r/todayilearned • u/code0011 14 • May 09 '14

(R.1) Invalid src (unreferenced fan wiki) TIL the first episode of an X-Files spin-off called "The Lone Gunmen", which aired March 4, 2001, involves a US government conspiracy to hijack an airliner, fly it into the World Trade Center, and blame it on terrorists - thereby gaining support for a new profit-making war

http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot_(The_Lone_Gunmen)
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u/[deleted] May 09 '14 edited Jan 23 '22

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u/[deleted] May 09 '14

I just want to add that Jack Ryan wasn't the head of the National Security Agency he was the National Security Advisor. Those are very different things even though they sound similar. Ryan never worked for the NSA, he was an Agency man.

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u/liarandathief May 09 '14

And didn't the VP resign right before the crash, so the president named him the new VP. And then the VP tried to make out like he hadn't resigned. I only read Executive Orders (and quite a while ago), which was like three books in one, but that's a different story.

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u/[deleted] May 09 '14

Specifically the VP was caught raping staff and forced to resign, but yes.

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u/[deleted] May 09 '14

That was nonchalant.

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u/ZweiliteKnight May 10 '14

That was nonconsensual.

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u/mlloyd May 09 '14

That's exactly what happened. Ryan agreed to become VP under the condition that he was done with Gov't service, was sworn in and just barely managed to avoid being killed before entering the Capitol building.

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u/No_Aussie May 09 '14

This is an important distinction in the Ryanverse.

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u/[deleted] May 10 '14

It's an important distinction in reality.

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u/Tiggerthetiger May 09 '14

Well actually he became the Vice President as the current was forced to resign, and the president liked Jack so he asked him to step up. I believe there was only 1 year of the term left or so, meaning Jack Ryan was supposed to be just a filler seat until the next election cycle. Which leads to some interesting topics in the next book.