George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 137

George Bush’s Great America – Episode 136 (137/377)

< Episode 136 >

Marine One touched down on the airport helipad. After weaving through the city, the Comanche helicopter was now in full view of the public. A minor hiccup occurred when it was initially flagged as an unidentified aircraft due to its stealth capabilities preventing it from appearing on the airport’s radar, but the issue was quickly resolved when Bush personally identified it as Marine One.

So, why was this Comanche helicopter landing at a civilian airport instead of a military base? It was for a direct transfer to Air Force One.

Receiving the urgent order to fly to England immediately – not tomorrow, not even an hour later – the maintenance crew and staff were thrown into a frenzy around Air Force One.

“This is insane!”

Maintenance should never be rushed, but what choice did they have when the order came from above? Forgoing safety protocols, they rushed around with their tool belts in hand, hurrying to where maintenance was needed, each step a potential threat to their knees.

“Even if he seems like that, he’s the President. Watch your mouth.”

“But, Senior! What’s so great about the President? I’m killing myself here!”

“It matters. Our salaries come from the country.”

The junior mechanic, spurred by his senior’s words, defiantly raised his head. However, his voice lacked conviction.

“Don’t you have any complaints, Senior?”

“I wouldn’t complain if I were getting paid more, would I? Stop whining and get to work. Ten minutes left.”

“This isn’t right.”

Though his words were terse, the junior’s sentiment was clear. Was it acceptable to obey orders that felt like abuse simply because they were being compensated handsomely? This stemmed partly from his rebellious nature, but more so from his values, which prioritized principles over material gain, unlike his senior.

To put it kindly, he was a principled individual who valued beliefs over money; less charitably, he was a cog that didn’t quite fit into the machine of society.

“No, this doesn’t make sense. If things continue like this, it feels like people will be bought and sold with money soon.”

“In a way, aren’t we already in a similar position? Like they said in economics class a long time ago, ‘the leash changes, but the dog remains the same.'”

“Economics is a discipline that exploits people like us.”

“No matter what you say, I’m quite satisfied with my job and income. And if you’re going to grumble all day, quit.”

The senior had already completed his inspection. The junior’s skills were no less, and despite his complaints about the unreasonable situation, he worked diligently and finished his tasks as well.

“I’ve never been a big fan of this President. There are policies I agree with, but too many actions contradict my beliefs. Like sending troops, for example.”

Despite the senior’s warning, the junior continued, flipping his wrench rebelliously. Seeing his persistence, the senior figured he should humor him.

“What are you talking about? If anyone dares to mess with us, we should beat them to a pulp!”

*And* give the cheeky junior who dares to defy his senior a good spanking, he thought.

“That’s the problem. We should be compromising. Everyone’s too selfish. What should I call it? ‘Rude’? Would it hurt to act a little more gentlemanly? Why do we always act like angry boars?”

The senior listened with a detached expression. Their values were too different. Why should they act gentlemanly if it harmed their country’s interests?

Besides, was the junior truly happy with the current situation? How many people would voluntarily work overtime just for extra pay? The senior’s silent dedication, despite the unreasonable orders, stemmed from his genuine support for Bush.

Honestly, working this hard could extinguish anyone’s support, but the senior secretly hoped Bush would further strengthen American hegemony. Bush’s actions so far had been exactly to his liking. Therefore, he could tolerate such minor inconveniences for the greater good.

And angry boars, was it? The senior thought it was a fitting description. What was wrong with being angry boars? It was America’s “Manifest Destiny” [the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable]. Look at Afghanistan! Wasn’t it progressing into a powerful nation with America’s help? And what about North Korea, the hermit kingdom? It was now transforming into a completely open and normal country. The symbol of McDonald’s, the Golden Arches, was being erected in the middle of Pyongyang.

In any case, the reason he, a staunch Republican, didn’t refute the junior’s points was simply a lack of time. He needed to check one more item on the checklist instead of engaging in useless arguments. Frankly, if something unfortunate happened to Air Force One, it would be entirely the mechanics’ fault.

Thanks to their efforts, Air Force One took off ten minutes ahead of schedule.

Of course, not everyone agreed with Bush’s trip to China. On the contrary, officials were expressing concern. The most bewildered was the Chief of Staff, who was currently on vacation.

“Is it true you’re going to China?”

Contrary to Bush’s expectation that he would be relaxing at his Hawaiian villa, the Chief of Staff was as anxious as a parent with a child near the water. This troublemaker was already running wild in his absence. Even on vacation, he received a one-page presidential schedule to monitor the situation.

Just looking at the schedule gave him a headache. He had begged him not to use the equipment under development, but he couldn’t resist. He didn’t seem to realize, or perhaps he was intentionally ignoring, the risk of a fatal accident due to stability issues. This President didn’t seem to fear death.

A brave leader was effective in the Middle Ages, not in modern times. Who would be responsible for the void if the leader died? Administratively, the Vice President would take over, but whether that Vice President could perform as well as the current President was doubtful.

Moreover, Bush’s schedule was unusual. A typical president followed a pre-arranged cycle, but was Bush typical? Of course not. He ignored schedules and embarked on distant adventures daily. To prevent unnecessary movement, the Chief of Staff filled the President’s office with every report he could find.

“Don’t try to gloss over it with strange words. Why are you going to China? The current situation isn’t good. Frankly, you might experience something terrible.”

“Experiencing something terrible” encompassed a range of crisis situations, from simple terrorism to assassination. Moreover, China was currently battling various diseases. What if he contracted an unknown virus?

“Nevertheless, there is something I must do.”

“Please explain. I’m about to cancel my vacation after only one day.”

Bush groaned at the Chief of Staff’s sharp questioning before speaking.

“I need to discuss something closely with the current Premier, Li Keqiang.”

“With Li Keqiang? Don’t tell me the discussion is about repaying the Qing Dynasty bonds again?”

The current Bush administration had concluded that normal recovery of the Qing Dynasty bonds [bonds issued by the Qing Dynasty government before its collapse in 1912] was impossible. They could force repayment, but feared the long-term consequences.

Such actions would set a precedent for unethical and coercive bond collection, damaging future diplomacy. Not only Chinese diplomacy, but all diplomacy would view America as a ruthless nation.

Diplomacy isn’t just about money. It’s about avoiding a bad reputation.

“That’s right.”

“You’re being quite ‘impromptu.’ Until two days ago, you were racking your brains over this issue, weren’t you?”

The Chief of Staff emphasized “impromptu,” mocking Bush’s recklessness. Looking at it this way, it was hard to tell who was the President and who was the Chief of Staff. Of course, if President Bush told everyone to shut up and went on a rampage, no one could stop him.

In any case, the Chief of Staff couldn’t cancel his rare vacation, so he could only sigh. Returning to work like this would likely cause his brain to short-circuit. Processing thousands upon thousands of administrative documents was not a pleasant task.

“Mr. President, please conduct politics more broadly.”

Since he would have flown to China regardless, he asked as politely as possible, requesting that he return safe and sound.

“Of course! I will!”

“By the way, what about the reports?”

“Of course, I moved them all to Air Force One. You trained me very well. They do it on their own without me having to tell them.”

He could hear teeth grinding, but the Chief of Staff must have been imagining things.

“This is the new response manual I created. I’m glad you seem very satisfied with the service. I will continue to instruct them to do so in the future.”

The exact name was ‘George W. Bush Response Manual.’ It was a nightmarish system designed to create a working environment where the President could focus on administration without doing stupid things. Bush was determined to pass this manual on to the next president, no matter what. It wouldn’t be fair if only he suffered.

In any case, the phone call ended, and Air Force One departed for China. Bush still had to feel like he was in the Oval Office. He chuckled, thinking he was probably the only president in history, East or West, visiting a foreign country carrying a skyscraper made of paper on his shoulders.

Only he knew if the laughter was self-deprecating or genuinely amused.

‘If I just said I wanted to talk to Li Keqiang face to face, I’d probably get beaten to death, right?’

…Probably the latter.

Bush kept his secret well.