Battlefield Taiwan

The Errors of the Past and a New Future

As Air Force One began its final approach to Provo, Utah, the President looked over the notes for tonight’s discussion one final time.

“If we cannot learn from our past, we are doomed to repeat it again. We cannot allow the 21^st century to become a duplication of the last century,” he thought. “If we cannot make the world see reason when it comes to how to deal with these autocratic tyrants, then this current war will just be the beginning of yet another bloody chapter in the annals of human history, and all this bloodshed will have been for naught.”

Tonight’s meeting and tomorrow’s conference would hopefully set a new course for humanity, hopefully one filled with optimism. The site for the meeting had been chosen carefully many weeks in advance. They’d found a wonderful ski lodge that had a phenomenal panoramic view of the mountains surrounding Provo and Utah Lake. While the rooms were not five-star like these world leaders might be used to staying in, they were secluded and quiet, away from prying eyes and potential threats. There were also a few thousand US soldiers roaming the surrounding woods, along with enough Secret Service agents to ensure there were no unwanted surprises.

Three hours after Air Force One landed, President Patrick Gates surveyed the group of world leaders who had traveled to meet him and smiled warmly at his guests. Looking down, he finished pouring the glasses of Merica Bourbon for each of his visitors and began to serve each of them individually. As the idle chitchat died down, he opened the informal meeting.

“My fellow leaders — first, I want to thank each of you for your willingness to meet with me during these trying times our world now faces. As leaders of our respective countries, our first and foremost charge is the protection and well-being of our people. I know many of you see me as a novice to the political scene, or someone who is in over my head. Perhaps you are right; I am a novice to politics. However, what I am not a novice to is understanding human nature and knowing how to solve problems. I also know that if we cannot correct the mistakes of the past, we are doomed to repeat them.”

He paused for a moment as the men and women at the table sipped their bourbons. “When World War I ended, the Treaty of Versailles was implemented, and it set into motion the course that would lead to the Second World War not more than thirty years later. That war then led to the Cold War, and the endless conflicts that have embroiled humanity ever since. We have to learn from those mistakes and commit ourselves to not making those same errors.”

Several leaders nodded in agreement. “Right now, we find ourselves in yet another major world war. Two days ago, I ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to share with each of you and three other individuals of your choosing in each of your governments what we had obtained from Deputy Director for State Security Wu Bangguo. What we now know is that the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China had planned this war out for many years. They colluded to cause a series of events that would ultimately lead to war. They built intricate social media plans and campaigns to stir up trouble in our home countries and did their best to sow as much chaos and discord as possible. For all intents and purposes, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams,” Gates said, observing their reactions to his words.

The leaders continued to sip their bourbon and listen intently.

“While none of our nations sought this war out, we now have to deal with it—”

Before the President could say another word, the Prime Minster of England chimed in. “With all due respect, Mr. President, what more would you have us do? I have already committed my nation’s military to this fight, and I have reluctantly agreed to the drafting of 600,000 young men and women to our armed forces. We have accepted £450 billion in loan guarantees from your treasury to give us the capital we need to rebuild our military. What more can we offer?” she asked in her clipped English accent.

The president of Brazil, Castelo Branco, added, “This war with both Russia and China does not concern my country. Brazil is a long way away from the fighting, and neither of these nations have expressed a desire to attack us or even threatened us. Why should I even consider getting Brazil involved in this fight?” he asked.

Gates smiled at the question; this was exactly what he had wanted someone to ask. Patrick stood from his chair but signaled for the others to remain seated. He walked over to a map on the wall that had been set up prior to everyone’s arrival. On the map were the current battle lines and the national flag of each nation that had provided troops to the war effort. “Ladies and gentlemen, I spoke of the Treaty of Versailles and how we should not repeat the mistakes of the past. You see”—he paused as he waved his hand over the map—“we are going to win this war.”

“We are going to defeat the Russians and the Chinese. What I want to discuss with you today is the creation of a new military and economic alliance that will shape the postwar future and the rest of the century. When we defeat Russia and China, we are not going to impose terms that leave them filled with nothing but hate and a desire to resume hostilities when the occasion presents itself. Rather, we are going to work with them and inspire them to be a part of our grand alliance once their new governments have stabilized.”

Continuing, he added, “We have to inspire not just our people, but also our defeated enemy, that there is something more to look forward to other than revenge, that there is a real future for our nations and the world if we can learn to work together, rather than against each other. I want to propose that at the end of the war, we collectively work towards a global project. For example, I believe that if all our scientists put their minds together and truly share their data, we could collaborate to find a cure for cancer within our lifetimes.”

A few of the leaders smiled, while others looked perplexed.

“In addition, I feel strongly that a clean energy solution is just around the corner. With a little engineering, we’re not that far from harvesting the energy of the Earth’s waves or space-based solar panels,” President Gates asserted.

Some of the other national leaders seemed to catch his point, nodding.

“As national leaders, we need to inspire our people to think beyond just themselves. We need to instill in them that there is more to life than just having a fancy car… and I believe that if we form a true partnership, the boundaries of the problems we can solve will dissolve,” Gates said passionately.

“I see a vision for a New World Alliance based on common interests, one that isn’t geographically specific. There are fundamental principles we all believe in: protecting those we love, creating a better future, and preserving our most precious resources. Let’s work together and ensure that those values continue.”

The conversation went on for hours. President Gates truly listened to the other world leaders’ goals, and at the end of the meeting, he had them all agreeing to be a part of this New World Alliance. Even the president of Brazil agreed to commit forces to fight in Europe and Asia. They had a lot of work ahead of them, but the foundation had been laid.