George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 63

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December 11th. The weather hinted at possible snowfall, but the American media felt even colder. The fun factor had noticeably diminished, echoing the sentiment that the end-of-the-century hype peaked in ’99.

Even established media outlets seemed stuck in that era.

“It’s a new millennium; we need to act like it.”

“Mr. President, here’s the report on the police reconstruction plan.”

The state police were effectively disbanded by executive order. Well, “disbanded” might be too strong a word. They resumed operations so quickly—within hours—that it was more like a very brief, temporary suspension.

The main outcome of this brief hiatus was a mass replacement of personnel, tailored to the President’s preferences. Since perfection is unattainable and petty corruption exists everywhere, eradicating it completely was just a theoretical ideal.

Karl Rove was the architect who translated Bush’s ideas into actionable plans. He filled in the gaps and addressed potential detours, even entertaining some far-fetched notions, like the state police marching on the White House.

While the likelihood of that happening was extremely low, it served as justification for significantly bolstering White House security.

As the administration moved forward with these sweeping changes, information inevitably leaked, and some targets slipped through the cracks. These “big shots,” weighed down by the bribes they’d accepted, were deeply entrenched within the police force.

They were powerful figures quietly hoping the storm would pass. However, the evidence against them was so overwhelming that even a slight nudge would expose their corruption.

“Mr. President, good. Everything is proceeding as planned. I’m so excited, I could jump for joy.”

Karl Rove, despite his age, stomped his feet with youthful enthusiasm, always a boy at heart.

“This is largely thanks to you.”

“No, I simply added leaves to the tree the President planted.”

He was uncharacteristically humble, but his pride was evident. Bush could almost hear him thinking, “Of course! Isn’t it all thanks to me?!”

‘The federal police’s corruption and collusion with the political world will have to be dealt with someday, but not during my term,’ Bush thought.

Bush’s aim was a “morally sound police force,” not the collapse of public authority. To compensate for the state police’s temporary disruption, he expanded the federal police’s authority to oversee state operations and increased their manpower. However, some instability in public order was unavoidable.

Unfortunately, this coincided with a large-scale protest bordering on a riot.

“Any feedback from Congress?”

“They’re bound to be dissatisfied. Politicians fear the media, but ultimately, they fear the voice of the people.”

“That’s a relief.”

It was reassuring that politicians feared the people. Without that fear, there would be no check on those in power.

“How’s the public service announcement doing?”

“Yes, the ‘Right America’ advertisement.”

The PSA featured Uncle Sam, proclaiming, “A right America is this kind of America!” This was a departure from typical PSAs that simply said, “Don’t do this.” Instead, Uncle Sam lamented the uncomfortable truths that American society often ignored. It was more of a social satire or black comedy, but it always ended with the optimistic message, “We can fix it!”

Normally, Americans might dismiss it with a cynical, “Bullshit!” [조까고 있네!], but the timing was perfect. Patriotism was at its peak following the 9/11 attacks.

Moreover, people were now experiencing firsthand the United States’ external power, thanks to Bush’s actions. Knowing something in theory and experiencing it directly are vastly different.

It was a time when “legal jingoism” [국뽕] was acceptable. Everyone praised the United States, and dissenters were labeled as traitors.

‘This trend will naturally fade in two or three years,’ Bush thought.

This kind of fervor is fleeting, destined to become a nostalgic memory, a “That’s how it was back then” moment. In a decade, it would be satirized. Support for Bush would also gradually wane.

If he maintained a clean image and implemented policies that benefited the people, he could secure 50 to 60% approval within his term. If he pursued a hegemonic approach, he could solidify his base in Texas. At least, he wouldn’t have to worry about re-election.

The Republican Party, particularly those benefiting behind the scenes thanks to Bush, would be pleased. However, the Democratic Party and other opposition parties wouldn’t be happy.

Traditionally, the Republican Party aligned with manufacturing and energy industries, while the Democratic Party held sway in IT and media. By disrupting their territory [초토화], the Republicans rejoiced, and the Democrats fumed. But their struggles were futile, as public opinion had shifted.

One problem was that Bush had, in some ways, completely messed up [조져놨다] the energy sector. Still, they had to cling to [물어버려] shale as bait and couldn’t let go [놓을]. They were allocating huge budgets to technology development.

Of course, they were lobbying hard [당연하다면 당연하게도], but when a report was mistakenly sent [올라갔다] to Bush, a potentially troublesome situation was averted by the Chief of Staff.

‘At this rate, the Democratic Party might explode [터질지도 모르겠군] soon.’

Even a cornered rat bites, but this was a Tyrannosaurus rex [새끼] armed with nuclear missiles and laser Vulcans. A counterattack was inevitable.

“Hey, Rove.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Are you interested in the internet?”

“Of course. One should always embrace the cutting edge.”

He proudly displayed his latest cell phone and chuckled.

‘Cell phone, should I advance the release date of the iPhone?’ Kim Gap-hwan wondered.

Kim Gap-hwan had experienced both feature phones (dumb phones) and smartphones, but he desperately needed a smartphone. The limitations of feature phones and physical keypads evoked nostalgia, but not enough to endure the inconvenience.

A wise man defined the difference between old and classic: classic is like the M1911 pistol, still great to use, while old is like a Southern pistol, useless even back in the day. In short, something that remains useful is a classic, while something that was always bad is just old.

Feature phones straddled the line between classic and old. Even in 2019, some people preferred them, but their numbers were dwindling. Besides, smartphones don’t hurt your fingers from pressing the keypad, do they?

‘Besides, many problems can only be solved with smartphones.’

“Mr. President?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m thinking of investing more in IT infrastructure.”

In reality, he was considering giving the Democratic Party a boost. However, Bush was genuinely frustrated. His recent attempt to use a computer highlighted the agonizingly slow internet speeds of the time [참을].

‘This is unacceptable,’ he thought.

Kim Gap-hwan’s experience in IT-rich Korea made the contrast even starker, but even considering that, the speed was pathetic [처절한]. It was so slow that when he asked the Chief of Staff if something was broken, the Chief didn’t know and had to ask the youngest bodyguard, who confirmed it was normal.

“What specifically do you mean by IT infrastructure?”

IT infrastructure was a broad term, encompassing servers, systems, and the network itself.

“I’m planning to overhaul [통 크게] the internet lines and, while we’re at it [겸사겸사], replace the utility poles with concrete.”

‘I was going to use all the Chinese funds for defense, but I’ll have to divert [빼돌려] some. I’d like to bury everything underground like Western Europe, but…’

Undergrounding is a massive and expensive undertaking. It’s unnecessary in rural areas, let alone cities. While urban areas have thick underground internet lines, rural areas typically have them dangling [대롱대롱] from wooden utility poles alongside electric wires. Even in technologically advanced Korea, the countryside is the same.

While having internet and telephone lines hanging from utility poles isn’t inherently a problem, the predominantly wooden utility poles in the United States are. If they rot or get struck by lightning, the affected houses are cut off from the world until repairs are made.

“As you know, telecommunications and IT are completely different businesses.”

Karl Rove looked dubious [떨떠름한].

“But isn’t the communication line the foundation of the internet? The internet may no longer be a utopian dream, but the 21st century is undeniably the age of the internet. We can’t deny that. Therefore, the United States needs to revive [끌어올릴] its stagnant [침체] internet business.”

Until recently, the US IT industry had been struggling [침체] due to the dot-com bubble burst. The industry, once destined for success, was now mired [허우적거리고] in purgatory [연옥].

“I should rescue [구제해줘] them soon.”

Whether it’s the IT industry, the Democratic Party, or the outdated infrastructure.

‘George W. Bush’ didn’t realize it, but ‘Kim Bush’ aimed to minimize [최대한 prevent] opposition [반발] from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Politics is about carrots and sticks [당근과 채찍]. There’s no need to use metaphors [비유], and it involves turning a blind eye to some things, as long as corruption doesn’t become a major problem.

‘I’ll just reduce [줄일] the scale more and more.’

Corruption can’t be eliminated entirely, but its scope can be reduced.

‘But there’s nothing as foolish as relying on people’s conscience.’

That’s like a pacifist believing the world will be peaceful if everyone throws away their weapons. Peace requires order and discipline based on reason.

This infrastructure reconstruction project was essentially a public works initiative [대대적으로] to fix outdated infrastructure in rural areas. It wasn’t just about replacing utility poles; it was paving the way for future projects.

In short, it was music to the ears of the Democratic Party, who are obsessed [환장한] with public works projects.

“So, you’re saying you’re going to replace all the utility poles in the United States?”

This kind of infrastructure project is difficult to implement [추진] unless there’s ample funding, as there is now. However, it’s unclear why Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove was specifically summoned [구태여 called] to the President’s Office for this.

These discussions usually happen with the Chief of Staff or the relevant aide. Anyway, Bush had been discussing these matters with the Chief of Staff since September 11.

“But I don’t think this alone is enough to appease [치켜세워줘] the Democratic Party. What do you think?”

“Is that why I was summoned [불려온] here?”

“That’s right.”

“Originally, my specialty is hyping things up [blowing air into balloons].”

At Bush’s words, the best spin doctor [아가리 fighter] of the time began to strategize.

“Ah, wait a minute.”

“Yes?”

“Michael Jackson will be performing solo inside the White House in two hours. Would you like to listen?”

“Of course.”

No American would refuse a performance by Michael Jackson.