First-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.  Annual assessment whether Revolution plausible.

Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Jordan’s office in Washington. Jordan meeting with JC, who has agreed to get storylines about causes of the Revenge Revolution for Greenie, a mutual friend.  Greenie is recovering from short-term illness.  Conversation started #191.

JC:  “OK, I feel better now.   So I don’t get the urge to scream again, could we talk about something other than the stupid North Carolina legislature…and governor?”

Jordan:  “I thought you needed ideas for Greenie about the causes of the Revenge Revolution.”

JC:  “I do but NC legislators were not the only cause.  Give me another idea.”

Jordan:  “One event that has always angered me but never seemed to get the in-depth news coverage I thought it deserved was the criminal activity and then sentence of General Petraeus.”

JC:  “You mean the 4-star general who was head of the CIA?  Didn’t he disclose top-secret info to his mistress…and who knows what else he did?”

Jordan:  “Don’t you like the deal he cut with prosecutors?

JC:  “Deal is an understatement.  As I recall he got off with some misdemeanor…and a fine.  I’ve got a question…”

Jordan:  “…that is?”

JC:  “You were in the military, right?”

Jordan:  “Yes.”

JC:  “Disclosing secret information has to be more than a slap on the wrist.”

Jordan:  “In some cases the disclosure could be considered treason.”

JC:  “So he disclosed secret info to some lady who was supposedly writing a biography about him.”

Jordan:  “She was a lieutenant or captain in the Army Reserve, I think.”

JC:  “OK, she’s some military officer.  But she could be a spy.  Not the first time sex was used to gain military secrets.  How much security clearance did she have?  Who knows, she might have been on double-secret probation.”

Jordan:  “I like your humor but I don’t know what security clearance she had.”

JC:  “This case smells like a really serious offense.  A 4-star general discloses secrets to a much-lower ranking officer.”

Jordan:  “Remember he was also head of the CIA, which meant he had an even higher clearance than anyone in the military.”

JC:  “What’s the penalty for disclosing government secrets?”

Jordan:  “Some type of felony…and certainly not a misdemeanor.”

JC:  “Strike #1.  Disclosure of secrets by a 4-star who is also on POTUS’ cabinet and sits in meetings at the White House.  In fact he briefs POTUS on issues.  It’s not as if he didn’t know disclosing secrets was a no-no.  What’s the penalty if a military officer discloses secrets?”

Jordan:  “There’d likely be a court-martial and if convicted, a demotion in rank, maybe dishonorable discharge, certainly loss of pay or pension and possibly time in the brig…jail time.”

JC:  “Government employees, I guess, would be tried, and if convicted, fired and jail time…and maybe loss of pension.”

Jordan:  “When Eric Snowden disclosed secret info, the US government wanted a maximum penalty, which would have been life in prison or death.”

JC:  “But for our little 4-star who couldn’t keep his pants on, a slap on the wrist was the penalty.”

Jordan:  “You got it.”

JC:  “Speaking of pants, isn’t adultery a serious offense in the military?”

Jordan:  “Yes, adultery is prohibited and cause for court-martial.”

JC:  “Now General Pants Off has two serious offenses – disclosing secrets and banging a subordinate.  Was she married, too?”

Jordan:  “Maybe you can be a little more discreet with your choice of words.  Banging seems a bit crude.”

JC:  “Why?  He wasn’t being an officer, a gentleman or fulfilling his duties as head of the CIA.”

Jordan:  “He did betray the Army, the CIA, POTUS and his family with his behavior.  He like stabbed them in the back.  Stabbed all of us in the back.”

JC:  “I remember before he became a 4-star or maybe before head of the CIA, there was a group that labeled him General Betraeus.  The right-wing went nuts of course, claiming those who made such allegations were traitors.”

Jordan:  “Are you saying the group was right?

JC:  “Based on his behavior, the group that called him ‘General Betraeus’ was dead-on.”

Jordan:  “Another aspect of the case continues to baffle me.  The right-wing thinks the military can do no wrong.  Yet, when the highest-profile military commander…and head of the CIA…flagrantly breaks the law by disclosing secret information, the same right-wing keeps its mouth shut with no call for accountability.  Talk about hypocrisy.”

JC:  “But let someone like Hillary use a private computer server for some emails…and apparently a number of other high-ranking officials did as well…and the same right-wing group wants to try her for treason.”

Jordan:  “Now you see why I’m confused.  The right-wing group screamed about an alleged infraction by one side and had a severe case of duct-tape-on-the-mouth when the head of the CIA knowingly disclosed secrets.  I think a lot of the voting public is confused and frustrated by such hypocrisy.”

JC:  “My take is this…inside the Beltway if you know the right people, criminal behavior is acceptable.  And that applies to some people on both sides of the aisle.”

Jordan:  “Petraeus is a good example of such behavior.  Yet the Petraeus or the Betraeus story did not get as much coverage as I expected…and might not be a major cause of the Revenge Revolution.”

JC:  “I think you’re underestimating the impact of General Pants Off.  It’s one of those events that just hangs around and does not go away.  The inexcusable behavior continues to gnaw at you, even if it doesn’t scream at you.  Greenie needs to write about it.”