George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 302

George W. Bush’s Great America – Episode 301

< Episode 301 >

A makeshift checkpoint constructed from steel and concrete stood in the center of the Chef Menteur Highway bridge, the eastern gateway to New Orleans. The blockade suggested a concern that they might attempt an entry via Interstate 10, yet their focus remained on the Chef Menteur Highway.

While it was a relief that the checkpoint wasn’t pointless, the mobilized police officers couldn’t help but sigh, realizing that a simple blockade wouldn’t deter them.

The officers at the front remained silent, the tension palpable even among those stationed behind the police line.

“Think they’ll turn around when they see this?”

“More likely they’ll charge right through, thinking it’s a challenge.”

“Yeah, figured. Damn it.”

The plumes of black smoke rising in the distance served as a grim beacon, while the growing sound of the approaching march heralded impending chaos.

“The President gutted the police union, and now the Mayor’s trying to dismantle the police force itself. It’s a real masterpiece of mismanagement.”

The Fort Macomb Swing Bridge, a typical truss bridge on a secondary route, showed its age with rust covering much of its structure. While the bridge’s structural integrity wasn’t compromised, it was easy to imagine them attempting to scale it and breach the police line.

The rusty steel frame was hardly a safe path. Even if they succeeded in breaking through, the road ahead was blocked by more officers. However, even if only 10,000 out of 80,000 protesters made it through, the result would be the same: a breach.

“Has the order to suppress the protest been issued yet?”

“No, and the Mayor remains unmoved. Apparently, it’s tied to the President’s policies somehow. Seems like they’re just passing the buck.”

“This is insane. Stopping them here will lead to casualties. What if people jump into the lake?”

“Isn’t that why they’re here?”

The veteran officer followed the rookie’s gaze to paramedics dispatched from the fire department and local hospitals.

“Ambulances? That’s nowhere near enough. Even if every ambulance in the city was here, it wouldn’t be enough. What can they possibly do with that few?”

Since the beginning of Bush’s term, Louisiana and Florida had dedicated significant portions of their budgets to disaster preparedness, placing them among the top five regions globally in terms of disaster readiness and prevention.

However, Louisiana’s preparedness was largely the result of forceful implementation through strong executive power. In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush, the President’s younger brother, actively supported the Bush administration’s policies.

Florida was known for its well-established disaster preparedness, with residents rarely questioning evacuation orders due to frequent hurricanes. However, some systems were undeniably irrational and outdated.

Increasing the budget could easily solve the problem. However, the budget would soon be reduced again, leading to problems. It was decided that stopping the hurricane right now was more efficient, so it proceeded like this.

However, that didn’t mean that the reorganized procedures or systems were perfect. There is always armchair theorizing in the world, but there is no perfect administration. Louisiana had a lot of budget allocated for disaster preparedness, but that doesn’t mean it was infinite.

To put it bluntly, even with the ambulances mentioned now, there was a high probability that the ambulances would become useless if government support was cut off. Ambulances are expensive in themselves, but it costs a lot of money to maintain and operate them.

In any case, no matter how much budget there is, it will eventually be used efficiently after predicting the future to a reasonable extent.

“Ambulances are limited. And while serious injuries are likely, there’s no guarantee that patients will only come from this location.”

“Yeah. Let’s see if you can say the same thing after your arms and legs rotate 720 degrees and you become a disabled person.”

“Is riot control really that dangerous?”

Not usually. However, during riot suppression, broken limbs, injuries, and even blindness were sometimes considered ‘inevitable.’ The veteran was exaggerating to scare the rookie.

Besides, even if one rookie officer acted a little passively, the result wouldn’t change, and this was a veteran’s consideration for the rookie, saying, ‘If you don’t want to get hurt, just stay out of the way.’

The bridge wasn’t long, and the brief exchange ended as the two sides reached a standoff. Though, it was hardly a true standoff, as the protesters continued to advance slowly toward the police.

“Let’s overthrow the corrupt regime and protect nature! People exist because of nature, and regimes exist because of people!”

“Get out, dogs of public power! Get out, corrupt police!”

“Fuck The Police!”

The reality of the approaching protesters far exceeded any expectations. The chaotic and uncoordinated slogans only added to the confusion.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be an environmental protest? Why are they shouting all this other stuff?”

While the rookie panicked, the veteran officer, already weary of the situation, grumbled and lowered the face shield of his riot helmet. The small scratches etched into the plastic were proof that it had guaranteed the wearer’s safety.

“I don’t know. We’re about to collide. Goddamn it. If we can’t use rubber bullets, at least give us tear gas. Aren’t we people too? You think only protesters will need those ambulances? This is bullshit.”

The protesters were so violent because people who were like that from the beginning gathered and marched.

“Wake up, old man. If we don’t stop them here, it’ll turn into a full-blown riot. Gangs will run wild in the city center, and citizens will turn into thieves, smashing and looting every store.”

The veteran officer tapped the rookie’s riot helmet with his baton. The shield felt heavy, and the protective gear cumbersome. But his heart wasn’t heavy.

Whether the slogans they shouted were right or wrong didn’t matter. What mattered was protecting the innocent citizens behind them.

“We’re at the front, but we’re the last line of defense. Just remember that.”

That was the last piece of advice the veteran officer could offer the rookie.

The protesters and police, who had been slowly coming forward, finally clashed. The protest was so violent that bruises or abrasions caused by falling were not even considered injuries, and as the veteran had expected, people were climbing up the rusty steel frame in droves.

“Damn it! The police are killing people!”

“Never back down! If we back down, New Orleans will back down too!”

“You little police bastards! Eat this!”

As emotions escalated, a gunfight suddenly erupted. Pistols were the weapons of choice.

Some of the protesters unilaterally pulled out pistols, and the police were helplessly being attacked in the chaotic environment. Fortunately, their thick bulletproof vests prevented fatalities, though the impacts were still incredibly painful.

“Guns! Guns! Why don’t we have rubber bullets or tear gas!”

Spraying tear gas on the narrow bridge would likely cause many to jump into the lake, resulting in a terrible loss of life among the protesters. The same applied to rubber bullets. Using either would likely force the Mayor or the Chief to resign.

However, retreating from the bridge would mean being overwhelmed. The Mayor’s decision to block the bridge in the first place was a PR stunt, wanting to promote that ‘they didn’t even set foot on New Orleans’ land,’ and he repeatedly asked them to block it on the bridge. In other words, it’s all because of that damn politics.

“They’re firing live ammunition and throwing Molotov cocktails [improvised incendiary weapons], and we have pepper spray and tasers. That’s just great.”

The reason the riot police were so poorly armed, despite being from New Orleans, a city known for its wealth, was not the Mayor but the Governor. The Governor advocated non-violence.

To be exact, it was because he was paying attention to the Bush administration’s recent conciliatory measures toward protesters, but this coincided with the Mayor’s demands and resulted in the worst outcome. They didn’t back down, but they didn’t suppress it properly either.

What began at noon continued until dusk, the shocking scene captured by news helicopters and broadcast on television.

“This is the result of the Greenpeace protest.”

And the White House monitored the situation from beginning to end.

The Chief of Staff calmly read the report, while Bush listened in silence. His mood was foul. China had added to his list of concerns, and now this domestic mess was unfolding. His mood couldn’t be good.

“4,921 arrests. 2,010 minor injuries and 298 serious injuries. 18 deaths. Do we address this at the Governor’s level, or do we intervene directly?”

In essence, the question was whether to exert pressure on Greenpeace. During the Clinton administration, when Congress focused on environmental programs, such a move would have been met with resistance. Now, many would welcome it.

In other words, with a scapegoat in place, Greenpeace could be prevented from gaining further influence in the United States. After all, it was born in Canada and its headquarters are in the Netherlands, but in the end, the place where it is most active is the United States.

Perhaps, this could mark the beginning of a decline in the environmental protection movement in the United States. No matter how much they advocated for the Kyoto Protocol [an international treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions] abroad, it would not be accepted in the United States.

Furthermore, a public opinion war could be waged instead of direct intervention. While public opinion wasn’t favorable to Bush, the protest’s violence was undeniable.

Even without direct intervention, they might self-destruct. Greenpeace would likely deny responsibility, but that’s where the public opinion war came in.

“Handle the aftermath.”

Bush chose neither option.

“I should give a speech.”