrus, the Democratic Governor of Idaho for two terms, is a middle of the road choice advocated by Vice President-elect Litton. Former Congressman Mo Udall (D-AZ), a more progressive choice, was also in consideration for the post.
Sunday, December 14th, 1980: Governor Teasdale of Missouri appoints former Congressman James Symington, son of the former Senator and Secretary of Defense Stuart Symington, to the vacated Senate seat held by Vice President-elect Litton. He will be up for reelection for a full six year term in 1982.
Monday, December 15th, 1980:The electoral college convenes in State Capitols across the nation; there are no faithless electors, with the final tally being 352 for Governor Carey, and 186 for President Reagan. The United States Congress is expected to certify the results on January 6th, 1981.
Tuesday, December 16th, 1980: In Chad an attack started on December 6, spearheaded by Soviet T-54 and T-55 tanks, and reportedly coordinated by advisors from the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Portugal, brought the fall of the capital on December 16. The Libyan force, numbering between 7,000 and 9,000 men of regular units and the paramilitary Pan-African Islamic Legion (which included some units loaned to Qaddafi by the PJO for training), 60 tanks, and other armored vehicles, had been ferried across 1,100 kilometers of desert from Libya's southern border, partly by airlift and tank transporters and partly under their own power. The border itself was 1,000 to 1,100 kilometers from Libya's main bases on the Mediterranean coast. The Libyan intervention demonstrated an impressive logistical ability and provided Gaddafi with his first military victory and a substantial political achievement.
Wednesday, December 17th, 1980: President-elect Carey nominates labor leader Lane Kirkland to the position of Secretary of Labor. Kirkland, the President of the AFL-CIO since 1979, is a popular choice amongst the party liberals and is naturally the preferred candidate from the labor movement’s perspective.
Thursday, December 18th, 1980: Three members of the PIRA escaped from Brixton Prison, London. One of the escapees was Gerard Tuite who had been imprisoned for bombing offences in London in 1978.
Friday, December 19th, 1980: Prime Minister Dennis Healey held a meeting with Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), to discuss the meeting with Charles Haughey, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), on 8 December 1980. Paisely later expressed his disgust that a British Prime Minister would go to Dublin other than at the head of an army to re-conquer Ireland. The government of the Irish Republic filed an official protest with the Foreign Office after the publication of Paisely’s comments.

Major General Özer Türkmen, head of the Turkish Cypriot Militia Force, overthrows the civilian government of the Turkish Cypriot zone of Northern Cyprus and installs a pro-Ankara military dictatorship.
Saturday, December 20th, 1980: Ali Nasir Muhammad, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council of South Yemen is seriously injured when a suicide assassin, linked either to the PJO or the anti-Iraqi insurgents in Arabia (or possibly both groups) detonates a bomb in an effort to assassinate him. One of Nasir’s aides and two bodyguards are killed, as well as two bystanders (along with the bomber). Chairman Nasir is evacuated to the Soviet Union for medical treatment. Also injured is a Soviet military attaché. Nasir was targeted because of South Yemen’s support for Iraq.
Sunday, December 21st, 1980: In a foreign policy focused interview with CNN, President-elect Carey gives an early indication into his international agenda. The President-elect raises the possibility of entering an arms control agreement with the Soviet Union and expresses a desire to meet with the Soviet General Secretary at some point in 1981. Carey also raises the prospects of drawing down troops from South Korea and South Vietnam unless the authoritarian military regimes in both countries adopt greater reforms and liberalizations.
Monday, December 22nd, 1980: American spy satellites capture imagery of a Chinese flotilla sailing out of Hainan towards the Spratly Islands. Their direction towards the small collection of uninhabited islands is unclear, and it is not known if they are attacking Taiwanese or South Vietnamese controlled blots of islands in the South China Sea. President Reagan informs South Vietnamese President Truong as well as Kuomintang leader Chiang Ching-kuo of the impending attack, fearing it could spark another flare up with China.
Tuesday, December 23rd, 1980: Operation Red Sun is launched on the order of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld on behalf of President Reagan; American jets based out of South Vietnam race into the skies to intercept the Chinese flotilla heading towards the Spratly Islands, but are surprisingly swarmed by a wave of People’s Liberation Airforce jets over the South China Sea. Four American planes are shot down before the American aerial attack is called off.

Ronald Reagan.

Wednesday, December 24th, 1980.

The White House.

8:00 PM, Washington, D.C.

[1]

My fellow Americans,

Today, I stand before you to address a matter of great concern to our nation and the world. The recent events in the South China Sea, specifically the Chinese invasion of the Spratly Islands, have escalated into a crisis that demands our immediate attention. The actions taken by the Chinese government are not only a violation of international law but also a threat to the stability and security of the region.

In the face of this challenge, the United States remains steadfast in its commitment to the principles of freedom, justice, and the sovereignty of nations. We cannot stand idly by as aggression undermines the rule of law and threatens the peace and prosperity we hold dear. The Spratly Islands, with their strategic importance, must not become a pawn in a game of power politics. We reject any attempt to redraw borders through force and coercion.

In response to these developments, I have directed our diplomatic and military channels to engage with our international partners to address this crisis. We will work tirelessly to ensure that the principles of the United Nations are upheld, and the rights of the affected nations are respected. Our commitment to the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region is unwavering.

I call upon the global community to stand united against aggression and to condemn the violation of international norms. Together, we will pursue diplomatic solutions and peaceful dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the region. The United States will continue to work with our allies and partners to ensure a just and lasting resolution to this crisis.

In times like these, the strength and resilience of the American spirit shine through. We will face this challenge with determination, wisdom, and a commitment to the values that make our nation a beacon of hope for the world. May God bless the United States of America, and may peace prevail in the South China Sea and beyond.

Wednesday, December 24th, 1980: President-elect Carey and Vice President-elect Litton are briefed on the developing situation in the South China Sea by National Security Adviser Richard Allen as a Chinese attack on the Spratly islands, which are claimed and largely held by South Vietnam and Taiwan (and claimed by China and the Philippines as well). In a nationally broadcast speech to the nation, China’s Premier Wang Hongwen states that the operation is part of the ongoing war with Vietnam. Troop movements are noticed near Hong Kong, with Chinese tanks and troops positioning themselves for a potential assault. However, water supplies to Hong Kong are not interrupted, a sign that China has no intent of attacking the British held city as part of their campaign in the South China Sea.
Thursday, December 25th, 1980: After two days of consistent aerial and naval bombardment, Chinese troops land on the Taiwanese held island of Taiping, the only inhabitable island in the Spratly islands, and the only one big enough to base an airstrip on. This gives the People’s Liberation Navy and Air Force a key advantage in the South China Sea.
Friday, December 26th, 1980: With President Reagan’s tacit permission, President-elect Carey speaks with South Vietnamese President Truong and raises the possibility of the two Vietnams launching joint military operations against China. Truong strongly rejects the proposal, warning that Hanoi cannot be trusted and that the Vietnam War will likely resume at some point in the 1980s. 
Saturday, December 27th, 1980: On the orders of President Reagan, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld orders the Navy’s Pacific Fleet under the Command of Donald Davis to begin preparations for a major seaborn offensive in the South China Sea against the People’s Liberation Navy. The mission, which Admiral Davis assures the President can be a success, will not be able to be organized and launched in time for the inauguration. Thus, President Reagan puts the planned mission on standby, allowing for his incoming successor to make the final decision.
Sunday, December 28th, 1980: UN Ambassador Ann Armstrong addresses an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where she seeks the United Nation’s support in rallying support for an international effort to compel the Chinese to abandon the critical Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Her efforts are surprisingly stymied by the Soviet Union, who claim the Taiwanese and South Vietnamese occupations of the island are also illegal, and that North Vietnam should be awarded sovereignty over the islands.
Monday, December 29th, 1980: President-elect Carey nominates Congressman Robert Bergland (D-MN) to lead the Department of Agriculture. Bergland’s appointment to lead the USDA is welcomed by most wings of the Democratic Party, who view the Minnesota Congressman as a reliable and seasoned choice to oversee the nation’s agricultural policies.
Tuesday, December 30th, 1980: A Loyalist paramilitary group called the Loyalist Prisoners Action Force (LPAF) shot dead William Burns (45), a prison officer in Belfast. It is believed that the LPAF was a cover name used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
Wednesday, December 31st, 1980: Governor Ella Grasso of Connecticut resigns after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis; the first woman elected as a state executive in her own right, the Governor will die in early February as her health continues to fail.

The Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, is bombed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) due to the Kenyan government’s opposition to Idi Amin and their involvement in a failed Israeli raid in Uganda. 10 people, mostly foreign tourists, are killed in the blast. The Kenyan government accuses the Ugandan regime of Idi Amin of being complicit in the attack.

[username5243]

Oh wow, talk about being thrown into the fire! Quite a cliffhanger and I expect there will be quite a few more of those in the years ahead.

And congrats on making it through the first decade!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, January 1st, 1981: New Years Day is observed across the globe. In Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor, President of Senegal since the nation became independent in 1960, becomes the first African president to retire voluntarily, resigning in favor of his protégé, Vice-President Abdou Diouf. In the Pacific, Palau gains (semi) independence from the United States, though it remains an associated nation well within the American orbit.
Saturday, January 3rd, 1981: The 97th Congress convenes in Washington. Speaker Brademas and Majority Leader Byrd continue to dominate the Congress as an incoming Democratic administration looks to embrace an ambitious policy agenda over the next two years. President-elect Carey meets with Speaker Brademas and Senator Byrd that afternoon to evaluate key policy priorities.

The newly reconstituted Nicaraguan Sandinista Movement (FSLN) under Comandante Toro (the alias of fugitive Charles Manson) launches its first attack on a government National Guard Barracks in Bluefields.

Salvadoran labor leader José Rodolfo Viera, and two American representatives from the AFL-CIO, Michael P. Hammer and Mark David Pearlman, were assassinated at the Sheraton Hotel in San Salvador, by two members of the El Salvador National Guard. The gunmen, José Dimas Valle Acevedo, and Santiago Gómez González, testified later that they had been ordered to carry out the murders after the victims had been recognized by businessman Hans Christ at the hotel's restaurant. Christ had been opposed to any form of labor organization in El Salvador which operated a sweat-shop economy.
Sunday, January 4th, 1981: Archbishop Chrysostomos I becomes the President of the Greek Cypriot portion of island.
Monday, January 5th, 1981: A group of Argentine “campers”, composed mainly of supporters of President Carlos Humberto Perette’s Radical Civic Union Party arrive on the Falklands and being what they call a “camp-in” on the “occupied Malvinas” drawing international press attention to the situation.

Marathur G. Ramachandran, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, leads joins with Kanu Sanyai’s followers to join a people’s protest of the government’s land reform measures. Ramachandran claims that the new government law liberalizing land sale rules is being exploited by loan sharks to steal poor people’s land and sell it to “bundlers” who make a business of bundling small parcels into larger parcels which they then sell to developers. Ramachandran also complains that the relaxation of currency regulations in regard to the banks and capital flow is increasing inflation in India.

Terence Boston is replaced by Prime Minister as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as part of a cabinet reshuffle. The new Secretary is William Hughes, who Prime Minister Healey hopes can turn around the perilous situation in Northern Ireland.
Tuesday, January 6th, 1981: The Congress certifies the electoral results, officially putting Governor/President-elect Carey on the course to take office on January 20th. Governor Carey promptly resigns as New York’s executive that evening, and is succeeded as Governor by Lt. Governor Mary Anne Krupsak, with whom Carey was known to have a long and tense relationship with. Mayor Mario Cuomo of New York looks towards a primary challenge in 1982, hoping to propel himself into the Presidency within the coming years.

The merger of Libya and Chad was announced in Tripoli by Libya's leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, and his guest, President Goukouni Oueddei of Chad, who had taken power in December with the help of 4,000 Libyan troops. At 1,175,112 square miles (3,043,530 km2), the proposed nation would have been the largest in Africa and 7th largest in the world. The prospect of Libya's annexation of its southern neighbor prompted the member nations of the Organization of African Unity to intervene, with the assistance of France, in forcing the peaceful withdrawal of Libyan forces and an end to the merger plan.

On January 6, 1981, a joint communiqué was issued in Tripoli by Gaddafi and Goukouni announcing that Libya and Chad had decided "to work to achieve full unity between the two countries". The merger plan caused strong adverse reaction in Africa and was immediately condemned by France and the United States. On January 11, despite some political opposition within his Socialist Party, President Mitterrand offered to strengthen French garrisons in friendly African states and on January 15 placed the French Mediterranean fleet on alert. Libya answered by threatening to impose an oil embargo, while France threatened to react if Libya attacked another bordering country. The accord was also opposed by all GUNT ministers present with Goukouni at Tripoli, with the exception of Acyl.

Most observers believe that the reasons behind Goukouni's accepting the accord may be found in a mix of threats, intense pressure and the financial help promised by Gaddafi. Also, just before his visit to the Libyan capital, Goukouni had sent two of his commanders to Libya for consultations; at Tripoli, Goukouni learned from Gaddafi that they had been assassinated by "Libyan dissidents", and that if he didn't want to risk losing Libyan favour and lose power, he should accept the merger plan.

The importance of the opposition they met caused Gaddafi and Goukouni to downplay the importance of the communiqué, speaking of a "union" of peoples, and not of states, and as a "first step" towards closer collaboration. But the damage had been done, and the joint communiqué badly weakened Goukouni's prestige as a nationalist and a statesman.

Increasing international pressure against Libyan presence in Chad were at first met by Goukouni's statement that the Libyans were present in Chad because requested by the government, and that international mediators should simply accept the decision of Chad's legitimate government. In a meeting held in May Goukouni had become more accommodating, declaring that while the Libyan forces withdrawal was not a priority, he would accept the decisions of the OAU. Goukouni could hardly at the time renounce Libyan military support, necessary for dealing with the FAN which, despite being demoralized by Habre’s assassination, was supported by Egypt and Sudan and funded through Egypt by the United States Central Intelligence Agency.

In the meantime, relations between Goukouni and Gaddafi started deteriorating. Libyan troops were stationed in various points of northern and central Chad, in numbers that had reached by January–February about 14,000 troops. The Libyan forces in the country created considerable annoyance in the GUNT, by supporting Acyl's faction in its disputes with the other militias, including the clashes held in late April with Goukouni's FAP. There were also attempts to Libyanize the local population, that made many conclude that "unification" for Libya meant Arabization and the imposition of Libyan political culture, in particular of The Green Book.

Goukouni and his ministers were also particularly alarmed by the introduction of Palestinian Jihad Organization troops into Chad via the Libyan forces. The PJO began to radicalize some tribal elements with Islamist teachings, turning them against the authorities and recruiting from among younger Chadians for their own ranks, particularly to send to Arabia to fight the Iraqis. In some areas the PJO established Islamist areas.

The Brazilian ferry Novo Amapo sank in the Jari River after striking a sandbar. Although 211 survivors were rescued, at least 230 others drowned.
Wednesday, January 7th, 1981: A suicide bomber walks into the lobby of the Soviet Embassy in Cairo, Egypt and detonates a bomb that kills two guards and one Embassy clerk and seven visitors. Scores more are injured, while the bomb causes some damage to the building. The bomber is later identified as a member of the Egyptian Ikhwan (Muslim Brotherhood) who had been trained in explosives by the Egyptian Army and who had served in the Army during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Afterward the bomber spent some time fighting with the PJO in Lebanon. A statement is later released in which a previously unknown group – The Egyptian Mujahedeen for Jihad in Arabia – claims responsibility, denouncing Soviet support for Iraq as the reason that their Embassy in Cairo was targeted.

Conspiracy theorist and economist Lyndon LaRouche is sentenced to 15 years in prison for mail fraud after having been indicted the year before. LaRouche, through his numerous low level contacts within the Reagan administration, attempts to seek a pardon from President Reagan, but his efforts are rebuffed initially. LaRouche vows to appeal his conviction before a higher court.
Thursday, January 8th, 1981: A fire killed 31 elderly residents of the Beachview Rest Home in Keansburg, New Jersey. Another 78 patients and employees escaped the blaze.
Friday, January 9th, 1981: The funeral of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria, takes place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. She had died six days previously at the age of 97.

An official inquiry begins in West Germany into the government’s involvement in the development of a nuclear reactor in Iraq (The Tammuz Affair).
Saturday, January 10th, 1981: The FMLN launched a guerilla war against the government of El Salvador which would last for eleven years. At 6:30 pm, after radio stations in San Salvador were seized and FMLN leader Cayetano Carpio announced "The hour... for the taking of power by the people... has arrived." and attacks were launched at multiple locations. One estimate is that 80,000 people, almost 2% of El Salvador's population of 4.5 million, were killed in the course of attacks and reprisals.

Lewis Green, the Principal officer at the U.S. Consulate-General in Belfast, was shot and wounded by a gunman in front of his residence. The UVF later claimed responsibility for the shooting, claiming that PIRA supporters in the United States were financing the PIRA and the U.S. government was not doing enough to stop it. The U.S. government immediately expressed concern to the British government that the UVF gunman had received assistance from within the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) which was supposed to provide protection for Green and other U.S. diplomats.

The Hughes Media Group, which owns the Hughes Television Network in the United States, announces that it has bought The Times from the Thompson Media Group. The details of the private transaction are not disclosed.

Le Monde publishes a story alleging that Israel is secretly arming pro-Jihad forces fighting the Iraqis in Arabia. The Israelis are doing this to keep the war going against the Iraqis and to tie down the Iraqi Army with fighting in Arabia. The revelation creates a scandal in Israel because some of the forces that Israel is arming covertly are associated with the PJO, so in effect Israel may be covertly assisting its mortal enemies. At first the Begin government denies the story and attempts to stonewall any efforts to investigate the matter.

Menachem Begin states before the Knesset: “This French paper has written fiction and is trying to pass it off as fact. One does not investigate fiction.”

This revelation also calls attention to a tense situation between the Yemens. South Yemen, which is pro-Soviet, has been resisting Soviet pressure to aid the Iraqis because the struggle to its North has deeply divided South Yemen. Many in South Yemen, who are more traditionally minded, side with the resistance to the Iraqi occupation. The matter threatens to start a Civil War in South Yemen.

North Yemen is actively aiding the resistance, and its government has allowed their country to be a transit point for arms and a refuge for resistance fighters. This has not only increased tensions between North Yemen and Iraq, but it has also increased tensions between the two Yemeni states.

Egypt had generally backed North Yemen, as a way to placate its Islamist opponents by supporting the Arabian jihad. But now, having turned back to the Soviet Union for its own support, Egypt finds the Soviets are compelling it to withdraw that support and instead to lend support to South Yemen and the Iraqis.

North Yemen remains a Cold war client of the United States. (U.S. Forces, under the Persian Gulf Command based in Iran, have a protective presence in Oman, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain as a message to Iraq not to attempt to invade these states).
Monday, January 12th, 1981: At 1:30 am, the Macheteros, a separatist group in Puerto Rico raided Air National Guard's Muñiz Air Base after midnight and set explosives that destroyed nine jet fighters (8 A-7 Corsair IIs and an F-104 Starfighter.
Wednesday, January 14th, 1981: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of the first extended wear contact lenses, which could be left in the eyes for up to two weeks. The Hydrocurve II lenses were manufactured by a subsidiary of Revlon.
Thursday, January 15th, 1981: Hill Street Blues, described as "one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed television shows in recent television history" Museum of Broadcast Communications, Encyclopedia of Television (2d.Ed) (CRC Press, 2004) pp1089–1091 and a program that "set an entirely new standard for television drama" made its debut on NBC at 10:00 pm EST.
Friday, January 16th, 1981: Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, who had served as a British MP and an advocate for the rights of Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland, was shot multiple times, along with her husband, by Protestant gunmen of the paramilitary group Ulster Freedom Fighters who had invaded their home. Five days later, Protestant leader Norman Stronge, who had been the last leader of the Northern Ireland parliament, was shot and killed, along with his son, by an eleven member Irish Republican Brigade unit, at their home, Tynan Abbey.
Saturday, January 17th, 1981: After eight years, by Proclamation No. 2034, martial law was lifted in the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos, who had declared a state of emergency on September 22nd , 1972. Marcos announced that emergency rule would continue for three more years.

Marguerite Oswald, mother of presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, dies at 65.
Sunday, January 18th, 1981: New Cross Fire: At Deptford, a mostly black neighborhood in London, thirteen young black British persons died in a fire during a 16th birthday party for one of the victims, Yvonne Ruddock. The fire, believed by many in the black community to have been set by racists, was cited as a factor in the 1981 Brixton riot three months later.

The Knesset votes to incorporate the conquered Sinai territory into “Greater Israel” and begin a program of “Israelification” of the land and population centers. Egypt formally protests this.
Monday, January 19th, 1981: President Reagan signs a last minute series of pardons including one for Oliver North and another for Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt. He also issues a pardon for former President Richard M. Nixon, restoring Nixon’s full civil rights.
Carey Presidency starts tomorrow

[anbarret]

I am getting these kind of vibes for a more optimistic 1980s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G37wnMk4_vI

[anbarret]

Here is a foreshadowing by Drew towards the end of FLaG on the nature of the sequel:

"That would have been one branch, more or less the opposite of OTL. But that didn't seem like enough of a challenge for this TL. But then, since Wallace was no Carter, we can hardly expect Rumsfeld to be a Reagan...just a real sob, as Nixon once put it."

https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/fear-loathing-and-gumbo-on-the-campaign-trail-72.150154/page-131#post-6701122

[anbarret]

I just found the perfect anthem for Careyland. The "anthem" of New York state that in OTL was only adopted in 1977!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ptdQUJEEpyM

It sounds like the perfect contrast to the original Rumsfeldia timeline.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Hugh Carey.

Tuesday, January 20th, 1981.

The Capitol.

12:00 PM, Washington, D.C.

Ladies and gentlemen, Presidents Nixon, Gavin, Reagan, Vice President Bush, Mr. Chief Justice, and my fellow Americans:

Today marks a new chapter in our nation's history, as we gather here to celebrate the peaceful transition of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. I stand before you humbled and honored to assume the responsibilities of the highest office in the land. The journey that brought us to this moment has been one of resilience, unity, and the unwavering belief in the ideals that define us as a people. Together, we embark on a journey to build a stronger, fairer, and cohesive America.

As we look to the future, let us acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead. Our nation faces economic uncertainties, global complexities, and domestic issues that demand our collective attention. However, I am confident that through cooperation and a commitment to shared values, we can overcome these challenges. In the spirit of bipartisanship, I extend my hand to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, recognizing that the strength of our democracy lies in our ability to find common ground and work towards the greater good.

Our administration will be rooted in the principles of justice, equality, and compassion. We will strive to create an America where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances. Together, let us build a future where the promise of the American Dream is accessible to all, and where the values that bind us as a nation shine bright. With faith in our shared destiny and the dedication of the American people, I am confident that we can forge a path to a better tomorrow. Thank you, and may God bless the United States of America.

In the coming years, we must address not only the immediate challenges we face but also the long-term issues that will shape the destiny of our great nation. Our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices will be unwavering. We will invest in innovative technologies and embrace clean energy solutions to ensure a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come. Furthermore, we must prioritize education and healthcare, investing in the well-being and intellectual growth of our citizens. By fostering a society that values education, we empower our people to contribute meaningfully to our nation's progress.

In closing, I call upon the American people to join hands in this shared journey. Together, we can build a more perfect union, where diversity is celebrated, justice is blind, and opportunity knows no bounds. Let us rekindle the spirit of unity that has defined our nation's greatest achievements. As we face the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future, let us be guided by the enduring principles that make America a beacon of hope for the world. Thank you and may the United States of America continue to shine as a symbol of freedom and democracy for all.
Tuesday, January 20th, 1981: Former Governor Hugh Carey of New York is sworn in as the 41st President of the United States, the first Democrat to take office in sixteen years following twelve chaotic years of four successive Republican administrations.
Wednesday, January 21st, 1981: President Carey announces he will appoint Supreme Court Justice Byron White to the position of Attorney General, opening up a vacancy on the federal bench in the process.

Norman Stronge (86), a former speaker of the Stormont parliament, and James Stronge (48), his son, were shot dead by the PIRA in an attack on their mansion, Tynan Abbey, near Middletown, County Armagh. The assassinations are retaliations for the murder of Bernadette Devlin.
Thursday, January 22nd, 1981: The White House announces the nominations of Patricia Harris to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Stephen Breyer to lead the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Harris, a former Ambassador to Luxemburg and member of the Democratic National Committee, would be the first black woman to serve in the United States cabinet. Breyer, the chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, was selected by Carey due to his deep understanding of the complexities of the federal bureaucracy at the behest of Senator Paul Kirk (D-MA).

The Senate Armed Services votes 10-1 to confirm Senator Henry Jackson (D-WA) as the next Secretary of Defense. The sole dissenting vote on the committee comes from Senator John Kerry (D-MA). The nomination is referred to the entire Senate for debate, which is closed after only three hours. The Senate votes 95-5 to confirm Senator Jackson to the position in the end, and the Senator resigns his seat in order to take on his new role at the Pentagon almost immediately.
Friday, January 23rd, 1981: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirms Nicholas Katzenbach as Secretary of State by a vote of 12-3. Katzenbach’s nomination is largely shepherded through the committee thanks to the work of Senator Biden, the #2 Democrat on the Committee after Alan Cranston, the Committee’s Chair. The only dissenting votes against Katzenbach’s nomination comes from Senators Grady (R-FL), Helms (R-NC), and Lugar (R-IN).

President Carey nominates businessman Irving Shapiro to head the Department of the Treasury. The DuPont CEO was reportedly selected by the President after Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) declined the role, though the White House denies this. In his 1990 autobiography, President Carey would ultimately reveal that DuPont was his first choice all along.
Saturday, January 24th, 1981: President Carey and Vice President Litton travel to Sutton, West Virginia to launch the “Great American Recovery” initiative. In a speech before the local dam, the President vows a comprehensive push for public works projects and infrastructure initiatives such as rural electrification and highway improvements. These public works projects, while not on the scale of the New Deal, are welcomed by labor activists.
Sunday, January 25th, 1981: Governor Dixy Lee Ray tells CBS’s Face the Nation that she will appoint a new Senator for Washington in the coming days. The Governor complains in the interview about pressure from the Democratic National Committee to appoint a certain favorite of the DNC, whom Ray declines to name.
Monday, January 26th, 1981: The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings for Justice Byron White’s nomination to serve as Attorney General. The Senators on the committee, led by Senator Joe Biden, vote to confirm White after just five hours of questioning by a 12-5 margin.
Tuesday, January 27th, 1981: The Senate votes to confirm Nicholas Katzenbach as Secretary of State by a vote of 78-22.
Wednesday, January 28th, 1981: The Senate Finance Committee begins hearings for Irving Shapiro’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the Treasury.

Arabian rebels under Mahrous Bin Laden attack the Qatif oil facility, causing major damage and tying down Iraqi troops in the process. The attack successfully disrupts Iraq's efforts to maintain the flow of oil from the occupied portions of Arabia.
Thursday, January 29th, 1981: Senator Frank Church (D-ID) appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee for confirmation hearings for the position of Secretary of National Intelligence, where he is grilled by the Committee’s ranking member Senator John Grady (R-FL) and ranking member Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). His nomination finds support from Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Charles Evers (I-MS), however.
Friday, January 30th, 1981: The Senate votes 72-28 in favor of Byron White’s nomination to serve as Attorney General after a week of prolonged debate. White, a favorite of liberals, was opposed by a block of conservative Senators led by Jesse Helms (R-NC) and John Bel Williams (I-MS).
Saturday, January 31st, 1981: President Carey announces he will nominate Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (D-TX) to the Supreme Court to replace Justice White, who is sworn in as Attorney General on this day.  Jordan’s nomination is well received by the press, public, and congressional liberals, making history as the first black woman ever nominated to the Supreme Court.

Li Zhisui, the personal physician to Mao Zedong, defects to British authorities in Hong Kong after being sent there incognito by a high ranking patron in the Communist Party of China to purchase certain pharmaceuticals. Li will eventually travel to the United States later in the year as Wang Hongwen puts a “hit” out on him through the CCP’s allies in the Triads, where he will write a detailed account of his time as Mao Zedong’s personal doctor through his purging by the Younger Mao. Li had spent the bulk of 1973 until 1980 in a labor camp and was only released following the downfall of Mao Yuanxin.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Update coming tonight. Sorry for the delay.

[anbarret]

Rick Perlstein needs to read the Spiro Agnew timeline:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-02-28-kissinger-revisited/

[Prez_zf]

Rick Perlstein needs to read the Spiro Agnew timeline:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-02-28-kissinger-revisited/

How do you find all of these sources and stuff?

[anbarret]

Rick Perlstein needs to read the Spiro Agnew timeline:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-02-28-kissinger-revisited/

How do you find all of these sources and stuff?

I have been following this particular historian for some time.

For most sources, I would say human curiousity. But if you want more details on specific ones,  I can provide them.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Rick Perlstein needs to read the Spiro Agnew timeline:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-02-28-kissinger-revisited/

How do you find all of these sources and stuff?

I have been following this particular historian for some time.

For most sources, I would say human curiousity. But if you want more details on specific ones,  I can provide them.

Please do! I think I speak for everyone who has participated in this thread when I say that I find your posts to be very helpful and informative. I've learned a ton while writing this.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Hugh Carey.

Sunday, February 1st, 1981.

The White House.

7:00 PM, Washington, D.C.

Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow Americans:

Tonight, I stand before you today with a burdened heart and a profound sense of responsibility as your President. Our great nation has always been a beacon of freedom, democracy, and justice around the world. Today, I address you in the wake of a challenging decision – a decision that weighs on me as your leader and as a guardian of our nation's values.

In recent weeks, events in the South China Sea have taken an unexpected turn, challenging the principles that have guided our foreign policy for decades. The Spratly Islands, a hotspot in the geopolitical arena, have witnessed a significant escalation. In the face of this challenge, I have made a decision that prioritizes the safety and well-being of our people, as well as the preservation of peace in the world.

Effective immediately, I have ordered the withdrawal of the United States Navy from the Spratly Islands.

This decision has not been made lightly. The Spratlys have been a source of tension, a flashpoint for international discord. Our commitment to a world order that values peaceful coexistence, diplomacy, and the rule of law has led us to carefully consider the implications of our actions. The use of military force must always be a last resort, and in this instance, I believe it is in the best interest of our nation and the global community to step back from the brink.

The Chinese invasion of the Spratly Islands has presented us with a complex situation, and I want to assure you that our withdrawal is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it is a testament to our commitment to finding peaceful and diplomatic solutions to conflicts. We will not be drawn into a cycle of aggression that jeopardizes the lives of our brave men and women in uniform.

At the same time, I want to make it clear that we remain vigilant in protecting our national interests and the interests of our allies. Our withdrawal from the Spratlys does not signal a retreat from our responsibilities or a compromise of our values. We will continue to engage in diplomatic efforts to address this situation and uphold the principles that make our nation great.

To our servicemen and women who have served with honor and dedication in the South China Sea, I extend my deepest gratitude. Your commitment to defending our nation is unwavering, and I assure you that your sacrifices are not in vain. We will continue to support you and ensure that your efforts contribute to a safer and more secure world.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will work tirelessly to find diplomatic solutions to the challenges we face. We will engage with our allies, partners, and the international community to address the root causes of this conflict and build a more stable and peaceful world.

In times of uncertainty, our strength as a nation lies in our unity. I call upon all Americans to stand together, to trust in the values that have defined us for centuries, and to believe in the power of diplomacy and dialogue. We are facing a difficult moment, but I am confident that, together, we will navigate these challenges and emerge stronger on the other side.

May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
Sunday, February 1st, 1981: Senator Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) announces she will retire from the Senate after forty years in Washington. The Senator, who made history in 1964 when she briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination (making her the first woman ever to seriously contest the presidency), has suffered from health and mobility problems in recent years. Governor Joseph Brennan vows to name a replacement to Senator Smith’s seat in the coming weeks. Brennan, a Democrat, has privately indicated to Senate Majority Leader Byrd that he would appoint attorney George Mitchell to the seat.

President Carey nominates former Florida Governor Reubin Askew to serve as Secretary of Transportation.
Monday, February 2nd, 1981: The Senate votes 90-10 to confirm Robert Bergland as Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate also votes 94-6 in favor of Cecil Andrus’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the Interior. Both are sworn into office by Vice President Litton hours later at a White House ceremony.
Tuesday, February 3rd, 1981: The Senate Finance Committee votes 15-3 to confirm Irving Shapiro’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the Treasury.
Wednesday, February 4th, 1981: Former Senators Eugene McCarthy (I-MN) and Fred Harris (D-OK) team up with attorney Ralph Nader (the Ecology Party’s 1980 VP candidate), indigenous activist Russell Means, and civil rights activist and Washington D.C. councilor Sterling Tucker to form the Committee for a New Progressive Party (CNPP). Delegates from the Socialist and Peace parties are invited to join this group, while the Ecology Party declines, citing a desire to build their own party from the ground up instead of merging into a new organization. The committee intends to spend a year debating whether or not to launch a new political party that can serve as a vehicle for a third party candidate in 1984 to challenge Carey from the left.
Thursday, February 5th, 1981: The Senate Intelligence Committee confirms Senator Frank Church by a vote of 11-4, sending his nomination to the Senate for a full vote.

Vice President Litton and Secretary of State Katzenbach kick off a seven-day tour of the major European capitals, touching down in London where they are received at Buckingham Palace by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as well as attending meetings with the Prime Minister Dennis Healey. They are slated to travel to Paris, Madrid, Rome (and the Vatican), Bonn, and Stokholm in the coming days.
Friday, February 6th, 1981: Ambassador-at-Large Sargent Shriver travels to Moscow, where he is received at the Kremlin by a delegation of members of the ruling Communist Party’s politburo led by Deputy Premier Ryzhkov. Shriver relays a personal message from the President to General Secretary Andropov inviting him to another major international summit to discuss further efforts to contain China.
Saturday, February 7th, 1981: A plane carrying 70 Soviet military officers from Leningrad to Vladivostok, crashed during a takeoff, killing all persons aboard, including 24 admirals and generals. The fatalities, which the Soviet government never publicly acknowledged, are said to include Admiral Emil Spiridonov, Commander of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, and Lt. Gen. Georgi Pavlov, Commander of the Pacific Air Wing.
Sunday, February 8th, 1981: Karaiskakis Stadium disaster: At a soccer football match at Piraeus, Greece, 21 people were killed and 54 seriously injured. Olympiakos F.C. had defeated visiting AEK Athens F.C., 6-0, and fans rushing to a blocked stadium exit were trampled to death.

Former Vice President George Bush rules out running for Governor in 1982 in an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, leading many to suspect that Bush is eying a presidential run in 1984.
Monday, February 9th, 1981: Unconfirmed reports trickle out of the Kremlin indicate that Soviet President Yuri Andropov has suffered a serious heart attack. He is not seen publicly again until September. What is not known outside of the Kremlin is that Andropov has been hospitalized for over a year, with his health suffering serious setbacks in the aftermath of the Dublin Summit.
Tuesday, February 10th, 1981: Senator Walter Mondale (D-MN) and Congressman Augustus Hawkins (D-CA) team up to introduce the Full Employment Act of 1981 to their respective chambers of Congress. The proposed legislation is the first opening salvo of the Carey administration’s domestic policy agenda. The legislation would require the Federal Reserve’s Board to enact policies that minimize inflation and promote job creation, and would increase congressional oversight over the Federal Reserve.

Eight people died and 350 were injured at a fire that broke out at 8:00 pm on the 8th floor of the Las Vegas Hilton hotel, and then spread upward to the 22 stories above. Philip Bruce Cline, a 23-year-old busboy who had at first been praised for alerting guests to the blaze, was later convicted of arson and murder, and received eight life sentences.
Wednesday, February 11th, 1981: The forces of the Mauritanian junta manage to expel the PJO from their territory into Mali. They also reach a ceasefire with the Polisario guerrillas, who have no love of the PJO either. This allows Mauritania to consolidate its western and northern frontiers.
Thursday, February 12th, 1981: In a meeting of the National Security Council at the White House, President Carey made the decision to cease support for the South African regime until Apartheid is abandoned and General Malan stands down from office. All covert support (primarily in the form of weapons and facilitating the hiring of foreign mercenaries from South Vietnam and Chile) for South Africa immediately halts, though President Carey insists that the United States maintain it’s military bases in Walvis Bay even if bombing missions will discontinue.

Indian Prime Minister Ram Sundar Das announces a further series of economic liberalizations. Sanjay Gandhi uses these to organize a populist opposition to the Das government, proclaiming that the Prime Minister has sold the Indian people out to imperialist-capitalist forces. He characterizes the on-going imprisonment of his mother as part of a Das government plot to steal India from the people.

Frank Church is confirmed Secretary of National Intelligence by a vote of 63-37. Reubin Askew meanwhile is confirmed as Secretary of Transportation by a vote of 90-10.
Friday, February 13th, 1981: Forty-nine people were killed and 214 injured in a fire at the Stardust Cabaret discothèque in Dublin. More than were 700 people were present for a Valentine's Day party when flames were observed at 2:00 A.M. Arson is suspected as being the cause of the blaze.

The Senate votes 61-39 to confirm Irving Shapiro as the next Secretary of the Treasury, with the opposition to the DuPont CEO largely coming from a coalition of conservative firebrands and progressive liberals such as Senators Ramsey Clark (D-NY) and Patsy Mink (D-HI).

President Carey nominates Philip Klutznick, a Jewish businessman and diplomat who had previously served as President of the World Jewish Congress to the position of Secretary of Commerce.
Saturday, February 14th, 1981: The PJO sends into Niger wandering teachers, who convert the dispossessed and youth to their Salafist beliefs. This is a repeat of practice they have undertaken in Mali and Chad. They also encourage young soldiers to come to the cause, either by deserting their posts or acting as spies within the Army.
Sunday, February 15th, 1981: Twenty minutes before Pope Pius XIII was to arrive at to celebrate mass with 70,000 people at Pakistan's National Stadium in Karachi, a hand grenade exploded in a stairway behind the VIP grandstand, killing the man who had been carrying it. Despite security concerns, the Pope insisted on going through with the mass. The Pope was on the first stop of a 12-day tour of Asia, after departing Rome earlier that day. After delivering the mass, he flew on to Manila.
Monday, February 16th, 1981: The Senate confirms Stephen Breyer as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by a vote of 67-33.

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings for Congresswoman Barbara Jordan’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
Tuesday, February 17th, 1981: Patricia Harris is confirmed as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by the Senate after a vote of 80-20 in her favor. Joining her as her chief Deputy at HUD is Ron Brown, the former counsel of the National Urban League.
Wednesday, February 18th, 1981: In a 35-minute speech to a joint session of Congress, President Carey outlines his ambitious domestic agenda. Amongst his proposals are the passage of the Hawkins-Mondale Full Employment Act, sweeping public works and infrastructure revitalization projects, and Medicare and Medicaid expansion to include a “public option” for health insurance. It is the most stridently liberal agenda since LBJ’s “Great Society.”
Thursday, February 19th, 1981: Entertainer Frank Sinatra was cleared of longstanding rumors that he had ties to organized crime, 18 years after the Nevada Gaming Commission had revoked his license to operate a casino. In 1963, mobster Sam Giancana visited Sinatra's Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe, and the license had been suspended. A factor in the Commission's 4-1 vote in favor of Sinatra was a statement of support from Ronald Reagan, with an attorney authorized to say that Reagan "considers him an honorable person — completely honest and loyal."
Saturday, February 21st, 1981: In a broadcast made from Radio Veritas in Manila, Pope Pius XIII made what was described as "the most far-reaching call for interfaith dialogue ever made by a pontiff", proposing to meet with representatives of the world's major religions. "The church of Jesus Christ in this age experiences a profound need to enter into contact and dialogue with all these religions," said the Pope, and that Christians must commit to discussions "so that mutual understanding and collaboration may grow, so that moral values may be strengthened, so that God may be praised in all creation". He also outlines his idea of a system of nations working together under a plan of “spiritual guidance and moral direction” as opposed to “tired ideologies of subjugation and tyranny driven by merchant values, or the evil counsels of Marx.”
Tuesday, February 24th, 1981: Terrorists from GRAPO (First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups) attempt to storm the Spanish Chamber of Deputies and take members hostage. They are stopped in a bloody shoot-out with Civil Guard forces, which claim that all seven terrorists in the action were killed, along with five policeman and one Deputy killed and another nine people injured. The manifesto put-out by GRAPO referred to the liberation of Spain the previous year as “a bourgeois, capitalist feint to preserve Francoism without Franco, and to promote capitalist tyranny at the expense of the Spanish people.”

The manifesto called for a Portuguese style Marxist Revolution in Spain, leading many to suspect that the Portuguese had put GRAPO up to the attempt. (The official state information service of the DPRP condemned the attack but was sympathetic to the group’s goals, which in turn drew further protest from Madrid at Lisbon’s policy). As a result there were several large anti-Portuguese demonstrations in a number of Spanish cities, and the headquarters of the Spanish Communist Party in Madrid was firebombed by “persons unknown.” Even ETA, the Basque Terrorist group, issued a statement condemning the attack.
Wednesday, February 25th, 1981: For the first time, the seat of a member of the United States Congress was declared vacant by reason of disability. Gladys Noon Spellman, U.S. Representative from Maryland, had been comatose since suffering a stroke shortly before her re-election in November. By voice vote, with no objection, the House of Representatives passed a resolution noting that "Mrs. Spellman has been unable to take the oath of office due to a de-capacitating illness" and that her position should be declared vacant. Spellman never recovered and died in 1988.

Valery Giscard d’Estaing announces that he will be a candidate for President of France in 1981, challenging incumbent President Mitterrand.
Thursday, February 26th, 1981: The military regime in Mali, in conjunction with their allies in the Palestinian Jihad Organization, promulgate a new constitution in the country. Mali is declared to be an Islamic Republic, with a Shura Council composed of local clerics and exiled Palestinian jihadists being formed to implement Sharia Law in the country. Infidels are ordered to convert or die. The Islamic Republic of Mali issues no official passports as it claims not to recognize the international system as having any validity.
Friday, February 27th, 1981: Joey Coyle, an unemployed longshoreman in Philadelphia, was driving behind an armored car when its doors opened and two bags of money fell out. Coyle retrieved the bags and found that he was in possession of more than $1,200,000 in cash. Over the next six days, he spent or gave away an estimated $196,000 before being caught by the FBI. He was later acquitted of theft, and his story was the basis for the 1993 film Money for Nothing.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Sunday, March 1st, 1981: Vice President Litton appears on CBS’s Face the Nation, where he lays out the administration’s energy agenda for 1981, which include serious investments in infrastructure programs.

Robert Goizueta became CEO of Coca-Cola. The Cuban-born executive introduced the successful "Diet Coke."
Monday, March 2nd, 1981: Francois Mitterrand confirmed widely held expectations and announced that he would run for re-election as President of France.

The Senate confirms Philip Klutznick to the position of Secretary of Commerce by a vote of 72-28.
Tuesday, March 3rd, 1981: The 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union re-elected Yuri Andropov as General Secretary, despite the fact that Andropov made no appearance or speech at the Congress. Nikolai Ryzhkov gave the key-note address usually made by the General Secretary. He and Grigori Romanov appeared to be the officials in charge of the Congress. Alexander Yakovlev is confirmed as a candidate member of the Politburo.
Thursday, March 5th, 1981: Continental Airlines Flight 72 was briefly hijacked by a man who had been fired the day before from his job at the Los Angeles International Airport. Victor Malasauskas brought a 9-mm automatic pistol with him after buying a seat in first-class on the flight bound from LAX to Phoenix. An alert flight attendant saw that he had a concealed weapon, and all but four passengers and two flight attendants were able to get off of the airplane before he realized that he had been spotted. The last of the hostages escaped later in the day. Malasauskas, whose claim that he had a bomb turned out to be false, would later be sentenced to twenty years in prison.
Friday, March 6th, 1981: After 19 years as the anchorman of the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time. Cronkite had anchored the show since April 16, 1962. Dan Rather will replace him as the anchor for the network’s evening news broadcast.
Saturday, March 7th, 1981: Eugenia Charles, the Prime Minister of Dominica, is deposed in a coup by former Prime Minister Patrick John and Defense Force Commander Frederick Newton. The coup had been planned for March 14th, but was discovered by Prime Minister Charles, who moved to suppress it. She was betrayed by several members of the Defense Force who sided with the coup plotters when the arrest warrant was issued. This was called Operation Red Dog. The coup was reportedly assisted by American mercenaries.
Sunday, March 8th, 1981: The Soviet Union vetoes a UN Security Council measure to sanction it over its support of the ZPLF and other guerrilla forces in Southern Africa.
Monday, March 9th, 1981: U.S. Patent #4,255,811 was issued to Dr. Roy L. Adler under the title "Key Control Block Cipher System" for a data encryption algorithm developed by him in 1974 while he was employed at IBM. Besides being applied in cryptography, the 128-bit encoding algorithm was also used in creating more secure keycard entry systems.
Tuesday, March 10th, 1981: An uprising in the Yugoslavian region of Kosovo began over inefficient food service at the University of Pristina. Tired of being made to wait in line for hours for poor quality food, students began demonstrating. Within days, the protests over conditions for students turned into discontent over the treatment of the ethnic Albanian population by the Serbian majority, and then to rioting and demands for an independent Kosovar nation.
Wednesday, March 11th, 1981: Women, children, and other inhabitants of the El Salvador village of El Junquillo (in the Morazan Department) were murdered on orders of Salvadoran Army Captain Carlos Medina Garay, at the conclusion of nine-day long military operation against rebellious forces. The details were kept secret at the time.
Thursday, March 12th, 1981: President Carey travels to Canada on his first international foreign trip since taking office, where he is hosted by Prime Minister Lougheed. President Carey delicately dodges questions about Quebec’s quest for independence throughout the two-day visit, with his main focus being on economic and security cooperation.
Saturday, March 14th, 1981: The hijacking of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 326 ended when the Afghan Air Force blew it out of the sky. 100 passengers and crew were killed. Three gunmen had seized the Boeing 720 jet during a flight from Karachi to Peshawar on March 2 and commandeered the jet to Kabul, and one passenger was murdered. Pakistan released 55 prisoners to secure the release of the hostages. The jet attempted to take-off and was shot down by an assault helicopter belonging to the Afghan air force. The government denied all responsibility and later tried the pilot and crew for recklessness. They were convicted and shot, although rumors persisted for years afterward that the “executed” men were seen alive and well. The incident increased tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan and lead the Pakistani authorities to jail several hundred Afghans in retaliation. The Indian intelligence service was thought to be behind it, using Afghan agents in order to increase tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sunday, March 15th, 1981: Iraq announces it will withdraw its forces to the provinces of Eastern Jawf, Hail and the Northern Borders contiguous to the Iraq (and Kuwait) border and establish a “liberated” government of Arabian sympathizers in Riyadh. No one believes that this Republic of Arabia government will last very long. Apart from Iraq and the Soviet Union, this government is recognized by few other countries. Iraq will continue to maintain a military presence in the oil rich eastern provinces along the Arabian Gulf coast, in spite of the new Republic of Arabia’s existence. President Carey condemns the establishment of the Republic of Arabia as the creation of a “puppet state.”
Monday, March 16th, 1981: The Senate confirms Congresswoman Barbara Jordan to the vacant seat on the Supreme Court by a vote of 61-38; several conservative southern Democrats, rallied by Senators John Bell Williams (I-MS) and Jesse Helms (R-NC), voted against Jordan’s nomination while others, including Senator Nancy Landon (R-KS) cross the aisle to support the Texas Congresswoman’s historic nomination.
Tuesday, March 17th, 1981: George Mitchell, a lawyer and twice failed statewide candidate for office in Maine, is appointed to replace Margaret Chase Smith in the Senate weeks after the long serving Senator retired.
Wednesday, March 18th, 1981: Two workers died and four were injured after a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia, after a test-firing of the engines and the sounding of the "all clear", the group of six Rockwell International technicians had walked into a chamber of the shuttle, unaware that the area was filled primarily with nitrogen gas, and almost no oxygen. John Bjornstad died immediately, and Forrest Cole was taken off life support on April 1. The shuttle program was put on hold as further investigation was ordered. A launch would eventually be approved for November.
Thursday, March 19th, 1981: The Senate confirms Lane Kirkland as Secretary of Labor by a vote of 63-37.
Saturday, March 21st, 1981: Michael Donald, a young African-American male who had been selected at random by a pair of racists, was kidnapped and murdered in Mobile, Alabama by James Llewelyn Knowles and Henry F. Hayes, two members of the United Klans of America who said later that they had been outraged when a mistrial had been declared in the trial of a black criminal defendant. Donald's mother sued the Klan organization and won a seven-million-dollar verdict; however the verdict was later overturned by the United States Supreme Court, which ruled that the UKA was not responsible for the “willful and independent” actions of its members.
Sunday, March 22nd, 1981: Admiral John S. “Jack” McCain II, 70, former commander of Pacific forces in Vietnam War, and father of former U.S. POW and Senator John McCain (R-VA), dies after returning to the United States on a flight from Europe.

The cost of mailing a letter in the United States went up 20%, as the price of a first-class stamp was increased from 15 cents to 18 cents. The price increase had taken effect the day before when American post offices were closed. This move, coming after years of recession or depression (depending on the source) was highly criticized.
Monday, March 23rd, 1981: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the case of H. L. vs. Matheson that a state may require a doctor to inform a teenaged girl's parents before performing an abortion or face criminal penalty. The ruling is 6-3 with Justice Thurgood Marshall writing a dissent that earns him the ire of Senate conservatives such as Senators Jesse Helms (R-NC) and John Grady (R-FL), the former of whom calls for Marshall’s impeachment.
Tuesday, March 24th, 1981: Secretary of State for Industry Anthony Crosland announces an agreement between the government and the National Union of Mineworkers on a broad plan – known as the Crosland- Scargill Plan which will see the modernization of British coal mine operations, and a series of phased redundancies over the next decade, backed by government retraining, support and job placement for miners rendered redundant by mine closures. The Crosland- Scargill Plan, backed by the TUC after its acceptance by the NUM, is seen as a breakthrough by the Healey government which uses it as a blueprint to settle other labor disputes over the course of the spring and summer, including a simmering dispute with the British steel workers. Bringing a measure of labor peace to Britain over the summer of 1981 increases public support for the Labour government in the months leading up to the 1981 General Election.

The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) carried out the largest crusade against Nazis since that nation's founding in 1949, raiding hundreds of homes of suspected Neo-Nazi members and confiscating party literature and propaganda, much of it written by Ernst Zündel. The Kohl government decides to attempt to extradite Zundel from Canada in order to try him for spreading hate propaganda.
Wednesday, March 25th, 1981: Senator Donald Fraser (D-MN) and Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman (D-NY) introduce the Employment Protection Act to both chambers of Congress. The proposed legislation would establish a Federal Employment Fund that would pay struggling businesses to keep employees rather than laying them off. This program, designed to be a short-term proposal, is aimed at keeping the employment rate stable.
Thursday, March 26th, 1981: The United Mine Workers went on strike at 12:01 am, with 160,000 American coal miners walking off of their jobs. The miners on strike are demanding a 40% increase in wages and benefits, as well as increased safety and environmental protections aimed at improving conditions in and around the mines. Secretary of Labor Lane Kirkland travels to Charleston, West Virginia, with Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) for personal talks with strike leaders as part of a last minute effort to avoid the strike, which was unsuccessful.
Friday, March 27th, 1981: Barbara Castle and Toby Benn, the co-leaders of the Socialist Labor Party in the United Kingdom, threaten to push for a motion of no confidence against the government of Dennis Healey, whom they argue betrayed British steelworkers during the recent steel strike.
Sunday, March 29th, 1981: The South African regime shuts down critical newspapers, citing national emergency conditions. Most of these are conservative papers which have tended to support the regime up until this point (directly opposing papers and media outlets had already been closed).
Tuesday, March 31st, 1981: Chicago's Mayor Jane Byrne and her husband moved into the Cabrini–Green public housing project in an unprecedented demonstration of commitment to the needs of her lower income constituents. Byrne took up residence in Apartment 402 at 1160 Sedgewick Road for several weeks.