George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 62

< Episode 61 >

The appeals involving George W. Bush and Michael Jackson caused the media’s credibility to plummet to its lowest point since the founding of the United States.

“You trash reporter bastards! Are you even human?”

The protesters gathered in front of the broadcasting station and clashed with the police, throwing rotten eggs and decayed tomatoes at the building. Usually, they would just hold placards and march, but the reason they were staging such a fierce protest was that the target was none other than ‘Michael Jackson.’

It was true that Michael Jackson’s influence had diminished in the late 90s, but that was only because the media had greatly tarnished his image. However, the moment it was revealed that all of that was false, the viewers finally exploded.

If Michael Jackson had appealed alone, it might have stopped at some protests, but George Bush defended Michael Jackson, becoming the catalyst that ignited the emotions of fans who believed in Michael Jackson. It was true that George Bush’s approval rating was high, but the fact that he was ‘President’ was even more significant.

What was the President? Wasn’t he the leader who led this country? When the President said, ‘I guarantee it!’ they came to believe that they were right.

After believing that they were right, their actions soon became justice. After awakening to justice, all concepts, people, and things that stood in the way of their heroic selves became villains.

When the FBI, which had taken over the investigation with Bush’s executive order, announced that Michael Jackson had bruises on his body and that the police had mocked him when they arrested him, the protests intensified even more.

In severe cases, they smashed innocent TVs in a boycott or pulled down antenna dishes from other people’s houses. It was almost a miracle that guns hadn’t appeared yet.

This was purely because Michael Jackson, who had realized the seriousness of the situation, pleaded with the protesters not to resort to violent protests, saying, ‘I am innocent, but violence is wrong. I realized this in my childhood.’

Even without Bush taking additional measures, the journalism empire was slowly collapsing at the hands of the people.

However, Bush had no intention of staying still.

He conducted a high-intensity investigation, and soon it was revealed that Martin Bashir had conspired with the Gavin family to create the video. As the days went by, the protesters’ ferocity and scale grew even higher.

「The law is a social order maintenance device that exists to protect the innocent. The law has changed according to the times, and today I want to declare the end of ‘fake news.’」

The draft of the law submitted by Bush with the help of his aides was as follows:

1. If a post corresponding to fake news is left unattended, a fine of up to $80 million and imprisonment of up to 5 years will be imposed.

2. If a false report is released, a correction report must be made within 24 hours of recognizing that it is fake news. If violated, a fine of up to $100 million and imprisonment of up to 10 years will be imposed.

3. In order for 1 and 2 to work properly, a council will be established, personnel will be appointed to operate it, and a large number of monitor personnel will be hired to respond to the Internet.

Item 1 was the concretization of the fines and imprisonment that Bush had been calling for, and item 2 was a condition that Bush added out of anger after witnessing several times the high-nosed journalists of the media companies glossing over correction reports. Item 3 specifically presented how to project administrative power.

In fact, there were already sufficient legal provisions to punish fake news. However, Bush’s bill was a law that targeted only fake news, which was tantamount to declaring that he would no longer tolerate media companies.

It was not easy for this law to pass in Congress, where lobbyists were rampant, but it was not easy to withstand the growing voice of the people. In the end, some lawmakers who were in political trouble either did not attend or stubbornly insisted that freedom could be harmed until the end, and opinions were sharply divided.

“It harms freedom! Freedom! What kind of country is our America! Isn’t it a country of liberalism?”

The intensity and heat of the debate in Congress were more severe than the protesters. Those who remained in this place were in conflict with political life and interests. Each of them had morals, ethics, and ideologies sharpened like sharp daggers in their arms.

“Isn’t that why we’re doing this – to protect that freedom! The people have the freedom and right to get away from fake news!”

“Do you think 80 million dollars and 100 million dollars are child’s play? What kind of ridiculous amount is that!”

“Without such a strong law, private companies will not operate morally!”

“You’re going to suppress freedom of expression! Does that make sense!”

“So, is it freedom of expression to slander others as you please? Freedom is not licentiousness! There is freedom because order and responsibility follow!”

If they had been a little more excited, they would have destroyed the desks and electronic devices installed in the parliament. The social status and dignity that remained prevented this. However, young bloods who didn’t care about such things actually exchanged blows.

Bush, who saw this, replied unofficially.

“If this law is passed and one guy gets caught, the national treasury will be filled, the approval rating will rise, and the news will be reported mainly for the time being, which is very good.”

The approval rating was already high, but with the collaboration with Michael Jackson, it soared to the point where it seemed to break the ceiling. Also, in order to test the boundaries of fake news, the news would surely return to very experimental normal reporting for a few months.

In fact, this was the most ideal direction Bush was thinking of, and it was only possible if this ‘Yellow Journalism Punishment Act’ was passed first.

“The media is still negative.”

“I know that without you telling me, so tell me about the National Assembly [Congress].”

“The National Assembly is gradually gathering opinions to pass the bill itself. However, a near-riot level of debate is underway to determine the criteria for fake news.”

In reality, at this point, they were focusing on extracting more profits and reflecting the opinions of lobbyists to reduce fines even by a small margin, but Bush was not unaware of this. As it turned out, Bush himself needed to step in and nail it down.

“Then I’ll decide. The standard for fake news is ‘false facts that intentionally manipulate objective facts.'”

This was because he had been carefully looking at articles such as ‘Establishing a law to deal with fake news’ when he was Kim Kap-hwan, so he could recite it almost verbatim. It was ironic that he saw the law punishing fake news in the internet news, which was like the mecca of fake news, but anyway, that experience was making a great contribution to destroying the empire of yellow journalism.

“I understand.”

“And sue and fire all those damn cops.”

The cops were the ones who assaulted and mocked Michael Jackson. Bush couldn’t figure out this part, but Michael Jackson’s condition was more serious than Kim Kap-hwan knew. He clearly remembered that the only bruise was on his arm in the process of being handcuffed, but there were clear traces of violence from his back to his stomach.

“The trial is already underway.”

“Very good.”

Originally, the FBI’s investigation was also formidable. They were planning to harass Michael Jackson with investigations that thoroughly trampled on human rights, such as body searches through nude photography, sleep deprivation, and coercive interrogation. However, as Bush intervened directly, the FBI would work to prove Michael Jackson’s innocence.

“I’m unbreakable. You can’t hurt me and even if you pull me down, I’ll get up again.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s the lyrics of UNBREAKABLE. It’s a masterpiece from the album Michael Jackson released last month.”

Invincible. Originally, it would have been Michael Jackson’s last studio album. However, as long as Bush was watching, at least as far as Bush knew, no more innocent people would be victimized. And unclean media would not escape the law.

‘As long as I’m here, it will really be like those lyrics.’

A week passed like that.

There was a change in the media, which had been fiercely attacking only Bush. This was because some media outlets sensed that there was no chance of winning this fight. Of course, there were still attempts to optimistically view the situation and somehow seize control of the media, but nearly half of the media had already turned their heads to somehow survive.

Those who were quick to notice took advantage of the saying that crisis is an opportunity, and even opened a ‘Correction Report Special’ and organized it as a regular broadcast, and viewership exploded.

Thus, it was entirely fortunate for Bush that the image of Yi Yi Jei [two divided factions], in which the two divided media began to attack each other, began to appear. However, Bush was not foolish enough to treat this good fortune as just good fortune.

He urgently summoned Karl Rove to seek advice and made him move as an aide in his original position. A small party was held at the unit on the day Karl Rove left, and the most magnificent party in the history of the Afghan democratic regime was held the next day, but all of them were done unofficially.

Anyway, back to the point, Karl Rove, who was urgently summoned, may have been tired, but he began to exert the action that Bush had praised.

“Very! You did a great job! The media is divided. There is nothing more effective than this to control the media. Each other’s strength will be exhausted and everything will go according to the President’s will.”

“That part is completely luck.”

Bush took a shot of espresso, which he had vowed not to drink again, with the feeling of drinking herbal medicine. However, this time, he was using an espresso cup instead of a mug, learning from his previous failure.

“Don’t worry. I thought something went wrong because you called me urgently, but this situation is very ideal. Now all we have to do is encourage it from behind.”

If Bush had to pick the best person in such elaborate political slander among the people he knew, he would not hesitate to pick Dick Cheney, but if he was looking for someone who was proficient in tactics that pursued bold action or how to control the media, there was no one in the United States who could follow Karl Rove.

“And anyway, this trend won’t last long.”

“Hmm, why?”

“The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics are just around the corner.”

“Ah.”

It was already the end of November, and the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics was an Olympics that lasted from February 8 to February 24. It was also the Olympics where a wave of patriotism, which was rarely seen in the United States, swept across the United States thanks to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

‘However, the Winter Olympics I know is only the Anton Ohno incident.’

It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything else in mind, but as a human who lived in Korea, there wasn’t really any other incident to remember other than this one.

‘I should worry about the Olympics after this situation is resolved.’

“The media tends to flock to the side with delicious prey. So you don’t have to worry too much.”

“Listen, Rove. I’m going to mess with the state police properly this time.”

“That sounds interesting. But, why are you messing with them?”

I usually thought about why I was messing with them rather than thinking it was interesting, but paradoxically, Karl Rove was an excellent person because he had such a way of thinking. As the old saying goes, geniuses cannot beat those who work hard, and those who work hard cannot beat those who enjoy it, most humans could not beat those who enjoyed their work like Karl Rove.

“No, they’re doing their job like shit.”

“Aha.”