George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 338

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“I doubt China will ever threaten the United States again in my lifetime.”

Bush slowly savored the report that had just been submitted and soon concluded that the series of events unfolding in China were all under control.

The former front line could no longer be called by that name. The area once controlled by the former warlords had almost entirely fallen into the hands of the Communist Party, and the front line was gradually being pushed into the territories of other warlords. In reality, it was more appropriate to call them the Eastern Front and the Southern Front, respectively.

“Except for nuclear war, that is.”

It was indeed a valid point. Nuclear weapons were like a magical weapon that could pressure and threaten even the most powerful nations, no matter how small the country. Bush vividly remembered the sight of North Korea threatening the United States with its nuclear development.

North Korea may not have been serious about launching a nuclear attack, but nuclear weapons were truly deadly. Their value as a military force was outstanding, but in diplomacy, they could transform into an even more powerful weapon depending on who possessed them.

Just possessing them was enough to create the highest level of tension, and they had the power to bring even the hegemonic powers that had been dominating the world to the negotiating table.

“That’s why we’re actively intervening. For a better tomorrow.”

Just as Bush was about to delve into another thought, his chief of staff handed him a report.

“Now that China seems to be somewhat resolved, let’s take a look at the spectacle of the debate over the new gun control law that was submitted last time.”

The government acknowledged that the existing regulations were outdated and no longer effective.

In other words, they admitted that they were somewhat pathetic. However, that did not mean that the regulations were completely abolished; they simply introduced new gun control measures to replace the old ones.

And those regulations were always the same. They just went around in circles like a hamster on a wheel within a reasonably defined framework. The problem was that gun control, no matter what, was always evaded, so it was inherently difficult to decide where to regulate. But apart from the President, the pressure from the National Rifle Association (NRA) was decisive in Congress.

That’s right. It was the same as ‘always.’ The only difference was that this time, the government was backing the proponents.

“Regulation, regulation, regulation. How long will we keep regulating! What kind of country is this! It’s a country that still has unexplored territories, let alone developed ones! I’d rather have a gun that takes 10 seconds to find than wait for the police who take 10 hours to get to my house!”

“Well, then, why not just sell them in those areas? Other countries are operating similarly. In some countries, civilian firearms are only seen in rural areas far removed from infrastructure. Besides, how many such areas are there anyway? There used to be many, but now there are very few. Moreover, the police budget has increased, and the number of personnel has actually increased, so response times are getting shorter and shorter.”

“I can entrust my security to the state, but I can’t entrust my safety! Guns are the pride, freedom, and very essence of the American people! They are a symbol that unites skin color and religion! You’re not even an American!”

“Huh, look at this! Since when has the symbol of America been guns? Weren’t the banners and values of our America freedom and capital? Guns are a symbol of freedom only in our country; in other countries, guns are a symbol of strife and disorder. Regulations are necessary for a safe homeland. No proper regulations, no guns! And if you like guns so much, go to Alaska!”

“No guns without regulation! What kind of nonsense is that! Guns are safety and freedom! Freedom! Of course, heavy weapons like grenade launchers and machine guns that can threaten the security of the country should be regulated, but small arms like pistols cannot have any impact on the world’s best military! And Alaska? Besides, what about other countries? If you like those other countries so much, go to those other countries!”

“What? Are you done talking? Bush won’t let you get away with this! How dare you talk like that!”

“I’m done! So what! And what’s so special about the President? Everything that guy has done so far is what any president should have done! You’re a complete idiot! You’re the kind of people who would actively defend Bush even if he drafted a dictatorial bill!”

“Dictatorship? Now, now, now! How dare you call someone a dictator!”

Even when the gun control debate was going on, the topic often shifted to the President in this way. The main proponent of this gun control was none other than the ‘President.’

Because of this, there were also quite a few people like this. They were the ones carrying the Stars and Stripes.

“What’s the problem? It’s enough if he just does politics well. What does dictatorship matter? Mr. President! Please run for a third term through a constitutional amendment!”

Even if it was a very small number, it was a small number in proportion to the whole, but when gathered together, it was not such a small number.

In any case, the proponents, backed by the government, were confidently advocating that, through gradual and stricter regulations than now, illegal firearms rampant in the country should be collected and disposed of, and only truly qualified people should be allowed to possess them.

On the other hand, most of the opponents had these thoughts.

“What the hell is the NRA doing, not responding at all while that president is running wild? Where have the lobbyists, the largest in America, who were so proud of themselves, gone!”

The NRA had been passively resisting gun control ever since Bush warned them about their ties with Russia.

That one warning covered up treason and sedition, one of the most serious crimes in the United States. In addition, informants linked to Russia were exposed. In exchange for those informants, the upper echelons of the NRA were able to survive and had to live every night like the eve of a storm.

It was this gun control that brought them back to life. The regulations proposed by the Bush administration were not much different from the previous ones, but there was one crucial difference.

While presenting the new gun control plan, the President added that today’s NRA is not doing its job at all, unlike the NRA of the past, which was a pointed remark that the original NRA was an organization that was active in gun control.

At first glance, it may sound like a criticism of the NRA’s betrayal of its banner of safety and education, and the degeneration of its noble ideals and ideologies, but in reality, it was just a way of saying that the NRA should take care of itself in the future.

And there was no way the NRA would readily sign the surrender document Bush handed over.

“Isn’t this just a way to kill us?”

“It’s absurd! More lobbying is needed to pressure that president. We need to stimulate the neocons [neoconservatives]! It’s not too late, we need to bring that president down right now!”

The NRA was in a complete panic. There was no way they could bring down the President. They could have an impact, but the President, who had now created his own castle, would not budge. To bring down the current President, the entire nation would have to unite and protest in front of the White House.

It wasn’t that there weren’t protests in front of the White House after the gun control reform was announced. It was just a very small number of about 20 to 40 people, and even that was a performance-oriented peaceful protest.

So, how did these people appear in the eyes of the NRA? It was as follows.

“My God! America is full of stupid fools! The current government’s oppression of the NRA is undermining the banner of liberalism and democracy and will mean permanent unemployment due to job losses and, ultimately, the extinction of self-defense through guns! Those morons and the President are putting the entire nation in danger!”

Bush, who heard this news, seemed to feel resentful and took it a step further, vowing to move the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] to conduct a full-scale gun investigation and impose more regulations on gun sales. Whatever the investigation was, which he had been desperately trying to prevent by spending money like water, sales regulations were a double-edged sword.

That’s because there were already considerable regulations on sales. If they were regulated any further, there was a risk that the people who had been in favor of it would be frightened and turn against it. At least at this point, regulation had to be done gradually.

‘The reason why we have to go around and around like this is because there is no clear answer. But even if there is no best option, there is a second-best option.’

However, as a human being who has always chosen the best, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. In the meantime, based on future knowledge, he had carefully selected and promoted choices that were close to the correct answer.

To be honest, at the time, he thought those choices were the best he could do at the time, but he couldn’t be sure that they were the perfect answer. Humans are imperfect beings who eventually doubt even when they know the answer, but no one really knows whether the ambiguous answer that they themselves judged based on future knowledge is the real answer.

‘I’m glad that everything is going well on the surface now, but when I was possessed, I really didn’t know what to do.’

Still, at that time, he had all sorts of thoughts, but unlike now, it really seemed like things were going the way Bush wanted.

It would be a lie to say that he had no regrets about all his choices.

At least he wanted to completely withdraw from the Middle East. In addition to that nosy attitude and American hegemony, the fact that he eventually dispatched even a very small number of troops was something he would regret. Rather, in this case, he should focus on the Middle East, rather than paying attention to Africa, which is still sluggish except for information.

But even if he went back to that time, he would make the same choice. That was the best he could do at the time. And it’s the same now. Bush always believed that his choice was the best. Even though he knows that this hamster wheel gun control is the second best option, it is the best because there is no other option after all.

Gun control was also a change of personnel, but in the end, what he was aiming for was the NRA. If illegal guns are to disappear in the United States, the NRA must actively step up. If guns are to disappear in the United States, the people must give up.

The first step was the NRA. The NRA could not change Americans’ perception of guns all at once, but it could certainly change their perception little by little.

The problem was that the NRA was actively resisting, even though it was not enough to actively help.

‘If they resist, there’s still a way to deal with it.’

Of course, Bush had it all figured out.