George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 292

George W. Bush’s Great America – Episode 291

What is a hurricane? It’s a type of tropical cyclone that forms in the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific regions. Specifically, the term applies to storms with sustained winds of 119 km/h (74 mph) or greater, and they are categorized from 1 to 5 based on wind speed. Category 1 starts at 119 km/h, while Category 5 represents the most intense hurricanes, with winds exceeding 252 km/h (157 mph).

Frankly, discussing these figures doesn’t truly convey the impact. The numbers are certainly impressive. A Category 5 hurricane means winds traveling at over 252 km in just one hour, right? But humans have surpassed that speed in vehicles and aircraft. We’ve even broken the sound barrier.

So, let’s put it this way.

Without exaggeration, imagine ‘cars’ and ‘houses’ ‘flying’ everywhere you look.

Tons, sometimes even tens of tons, of metal and the products of modern architecture—detached houses with painstakingly laid foundations, representing thousands of years of human effort—are hurled through the air. They soar like birds.

Like the straw house in the story of the Three Little Pigs, they are swept away or crumble without a trace. Even those built with sturdy bricks and concrete vanish as easily as straw in the wind.

In scientific terms, it’s represented by numbers and graphs on monitors and paper. But to those who witness it firsthand, it’s a surreal spectacle, a manifestation of nature’s terrifying power.

The problem is that these things rarely come alone. You can dance solo, but some dances require a partner.

In such cases, hurricanes often choose tsunamis as partners, performing a destructive dance that humans can only watch in awe and fear, a stark reminder of our limitations.

Any human, confronted with such a sight, is likely to feel insignificant, perhaps even turning to faith and entrusting everything to a higher power, or simply turning away in fear.

That’s the essence of a disaster.

-This is an emergency news bulletin. As of 11:00 PM today, Hurricane Katrina has made landfall in eastern Florida. Katrina’s maximum sustained winds are 282 km/h (175 mph), making it a Category 3 hurricane. The storm is causing widespread destruction…

“Looks reasonably good.”

-Fortunately, the levees are functioning as designed, preventing widespread flooding in low-lying areas. The government issued warnings about the hurricane the day before yesterday, but some citizens did not evacuate until the last minute…

“Everything is being reported accurately. I don’t think there’s any need to worry.”

The Chief of Staff, ever loyal, was eager to reassure the President.

The news being broadcast was almost exclusively from FOX, a media outlet known for its favorable coverage of the administration. More precisely, it leaned Republican, which, given Bush’s affiliation, amounted to the same thing.

Everything was proceeding according to Bush’s plans, yet the President, who should have been at least somewhat pleased, wore a displeased expression.

This was due to the impending arrival of a massive hurricane in the southern United States, a region already reeling from a series of disasters, and the American media’s eagerness to criticize the Bush administration.

Bush had advocated for truthful reporting, but the media, he realized, was more cunning than he’d anticipated. He’d vaguely expected them to find loopholes, but he was still taken aback when it actually happened.

If they couldn’t outright lie, simply omitting certain truths was enough to make the news more sensational.

Isn’t it said that declaring three things and only saying two is the most interesting?

Although the narrative jumped between Category 1 and 5, the primary reason Katrina is remembered as one of the most devastating hurricanes of the 21st century is the ‘enormous property damage’ it caused.

Bush had invested significant effort in improving the federal government’s levee system to mitigate this very situation.

The media, critical of Bush for his perceived attacks on them, downplayed his administration’s achievements, portraying them as merely the result of an efficient administrative system and the efforts of diligent civil servants, rather than acknowledging Bush’s leadership.

It wasn’t a complete fabrication. The U.S. disaster management system had undergone significant reforms since the beginning of his administration, with a substantial budget allocated to improving outdated infrastructure and addressing neglected areas. And while not all civil servants were diligent, many were willing to risk their lives for New Orleans, which was facing complete devastation.

The problem was that Bush’s role in these improvements was conspicuously absent from the reports.

“Then that would be fortunate.”

But it was all intentional.

‘It’s good that everything is going as expected, but…’

That’s right. It was good that it was intentional, but that was all. The problem was that it was neither more nor less than that. Although it was intentional, it was truly bitter when it actually appeared.

Some might call this a dark age for the media, but Bush saw it as a golden age.

The media, having gained some independence from government control, was now reporting the truth, even if selectively. This was the picture Bush had envisioned. It was somewhat chaotic, but it would serve as a foundation for better policies in the future.

Nevertheless, a sense of regret lingered. Few people enjoy having their efforts minimized. Those who truly dislike attention, regardless of their abilities, are content with their current state.

A prime example is Grigori Perelman, who proved the Poincaré conjecture, one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems in mathematics [a set of problems deemed particularly important and difficult]. He refused all awards and prize money, choosing instead to live in seclusion.

He lived in poverty, relying on his mother’s pension, yet he refused the $1 million prize for solving the problem, despite his dire financial situation.

Bush, however, could not emulate such a figure. He had sought the presidency because he believed he could make a difference, and the President of the United States is the most scrutinized position in the world, the leader of a group—politicians—who generally thrive on attention.

‘I guess I’m not fit to be a proper president.’

Ideally, a politician should celebrate when their goals and processes align with their intentions, ignoring such ‘minor’ grievances. But Bush found it difficult to dismiss them.

In fact, this damn Katrina always left a metallic taste in Bush’s mouth, and he had mouth ulcers from fatigue. Katrina was a significant factor in the derogatory nickname ‘Jo Jigo Boosigo’ [a Korean slang term meaning “Bush is messing things up”] and a major blow to the United States, constantly nagging at Bush like an impacted wisdom tooth.

‘But that doesn’t mean I’m bad at politics or that I’m ruining the country.’

Bush steeled himself, reaffirming his original intentions. Even if this opportunity had seemingly fallen from the sky, he wasn’t about to relinquish it.

Faced with the responsibility to protect the people and the nation, fatigue and disappointment were insignificant.

“What do the experts say? Is it necessary to mobilize federal troops?”

“There are many similar precedents and a wealth of predictive data, but the situation remains uncertain. The simulations suggest that mobilization won’t be necessary…”

The Chief of Staff trailed off, implying that the experts couldn’t provide a definitive answer about the hurricane. Considering the massive investment in the disaster prevention system, this was disheartening.

However, Bush, observing the Chief of Staff, felt he had gained sufficient insight. The question was whether to prioritize the less visible benefits of administrative efficiency or the immediately apparent value of saving lives.

Prioritizing administrative efficiency wasn’t inherently wrong. Inefficient budgeting could indirectly lead to loss of life. However, saving lives was far more effective in boosting the government’s popularity.

“As you predicted, some extremist Christians are making inflammatory statements, but should we really ignore them?”

“We can’t silence people simply because we’ve restricted the media. Let them speak.”

The Christians were making what amounted to hate speech. Such remarks were prohibited in some countries, but in the United States, they were protected under freedom of speech.

They were claiming that divine punishment had befallen homosexuals. However, the neighborhoods where homosexuals lived were mostly located in high-altitude areas, so they were largely unaffected by the storm surge.

‘Well, that was what happened in the original history, though.’

Thanks to the levees, now several times higher and thicker, the storm surge was contained. This positive report was immediately relayed to the President’s office in the White House through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

There were complaints about how the levee expansion had diminished the romance of the sea, restricted access to the coastline, and potentially exacerbated the hurricane’s intensity, but most New Orleans residents were grateful.

The important thing was that the levees had prevented New Orleans from being submerged, averting a descent into chaos. The local government had already prepared for the subsequent recovery efforts.

‘Considering that it took almost six days just to get water to the Superdome evacuation center at the time, this is a remarkable achievement. It’s certainly better than the president playing golf on vacation, receiving complacent false reports from the director of FEMA, and being optimistic about the serious situation.’

The budget allocated was substantial, but it was justified. Without these measures, Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, would have been devastated. The reconstruction of New Orleans alone had cost $10.8 billion at the time.

Of course, this was in addition to the local government’s entire disaster budget.

“The most basic necessities—food, drinking water, medical supplies, and support personnel—are all prepared. However, as you know, other problems can only be solved with time.”

He was referring to the ecological damage caused by Katrina and the plight of those who lost their homes and jobs. In the original timeline, Katrina’s eye had passed directly over the areas with the highest concentration of public housing in New Orleans.

Thanks to the newly built levee, those areas weren’t flooded, but the storm still caused significant damage.

“Since that public housing didn’t meet current standards anyway, and new public housing was already planned, let’s accelerate the construction schedule.”

There wouldn’t be much opposition in Congress; it was simply a matter of expediting the process. At most, a few Republican congressmen might grumble.

“Once the hurricane has passed and we’ve assessed the damage, we’ll need to finalize the tour plan.”

He said he was making a plan, but it was already included in a larger plan. All he had to do was adjust the schedule.

“Yes, as planned.”

To conclude this situation, another lengthy speech would be required.