George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 314

George W. Bush’s Great America – Episode 313

< Episode 313 >

It wasn’t just the United States paying attention to the division of China. Every country even remotely connected to China was doing the same. And there wasn’t a single country on Earth that wasn’t connected to China. In other words, China was currently receiving as much attention as the Middle East, if not more, from the entire world.

Moreover, the level of attention was greater than that of the Middle East, and its ripple effects were also more significant. And among the countries with proper sovereignty, the one most affected was South Korea.

“Your Excellency, as you know, China is unstable.”

“I know. What does the military say?”

President Hyun Won-seop of South Korea wore an uncomfortable expression, anticipating the response he would receive from his chief of staff.

“They view it quite negatively.”

“Why?”

“Your Excellency’s ‘Communist Party Cooperation Theory’… It seems the military wants to march north, cooperation or no cooperation.”

The Communist Party Cooperation Theory was basically a policy aligned with that of the current U.S. President, George W. Bush. Looking at the details, it was a mixed bag, but the basic framework aimed at stabilizing the wildly fluctuating situation.

“Huh, do they think this is the Joseon era [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897]? Is there some kind of Northern Expedition theory circulating within our ranks?”

Before reunification, South Korea was always singing about ‘Unification! Unification! If we become one, we’ll be a cultural powerhouse! The strongest in the world!’ But the problem was that the unified Korea was neither the strongest in the world nor a cultural powerhouse.

Of course, if a few decades passed like this, it might really become a cultural powerhouse. But at least not now. The Korean Wave [Hallyu], which the news tirelessly talked about whenever it gained even a brief popularity in some country, was proof of that.

The population had increased, which was good, but the GDP suddenly fell, and they had no choice but to create many jobs in the North. The United States provided great assistance in this. For Korea, the United States was truly a kind, long-legged Daddy-Long-Legs [reference to the novel and its benefactor archetype].

Of course, their intentions might not be entirely benevolent, but it was true that they had put out the immediate fire with their help.

“It’s not that, but if North Korea was the land of dreams until now, then unified Korea has changed the land of dreams to Manchuria.”

Current President Hyun Won-seop didn’t have good feelings towards the military. It wasn’t that he had no good feelings at all, but since he himself had served as a mere private, he knew roughly how the military worked.

The beginning and end of the military are ‘fake’ and ‘cover-up.’ At the same time, it is the last stronghold and fortress of conservative people. It wasn’t that there were no radical figures, but the leaders were all conservative. If they could act radically even after getting old, that would be even more impressive, but in any case, they were completely closed-minded, and the number of zeros they embezzled behind the scenes was as great as their age.

The political connections formed by that number of zeros were also considerable.

“Our military is always the same, even while listening to criticism and harsh words. 400 billion for replacing those damn bulletproof vests with new ones? Are you telling me to believe this? For only 200,000 vests?”

“Defense corruption is a tradition in every country.”

“It’s even worse in our country! I’m going to make a few responsible guys wear them soon, hang them in the shooting range, and conduct performance tests myself.”

“Oh… dear. Our country’s bulletproof vests are so terrible that the bulletproof plates will be pierced. It’s a truly sad thing that such talented people are leaving us.”

“Anyway, we’ll have to hold a hearing later.”

“Isn’t that not the important thing?”

“If this isn’t important, then what is?”

“The fact that the Communist Party cooperation policy itself is directly opposing public sentiment?”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

This was Hyun Won-seop’s unadorned sentiment and what he wanted to say to the people. Of course, he wouldn’t actually say it like this, but he would have to say it in a roundabout way. Or shift the public’s attention elsewhere.

There are many ways. How many people truly care about politics? The people are merely swept away by the boiling atmosphere. To put it a bit harshly, politics is about throwing a few scapegoats with some chewiness, and most things can be smoothed over.

And the scapegoat doesn’t necessarily have to be someone in the political arena. The best scapegoats are celebrities. Even if broadcasters are enthusiastically talking about corruption, if some celebrity gets caught up in rumors like who went to a motel with whom or sexually entertained someone, that’s the end of it. Eight out of ten humans liked such stories a million times more than boring political stories.

Well, I don’t even know if there are people in broadcasting companies who would talk about corruption. Through several regimes, domestic terrestrial broadcasting companies have deepened their collusion with the government and business circles without exception and have long been arms of the government.

Not a single bureau chief hasn’t taken kickbacks, and they were rife with fatal weaknesses and flaws that went beyond simple careers and even affected their lives.

But that wasn’t what he really wanted to say.

“Anyone from all over the world would have been similar if they were in my place, I guess.”

But he couldn’t just scrape together the military that had just begun to expand and march north, could he? The funny thing was that even though the manpower seemed to have increased, there were hardly any people to send to the military.

He couldn’t enlist those who were North Korean soldiers, could he? Even if he did enlist them, he couldn’t discriminate against them, so the number was too large, and the budget would be greatly exceeded.

He couldn’t antagonize China either. Whether China collapsed or not, it would be fortunate if Korea didn’t get caught in the crossfire of a whale fight, and most likely, it would get caught.

This was the sad reality of South Korea, where the military was strong, but the land was ridiculously small.

The small land meant that firepower was not dispersed, and at the same time, it meant that the ROK Armed Forces [Republic of Korea Armed Forces] would suffer near-annihilation damage with just one ICBM [Intercontinental Ballistic Missile]. And if a war really started where even nuclear weapons were used, would only one ICBM be launched? At least dozens would be launched.

“Um, Mr. President… Your Excellency?”

‘But you can’t use nuclear weapons like that. Because America is there. Considering all those facts, if China provokes first, we might advance for the purpose of protecting the Joseonjok [Korean diaspora in China]… No, what am I doing?’

“Mr. President!”

Hyun Won-seop woke up from his reverie.

“Damn it! You surprised me. I’ve recently received an opinion from my doctor that my heart isn’t good. Anyway, what’s the matter?”

“It’s a diplomatic message from the U.S. Ambassador to Korea.”

Hearing those words, Hyun Won-seop sensed that it contained something unpleasant. But what could he do? Now that it had come this far, he had to read it whether he liked it or not. Hyun Won-seop flicked his finger.

And indeed, the intuition that had brought him to this position unfortunately did not betray him. There was information that was eye-popping. And if that was a pleasant surprise, it was definitely not.

“What? Taiwan? U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan? What the hell is this? Was this why China has been vaguely protesting against the United States since yesterday?”

“It’s as it is. The U.S. Army. Even the sale of missiles and air defense systems has been confirmed. That guy went all out this time. It seems like another war might break out this time.”

“Even if it wasn’t for this, the Chinese civil war was certain. What the hell is that guy trying to do? Is he thinking of having a full-blown U.S.-China war?”

“Maybe he is. The U.S. President has always disliked China, hasn’t he? But I never thought it would be this much.”

“Damn it. The fact that this came to us means that all of America’s friendly countries know about it.”

“That’s right. It’ll probably be in the newspapers soon. There’s no way the media can’t catch such a big move. Especially since the U.S. President wielded an iron fist, the scope of scoops has been seriously reduced. They’re so desperate to get just one scoop that they’re just restless, and with this kind of story, they’ll go crazy.”

“Honestly, I’m not jealous at all. Antagonizing the media, whether he has guts or is a madman. Well, judging from his performance so far, it seems like a highly calculated action.”

President Hyun Won-seop speculated arbitrarily, and most of the people who analyzed Bush’s behavior patterns were speculating that way, but it was half right and half wrong. The biggest reason Bush always moved aggressively was ‘because he was frustrated!’

“Good. Very good.”

What’s so good about it? Everything is a mess. But if he didn’t boost even this false confidence, his hands and feet would tremble. That madman is really planning to wage a huge war.

War in movies, novels, or games is nothing more than an interesting event, but it’s completely different in reality. Both the winner and the loser suffer their own wounds, and the winner is the worst festival of madness created by mankind, trying to heal those wounds by offering the blood of the loser as a sacrifice.

“It seems like the military might really get to wage war as they wanted. I don’t know what form it will take, but we’ll have to take sides. And we’ve already decided which side to take. The current legitimate government, the Chinese Communist Party.”

And this champion was not the champion chosen by Korea. This champion was the champion chosen by the United States, and Korea placed a kind of bet on that champion. It was by no means an unfavorable underdog bet. Rather, it was close to a stable favorite.

No matter who said what, it was the most powerful force once it was divided, and the force supporting them was the strongest in the world. And decisively, when the Republic of Korea drew a kind of network map with China, the most manpower and operations were invested in the current Chinese Communist Party.

“All we can do is pray that the flames of that war don’t stick to our house. Or directly hold a bucket full of water and put out the fire.”

And the latter was impossible, without a doubt. Because there was no justification. Well, justification is something that arises if you create it, but Manchuria is now the vested interest zone of the Communist Party that South Korea has joined hands with.

‘If we were to take it back, that’s right. Is it Mount Baekdu [also known as Mount Paektu, a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China]?’

The spiritual pillar and sacred mountain of the Korean people, which was sold by Japan, abandoned by North Korea, and coveted by South Korea.

“Anyway, the important thing is that guy’s answer. Since he’s intervening to this extent, it’s no exaggeration to say that the inside of China is half infiltrated and tightly controlled by the United States. I don’t know what he gave as a price.”

Having troops stationed in Taiwan was no small matter. It made even less sense that the Chinese government was silent with just a protest. Then, logically, doesn’t that mean that a rough agreement has been reached?

“Ask him point-blank when the war is.”

“Understood.”

So, what was the answer from that most important President George W. Bush?

“Tell him there will be no war.”