How would it go wrong TODAY? (reopened - play nice)

[Haven]

Hi guys, Solz from the old forums here under a more consistent name (that i use in more places).


I am working out a new alt time line that is going to take place in CONTUS, specifically Georgia.

Couple things about this campaign.


- Going to use Tw2k13 rules
- Disregard all other timelines
- Going to be a PBEM/Post game with me as GM and buddy as player AS HIMSELF - a civilian.
- He lives in Georgia in the Atlanta area
- Starting Jan '09

So questions are:

You have about 2 years to make things go wrong.

How would you do it
Who would be your antagonists


After I work on my current timeline for a bit more i'll post it up, for critique but i want to know what you'd come up with.

EDIT: These are guidelines.... don't feel like you can't break some rules to get what you need.
Basically the only constants are.... some time around now or slightly in the future and he is a civilian in the Atlanta area.

[pmulcahy11b]

What, you don't watch the news

[Targan]

What, you don't watch the news

I get paid to listen to the radio and watch the TV newses, eight hours per day, five days per week. I'm doing it right now. You wouldn't believe how many words I've typed in the last nine years or the vast amount of news I have stored in my brain.

[headquarters]

ok.. "I title this "one big mess"

I `ll try my hand real quick and short:

1) terrorist attack on US soil using Nuclear weapon(s) that hit several ports /major metropolitan areas (cargo containers w nuclear devices) over a few days and also some disruption to leadership like Pres/Vice Pres knocked out and speaker unable to be found or some such leading to a situation close to the one when Reagan was shot ,only this time several people try to "shout eachother down" and arrests are made etc adding to the confusion

2) Massive chaos and panic as people flee .Many crucial posts are abandoned,countryside flooded with refugees - FEMA,national guard ,Federal agencies overloaded with emergency tasks like curbing the looting and crime ,helping everyone etc .the army is already overseas..

3) Retaliation - is promptly meted out towards those believed responsible in the form of localized nuclear strikes/conventional attacks and some not so localized.But as command is hazy different agencies/leaders attack different targets and sometimes indiscrimenately

4) Terrified leaders of other powers
( Russia,China,France,Britain,Germany ,Pakistan etc ) act with paranoia towards the "loose cannons" and try to secure some nuclear weapons facilities etc .Small nuclear exchanges take place to knock out some weapons facilities -and is responded to by some commanders from the USD as well as dictated by protocol meaning that the attacks have to be retaliated .Several of the major powers recieve crippeling hits that destroy central authority and most goverment functions

5) world economy comes to a thunderous stop,and world order is turned upside down as raw material producing countries "on the fringes"-including oil producers of course - now take a leading role.Countries that rely on foreign aid collapse .All those wars and conflicts that have been lying in wait because of the influence of the US airforce and the petromagnat syndicates (hehe) are now unrestrained and cry havoc -unleash the dogs of war all hell breaks loose in 397 locations pretty much at once.

6) fallout,famine,epidemics,violence and upheaval hit all societies except those that are removed from the modern world and still live like they did along time ago .death tolls are staggering -but it is the industrialized world that is hit the hardest.Developing countries /regions can to some extent carry on or cope .All the financial power in the "west" amounts to nothing now- but an economy based on agriculture and cottage industries will be able to hang in there - albeit more often than not repression and dictatorship take hold.

7) the nuclear exchange is limited as it is clear from early on that it has taken far less than anyone thought to topple the major powers -burning them to a radioactive ash doesnt seem necessary -so some cmndrs/leaders desist from firing or actively try to stop the shooting .meaning that there are local commanders with nuclear capacity out there in the various factions that will emerge -and that nuclear war will continue for the next few years as a part of smaller regional wars .

I dont see this taking place in more than 30-60 days ,and the PCs will get only scraps of information and confused messages .After the big breakdown news will be rumours and the pressing matters of getting food,safety and shelter will seem more important than current affairs.

[Mohoender]

Just watch the "Sum of all Fears" or "Second Civil War" .

[Marc]

Great overview description HQ! Recognize you was waiting for someone to ask you this same question!

[headquarters]

gracias

Great overview description HQ! Recognize you was waiting for someone to ask you this same question!

-it is actually something close to the timeline we developed for our current campaign that centers on the war on terror going wrong and the aftermath that steadily plunges the world into a second dark age ..

(all the lights go out as electricity fail..)

Anyways I am sure the rationale could be improved or countered in a multitudes of ways -buit of the top of my head you know...

[pmulcahy11b]

I get paid to listen to the radio and watch the TV newses, eight hours per day, five days per week. I'm doing it right now. You wouldn't believe how many words I've typed in the last nine years or the vast amount of news I have stored in my brain.

The reason I asked that question is because (and I have said so on the previous board) we are sliding into a real-life "T2K" scenario now. I really do believe that our global civilization has at max 30 years left -- and possibly less than ten. I'm not religious, but we are living in what many Christians would call "The End Times," in a non-religious sense -- we made this mess ourselves.

[jester]

The reason I asked that question is because (and I have said so on the previous board) we are sliding into a real-life "T2K" scenario now. I really do believe that our global civilization has at max 30 years left -- and possibly less than ten. I'm not religious, but we are living in what many Christians would call "The End Times," in a non-religious sense -- we made this mess ourselves.

All of a sudden I feel like listening to REM, hmmm

"Its the ennnnnnnnnnd of the world as we know it. And I feel fine."

[Haven]

This is rough and lacking details ...

But this is where i am going with this.

Influences:
Scorpion's Gate (Book - Iran and Saudi Arabia)
Syrianna (Movie - China and the Middle East Oil)
The Kingdom (Movie - about Saudi Arabia)
EMP blast over nuclear fallout - more hardship after the fact but no immediate deaths


__________________________________________________ ___________________

Twilight 2000 – RPG (alternative timeline)

Jan 2008 - President elected and Takes office.
Economy very shaky and to boost economy and balance budget the President raises taxes and cuts military spending. Slow troop withdrawals begin from Iraq and other overseas military bases. Some military base closings similar to the 1990's and the majority of the new weapons programs are scraped or put on hold due to lack of funding.

Canadian and Mexican boarders are now more vulnerable due to lack of funding but this is nothing new to the boarder patrol.

Police and state defense spending is also cut as states struggle to balance the budget. Crime rates climb. Unemployment rises.

Anti-government groups grow in popularity nation wide as it appears another period of UN over USA begins.

Israel attacks Iran with air strikes to halt nuclear program – and is ineffective.
Iran now with a solid (anti-west) public opinion base form close ties to Iraq's Shiite population

President at the request of the Iraqi government agrees to an 18 month pullout period
Insurgent violence surges due to US troop pullouts, but larger terrorist organizations bide their time and wait for the US to withdraw. Iraqi commanders are bought, manipulated etc into cooperation or selling of arms to all sorts of organizations. Syria and Iran's involvement is heavily suspected.

Afghanistan – President deploys the majority of the US remaining troops from Iraq to Afghanistan switching the front from Iraq to Afghanistan

Nationalism rising in Russia and they're getting nasty, as its former Warsaw Pact members seek to join NATO and Russia is obviously against this and consider this expansionism.
They use espionage, subversion, and political assassination by the KGB to keep the remaining former satellites in their sphere of influence.

They also manipulate the flow of oil and gas to Western Europe as a political weapon and to keep NATO and West Europe from interfering.

Taking Russia's lead the Middle East and other OPEC members manipulate oil production to increase its costs, this backfires causing a worldwide recession.

President federalizes failing US automakers to keep them open and to provide the American public with alternative energy vehicles as gas prices soar.
Gas is scarce and expensive but few can afford a new alternative energy vehicle.

China has massive numbers of unemployed due to a world wide recession and it is pumping up its military to quell domestic unrest.
It also challenges fuel supplies in their sphere of influence, and they ramp up Nationalism to divert from their domestic problems.
"It's those Damned Yankees for not buying our junk! And Russia for its strong arm tactics! "
They also build up their naval forces and shadow US planes and submarines in Japanese territorial waters.

China and India both want to emerge from the recession as the new economic leader of the world.
China and India begin arms race in earnest for world stage dominance.
China and India know that the next 50~100 years of technical, economic, and political dominance is at stake.
China averages 1 'shuttle type' launch every month, India every other month.
China's military sees drastic modernization.

China needing a trade partner in oil to fuel this growth finds one in Iran – China's energy future is secure as long as there is oil in Iran and Iran sees a huge influx of modern weaponry, military advisors, and money.

Russia responding to this new threat and wanting to secure its oil pipelines (and thus its political weapon) - solidifies (reinvades) control over Georgia – NATO protests but held from meaningful action due to energy concerns.
They realize NATO is not going to respond.
The UN as usual says just words.

Russia has shattered NATO with its manipulation of gas and oil.

China takes note.

They also overthrow some nations and install puppet governments more inline with Moscow.
The Russian Federation Pact is signed (RFP) is the world calls it Warsaw Pact II.
Russian and EU sign trade agreements over oil stabilizing the EU economies at the cost of their inaction.

Defense budget cuts are for the most part reversed as the political landscape changes in the face of a very real Cold War 2.
This time with China as an additional player.

The spending provides a nice boost in the economy showing signs of recovery. The technology sector gets most of the money as the current administration prefers non-lethal/less-than-lethal and remote control options over 'boots on the ground'. This also has the added benefit of being best for the economy.

An unknown submarine threatens a US carrier group and the carrier employs very aggressive Anti-Submarine Warfare assets, forcing a Chinese submarine to the surface, embarrassing China on the world stage.
China's government sees this as a national security threat to their reputation in their sphere of influence and national standing and blockade Taiwan in response.

The US has no legal recourse in this matter due to Taiwan's unique status as an unrecognized nation and is forced to sit on the sidelines.

Taiwanese military forces are reported to have attacked Chinese warships in international waters and responds with a full-scale invasion of Taiwan (to restore reputation and standing).
Obama does not fulfill Taiwan treaty obligations – suspends trade with China.
This action results in 200 US Marine deaths during pullout.
Thousands of Taiwanese are killed and the 'rogue Chinese territory' of Taiwan is subdued in 3 months.

Russia and the RFP broaden its reach by sending 'military advisers' into Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela.

The conflict in Afghanistan spills over into Pakistan as Insurgents seek haven from US troops.
The already weakened Pakistani government fighting a loosing battle against a determined extremist Islamic insurgency collapses and goes into exile.
A small US peacekeeping force moves in to prevent Pakistan's nuclear weapons from 'falling into the wrong hands' at the request of the ousted government and after 1 week of hard fighting is quickly withdrawn.
Quickly suppressed reports surface that the peacekeepers were too late and some of Pakistan's arsenal is unaccounted for.

Saudi Arabia's kingdom also collapses due to Islamic extremism. US bases in Saudi Arabia are reinforced and fight along side still loyal Saudi troops temporarily restoring the Saudi government to power. Brutal government crackdowns keep the population barely under control. Terrible human rights violations occur in the name of the Saudi government.

Local Russian Federation Pact forces skirmish with local PLA forces in Southern Russian Middle Eastern proxy nations, and rural Western China territories. Mostly in places ending with 'Stan' that you've never heard of before.
The local forces are finding there new weapons a good way to settle old national, racial, and religious scores across the boarder.

Chinese-Russian relations are at an all time low slowly increasing commitment in fights they don't want and didn't start but can't back down from.

US military forces are over-extended to the breaking point spread to every hotspot around the globe.
US foreign opinion is at an all time low, especially amongst Muslim nations due to the disasters in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Iran works to consolidate its power and influence in Iraq.
EU sits idle choosing to close its eyes and hope this will all go away while Russia makes a fortune off its oil sales, continuing to revitalize its military power to cold war levels.
China's economy with a secured source of cheap energy in Iran takes off and matches Russia step for step in military upgrades to maintain the balance of power in the region.

On the surface at least the US is keeping up – still developing high-tech answers to America's last war, barely keeping its head above water.

Turning Point -
September 11th 2010 – In a coordinated effort most major cities on the east coast are car and truck bombed. The US responds with emergency relief and a declaration of a national state of emergency and within days begins to lick its wounds and point fingers much like the 2001 attacks as a nation mourns 2200 deaths.
The terrorists however, have other plans and follow up the original attacks with a second round of attacks the following week.

Chinese, European, Latin American, and Russian PMC (Private Military Contractor) groups are hired by unknown backers to further confuse the situation and to prevent racial profiling.
These groups also bring an additional level of sophistication to these attacks and are rarely caught, captured, or killed without overwhelming force.

Fear paralyzes the nation. One man with a sniper rifle shut DC down for weeks; this is orders of magnitude worse. Emergency services are overwhelmed and overworked. The attacks continue as a suspected 5000 terrorist/PMCs remain at large on the east coast 100s in each major city. Terrorist/PMCs carry out multiple hit and run tactics.

- Car bombings in industrial and city centers
- Mall shootings, and bombings
- Hospital shootings and bombings
- Police building shootings and bombings
- Sniper attacks at schools, businesses, and government facilities
- Government official assassination at the local and state level
- Sniper attacks on the highways killing random drivers

Parents keep their kids home from school and refuse to report to work.
Emergency aide workers – those that report to work – are overworked and exhausted
Police and first responders are decimated in terrorist efforts to eliminate them specifically

Sustained terrorist bombings are a daily occurrence.

Slowly attacks are beginning to be brought under-control under emergency powers granted to by the president and suspension of the Bill of Rights. However, terrorists and PMCs are still gaining entry to the US in a coordinated and steady supply.

US Military check points (National Guard) exist every few miles and regular patrols are conducted but these Military units are spread FAR too thinly.

State, county, city, and town Militias are deputized and formed filling the gaps where the military is spread to thin. These groups are usually under local government control and supplied from Police inventory as well as private weapons.

These groups run the gamut from organized small armies that are well supplied to 3 men in a pickup truck with hunting rifles.

Conduct and control of these groups is also fairly loosely regulated and some groups are little more than organized crime groups under the control of some corrupt politician or sheriff. For the most part people tolerate this preferring 'home grown' problems to terrorist attacks.

The attacks continue but it appears that eventually these attacks will eventually be brought under control.

Turning point 2 –
Dec 2nd 2010 - From an unknown vessel in international waters off the US East coast launches a nuclear device high into the air and explodes releasing a large EMP.
80% of all electronic devices on the east coast are fried.

What was left of the US economy has essentially ceased to exist as the technology sector is wiped out. Looting and chaos run rampant in the days after the attack as people try to secure supplies.

National Guard units do what they can but often it is the armed militias and not the civilians that are the worst offenders.

China declares itself 'international relief' and begins deploying troops to the US mainland. 'Forward bases' are established on the West coast. Airborne drops begin deploying the PLA to east coast disaster areas and metropolitan areas.

EU also declares the need for international relief and sends UN peacekeepers to the east coast disaster areas.

Russian and the RFP not to be outdone promises to 'provide aide when and where needed' but doesn't elaborate.

It appears the new cold war will go hot over the ashes of the United States of America.
The situation does not promise stability for long.........


Depending on what actions you've taken at Turning point 1:
- You're just a civilian who now no longer has a reason to go to work and needs to figure out what to do next
- You're a member of a State, county, city, or town militia.
- You're a member of the National Guard
- You're a member of a corporate security force
- You're a member of the US Military called back home

Further options:
- You're a member of any of the 'relief' forces
- You're a member of an Anti-Government group
- You're a member of a PMC group trying to figure out how you're paycheck is going to get to you in all this mess!

Pretty easy to take it from there. Good luck!

[Mohoender]

Hi Haven

Pretty much what I came up with myself except that the U.S. collapse is not that brutal and that I ally China and Russia.

One little difference so, Venezuela in place of Cuba with alliance including Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua.

Nice stuff.

As I retain much of the original game text I chose not to put up mine.

[Marc]

I like it very much Haven!

In my opinion, the effect of the economical crisis over the US military power must be softened a bit. After all, the US traditional enemies would be growing up in military capacity and technological advances. And tension all over the world would be escalating. So, it seems logical that two of the sectors to be reactivated over the others would be the armament production and the military.

[Haven]

Good point.

I think i put it in there as a catalyst and then never 'reversed' the process once the going got tough.

I'll edit those in here in a min.

President elected
Economy near collapse – President cuts military spending. Troop withdrawals from Iraq and other overseas military bases. Wide scale military base closings and the majority of the new weapons programs are scraped or put on hold due to lack of funding. Canadian and Mexican boarders are basically wide open due to lack of funding. Police and state defense spending cut on a wide scale. Crime rates climb. Unemployment rises. Anti-government groups grow in popularity nation wide.

President federalizes failing US automakers and produces electric cars


UPDATED:
______________________________________
President elected
Economy near collapse – President cuts military spending. Troop withdrawals begine from Iraq and other overseas military bases. Some military base closings similar to the 1990's and the majority of the new weapons programs are scraped or put on hold due to lack of funding. Canadian and Mexican boarders are now more vulnerable due to lack of funding but this is nothing new to the boarder patrol. Police and state defense spending is also cut as states struggle to balance the budget. Crime rates climb. Unemployment rises. Anti-government groups grow in popularity nation wide as it appears another period of UN over USA begins.

President federalizes failing US automakers to keep them open and to provide the American public with alternative energy vehicles as gas prices soar.

______________________________________

[Haven]

Added:

Defense budget cuts are for the most part reversed as the political landscape changes in the face of a very real possibility of Cold War 2. The spending provides a nice boost in the economy but it remains fairly shaky. The technology sector gets most of the money as the current administration prefers non-lethal/less-than-lethal and remote control options over 'boots on the ground'. This also has the added benefit of being best for the economy.

On the surface the US is keeping up – still developing high-tech answers to America's last war

[jester]

Here is the scenario:

Nationalism rising in Russia and their getting nasty, as its former PACT members join Nato and they consider this expansionism. They use force as well as subversion to keep the remaining former satelights in their sphere of influence. They form a new version of the WARSAW Pact whatever it would be called. They also overthrow some nations and install pupet governments more inline with MOSCOW. They also manipulate the flow of oil and gas to Western Europe...

MiddleEast and other OPEC members manipulate oil production to increase its costs, this backfires causing a worldwide recession.

China has massive numbers of unemployed due to a world wide recession. And it is pumping up its military to quel domestic unrest. It also challenges fuel supplies in their sphere of influience, and they ramp up Nationalism to divert from their domestic problems. Its those Damned Yankees for not buying our junk! They also build up their naval forces and shadow US planes and submarines, as well as invade Japanese waters.

Escelation of tensions develope between the two nations. An unknown submarine threatens a US carrier group and the carier employs ASW assets, this can be successful or not, China protests and tensions ramp up or hostilities can begin there. Further China moves in to blockade China and threaten the US naval assets in the Pacific because they want to be a world player and project power now.

Russia has shattered Nato with its manipulation of gas and oil. They move into one of the newer smaller member nations of Nato and their bluff is not called. They realise Nato is not going to respond. The UN as usual says just words. Then Russia goes on a rampage eating up many of the smaller republics that once were part of the USSR.

The US and a few European Nations finaly act after Russia has reclaimed much of Eastern Europe and its former asian republics.

The US became weak, a leftist president came to power with promised of social reform. To fund his programs he gutted the military and pulled out of the comitments abroad. The US lacked the men and equipment to man its units let alone handle combat operations.

And having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the middleast the US credibility plumeted further. Those countries soon fell to sectarian violence fueled by external influences. Iran and Russia and thuse control of oil from the Persian Gulf was not under control or threat by Iran., Iraq becomes a broken but the bulk of it is controled or a puppet of Iran.

Pakistan withdraws support because of the new US presidents policy, Taliban grows and turns portions of Pakistan into regions that are lawless, others are supported by Pakistan and some by Russia with a few remaining civil but they are under threat.

The US is perceieved as weak moraly and militarility, that emboldens the Russians to move and the Chinese. They think we will not do anything and that we can not. They think they have dealt with Western Europe with manipulating their fuel supplies and their proven weakness and failure to respond to earlier encroachments on nations. So the bullies get bolder and brazen, but then they move one step to far.

In Asia it could be Taiwan, or a showdown between US and Chinese fleets or naval assets. The submarine incident is a likely one.

Europe, pretty much as I said.


But then the US and the remaining countries in Europe <or some at least> tell the Russians "STOP! You have until X to get out." Russia emboldened by its earlier sucesses and just the words from the other countries of the world ignores the threat <really when has that worked Didn't work in Kuwait and didn't work in Georgia> this time however US/European forces are there and a face off ensues. Two forces near one another with hostile intentions, or a date to leave. Or a threat is made or percieved and there is fighting. The Russians think they can beat the weak Americans after all they are weak, and they have to transit the Atlantic. But a good effort is made, and these soft Americans whose only culture is blue jean, sneekers and big mac and coke bloody the Russians, who have now lost face so they pour in more and more forces and eventualy break the Americans and go into the rear, now in an effort to take a vital tatget. By now Flights of C-5s and C-117s and C-130s are brining in more and more US troops and equipment to fill the gaps while the larger forces are crossing the Atlantic via ship.

US reserves are called up as are national guard and even inactive reserves and it is on! A new president is elected to undo the damage done by the leftist and maybe he is a magician who can win this.

By now Russia and the US is in a full on conflict. A few European Nations are along side the US, and some of the countries that have been swallowed up by Russia have formed free governments in exile and rallied a few regiments or even divisions who are fighting as well.

The Middle East is in chaos. A Multi National Force is sent in to stabilize specific areas, mainly those who produce and supply oil so the industry of the world can continue. Kuwait is protected, portionso of Iraq and Saudi Arabia is propped up with a division, a squadron of Destoryers with some air assets are stationed in the Gulf, now oil tankers are sent out in convoy with an air umbrella.

Dog fights between Allied and Iranian/Russian aircraft are a common sight over the Persian Gulf. An Allied Landing occurs on the Irainain side of the Straights of Hormuz so the Iraninans can not attack ships transiting the Gulf.

Asia:

China is in revolution with disenfranchised poor, coupled with unemployment and drafting for the military. An Aliance between Russia and China did not hold, they have to long a history of hostility and they dispute regions of their common boarder. They have border clashes of divisional size but they have not devolved into an outright war.

N and S Korea make a mpove. The dying Kim wants to make one grand foolish gesture. He fires nukes at S. Korea, Japan and American forces in Japan, they have limited assistance from China but then the assistance given to S.Korea from the US is also limited.

Mostly the fighting in Asia is an airwar and one of naval assets and missiles.

Taiwan is pummeled by conventional weapons and near blockaded, although the blockade doesn't last when the US fleet is in the area.

China sends an invasion forces they have been working on for 10 years to take that rogue province. With the help of the US it is destoryed. And to break the blockade Taiwain sends an expedition to mainland China with is met as liberators from some areas and a free Chinese Army is formed among units who mutinied or that are raised on the mainland. China is in a full civil war.

But the Taiwanese can only give so much even the US can give only limited support. So what becomes FREE CHINA does not expand to much, but they do manage to support the other Free Forces throughout China but most of the Support is in areas they have influence and communication with.

There are also uprising or conflicts in Vietnam and China, and Tibet and Burma revolt now that they have seen what is happening and take a chance to return as free and independant states. And Western China revolts too and are helped by Radiacal Isamist Groups, fighting the Americans in Iran and Iraq is old, the new Jihad as it is called is in Western China.

India and Pakistan are tense with some boarder skirmishes by nothing major happens.

Cuba has several older US Frigates and Destroyers circling it and they remain quiet, although they do make themselves available for Russian submarine facilities and even aireal recon assets and a hotbed of intelligence activity with agents going to Mexico or Latin America and then into the US.

Venezuela creates hostility in its region, creates an arms race although it is petering out as the powers who supply arms are now using them. They do support guerilla groups in Columbia and Peru and Ecuador and Chile <those are the nations that border it right> and there are the odd clashes between patrols with alot of military buildups and posturing but they do not break into open war, Venezuela would loose, Chaves remains in power by the slightest grip and a full on war would force him to loose his control. The neighbors just do not want a war.

Portions of Africa have turned into a bloodbath with rivals taking revenge for age old rivalries, if you are of the wrong tribe, religion or color then you are hunted and killed, almost all whites are driven from the continent those who remain are butchered, and that was what drove most out, the wholesale slaughter of people based on their skin. It reverts to the most barbaric of places on earth, but they do have modern weapons.

Only a few western buisnesses have maintained a presence there and that is with the help of private armies. But these are in the more remote areas that are inaccessible without great difficulty. It was learned early on that locals be avoided for these security forces as they desert, turn on their employers or they just plain kill each other. These remain only if they have clear access to a port. Oil Facilitis off coast are well guarded, with these companies buying older military vessels to protect them and the oil. Mining corporations build their own docks and rail lines that are heavily guarded, most assets in the inerior are abandoned.

S. America errupts into economic chaos but they really avoid the war, but there are large segments of the societies of Brazil and Argentina that are diseffected and they are both dangerous places to be. Bandits roam the countrysie, gangs the inner cities, draconian police andm ilitary roam everywere and they shoot first and don't ask questions, they fall into martial law with a military junta rulling both countries.

These countries also supply the waring powers with raw materials and act as a means for eastern and western goods to be exchanged, so the rifle between rich and poor grows, Brazil is on the verge of a popular uprising and the military and police are doing everything they can to errradicate it.

Austrailia, has supplied troops to The Middle East and Asia with some in Europe, they have been effected by Chinas attempt to become the dominant region in the power and its navy took a heavy blow. Norther Oz has taken some missiles as well. And they have become more isolated with goods from not comming in very often as a result of the war and limited shipping.

Alasaka is more a naval war with some bombers flying over, a few small raids by Soviet forces occurs but thats it. The US beyond landing SEALs for intel work blasts the Russian Pacific bases with a few raids by Marines but these operations are limited in scale.

And that is how I would rewrite it.