George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 68

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Jeb Bush’s devotion to his family was undeniable.

However, such familial devotion wasn’t always an advantage. He was a man led more by his heart than his head. When Trump criticized the Iraq War, Jeb could have stayed silent or offered a measured response, but he chose to defend his brother, exclaiming, ‘My brother protected us!’

To put it kindly, he possessed the emotional depth to value collective well-being and displayed unwavering loyalty. To put it bluntly, he lacked certain skills considered essential for a modern politician.

These skills include the ability to make utter nonsense sound convincing, the leadership or charisma to sway the masses through media manipulation, and, of course, a willingness to lie.

Interestingly, this trait mirrored his brother’s. George W. Bush also tended to strategize based on emotion rather than calculated political maneuvering. The problem was that some aides, entrusted with guiding those emotions, exploited Bush’s feelings for their own personal gain.

This isn’t to suggest Jeb Bush was unintelligent. He was simply resolute, unwilling to compromise his deeply held beliefs or the principles of justice he championed, regardless of the circumstances.

In any case, as George Bush demonstrated, when a politician wields ‘overwhelming power,’ specific policies become almost secondary.

Returning to the original point, Jeb Bush’s familial loyalty kicked in during George Bush’s national tour. Initially, he envisioned organizing a festival, but such an event couldn’t be conjured up instantly simply by ordering it to be ‘made!’

While he pondered this, the reconstruction of the New Orleans levees and the expansion of southern Florida’s levee system were underway. Florida’s flood control and levee system was already among the world’s largest, but further expansion was planned. Whispers of wasteful budget allocation arose, but the simple question, ‘Can you say that to the faces of grieving families?’ silenced all dissent.

Alongside the levee project, there was also a notable increase in the fire department budget. For better or worse, budget allocations were heavily focused on ‘national defense and safety.’

Thus, Jeb Bush reasoned, ‘Since my brother is championing these policies, I should support them as well.’ The policy Jeb Bush actively promoted was an anti-discrimination initiative, a cause close to his heart because his wife was Hispanic, and he himself was fluent in Spanish.

Of course, like the emotionally driven Bush family, a significant part of his motivation stemmed from a deep-seated belief that ‘racism is wrong!’ So, ultimately, it was a case of his professional duties aligning with his personal convictions.

With that in mind, Jeb Bush inquired:

‘Is this all there is?’

The report Bush received on Air Force One en route to Florida detailed:

‘Large-scale joint emergency drills for fire departments and hospitals in disaster preparedness.’

‘Well, it’s certainly more productive than just a festival.’

It provided practical experience and fostered collaboration. Moreover, it seemed to capture the essence of what the current president wanted to observe amidst the various vague proposals. The tour itself was intended for him to witness firsthand how the country was functioning.

It could have been an opportunity for political maneuvering, but the tour was devoid of such elements. Reports flooded in, only to see their numbers plummet upon submission, leading Bush to wonder, ‘Who are these people trying to fool?’ and prompting him to investigate personally.

‘Chief of Staff Boo, what’s your assessment of the situation?’

‘Are you asking for my professional opinion? Or my gut feeling?’

‘Both.’

‘Seeing it firsthand, the disconnect is significant.’

‘And?’

‘It’s a mess.’

Reports could be cleverly masked with so-called flexibility or figures manipulated to fit within legal boundaries. But direct observation shattered any illusions.

Unless one was utterly blind to reality, the combination of George W. Bush’s ‘basic administrative knowledge’ and Kim Kap-hwan’s understanding of ‘on-the-ground realities’ allowed him to quickly grasp the essence of the reports upon seeing the situations himself.

In short, state governments were essentially whining, ‘Our state has so many problems!’ and clamoring for increased funding. Such requests would have been unthinkable under normal circumstances, but this administration had ample resources. It was a blatant attempt to grab more than their fair share.

However, Bush refrained from publicly scolding them. He knew that silence often precedes the storm. Instead, he meticulously pointed out the flaws in the state governments’ reports. He admittedly felt like demanding a ‘grand bow’ of apology on the spot, but he refrained, knowing the state governments would cry foul, accusing the federal government of ‘oppressing the states!’

Instead of outright reprimanding them, he mercifully warned them against repeating such actions. The problem was, the state governments interpreted Bush’s leniency as, ‘Does he think we’re fools? We’d better get it right if we don’t want to face the consequences.’

‘So, thanks to the state governments being so thoroughly intimidated, we no longer have to contend with fabricated reports from every state we visit?’

‘They’re even exaggerating in the opposite direction now, aren’t they?’

This was the Chief of Staff’s observation. Now that they realized there was no easy money to extort from this ‘China money,’ they had reverted to resisting excessive federal intervention.

Well, for those who remained defiant, he politely lectured them, saying, ‘Why are you shitting in your mouth when you should be holding it in?’ Literally. It wasn’t a metaphor; he actually said that.

‘So, the mouths that were incessantly chattering finally fell silent.’

These were just a few instances. A very ‘small’ number of deviations. In reality, more than half of them received that level of blunt criticism.

‘And there are other areas where the budget can be allocated.’

As they conversed, the Cadillac One carrying Bush finally arrived in Florida.

Bush’s shoes stepped onto the red carpet, and Bush slowly emerged from within. The former was George Bush, and the latter was Jeb Bush. Thus, the two Bushes finally met.

They shook hands as a formality, but Jeb Bush exerted an unusual amount of force in his grip. Such behavior would be considered bizarre among strangers, but between close brothers, it was simply a playful display of affection.

The problem was that this action ignited Kim Bush’s competitive spirit.

‘Oh! Th-this is!’

‘Heh heh, is my little brother trying to challenge his older brother?’

Kim Bush spent his free time lifting weights. He didn’t focus on the three major powerlifts, and perhaps because he indulged in whatever food he desired, something he couldn’t do during his Kim Kap-hwan days, he kept eating more and more. So, when the Chief of Staff suggested exercise, he started with simple cardio.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about it. He had been running since before Laura advised him to quit drinking, but at some point, Bush found himself lifting weights in his private home gym, following along with Billy Blanks’s *Billy’s BootCamp* videos.

However, he stipulated that he would eat whatever he wanted, so it was more about exercising for health than building a bodybuilder’s physique. But exercise was still exercise. It wasn’t readily apparent yet, but with a professional trainer and a diet that was gradually becoming healthier, his foundation was solid, and muscles followed relatively quickly.

In fact, these muscles contributed to his growing popularity in Texas. People around him believed he was building power (權力) rather than mere physical strength (拳力).

Bush was aware of this perception and thought, ‘This is odd. It’s strange. Do people usually go to these lengths?’ But each time, he reassured himself, ‘But I’m not worried about losing muscle mass, so I’m not one of those gym rats. Nope! Definitely not.’

But Bush, do you realize?

Even those who prioritize physical fitness, unless they are professional bodybuilders, don’t typically spend so much money and meticulously plan everything from diet to exercise.

Both Bushes, as if bound by an unspoken agreement, engaged in a standoff, each determined not to be the first to release their grip. What began as a lighthearted family joke escalated as their male pride refused to yield.

‘Hahaha! My brother has become so strong!’

However, Jeb Bush, who had initiated the playful challenge and who held less political power, laughed heartily and displayed his brotherly affection, sacrificing his pride and embracing his brother to end the contest.

‘I didn’t realize my brother was this strong! Hahaha!’

Isn’t that how social interactions often unfold?

* * *

‘The President is watching!’

This instilled a sense of heightened awareness at the joint training site.

In the case of the fire department, they had a president who acknowledged their dedication. They were receiving news that outdated equipment, used until it was nearly unusable due to budget constraints, was being replaced with new models, that fire station renovation plans were underway, and that new-generation fire suppression technologies were being developed and researched. Witnessing these tangible improvements fostered a sense of nervous respect.

For civil servants and hospital staff, some felt a similar respect for Bush’s accomplishments, but the primary driver of their nervousness was the fear of being caught making mistakes or facing criticism.

However, a healthy level of tension is crucial for achieving positive outcomes. The scenario for the exercise was directly mandated by the president: a simulated hurricane disaster.

In fact, the butterfly effect [the idea that small changes can have large consequences] might prevent Hurricane Katrina from ever occurring, but the exercise stemmed from the concern, ‘What if Hurricane Katrina doesn’t just skirt Florida but makes direct landfall?’

However, contrary to their anxieties, Florida already possessed well-established fire drill protocols, so the joint training proceeded seamlessly.

‘We shouldn’t need to mobilize the military when a hurricane strikes Florida.’

In fact, Bush was contemplating this. If Katrina were to occur, he would deploy the state National Guard to maintain order and initially airdrop large quantities of supplies. Subsequently, he would dispatch federal government officials to evacuate residents to shelters and allocate significant budget and manpower to the state government to fully restore the disaster area within approximately a year.

‘It’s theoretically sound, but…’

He had considered issuing a large-scale evacuation order upon the detection of a hurricane, but can a hurricane’s impact truly be mitigated solely through an evacuation order?

The fire trucks, ambulances, fire helicopters, ambulance helicopters, and even fire suppression aircraft moved with precision, creating a spectacular display.

The presence of fire suppression aircraft was due to the risk of fires erupting in factories or warehouses amidst the chaos caused by the hurricane, potentially escalating into large-scale conflagrations.

The training was conducted on a truly grand scale to prepare for every conceivable scenario.

‘It might be prudent to temporarily draw in some fire personnel from neighboring states in the event of a major disaster.’

Such a system already existed, but Bush felt the need to establish a more formalized structure.

Not just a haphazard ‘gather all available personnel!’ approach, but a bureaucratic system that clearly defines which fire station will draw personnel and equipment from which locations and which areas they will additionally be responsible for. However, he believed that there would be minimal disruption to operations if it was clearly stipulated that all fire operations should be conducted with ‘post-reporting’ [reporting actions after they have been taken, allowing for quicker response in emergencies].

In any case, the joint training that Jeb Bush hastily organized proved to be highly successful.

‘How did it go, brother?’

Jeb Bush spoke first. George Bush had remained silent throughout the joint training.

‘Very well.’

It was the first time in a long while that all the family members, excluding his father, Bush Sr., had gathered for a family dinner, which made him somewhat uneasy. The steak in front of Bush was exceptionally thick, about 5cm, but Bush was strangely just picking at it.

He was likely preoccupied with thoughts that Jeb Bush himself couldn’t fathom.

‘As expected of my brother. He’s always been so thoughtful, even since he was young.’

The George Bush that Jeb Bush admired had transformed into an object of reverence, viewing his brother as superior ever since the 9/11 attacks. To be precise, the seeds of that admiration were sown when George Bush became president, but it explicitly blossomed into a look of profound respect after the 9/11 attacks.

Looking at him now, it was hard to believe that he was the same brother who used to listen to stories alongside him, nestled next to their mother.

‘If I don’t strive harder, I can’t become as great as my brother.’

Jeb Bush harbored a dream: to create a society where people are judged by their character, not by their skin color, as Martin Luther King Jr. had envisioned.

However, unlike Jeb Bush’s idealistic aspirations, George Bush was grappling with more mundane concerns.

‘If I eat this, I’ll have to exercise even more, won’t I? Muscle loss… No, damn it, I’m not a gym addict!’

Well, that’s what he claimed. He might deny it forever, but Bush still clung to the belief that he was just an ordinary guy.