Terror Nation: ...notes from the perimeter

"We are lost and not even searching. We have not even the sense to know there is a precipice nearby, just cattle out wandering wherever the grass takes us." So wrote protagonist Charles Johnson to a friend in Terror Nation, a novel that's woven right into today's reality: George W. Bush is president, 9/11 "changed everything," the administration orders secret imprisonments, and a mostly passive populace just wants to get by. But in Johnson's America, clusters of armed resistance have broken out (and a counter-resistance), while those who practice non-violent dissent risk being turned in by frightened citizens anxious to contribute to "Operation Hometown Heroes." It's an America, in other words, just a few inches down the road from our own, and Johnson finds himself locked incommunicado in a mental asylum ward for speaking inconvenient truths in letters to the editor. Author Mike Palacek's naturalistic style places the reader in Charles Johnson's skin. It's skin that is having trouble enough just dealing with getting older and relishes the simple comfort of a familiar afghan and a reclining chair--even when Johnson stumbles across them in the dark of an asylum ward in the middle of the night. Johnson will remind you of people you know--your father, brother, yourself--an ordinary, middle-aged guy in Iowa just trying to live his life decently and with a bit of courage. At the same time, Palacek alternates the narrative voice so that sometimes we are within Johnson's skin in first person "I" and at other times we watch him from the outside, in third-person narration. It's a technique that is initially disorienting, but perhaps that's the idea. Johnson has been stripped of the power of "I," of his ability to control much of anything in his environment. What is left is what a frightened and/or power-mad world believes him to be, based solely on what he appears to be. I kept looking up from this book thinking, "We're almost there, at Terror Nation." The truly inspired thing Palacek has done is to replace one of the invisible "them" with a believable one of "us," and the result is like slow shock treatment. It's also strangely exhilarating. Maybe confronting the darkness (from a safe distance) has that effect. Beyond that, Terror Nation is an enjoyable read. Dark as the subject matter can be, the reader walks through the labyrinth with good company--not only Johnson's, but that of other dissidents throughout time in quotations that begin many of the chapters. Frightening, thought-provoking, brave, and well worth reading now, while there are still a few inches between us and the possible darkness up the road Palacek presents.

Charles Johnson is a man unaware of the trouble he is in. He thought that, in America, he has the right to voice his opinion when he sees corruption and injustice in the government. But in George W. Bush's America the rules have changed and what was once considered our patriotic duty is now grounds for suspicion, imprisonment, or worse. What hasn't changed is author Mike Palecek's talent for weaving fact and fiction together into thought provoking stories. "Terror Nation" is Palecek's first release from Mainstay Press, a new publisher specializing in political and social themed books. Mainstay is the ideal publisher for Palecek who, besides writing many other brilliant politically oriented books, has run for Congress and was once arrested for anti-war protesting. "Terror Nation" follows Charles Johnson, a retired sports writer living in small town Iowa. Believing he has been abandoned by his wife and children, Charles spends his time writing letters to his local paper and public officials critical of government policy. When his family suggests he visit a mental hospital for observation, Charles begins to question his own sanity and reluctantly admits himself. After a slow start where every part of his check in is described in painstaking detail, the plot begins to pick up when Charles meets a beautiful and mysterious young woman, Lori Gabrielli. Lori warns Charles that he is not there merely for observation but is a victim of a government program called "Hometown Hero" where political dissidents are reported by family and friends, demonized by local media, and are locked away to prevent their sanity from spreading. Charles is skeptical of Lori's conspiracy theory and puts it to the test by wandering back home where he meets up with his son, Ronny. But the reunion is cut short as a swarm of law enforcement personnel descend on the house searching for the escaped lunatic. Meanwhile a quiet war is being fought across the midwest as groups of college educated rebels called the "White Sox" are engaged in bloody combat with government backed mercenaries called the "Red Sox". For the White Sox, Charles Johnson's writings are an inspiration and they send a small team on a mission to rescue Charles from his captors. I don't want to give away any more of the story but there are a quite a few surprise twists and turns that build to an intense confrontation. True to Palecek's style of dark irony the ending is both sad yet oddly hopeful. While some may consider the premise of the book to be a bit paranoid I think the book serves well as a warning of what may happen if Americans continue to allow their leaders overstep the limits of their power. One must wonder how far away a program like "Hometown Hero" is from becoming a reality, but as long as Mike Palecek continues writing great books I remain optimistic that freedom can prevail.

Mike Palecek just doesn't seem to run out of heartrending stories about small-town America. His heroes feel like people we've known, or at least been around, all our lives. They're not the successful businessmen or politicians we might envy on some level for their material wealth, nor are they likely to be street people. They are typical Americans who've worked all their lives to keep up with those around them. they've always wanted to belong. They've been proud of their lives, their kids, their accomplishments and their America. Charlie Johnson was like that. When "Terror Nation" first looks at him, he's sitting in his home, staring out the window. An autographed photo of Ronald Reagan is gazing right back at him. He's comtemplating the recent events in his life, the ones that have put him where he is--waiting for his daughter to pick him up and take him to the local loony bin for 'testing'. Testing. Right. Who thinks Charlie is crazy? His family? His neighbors? The government? Or do they just dislike that his open criticism of the accepted and popular political opinions? Is Charlie's voice of dissent just a little too inconvenient? Charlie's story is told against a backdrop of an America that has probably progressed a little further down the road to Amerika. There are hotbeds of rebel activity where radical college students are fighting the private armies of the rich and powerful. None of it gets in the papers; perhaps it is really going on today and we just don't know. The Red Sox and White Sox in real life are baseball teams, not opponents in guerrilla warfare. Aren't they? What happens in this book to Charlie and his family could happen to anyone who cares in America today. What happens is a warning for all of us that it is dangerous to fight the status quo. What happens is a challenge to stand up against oppression and bigotry and lies. What happens is an indictment of inaction even as it warns us that action can get us killed. This is an important book that deserves to be read. Mike Palecek is one of our finest political writers.