News From the Front

"News From the Front" is a alternate history short story by Harry Turtledove, published in Asimov's (June, 2007). The story takes the form of a series of newsclippings and transcripts from December 7, 1941 through June, 1942. The story details the United States entry into World War II as President Franklin D. Roosevelt is faced with harsh criticism from and strict scrutiny by the American press. The press attacks the Roosevelt Administration for not being prepared for the December 7 attack, as well as bringing on the attack by ignorantly imposing an oil embargo on Japan. As the war progresses on a similar track as in OTL, the press is constantly second-guessing the Administration and pondering the value of the war. Soon, the press is revealing important American secrets, questioning the morality of spying on the Axis, decrying the poor state of American technology, and giving away planned attacks days before they are to take place, leading to their failures. In the meantime, protests are heating up throughout the country, and a group of celebrities take it upon themselves to sail to Japan and Germany to offer peace. Winston Churchill is fairing no better in Britain.

Things reach a head when Vice President Henry Wallace breaks with the administration and publically attacks Roosevelt's honesty. Calls for impeachment grow louder throughout the country, and finally, in June, 1942, Congress has begun the impeachment process.

Obviously, Turtledove's story is intended to be a satire of the debate over the present Iraq War and the Bush administration's handling of it. However, Turtledove prefaces his story with a reminder that the reader should not presume to know Turtledove's politics based on this single story. And there are certain differences between Turtledove's story and the present situation that suggest Turtledove was more interested in thought-experimentation than political criticism. The press attacks Roosevelt from the very beginning, whereas President Bush had substantial support in the first year or so of the Iraq War. Another possibly revealing difference is Wallace's very public break with the president. In the present situation, Vice President Cheney has been and continues to be one of the most vocal supporters of the Bush Administration's policy of pre-emptive war in Iraq, and continued US intervention.