Following are the notes for a book called “The War of 2008” written by the late (Rooftop) Mark Johnson. As a devoted fan and patron of Radio Banciao, he wanted us to interact with the tale, expand upon it, contribute, so feel free to post your own chapters of this farcical game theory study. Pictures and illustrations welcome.
This work is not only a “Gonzo-esque” tragicomedy, it’s an exploration of the worst-case scenario in cross-strait relations, that one percent chance of a complete, monumental chain of fuck-ups, accidents and mishaps, that – albeit a bit slapstick in peacetime — could possibly happen by some freak accident, and lead us all down the path to disaster.
“One slip and down the hole we fall,” as Pink Floyd said in “Momentary Lapse of Reason.”
TdG – Editron 8/07

P39 Mooneyham
In Chinese writing, the two characters for “China” are Jung gwo, literally the “Middle Kingdom.” When used in ancient (Chinese) manuscripts, it referred to the civilized parts of the world as contrasted with the barbarians who surrounded China. It was not intended to sound arrogant; it was an objective fact.

PLA General ____’s Dementia
General____ of the 815 Guided Missile Regiment, a PLA Chinese/PRC military complex only 700 kilometers from Taiwan sat in his office. The 815th Missile Regiments’ facility sits in Leping, in JiangXi Province and had well over 200 East Wind 15 missiles in the regiment, which have a range of over 800 kilometers. The missiles were of particular concern, being able to easily attack targets in Taiwan more accurately than before; they had become much more precise, able to hit smaller targets.
General ___ had been a heavy beer drinker, a functional severe beeraholic for decades but extremely adept and sharp; until now, now when he held the fate of so many in his hands, just as he’d held a beer for so long.
DEMENTIA EXPL.
Now! Now General __ was about to have a major malfunction and be blasted into the realm of Dementia’s first stages that day. This would be the fuse that started the War unexpectedly early for all sides and would put the PLA at a slight loss (two weeks) for total element of surprise. General – would launch without proper permission directive because of his confussion, anxiety and paranoia brought on by the Dementia.
EAST WIND 15 expl.
People who drink wine seem to have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia (A little wine may keep the mind sharp, Danish study finds 11/13/02 Reuters). Regular chronic/longterm beer drinkers actually have a higher risk of developing dementia. A Danish study 6 years before – and others after — had shown evidence of both. The 206 results, published in the Nov 12 issue of the journal of Neurology showed people who drunk/drank up to 21 glasses of wine a week had measurably lower risk of dementia.
Unfortunately for all involved, Gen. – had been drinking more than 21 glasses of beer a day for the last — decades, similar to his Russian Missile Brigade counterparts and their vodka consumption record. Monthly and weekly intake of (red) wine is associated with a lower risk of dementia, a team at the Institute of Preventive Medicine at Kommunehospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark found. Monthly and weekly intake of vodka had proven deadly for Russia’s male population after the fall of the Soviet Union, and General —‘s consumption past and present would prove immediately a health risk factor for all.
People who had just a glass of wine per day had a lower risk of dementia than people who drank no wine at all. People who drank more than 21 glasses of beer per day for ____ like Gen. ___ were “bound to be/end up just plain nuts,” and later with dementia/damage to his neuronal capacity.
Wine drinkers had been shown to have healthier fruit, fish, vegetables and salads and tended to not use fats on breads and used olive oil for cooking more frequently.
The stress of alcoholism/beerism and work pressure had forced Gen. ___ to eat the opposite of this, robbing him of a low-fat, high-antioxidents and wine’s antioxidant flavinoids. Beer drinkers have deficiencies in B vitamins critical for nerve function. Gen. __’s (insert) missing that something special/substances in wine that reduce the occurrence of dementia and his long history of beer would be the factor of war: A drunken dimential in charge of 200 East Wind 15s with no-one stopping him.
The attack wasn’t supposed to begin until well into the Chinese New Year. Gen. __ would be ready with all targets locked in as had been meticulously planned over the last 6 months by the Central PLA command. He would jump too soon.
No one realized that his drinking had been such for so long as he appeared fine and sober – though overweight – all the time and had every cadre’s and PLA officer’s trust. None suspected the bomb ticking in his head that would lead to commitment to war with an ugly downscale of surprise. Luckily for some PLA amphib/Airborne Units, Gen. __ was in charge of “giving them the go ahead” so THEY WOULD still have elements of surprise.
INSERT Military C
*
In ‘War of 2008,’ U.S. dumps the dollar, creates the Eagle currency; Dollar becomes worthless.

*
Each action is different, each is not the same because you eat different food, the place is different, the humidity in the air affects the instruments, equipment and engines. Each action requires the crews to be adjusted to time, to lag. The butterflies in the pilots’ stomachs and the jittery feelings – before the attack/strike – now and then have to be learned to be controlled. The butterflies in ____ stomach that morning were due to the exciting fact that each battle is a unique one.
The pilot knows how to make his aircraft/jet A-10 sing. When he lightly caresses the stick with his hand, with his stronger movements on the pedals, he bursts the plane into/out of any situation like a splash of vivid color on a moving canvass at speed.

Sunflowers – Hyperaccumulators – Phytoremediation
___ had been/was busy planting sunflowers at ____ school in ____ for the surrounding blocks for weeks. She and her crew had been busy helping institute Taiwan’s phytoremediation project for weeks since the climate allows for winter planting; butterflies; beetles; katydids; hoppers; toads etc. are aup and moving about throughout winters mild weather in the lower elevations. They don’t hope to survive; they do there. That morning she went out at 2:00am – since her parents lived nearbye – to admire all of the planting in the surrounding square kilometers around the school and the area. In twenty minutes – that would all change with the arrival of several East Wind 15s hitting the area and throwing up massive clouds of lead contaminated dust.
Taiwan’s Phytoremediation plan was begun a bit late — the U.S. having started a decade or more before them. It came about when hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese children age 6 and under were blood-tested/screened for lead levels in their blood.

*
Just as Captain — was flying his —- over —-, he got a sharp pain in the left arm and left side of his chest, and remembered something he read six years earlier (CHP 11/22/2002, Reuters, NY).
A survey released by Oxford Health Plans Inc in Nov of 2002 revealed that nearly one in five U.S. workers claimed to be in good/excellent health despite being overweight, smoking, drinking too much or never exercising.
“This pain in my chest and arm right now must be from that boxing bout last month when I took those hooks to the ribs from —-.”
The survey claimed some Americans were in denial over health; 17% of 1,450 surveyed had described their health as excellent but displayed not-so-excellent habits.
“Hell, those people must mostly be dead or well on their way now,” he thought/murmurred to himself as he felt another sharp zap of pain run down his left arm.
The squadron/group continued to…
Of that group of 17% of 1,450, 55 percent said they were overweight by at least 25 lb/11kg, 31% smoked, 21 percent drank at least four cups of coffee/tea, and 36 percent never exercised; 25% said they were likely to eat fried foods and salty or sugary snacks. Another jolting zap and he thought “Jesus, I couldn’t be like one of them where denial is dangerous to your heart; I am pretty much the opposite of that except for my fried hot foods that I love so much,” as another zap came down his arm. “I AM in excellent shape.” ZAP
What Captain __ didn’t realize was that he HAD ALSO been in denial for some years and it was exacting, about to exact “a heavy toll down the road” and right soon within minutes.
How food is cooked may determine or affect whether it causes heart disease, diabetes and other conditions. Research has shown that cooking at high temperatures – frying, grilling and microwaving creates compounds that are associated with disease when they are found in the body. The compounds/culprits are advanced glycation end products or AGEs for short. AGEs are made/formed by the interactions of sugars, fats and proteins and form quickly when food is cooked at high temps. AGEs are substances forming spontaneously in our body from glucose reactions. The higher the glucose (content) is, the production amount of AGEs will be higher. AGEs can irritate cells, causing them to produce proteins that trigger inflammation, such as C reactive protein. (When food is cooked under high heat – as most of Captain ___ was his whole life – for a long time under high heat, those reactions are accelerated/increased. The AGEs end up being absorbed by the eater. This kind of cooking produces good-tasting, good-looking food as in browning. Those with high levels of AGEs in their blood, had higher levels of inflammatory chemicals such as tumor necrosis factor and C-reactive protein. These inflammatory chemicals are linked with the progression of heart deisease and the damage caused by diabetes – such as blindness, nerve damage and damage to organs such a kidney. Animal products rich in fat are the worst culprits, produce the most AGEs. Captain ___ wasn’t going blind, had no nerve damage (from AGEs) and wasn’t diabetic or failed kidney, he was having a coronary in Mid Flight Attack Action Pattern.
The “heavy toll down” the road was arriving like a sledgehammer, and all the benefits of a pretty much healthy diet low in fat and sugar and his extreme cardiovascular training regimen over the decades didn’t mean squat now. He was going into full cardiac arrest at 450mph 300 feet off the ground.
Captain __ should have noticed the warning signs some ___ s earlier when his skin started to show little red bump-like circles around the follicles of his thighs – Xanthomas. He considered it to be dust or food allergy/agitation and not a symptom of anything serious.
Xanthomas are….

About the only health problem he had was shingles.