Star Trek Episode 34,495: Where No Nation Has Gone Before


"So Spock, where are we?"
"We are on Earth, Captain. But the more interesting question is, when are we?"
"What? We've traveled through time as well as space?"
"Yes, Captain. If we were in fact caught in a Converse Warp superfragment, that would indeed be the effect."
"Here---this looks like an information device. Yes, it displays images. If you can match these images with the historical data base patched through your tricorder--"
"We can ascertain the exact time period."
"Look there! The date is on the screen. September 7, 2003. Early twenty-first century! It appears to be a presidential address. Yes, look--President Al Gore."
"Fascinating."
"But wasn't Al Gore the losing candidate?"
"Indeed, Captain. He won the popular vote but lost the election through a decision of the Supreme Court. At least, in our timeline."
"You mean?"
"Yes. It seems we were caught in an Obverse Warp Superfragment. Therefore we traveled through space and time and into an entirely different timeline."
"In which Al Gore became President!"
"I believe this button controls the sound, Captain."
"Well turn it up, Spock, turn it up!"

"---the extraordinary events of these past few weeks, the revelations of improprieties, the resignations from the Supreme Court, the unprecedented suit brought before the reconstituted court that led to the reversal of the 2000 decision, the elimination of Florida's electoral votes resulting in my election to the presidency. Yet our nation has endured, and our system worked.

But now, my fellow Americans, to the task at hand. My predecessor launched an attack on the nation of Iraq in the mistaken belief that America was in imminent peril from weapons of mass destruction. This turned out not to be the case. I have therefore ordered a full review of our intelligence apparatus.

Our military power did depose a brutal dictator in a region of the world that is, for better and usually for worse, important to our national interests. The United States cannot send its military might to change every brutal regime in the world, and we will not. But what's done is done, and we start from this point, and move forward.

Together with Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Wesley Clark and United Nations Ambassador Mario Cuomo, I have conferred with our NATO allies and members of the UN Security Council. Together we have put forward a plan for the reconstruction of Iraq, the return of self-rule to the Iraqi people and the withdrawal of occupying forces.

The first step will be the withdrawal of half the American and British forces now in Iraq, effective within three months. At the same time, United Nations peacekeepers will more than make up the numbers of withdrawing troops, although their duties will be somewhat different.

Second, a United Nations team will assist in a speedy inventory of the most pressing needs of Iraq, as well as a full inventory of the direct damage to that nation's infrastructure caused by the war. It is important for Americans to know that Iraq is a nation with the expertise, talent and desire to rebuild itself. Iraqi professionals-engineers, managers, scientists, builders, industrialists-will be involved in this inventory. When it is completed, Iraqi professionals will be contacted for estimates of what they need to repair and rebuild their country's bridges, electrical and water systems, and other needed infrastructure. When those estimates are completed, the United States will deposit with the United Nations a sum of money, including long-term loans, sufficient to cover the estimated costs. This reconstruction fund will be a large part of our commitment to Iraq.

Third, the United States will assist the United Nations in reconstituting the basic security and social infrastructure of Iraq-its courts and police, its fire departments, and medical systems, its systems of care for those who most need help and cannot help themselves.

Fourth, the United States will assist the United Nations in developing a process for returning the government of Iraq to its people within two years. We expect this will be a gradual process, but it will have a timetable, and be governed by the general principle of maximum participation by Iraqi citizens at each stage, until Iraq is a self-governing nation.

It is important for the American people to understand from the beginning that we cannot direct or control the political destiny of Iraq. We hope this process can be peaceful, but we cannot guarantee that it will be. There are many factions and many rivalries that the repressive regime of Saddam kept in check by brutal force. We will assist the transitional authority and, if we are asked, the provisional Iraqi government, in maintaining security, but only within that two year time period. We will no longer send our sons and daughters into situations for which they are unprepared, for which they are not trained, and frankly, where they-where we-- do not belong.

As part of our proposal, the United Nations agrees to permit two large military bases in Iraq, one for American forces, one for British forces, during this transitional period. We will pull back most of our remaining troops to our base. We will negotiate for a continuing presence in the region with the provisional government, and if necessary the elected government of Iraq. Britain, by its own choice, will withdraw all its forces from the region by the end of the two-year period.

In view of this plan, and to support certain special needs at home, I am asking Congress to allocate an additional $87 billion. Part of that amount will go to the military, to increase pay and medical and veteran's benefits. Part of it will go to the reconstruction fund for Iraq, part of it to the United Nations effort. A large part of it will be devoted to completely revamping our homeland security. This is where our attention belongs. Our infrastructure remains vulnerable. We must change that. Our cities are without adequate resources to do what needs to be done. We must change that.

As part of our enhanced homeland security, as well as our intelligence review, I will ask Congress to repeal most provisions of the so-called Patriot's Act, which not only abrogate the very rights that define us as Americans, but have given government a set of expensive, misguided and ultimately fruitless tasks. We can't afford this cynical exercise, financially or morally. The days of Big Brother Government are over.

September 11, 2001 showed us that we are vulnerable. Some of that vulnerability goes with the territory, if we are to be a free society. But we can do more to truly protect our infrastructure and our environment from attack. For years we have been slowly starving our public health and public safety systems and resources. We must reverse that process. The public good is best served by public means.

At the same time, there is no reason for Americans to live in fear. We have enemies in the world, but we also have friends. When we give in to unreasoning fear, we do the work of terrorists for them. Each one of us is endangered far more by accident and natural disaster than by terrorists. If we devote most of our efforts to measures that protect us and help us heal from every kind of disaster, we will be safer from the effects of terrorism as well. We can do more to undercut the very reasons that people support terrorism, by understanding them and understanding ourselves. We will still have enemies, and we must defend ourselves against them. But we will earn more friends. To exploit fear is shameful. To protect ourselves from old dangers as well as new dangers is-"
"Logical!"
"Shut up, Spock! And listen!"

"But it would be irresponsible for me as President to propose such a large amount of additional spending without proposing a way to pay for it. This used to be thought of as a Republican principle, although it never really was any more Republican than Democrat. We have a great deal of unfinished business in this country. We have a great many challenges ahead. So we can't spend the government into oblivion. It's just not realistic, nor is it right.

It is also not right to continue to ask the most sacrifice from those among us who are least able to bear it-the sick, the old, the very young, the overworked and underpaid, the most vulnerable in our society, all of whom were hurt terribly by the failure of the federal government to support the states in their efforts to provide the help that the richest nation in the history of the world is fully capable of providing. Nor should we ask more of the middle class, who continue to bear a disproportionate tax burden. I must also note that it is from these families, struggling to maintain their American Dream that most of soldiers have come. These families have made their contribution.

So I will introduce legislation to repeal most of the so-called Bush tax cut as it predominately affects the wealthiest 1%, and the wealthiest 10% of our nation. In addition we will increase taxes on corporations---not to 1970s levels, but closer to a fair share, considering the benefits that corporations have reaped by being able to conduct their business within the social and legal and physical infrastructure that the American people pay for with their hard-earned taxes.

Finally, a portion of that $87 billion will go to the new Apollo Project-a public/private effort to create the new American industrial revolution in new self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable energy technologies. I'll go into much more detail about that project in a few days. But this is a plan to ensure that never again will America spill blood for oil. It is an extremely exciting new start for American industry, to once again lead the world, to boldly go where no nation has gone before."

"Captain!"
"What is it, Spock? Can't you see I'm watching this?"
"But I have just logically deduced how we can reverse the process and return to our own time and place and timeline."
"Very good, Spock. But what's your hurry? Don't you want to see how this turns out?"