NOTE: If you haven’t been following this from the beginning, and if you want to know the full sequence of events, start with the introduction. Click on Archives on the right.
References
Post 124, Smoke Signal
Post 162. Phone Light
Albrecht waves to me, sitting outside the Pie Shop, as he parks his cyber truck nearby. Last week’s ice, which was blocking the way, has melted. Now the sun has warmed up the air to well over seventy degrees.
He walks over.
“Make the most of this early Spring, Fred.”
“Yes, the forecast is for more snow tomorrow and it’s going down into the twenties.”
“You want anything with that coffee?”
I decline. In fact, I have tea. Albrecht goes in to order at the coffee bar and soon returns.
“You mind if I join you?”
“Have a seat Albrecht.”
I fold the newspaper I had not been reading and put it aside.
“Where is Daisy?”
“I don’t know. Are you expecting her?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a business proposition for her.”
Daisy walks over, waving, from the direction of the gas station.
“Sorry I am so late!”
“No problem, Daisy.” Albrecht pulls up a chair for her, but Daisy goes in to buy her own coffee and a muffin.
“Fred, I hope you are going to vote, ‘no’, in the special election.”
“I have already mailed my geezer ballot.”
“Don’t use those mail-in-ballots. China has hacked our databases, and they are sending in thousands of phony ones, millions of them!”
“Albrecht, I find that hard to believe.”
“We have to prevent all these rigged maps.”
“That cat was let out of the bag in Texas, a while back.”
“Well, that was just a necessary adjustment to the voting districts”
“You might say the same about this one.”
“Fred, you might say a lot of things, but there is only one way to vote right.”
Daisy comes back with her muffin and a plate of cookies for us all.
“Here guys, have a cookie on me.”
Albrecht picks a crunchy chocolate chip cooky.
“Thanks, Daisy, I love these things.”
“The audio technician just left. Everything takes longer than expected.”
“Too true, Daisy.”
“Fred, do you have a modern stereo?”
“No, the components are over thirty years old.”
“Well, I just got a consol style one, you know, in a cabinet.”
“I didn’t think they made them anymore.”
“It is from my aunt’s place. I got it restored.”
“Are you talking about that place in DC?”
“Right Fred, you remember going over there, on Havisham place?”
“How could I forget?”
“Yeah, that was in ‘22. It has taken four years to settle the estate.”
“Why, that’s great!”
“It sure is, Albrecht. I got my house paid off and fixed up too.”
“Let me ask you to donate to the Macadamia campaign, ‘Restore America to Rightful Voters’.”
“No, Albrecht, I want to celebrate our 250th anniversary, not go back to 1776.”
“It could be the best investment you ever make.”
“It could also be the worst.”
“Daisy, you have got to realize how far off course our ship of state has sailed.”
“Oh, I do, we are using million-dollar weapons to shoot down cheap drones and sink speed boats.”
“You have been listening to fake news!”
“There is fakery in a lot of so-called news. That’s what editors are for. To make the story compelling and sell media.”
“We are destroying the greatest terrorist state history has ever seen.”
“Albrecht, I have come to like you, over the years, but I’ll never understand your politics.”
“Daisy, what’s not to like?”
“I think you are a little wacky, I mean, really!”
“Well, Daisy, I’ll tell you what I think.”
“Okay.”
“I think your artistic imagination has led you into liberal la-la-land and you need to learn that is what is bringing our wonderful country down.”
“Well, there are many wonderful things in this world.”
“There are, and as soon as our people can nail down the midterms we will all find prosperity and success, and you will be able to sell more art.”
“Albrecht, have another cookie and think again.”
Albrecht takes another cookie. A helicopter goes over low, and we all look up.
He chokes on the crumbs. Daisy picks up the paper plate.
“Here Fred, you want one?”
“No thanks, Daisy, my stomach prohibits chocolate.”
“That’s not fair!”
“As an ex-chocoholic, I couldn’t agree more.”
Albrecht takes a swig of coffee and clears his throat.
“Fred, I know you voted right, didn’t you?”
“Sorry, Albrecht I didn’t. It just doesn’t make sense here in Liberal la-la-Land.”
Daisy finishes her cranberry-orange muffin.
“These are my favorite things.”
“Yes, I like them too, Daisy.”
“You know, Fred, I am also getting my old car restored. They are better than the new ones, easier to operate.”
“Are you still driving that Ford Taurus Aero Station Wagon?”
“Yes, I am. Got a barter thing going, to have auto repairs for artwork.”
“You have an artistic mechanic.”
“The car keeps having transmission problems, but my guy keeps finding what he needs.”
“Hey Daisy, I made more money last year than my dad made in the last five years, and you could make out well too, and so could you, Fred.”
“What kind of work are you into, Albrecht?”
“Fred, one thing is, Liberty Lady. A digital token I have been getting for my work with the Macadamia campaign, and it is up 370% since I was paid.”
“Sounds like an impressive return!”
“Fred, this is the freedom and prosperity business.”
“As far as I can see, these tokens go up only as long as people keep buying them.”
“You bet, and there are plenty of smart patriots who make out very well.”
“It is a Ponzi scheme, Albrecht. The tokens have no value in themselves.”
“You could say that about that piece of paper called a green back.”
“You would be mistaken. The dollar is backed by the US government.”
“We need to get the government out of it!”
“Well, maybe, except for the growing deficit.”
“That is a silly argument. The danger is exaggerated. We can borrow as much as we need.”
“It is a real threat to our financial system, though.”
“We are alerting Americans to the real threats to our country, every day and all day.”
“What threats?”
“Oh! don’t get me started, immigration polluting the blood lines, Sharia law, terrorists here and abroad, rising crime, and socialism promoted by our political opponents right here in Virginia.”
“Polluting the blood lines? What does that mean?”
“It means, Daisy, our people will soon be a minority in our own country!”
“Albrecht, don’t be absurd!”
“It is a statistical fact and effective messaging.”
“Look, Macadamia says something different every day. Sometimes he contradicts himself more than once in a week.”
“You have to understand, Fred, Mac is the prophet of our times. What Mac says at any particular time, is like a grappling hook. If it catches on, he goes with it. If not, he says something else.”
“Albrecht, he is the one in la-la-land. I mean he has no policy or vision.”
“Like I keep telling you liberals, Mac understands that belief drives voters and voters make him powerful.”
“People believe all kinds of crazy stuff!”
That’s right, Fred, and Mac is tuned in.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, a significant number of our patriotic voters recognize the danger, and that is a fact.”
“What danger?”
“The danger to people like us from the immigrant threat.”
“See, that is a perfect example of your wackiness!”
“Daisy, it is a perfect example of making money out of effective messaging and promoting freedom and Liberty Lady, all at the same time.”
“You didn’t address my point.”
“Those people are a threat to freedom.”
“Who’s freedom? From what?”
“Fred, I am talking about people like us.”
“Albrecht, that is racist.”
“Racism is everywhere. You can’t avoid it. For the last generation, or more, minorities have been given unfair advantages over the rest of us, by law, racist law. Law based on race!”
“That law was written to try and make up for the crimes of the past, that were also written into law.”
“Another silly argument! The past? Nobody knows what happened in the past? It is just a matter of opinion.”
“So, what is the point of celebrating our 250th anniversary?”
“Come on, Fred! Obviously, because most people believe in it.”
“Albrecht you aren’t making any sense.”
“Oh, Fred, don’t I know it, but once you find yourself swimming in money you will get it.”
“Albrecht, I am afraid you are drowning!”
“Not me, Daisy.”
