George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 290

< Episode 289 >

The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). Their annual budget was a staggering $3.5 billion. This was an enormous sum, exceeding even the total cost of drones shot down during the Western Iraq War.

In other words, America’s drug problem was so severe that it necessitated an annual expenditure of $3.5 billion. Even Congress, perpetually seeking budget cuts, reluctantly or actively acknowledged that this $3.5 billion budget was indispensable.

Recently, even that massive budget proved insufficient due to a sudden, large-scale influx of drugs nationwide. Initially, addicts experienced a period of euphoria as drug prices plummeted, making them feel perpetually high. However, this bliss was short-lived.

The erratic behavior of those intoxicated led the DEA, as well as local and federal police, to launch extensive crackdowns. The problem was that the low prices created a substantial new consumer base.

Drugs, unlike durable goods, are consumables, akin to food. Domestic drug production capacity was limited, but the number of consumers increased exponentially. Consequently, prices, which had initially plummeted, skyrocketed, becoming an out-of-control runaway train.

Some believed they could simply import drugs from abroad to compensate for insufficient domestic supplies. However, whether due to heightened drug awareness in the U.S. following the book incident or newly implemented policies overseas, obtaining drugs from abroad became exceedingly difficult.

Cartels were already under pressure after their operations were exposed, which significantly raised America’s drug awareness. Increased pressure in each country inevitably forced the cartels to go into hiding. This didn’t necessarily indicate a reduction in organizational size but implied a temporary cessation of operations.

In fact, many organizations were compelled to abandon the drug trade. Military combat helicopters raided drug farms, destroying everything in sight, and the government’s tacit approval of alternative businesses proved effective.

It remained unclear whether the government’s strategy was to eradicate cartels by solely targeting the drug business, as opposed to a comprehensive crackdown. It was also ambiguous whether this approach represented a compromise with reality.

In any case, under these circumstances, American drug addicts faced two choices.

They could either switch to another drug, obtainable at a high price, or quit drugs altogether.

Of course, the latter was rare. Individuals capable of quitting simply because drugs disappeared were likely those who could have quit from the outset.

That left primarily the former. They became more resourceful in secretly producing drugs, even under the strict surveillance enforced by the $3.5 billion budget. Fundamentally, prices remained high, and consumption didn’t decrease, making this a natural consequence.

‘The conclusion is that they’re requesting a larger budget.’

Bush sighed deeply after finishing the report. Nothing seemed to be resolving properly this year. Minor issues were being addressed with relative ease, but the most critical problems remained intractable, like massive boulders blocking the road.

The difficulty lay in the fact that these issues weren’t easily resolvable. At least, it was fortunate that these problems weren’t being discussed in the media.

“The government of the wealthiest country in the world is claiming it’s short on funds.”

He sighed again. That was all Bush could do. Moreover, the era of low oil prices had subtly arrived, thanks to Saudi Arabia, further straining the budget. With the Chinese populace vehemently opposing Qing Dynasty bonds [government bonds issued during the Qing Dynasty, a symbol of foreign debt and national humiliation], it was uncertain how long they would continue to repay them faithfully.

Of course, the word ‘all’ became somewhat ambiguous depending on how one defined ‘Chinese people.’ In any case, the crucial point was that the majority of Chinese citizens were daring to question the Party, which was considered infallible, and the Party was consistently responding with force.

Even with force, the public security forces were stretched thin. As soon as they fired rubber bullets, the patriotic protesters dispersed. The problem was that for every protester who dispersed, new ones emerged. The people seemed to prefer China going bankrupt to being crushed by debt.

They didn’t necessarily think that way consciously, but they were swept up in that sentiment. The masses tend to be influenced by the prevailing atmosphere unless they possess strong convictions. And very few people have unwavering convictions.

It is because humans are made that way that these people later look back on themselves and do not understand why they acted as they did.

The important thing is that this Qing Dynasty bond issue had become more than just a problem for the Chinese Communist Party. Previously, they had accepted it as ‘This kind of thing happens at the top,’ but now they were thinking, ‘Since this is happening at the top, I should do something as a citizen.’

In another country, this would have been a desirable situation, but this was China. This was essentially an ultra-right-wing patriotic protest. The Party was terrified simply because the people had risen up without any clear instigation.

This meant that in the future, they could revolt whenever they believed the Party was wrong. There was no way they wouldn’t be terrified. China, which was gradually regressing or stagnating in other areas, was developing CCTV technology at an astonishing rate.

In other words, China was currently focusing all its capabilities on controlling the population, sacrificing everything else.

Through numerous experiences, the Chinese government had ultimately arrived at near-perfect control, a legacy passed down since the Mao era. While it might resemble a dictatorship, the core of this control was to increase efficiency.

Control designed to help China, lagging behind, catch up with and surpass other countries. If all the people living on Chinese soil acted like ants, if not machines, they could recover in 10 years, catch up in 20, and surpass them in 30.

Even if China were to collapse, this control could remain as a legacy, a pillar supporting China’s revival. That’s why they were afraid. They feared falling into a deep quagmire and remaining a large developing country.

And this was the scenario Bush desired most, and he had been guiding events in that direction all along. However, listening to the recent reports, he couldn’t help but realize that the picture, once as clear as a photograph, was becoming increasingly blurred.

‘This will fracture. It will somehow fracture in the near future.’ And that time would likely be before Bush left office. Once China split, he had to somehow contain the situation.

‘Although businessmen initially encouraged it, the scale and sustainability are definitely strange.’

What sustained them now was not the businessmen who had initially supported them, but their own conviction. They believed the Party would truly collapse if they didn’t act. Ironically, they were the ones undermining the Party.

Soon, some businessmen who had fallen out of favor would be purged. There was no escape from being purged, even by fleeing abroad. Frankly, some, knowing enough, might have been trying to tell the Party to go to hell, so it wasn’t that surprising.

Just as he was sighing deeply, the Chief of Staff, who had been silently observing him, spoke.

“Shall we declare a war on drugs?”

“War? That’s absurd. How can fighting against one’s own people be called war?”

“Civil war is also war.”

“Then it’s even more impossible. Stepping into a war that will never end is insane.”

At that point, the Chief of Staff fell silent. He believed it was his duty to offer opinions to the President but not to push them forcefully. Bush was prepared to offer even more reasons why he shouldn’t initiate a war on drugs.

For example, the wealth gap, which they were working so hard to reduce, would widen further. Or the prisons would be overcrowded if drug offenders were treated as criminals, causing a chain reaction and creating a mess of prisons and budgets. This would lead to countless social problems.

The problem was that these events were already unfolding, and the Bush administration had released a considerable number of prisoners. Restrictions had been significantly eased, and irrational laws had been largely amended.

He was slowly advocating for the legalization of marijuana. If there was a readily available alternative, there was no reason to pursue other expensive drugs. Of course, it was only theoretical, but he believed it could have a positive impact on many fronts.

His father, President Bush Sr., who had been at the forefront of the war on drugs more than anyone else during his term, was shocked to hear this, but he was now just a former president.

“Damn it. Should I accelerate the momentum for marijuana legalization?”

If the drug problem was brought into the open, the drug addicts who were desperately seeking drugs, even at the expense of their families, could be gathered together temporarily. And since sales records would be maintained, it would be possible to track who was using and who wasn’t, making management much easier.

“…That’s not a politically sound choice. Problems are arising because of drugs, and the idea of legalizing drugs will negatively impact approval ratings.”

“Maybe I can recover them quickly.”

No, he’d rather not recover them so quickly. Because that method involved Hurricane Katrina, the massive typhoon that was soon to strike. A swift response and thorough preparation would naturally boost approval ratings again. His approval ratings were already high and somewhat concerning. Sacrificing approval ratings to solve the problem would be a ridiculously cheap price to pay.

“That’s a positive attitude. But there’s no basis for it.”

“The basis will emerge, not be created by me, so don’t worry about it. More than that….”

It was truly absurd for an outsider to hear, but what could he do since the person in charge thought that way? If he made that claim, he had to know that he would understand.

“Think of a way to patch the holes in the budget here and there.”