Subject: "The Ego That Walked Like A Man"-1968 Date: 09 Apr 2001 06:41:24 GMT From: congyoglas@aol.comgentboss (President Chester A. Arthur) Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Newsgroups: soc.history.what-if June 24, 1968 It is the day before Canada's election; and much of official Quebec (including Minister of Justice, virile intellectual, and Liberal candidate Pierre Elliot Trudeau.) has turned out for the St. Jean Baptiste Day parade in Montreal. Another cheerful group that has turned up for the parade is Pierre Bourgault's "Rassemblement pour l'independance nationale" (RIN to their friends), a very, very enthusastic group of French-Canadian nationalists. Like many enthuastic nationalists, they start a riot; charging the reviewing stand, throwing bottles and bricks at the officials. On live TV, most of the officials run for cover, all save Pierre Elliot Trudeau. He waves off the pleas of his bodyguard and sits, smiling at the crowd, alone on the reviewing stand, never flinching even as bottles and bricks whiz past. Until a single shot from an antique French Lebed rifle rings out and blows his head off, just as the cameras zoom in for a close-up on the Prime Minister-apparant. The horrified Liberals move very fast (as the election is the _next day_), uniting around John Turner, who is elected with one of the largest parlimentary majorities since the last landslide. (1957.) The peaceful cause of Quebec seperation is forever tainted; on the other hand, the violent one is suddenly full of idiots. Thoughts? President Chester A. Arthur, who's actually older than Strom Thurmond Subject: Re: "The Ego That Walked Like A Man"-1968 Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2001 17:54:59 GMT From: "Michael Mackinnon" Organization: Magma Communications Ltd. Newsgroups: soc.history.what-if References: 1 . . . The new Prime Minister Turner is asked by a reporter how far he will go in cracking down on the terrorists; he replies, "Ju-ju-just watch me!" ;-) . . . and invokes the War Measures' Act (like martial law for those non-Canuck readers out there) the next day. It's the June Crisis in Canada. Moderate nationalists are rounded up (and roughed up) by the Mounties, the Army is deployed across Quebec (and there's more of it in this TL, since the full impact of unification hasn't kicked in just yet . . .). Although why they'd pick on Turner is unclear . . . surely Paul Martin (senior) would be the next on everyone's list, and there's a couple of others who were on the convention ballots as well (and well ahead of Turner). What would a PM PM (sr.) mean in terms of his son's eventual reach for higher office . . . does he have to stay the perennial bridesmaid as Finance Minister, or does he really get a shot at it? "President Chester A. Arthur" wrote in message news:20010409024124.20243.00005802@ng-mq1.aol.com... > June 24, 1968 > > It is the day before Canada's election; and much of official Quebec (including > Minister of Justice, virile intellectual, and Liberal candidate Pierre Elliot > Trudeau.) has turned out for the St. Jean Baptiste Day parade in Montreal. > > Another cheerful group that has turned up for the parade is Pierre Bourgault's > "Rassemblement pour l'independance nationale" (RIN to their friends), a very, > very enthusastic group of French-Canadian nationalists. Like many enthuastic > nationalists, they start a riot; charging the reviewing stand, throwing bottles > and bricks at the officials. > > On live TV, most of the officials run for cover, all save Pierre Elliot > Trudeau. He waves off the pleas of his bodyguard and sits, smiling at the > crowd, alone on the reviewing stand, never flinching even as bottles and bricks > whiz past. > > Until a single shot from an antique French Lebed rifle rings out and blows his > head off, just as the cameras zoom in for a close-up on the Prime > Minister-apparant. > > The horrified Liberals move very fast (as the election is the _next day_), > uniting around John Turner, who is elected with one of the largest parlimentary > majorities since the last landslide. (1957.) The peaceful cause of Quebec > seperation is forever tainted; on the other hand, the violent one is suddenly > full of idiots. > > Thoughts? > > > > > President Chester A. Arthur, who's actually older than Strom Thurmond Subject: Re: "The Ego That Walked Like A Man"-1968 Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2001 20:52:06 GMT From: Jamie McDonell Organization: Excite@Home - The Leader in Broadband http://home.com/faster Newsgroups: soc.history.what-if References: 1 President Chester A. Arthur wrote: > June 24, 1968 > > It is the day before Canada's election; and much of official Quebec (including > Minister of Justice, virile intellectual, and Liberal candidate Pierre Elliot > Trudeau.) has turned out for the St. Jean Baptiste Day parade in Montreal. > > Another cheerful group that has turned up for the parade is Pierre Bourgault's > "Rassemblement pour l'independance nationale" (RIN to their friends), a very, > very enthusastic group of French-Canadian nationalists. Like many enthuastic > nationalists, they start a riot; charging the reviewing stand, throwing bottles > and bricks at the officials. > > On live TV, most of the officials run for cover, all save Pierre Elliot > Trudeau. He waves off the pleas of his bodyguard and sits, smiling at the > crowd, alone on the reviewing stand, never flinching even as bottles and bricks > whiz past. > > Until a single shot from an antique French Lebed rifle rings out and blows his > head off, just as the cameras zoom in for a close-up on the Prime > Minister-apparant. > > The horrified Liberals move very fast (as the election is the _next day_), > uniting around John Turner, who is elected with one of the largest parlimentary > majorities since the last landslide. (1957.) The peaceful cause of Quebec > seperation is forever tainted; on the other hand, the violent one is suddenly > full of idiots. > > Thoughts? Perhaps the "Jaw That Walks Like A Man" joins the Grits.