As the President walked with Chris, the Secret Service chief of his detail, he was anxious for the chance to put the Advisor straight. For all his cultured ways and knowledge, the Advisor is living in a different world, the president thought. He is no revolutionary. He might be black but he doesn’t understand how American blacks are truly the victims of capitalism, colonialism, and white supremacy. Left to people like him, blacks would still be second-class citizens. My mission is to not only transform America but to fix it so that it will never be a world power again. Capitalism, the free market, individual rights and freedoms, and the two-party system will be replaced by a progressive elite that knows better than the masses what the people need. The last thing I do will be to weld this damned old iron door shut with the so-called Advisor inside.

Chris said, “Mr. President, we are here.”

“Yes. I won’t be long.”

The President pressed his right palm against the copper plate and the door slowly opened without a sound. The president wondered, how does this door move so quietly? The old man must have a daily schedule to lubricate the hinges. I’ll give him credit . Everything he does is impeccable. His manners are so correct they piss me off. Somewhere he learned the fine art of brewing outstanding coffee. Damn recipe probably extends back to the days of the founders. He may revere them but I surely don’t. Their system of government was designed to protect property and enable the rich a way to become richer and more powerful, thereby perpetuating the class system.

“Good evening, Mr. President. I’m anxious to hear your response to our last session. If you will take a seat, I’ll pour you a cup of my special blend. It is not much different. But it does have a deeper aroma and a pleasant after taste.”

The President put his nicotine gum in the waste basket and lit up a real cigarette. “It is almost worth coming here just to have your coffee with a cigarette and with no one looking at me at me for smoking. A president has to have a few personal perks. I tell you, I have precious few. Between my wife, my main above-ground advisor, and a bunch of whining bureaucrats, I don’t have much free time. Playing golf, coming here, and speaking at fundraisers are my only getaways.

“I take issue with your comments from last week. No matter what happens after my transformation process, America and the existing world order will never be the same. The world will be a much better place for all but the current rich and powerful. They, along, with the twin evils of capitalism and individual freedoms, will be gone. And so will all the complicated self-serving alliances, treaties, and subtle forms of modern colonialism. Both on the national and international stages the principle of ‘to each according to need and from each according to ability’ will govern. There is not a better guiding theme in any religion or governing scheme.

“I favor Islam for its no-nonsense legal system of Sharia law and its historical hatred of capitalism and all things Western. The religions of the West all support western political goals and objectives. Just look at the death and destruction the Crusades caused. From within Islam I’m a supporter of the great civilizations of the Persian Empires. They embrace the Shiite form of Islam rather than the radical and harsh Sunni version of Islam. Also, the Sunnis have sided with the West, especially America, and that is not good.

“I want the Iranians to have nuclear weapons. The world playing field needs to be leveled and the West has told us for decades that ‘Mutual Assured Destruction’ is a peaceful principle. For when everyone has the bomb, no one will use it. If they do use it, my transformation of the world order will still take place. A new and more just world will rise from the ashes of the past.”

The room grew silent. The Advisor sat quietly. Finally, the president said, “I’m through. Any comments?”

“Yes. One main one. Your goal is not new. Others have tried Marx’s principle. All have ended up in mass deaths, prison camps, and rule by an elite that quickly takes the riches and prerogatives of the wealthy class they replaced. What has ended up are inefficient governing models, a shrinking of economic growth, a harsh and stagnant rule by a group that is not elite but only serves the people in power with no checks on their rule. Individual freedoms, hopes, social mobility are gone. What remains is not a beautiful, better world but an ugly totalitarian rule by believers in a utopia that does not exist and never will.”

“I didn’t think you would understand.”

“On the contrary, I understand all too well.”

“At least you are honest. I’ll come back because I want to tell you about the next two years on the domestic front.”

The president signaled for Chris, drained his cup, and walked to the door. Over his shoulder the president said, “You might not know it but the weather outside is beautiful, gardens are blooming, beautiful women are walking the streets, the rain is soft and warm, it is a real delight to wander around my Rose Garden. You should try it sometime.”

“Thank you, Mr. President, but my place is here as long as I can physically do my duty. I look forward to our next visit.”

The above is a fictional account of a president meeting with a legendary but fictional advisor.

“ISIS: Quiet Justice,” a new Jack Brandon novel dealing with ISIS in America, is now available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in print form and nook and Kindle formats. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80.