George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 203

The internal strife in South Sudan, a region once perceived as stable, stemmed entirely from its harsh, barren landscape. Someone unfamiliar with the situation might ask, “How can conflict arise solely from barren land?”

South Sudan is largely mountainous, with limited plains suitable for cultivation. While some arable land exists, it’s insufficient to feed the entire population.

Fortunately, unlike in the past when barren land meant begging neighboring countries for aid, today, with sufficient funds, crops can be imported from around the world in quantities that could feed the entire human race.

The crucial factor is money. Whoever controls the money controls South Sudan’s lifeline. After achieving independence through a vote, a democratic government was established, but their immediate focus was on increasing their limited tax revenue rather than buying food for the people.

This wasn’t entirely wrong. Importing food might ensure the citizens’ survival, but it could cripple the government. Short-term survival wouldn’t guarantee a future. They risked becoming dependent on foreign aid.

One advantage of the new government, composed of politicians focused on national revival and officials who were inexperienced, was their relatively low level of corruption compared to other nations.

Corruption is inevitable when people and interests are involved, but it was less prevalent than in older regimes. This is a relative, but generally applicable, standard.

They achieved rapid growth by investing aid from the United States and tax revenue into developing and exporting underground resources. While infrastructure, which requires significant investment, was lacking, the existing infrastructure from the Sudanese era could be maintained.

Thus, the government concentrated its resources on critical national projects. Furthermore, with food and essential goods provided by a few volunteer organizations, they downplayed their moral responsibilities, framing the situation as a temporary sacrifice for the future.

However, this created a cycle where the people starved while the government prospered. All this occurred within a year. With no improvement in their lives post-independence and dwindling food supplies, small revolts began to erupt.

These people were accustomed to resolving issues with guns. Despite achieving independence peacefully through a vote, they were veterans of armed struggles. They weren’t inherently barbaric or violent, but their capacity for violence hadn’t been dismantled, and they were willing to use it if life became unbearable. If their grievances were ignored, their patience would wear thin, and they might resort to force.

South Sudan remained a place where violence often trumped law, and the politicians believed the situation was tolerable for the sake of the future, a discontent that could be suppressed with propaganda about sacrificing ‘for the nation.’

That was the general situation. Kruger, of the CIA’s Sudan branch, believed that without intervention, warlords would inevitably emerge, turning South Sudan into a war zone.

‘At the earliest, the day after tomorrow, or at the latest, six months.’

The political balance was so fragile that warlords seemed poised to rise at any moment. It was like a dam with visible cracks, and the consequences of its collapse were obvious.

‘This explanation is far too long. I’ll be reprimanded if I submit it like this. Why is work so difficult these days?’

He would have blamed budget cuts, but the budget had doubled from the previous year. He heard the higher-ups were celebrating their hard work being rewarded, but Kruger suspected they were simply compensating with money for underlying problems.

He hadn’t met President George Bush, but he knew the president favored throwing money at problems. If $100 million didn’t work, he’d try $200 million; if that failed, he’d invest $2 billion, and so on. He somehow managed to resolve seemingly impossible situations by throwing money at them.

The sudden budget increase suggested Bush was frustrated and was increasing funding to see what would happen. Kruger wasn’t sure what the exact problem was, but that was his theory.

‘Senior, I’m finished.’

His colleague, who had anticipated a bonus and an overseas trip for solving the hijacking case, received a minor disciplinary action instead. The “disciplinary action” confined her to the embassy’s gloomy basement. After the fire, sprinklers were installed, meaning Kruger couldn’t even smoke while working.

‘South Sudan trends investigation report.’

‘Why do you keep doing things I don’t ask you to do?’

‘If I do it, you say it’s unsolicited, and if I don’t, you say I should have taken initiative. What am I supposed to do? Senior, are you feeling unwell? Did you get altitude sickness on the plane?’

She was mocking him for being dense.

‘That little…’

After two years of informal interaction, she showed no respect for her senior. He wanted to request a replacement, but he needed her skills to handle the overwhelming workload.

Kruger hated overworking more than anything, but he had to meet the deadline to achieve his promotion. The disciplinary action wasn’t the only consequence of the plane hijacking incident.

A person with both field and office experience inevitably gains influence. Kruger, politically astute and career-driven, recognized the power of this influence.

Being the head of the African branch of the increasingly powerful American intelligence agency wasn’t a bad career path. It was a great stepping stone for future advancement.

‘Oh my, a nosebleed.’

Sometimes, he wondered if this career was worth the sacrifice of his youth. Was it necessary to dedicate his life to a potentially nonexistent future?

‘It’s not a big deal anymore.’

Yes, it was. In a world driven by money, it was worth it. He believed money could buy anything, but money was ultimately controlled by those with ‘information.’ Kruger intended to become a master of information.

‘The African intelligence network is almost complete. It’s my creation, and it’s remarkable.’

He followed CIA guidelines, but they were effective only in developed countries, not in Third World countries like the Middle East and Africa. New strategies were needed for these regions.

Kruger essentially built the African network from scratch. However, because the budget was allocated externally, he was stuck in this office with only 20 people rotating shifts at computer screens.

Twenty people handling the workload of 200. It was insane, but they were all voluntarily doing it, driven by their career ambitions. Kruger had personally selected them.

Except for the woman who constantly mocked him.

‘Who cares? As long as she does her job.’

A horse is good if it runs well, and a cow is good if it plows well. Her work ethic and motivation were irrelevant.

The finalized report was sent from CIA headquarters to President Bush’s desk in the White House. A white cat, now the size of a large dog, nonchalantly stepped on the documents.

It was strange that the documents didn’t even crease under the cat’s massive weight.

‘Why is he acting like this today? Hey, move.’

White remained unmoved despite Bush’s gestures, only wagging his tail slightly to express his displeasure.

‘Perhaps he needs more attention? Pets always crave attention.’

The Chief of Staff’s words were generally true, but White wasn’t an ordinary cat. It was debatable whether it was even a cat, but the veterinarian confirmed it, so they accepted it.

‘Hmm, he doesn’t usually act like this just for attention.’

He carefully set down the heavy White and turned back to the documents, a report on South Sudan that he had been avoiding.

He briefly hoped it was a report about peace, but he knew a report from a peaceful country wouldn’t be as thick as a sandwich with ten slices of ham. Despair flickered across his fatigued face.

‘I’m going crazy. I’m going insane. I’m leaving politics as soon as my term ends. I’ll become a rich team owner and enjoy my life. Yes! That’s it!’

The report was turned page by page in Bush’s hand, and when he reached the last page, having grasped the situation in South Sudan, he said:

‘Do they not want to live?’