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| When the End Justifies the Means | | | Author: | | | IP: | gateway.XXXX | | Date: | 02/13/01 07:02 | | Game Type: | Other | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 1, Max: 6, Min: 6
Lifetime Rating for Monty Pylon: 6.0390 |  | When the End Justifies the Means
In the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, many were unsure of the path that the future held. Like frightened children, the former Soviet states were afraid to face the brand new world. Some countries immediately melded with the western worlds and the wave of democracy swept over them like a cool autumn breeze. For others, the transition felt more like a fierce storm of chaos and uncertainty. One country that was swallowed by this disaster was Russia. From the beginning, the Russian government was unable to adapt to both the economic stability and democratic reform. The country fell into a tailspin of poverty, crime and corruption. The economy was crippled and the government knew that in order to restore order, the financial state of Russia had to be restored to order. For five long years the government and Russian Mafia battle tooth and nail as government policy was being challenged by underworld ingenuity. In the end, the government was the victor and the economy began a steady ascent into prosperity. With the economic crisis over, the government began its policies on democratic process and personal freedoms.
During this period, the Russian youth had become increasingly involved with the democratic rejuvenation into Russia. Small organizations had begun to sprout all over the political spectrum, many lead by young college graduates no older than twenty-five. However, the organizations were small and they did not wield enough power to truly influence the decisions that were made in Moscow. That would end in the winter of 2001.
On a cold December morning in Red Square, close to a million Russian youth gathered so that their voices could be heard. Unlike other such gatherings, these young activists were gathered under one banner. At the head was a young history professor who had made quite a name for himself in the underground of cyberspace. His name was Ivan Draga, a man who had built a following from the internet and small public gatherings. He was a remarkable speaker and was able to capture the very spirit of the movement in his speeches. The leaders of a hundred of the largest organizations had chosen him to be the voice of the generation. That day, he had demanded that the government of Russia, allow its citizens to have freedom that few people on Earth are privileged to. He believed in a world where Russia, not the United States, was considered the bastion of hope and liberty. The crowd ate from the palm of his hand and chants filled the air of both the cause and their savior's name.
From then on, Ivan could do no wrong. He was seen as the future of Russia and was hailed by both young and old. The momentum continued to build and in the summer of 2002, the Russian government passed seventeen new amendments to the Russian Constitution concerning personal freedoms and the rights of free speech. To appease the swelling masses, Ivan was appointed as an ambassador of the people and was given both government authority and legislative influence. The people were pleased for the most part, but still there were those who looked down upon the ideas of the new government and the policies of Ivan himself.
The United Coalition had grown since its induction in the late eighties. The fall of the Soviet states had place many government workers without jobs. Many former KGB had joined the fledgling group as a way to obtain employment. Throughout the years, it had morphed into an organization based upon the ideals of state power over central government. The Coalition saw the new government as weak and unstable. They personally saw Ivan as a new Lennin and they saw him as the enemy. Almost immediately, the Coalition had begun its campaign to stop the wave of pro-government legislation. They saw it as a way of recreating the Soviet Union and they felt that the ideals of state over federal government would prevent such a catastrophe. The Coalition leader was an ex-KGB officer named Alex Grudmier, who had help found the organization after the fall of communism in Russia. Although ex-KGB, he had favored the end of the communist regimes and thought that the best years would be ahead of him. Now this new government had a tool like Ivan to carve a new chapter in Russian history. One that no doubt would mirror those previous administrations.
For the next three years, the two organizations would see themselves restructure into political parties. On one side was the liberal government and parties under Ivan and the current Russian government. On the other, were the pro-state supporters under the Coalition Party. Each was trying to gain support for the upcoming election and each wanted to have their candidate guiding the country. Ivan and his supports immediately began a campaign against Alex to try and paint the former KGB as both an anarchist and a fascist. Likewise, the Coalition Party portrayed Ivan as a communist and a power hungry madman. The mudslinging continued, but the resentment remained peaceful. This would not be the case for long when a large crowd of Coalition Party supporters began open protest in front of the capital. Police were called in to disperse the crowd so that traffic could pass through the area. A push lead to a shove, then a rock was thrown at the police. Soon both the crowd and the police were viciously engaged. Riot police eventually restored ordered and the crowd dispersed. In the end, five protestors were severely beaten and one was killed after a tear gas pellet embedded into his skull.
The death had waved a serious gloom over the ideals of free speech that Ivan had been preaching for so long. The Coalition saw this as a way to weaken any future arguments made by Ivan or his party. Ivan was portrayed as the Anti-Christ in television ads and he was labeled as both a hypocrite and a monster. Ivan played the hand that was dealt and began a positive string of public relations. The funeral for the young man was paid from Ivan's own pocket. He delivered a long and heartfelt speech concerning the loss of a bright future. The police involved were tried and convicted of manslaughter to the cheers of a nation. It would seem that Ivan had once again made peace with the country. Now the ads turned sour and spewed venom all over Alex and his past.
Alex was soon under attack from ads that exposed his past KGB connections. He was labeled as both a communist and a traitor to the new democracy. The ads caused a great deal of pain for Alex as he and his family began to receive death threats. He was spit on in the streets and his children were bullied and beaten at school. The final straw came when a stranger approached his wife and slapped her across the face. From there on he became a man obsessed and the only way to make Ivan pay was to win the election. He released new propaganda concerning the bribes that Ivan was rumored to have received from various Mafia's. He began to protest at every event that Ivan attended and his followers banded with him to curse Ivan and all he stood for. During the protests and the ads, Alex had begun to ignore his family. To him they were of second nature and he did not have time for them. Life at home became violent and soon both his wife and his children, left Alex to his politics for good. This did not go unnoticed by I van and it was exploited for everything it was worth.
The election was soon upon the two men and it would have appeared that Ivan had a commanding lead in the vote. The media predicted a major landslide victory for Ivan and Ivan celebrated his victory with a great celebration that pressed on through the night. Alex left the party headquarters and spent most of the evening at home. As far as he was concerned, he had lost the election and everything else that mattered to him. He had lost everything and all because of the election. Alex had little to live for and he had only one course of action left that he still had control over. He got up from his chair and walked over to a large cabinet. He opened the large doors and removed a small panel. He reached in and pulled an antique Lugar Pistol. It was an old, rusty gun that he had meant to restore. Even after years of non-use, it still worked. Alex stepped out onto his porch to embrace destiny.
At Ivan's headquarters, he was still celebrating his apparent victory over Alex. The crowd surged forward to greet the soon to be president. The large mass of people demanded a speech and Ivan was pleased to appease them. He was escorted outside and he stood on the back of a nearby flatbed truck. He began his acceptance speech to the sound of thunderous applause. So loud in fact that nobody heard the first shots ring out. A second shot caught Ivan in the stomach and he cringed at the pain. The happy onlookers screamed in shock and disbelief as a second bullet slammed into Ivan's chest. Police looked for a shooter and saw that Alex already had the muzzle of the gun to his head. They had enough time to blink as Alex pulled the trigger. The two candidates lay dead with police and spectators screaming, crying and yelling. The noise was so loud and awful that it blanketed the city. The media crews gathered around the bodies as police shoved them out of the way. But yet through the chaos, the televisions kept their reports on the election. As it would turn out, they had been incorrect in determining a clear victor. Alex had won several key provinces and was now neck and neck with Ivan. More news to follow as soon as the results are in.
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