George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 47

George W. Bush’s Great America – Episode 46 (47/377)

< Episode 46 >

The chief of staff, silently handing over the next document, voiced a question that was as natural as it was unavoidable. He had initially intended to keep it to himself, but he couldn’t bear to hold it in any longer.

“Is it possible for the federal government to dismantle a state police force if it deems them inadequate? And will Congress readily approve this?”

“I want to maintain a friendly relationship with Congress, so I don’t want to take a hard line. But if they block me, I’ll just push through, claiming they’re all in cahoots with the corrupt state police.”

If the police can’t do their job properly, then private military companies, or PMCs, will. Even if these PMCs are just security firms armed with weapons, who cares? If the police can’t do their job, we’ll just have PMCs do it. Some neighborhoods are probably being protected by PMCs hired by farms, not the police.

The federal government doesn’t say anything because it’s hard to increase the police budget. But expanding without a plan, spending money recklessly, is questionable. So, the only option is to root out corruption first.

Of course, it’s not like the police are completely incompetent. If that were the case, the entire United States would be like Mad Max, and it wouldn’t be the world’s only superpower. But there are definitely places where police security is virtually useless or nonexistent. In fact, there are plenty of places where the police are cooperating with criminals.

“If we take a hard line, we can just dismantle the state police and fill it with people we like—moral and diligent people. And we’ll increase the size and authority of the federal police. That way, we can fill the local vacuum to some extent immediately.”

Increasing the authority of the federal police does have its problems. It gives citizens the impression that the federal government is strongly controlling the local governments. That’s why, in the long run, the state police need to be completely transformed.

“That’s like…”

Isn’t that a dictatorship? Of course, the intention is good, but what’s the difference between that and a dictatorship?

The key positions in the state police are being changed according to the president’s preferences, and the authority of the federal police is being increased to make them his allies? Then, in the end, most of the public power ends up in the president’s hands. If power is excessively concentrated in George W. Bush, who already has strong authority, isn’t that a dictatorship?

“I can see what you’re thinking. But let me make it clear here. I have no intention of changing the ‘Constitution’.”

‘I have every intention of breaking it, though,’ Bush thought, swallowing the last words. Changing and breaking are two different things. Especially when it comes to complicated and life-threatening things like dictatorships, he had no intention of doing it. Besides, history books would write ‘absolute son of a bitch’ in big letters.

Of course, if he changed the Constitution, he could run for president more than three times. Maybe he could change it as many times as he wanted if the situation allowed. Of course, he would clash head-on with the citizens and Congress. That’s why he didn’t want to do anything that smacked of dictatorship.

“Besides, I’m not confident I can do it properly, especially something as delicate as a dictatorship. My wish is to live comfortably in my old age after doing as much as I can.”

A dictatorship may seem easy at first glance, but it’s surprisingly more detailed and subtle than a typical political system. One wrong step and you could end up with a bullet in your gut. Even the dictator who was called a god in Korea was bitten by a Jaguar [a reference to the assassination of Park Chung-hee by his own KCIA director using a pistol called a Jaguar] four times and died.

A dictatorship is a truly dangerous thing. Of course, Bush was the type to throw himself into things, thinking he could use other people’s bodies as shields, but he didn’t want to die that way.

“I understand. How should we handle the personnel selection?”

“That’s your job.”

‘Ah, I see. I’m getting dumped on again at this age!’ The chief of staff lamented. Some people live comfortably in their old age, while others are destined to keep rolling and rolling.

“Next.”

The pile of documents had shrunk to the point where the desk was visible. But there were no noteworthy documents, so the speed at which the documents were decreasing was unmatched. But why is it said that you should never let your guard down until the very end?

Another file caught Bush’s eye.

“Hmm?”

It was about the defense budget, especially the next-generation weapons program. For example, the Comanche helicopter. With the rapid development of drones, its effectiveness as a reconnaissance aircraft was questionable.

“This is about the M8 Buford.”

The Buford has no problems. In 2019, the United States also felt the clear limitations of the Stryker armored vehicle and picked up the Buford again. So, this can be ignored.

“We can cut the budget for the Land Warrior platform.”

There’s nothing you can do about the obvious limitations due to the times. It wouldn’t be bad to merge it with Future Warrior on this occasion.

‘Then it might be better to merge this part and develop enhanced exoskeleton technology. But OICW [Objective Individual Combat Weapon] is ambiguous.’

He was referring to the XM29 OICW. It was canceled due to budget issues, but when you remember that the budget issues were due to the Iraq War, there was still room in the budget. However, unlike the K11, this complex rifle was linked to Land Warrior, and the project presented somewhat unrealistic goals for 2001, such as having a visor with augmented reality showing the aiming point like an FPS game, or using smart grenades that explode at a location designated by the shooter.

‘It wouldn’t be bad to develop a scope separately like the K11 and use only the main body separately as a squad support weapon concept. It wouldn’t be bad to separate only the high-speed grenade launching function that can be carried individually like the XM25 CDTE [Counter Defilade Target Engagement].’

The problem was that the performance and cost-effectiveness of AR-type weapons, especially the M4 series, were too good.

‘We’ll just have to gradually change it by adopting a gas piston short stroke system on the M4.’

What this means is that he was blatantly copying the HK416. The reason Bush knew why the HK416 was like that was because he liked the HK416 so much in a game that had once caused a sensation in 2019, although it had subsided. Thanks to that, he had memories of Kim Kap-hwan looking up various things.

‘But then HK [Heckler & Koch] will starve. Not my problem, though.’

For a while, HK was fed by the G36, but the G36’s chronic problems burst, and HK burst with it. The HK416, which was a fallback, suddenly rose to prominence and became HK’s biggest source of income, but now that was about to disappear.

‘We’ll have to touch other detailed parts as well.’

More than anything, he had decided to deal with the police, so it was a time when choice and concentration were needed. No matter how much the president whined, ‘I’ll do it! I’m going to do it!’ he couldn’t do anything without money. If he ruined the economy to protect the country, it would be all for naught.

“Still, we have to carry the Arsenal Ship somehow.”

Romance is romance.

And so, the last document was finally finished. He felt half-dead, and it was dark outside, but who cares? It was finally over.

George W. Bush had finally won the fight!

But Bush doesn’t know. The same thing will happen tomorrow.

* * *

Having confirmed that the United States’ willingness to intervene in East Asia was stronger than expected in the fighter jet defection incident, China moved quickly. China and Russia had been pushing and pulling for 300 years, continuing their hegemonic competition. But that’s now a thing of the past. Against the backdrop of a giant enemy called the United States, Russia and China were building a close relationship. In particular, 98% of the eastern border was resolved in the November 1997 border agreement.

Today, they are trying to finalize the remaining border disputes. It was time to settle Inlung Island on the Amur River, Heixiazi (Bolshoy Ussuriysky) Island [also known as Tarabarov Island], and Abagaitu (Bolshoy) Island on the Argun River.

Putin and Jiang Zemin finally sat face to face. The fact that the two countries, which had resisted despite being bound by communist ideology, had finally decided to reconcile meant that the United States was that much more threatening.

“First of all, there is no change in the part that Inlung Island will be returned to China.”

Putin opened his mouth first.

“Instead, we will allow China to divide and rule Heixiazi Island and Abagaitu Island. It is more important to check the United States than minor disputes such as borders now.”

Jiang Zemin ordered that it be divided exactly in half, mobilizing Russian and Chinese geologists and surveying experts. Clearly favorable remarks were exchanged, such as reconciliation, prosperity, tourism, and visa exemption for travel between the two countries.

Russia didn’t necessarily want to whine, ‘It’s all Russia’s!’ After all, Russia had been effectively ruling those islands for a long time, so it was likely to come out. Even in the agreement in May 1991, the mayor of Khabarovsk had strongly stated, ‘Border agreement, screw it!’ From Russia’s point of view, this was a clear hemorrhage.

However, Putin did not think much of it. He judged that a better Sino-Russian relationship was more valuable than the value of three small islands on the river. Like China, Russia was also concerned about the actions of the United States. It was an unlike thought for the leader of the Soviet Union, which once divided the world in the Cold War, but that was because the United States had become so strong.

“Borders are no longer areas of conflict. They will be evidence of harmony and friendship.”

This was no different for China. From Russia’s point of view, it was effective control, but from China’s point of view, it was no different from stealing and operating it. But China also conceded. China handed over some of the islands that it had strongly demanded to Russia. The United States, which held the world in its hands and shook it at will, was that much more frightening.

Railroads will be laid on both sides of the island, commercial areas will be built, and wetland areas will be preserved.

Therefore, this meeting was virtually a show. This was because everything had already been agreed upon in advance. As a result, the part about the return and division of territory ended quickly, and the story moved on to the military. Stories like joint training and technology exchange.

In the latter case, Russia did not feel the need for technology exchange very much, so it became strangely vague, but in the former case, both Putin and Jiang Zemin strongly felt the need for joint military training.

In the case of Russia, China’s overwhelming number of people was needed, and in the case of China, Russia’s advanced technology was needed. First of all, China’s technology was derived from old communist technology, and that technology came from the Soviet Union. To be exact, it came from Russia.

“Hahaha! I’m getting a lot today.”

“Russia is also.”

However, the only ones who were not looking at this with good eyes were not only the United States.

“No! Absolutely! No!”

India, which was right next to China, was screaming at this honeymoon-like agreement.