George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 64

The Great America of George W. Bush – Episode 63 (64/377)

< Episode 63 >

Texas. Since 1842, this vast expanse had been a Democratic stronghold. But now, Texas was practically a Republican Party bastion. The racial makeup, excluding Black and Asian populations, was nearly half white, with Hispanics comprising most of the remainder.

Politically, it was one of the most conservative places in America, teeming with the stereotypical rednecks, and a place known for its fervent patriotism towards the United States.

Moreover, the frontier spirit still thrived here, embodied by the ‘one person, one gun’ tradition. From the elderly to young children, it seemed the only ones without guns in Texas were tourists. Their love for firearms was that profound.

There were two main reasons why Bush was popular in Texas. First, he had served as the governor of Texas. Second, his actions in the nearly three months since the 9/11 terrorist attacks had deeply resonated with them. Simply put, his ‘manly’ demeanor in foreign affairs was a major draw.

In that macho land of Texas, Bush’s bodyguards were becoming increasingly anxious.

“Awesome!”

Did I mention it before? Bush was quite the ‘player’ in his younger days. He was very good at having fun, including driving under the influence. It could be dismissed as youthful indiscretion, but ‘discretion’ is often just a euphemism for saving ‘face’ [maintaining social standing] for men.

Why else would there be a saying that ‘men are always boys, no matter how old they get’? The purity of a man’s childhood never truly disappears. Even if the jailer called age imprisons that childishness behind a mask of maturity, it never truly vanishes or dies.

“Woo-hoo!”

And Bush was never one to hide that childishness.

“This is insane! Mr. President! Please wait!”

Bush, wearing a black leather jacket instead of his usual suit, twisted the throttle of a Harley Davidson. The steel horse roared, spewing sooty breaths and shaking the ground with the hot pulse of flowing gasoline.

“Charge! Charge!”

“I’m going crazy, really!”

There was no President of the United States present, only George W. Bush, the leader of a biker gang.

“Shock and awe, you scumbags!” [Referring to a military doctrine of overwhelming force]

It certainly was shocking and awe-inspiring.

Specifically, the sight of the President of the United States at the forefront, surrounded by bodyguards, followed by police and bikers, all riding together, resembled a herd of water buffaloes covered in colorful paint, stampeding wildly.

This scene was dozens, even hundreds of times more shocking than in other cities because the Texas Rangers were known for being a strict law enforcement group. To what extent? For example, let’s say a man urinates on the street. Naturally, he would be reprimanded or fined, right?

But in Texas, they simply and politely escort you to the station. Lectures? Fines? None of that. Just a friendly trip straight to the station. Of course, if you resist, you could ‘enjoy’ a physical conversation that all Texas Rangers would welcome.

It was quite a sight to see these strict, serious, and solemn police officers witnessing such a biker rampage.

Of course, Bush wasn’t just recklessly twisting the throttle. Should this be considered amazing, or just crazy? Perhaps, if pressed, it would be the latter. Because he wasn’t exceeding the speed limit at all.

However, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Nineteen states required helmets regardless of age, but in Texas, the obligation to wear a helmet disappeared once you turned 20, making it merely a sign of being a ‘greenhorn’.

To understand how this happened, we need to go back about two days.

“Hoo!”

The trademark exclamation of Michael Jackson echoed through the venue, signaling the start of the powerful opening song that would become part of his last album. There was something special about this performance: more than half of the audience were ‘children’.

The children held cups of cola and thick slices of pizza, and the round tables, sized for children, were filled with snacks they would love. In fact, only about half of the children were interested in the performance. They were too busy being distracted by the snacks they could only dream of on a normal day.

Any third party would be shocked and appalled. How dare they turn their eyes away from a Michael Jackson performance!

But these children were all orphans, so sadly, they had never had the chance to experience Michael. The only ones who showed interest were those who had somehow learned about Michael Jackson on the streets. And the other half of the adults were either broadcasting staff filming the performance, orphanage workers escorting the children, or other related personnel.

However, there were a few who didn’t fit these criteria: the White House security detail. Officially, they were there to deal with any incidents that might occur among the audience, but almost none of them could focus on their job, mesmerized by Michael Jackson’s “Hoo!”

And besides them, there were exactly four more people who didn’t fit the criteria.

Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

‘To think I’d get to see a Michael Jackson performance again in my lifetime,’ thought one of them.

The other two: a man and a woman sitting in what could be called the VIP seats: George W. Bush and Laura Bush.

“Thank you, honey.”

“I felt like I’ve been neglecting you lately, so I arranged this.”

Even Bush, who usually treated her awkwardly, was sincere about this.

“Haha, I thought you were having an affair or something.”

If the Chief of Staff hadn’t been there, she really might have suspected that. Andrew Card: truly one of Bush’s most indispensable confidants. And that ‘haha’ was truly chilling.

“Put those useless worries aside. We’ll be going out together more often from now on.”

The First Lady might not be a master of diplomacy, but she was at least a strong player. She was the perfect asset for expanding civilian exchanges. If a summit was a straight [a strong hand in poker], then a First Lady’s meeting was a jab [a quick, strategic move]. He had avoided it until now simply because he felt awkward, but that feeling had almost disappeared. That meant Kim Bush had adapted to this body and the given situation.

“Speaking of which, I heard you’ll be touring the country for about a month and a half? Where are you planning to go first?”

He would visit every place once in 50 days, but the first one was always important.

“Probably Texas, I guess?”

Because even though Bush wasn’t born in Texas, he had spent a long time there. He had been a governor, and his approval rating was highest there. It was hard to find a reason not to go.

‘Michael Jackson.’

Truly a great man.

‘I should tell him to reduce or stop using propofol.’

His heart was strong, but what killed him was 100mg of a drug called ‘propofol’. It was a drug for treating insomnia, but at the time, the dangers of propofol weren’t well known.

Propofol is basically an anesthetic, so overdosing can cause cardiac arrest. If cardiac arrest is caused by a drug overdose, it cannot be reversed with normal first aid.

In any case, only Conrad Murray knew whether he intentionally killed Michael Jackson, but hoping that a person wouldn’t die after administering a lethal dose of 100mg of propofol was certainly suspicious.

‘But this time, he’ll live out his natural lifespan.’

He always wanted a world where musicians had rights and children could play safely.

‘I can’t create that.’

Bush could force ideologies with the position of president, but he didn’t have the power to fundamentally change people like Michael Jackson. In short, Bush placed significance on actions and goals, but Michael Jackson was someone who conveyed a message through his actions rather than just achieving goals. Since actions and goals were unified, Bush couldn’t imitate that miracle even if he died and came back to life.

However, that didn’t mean Michael Jackson’s method always worked. In fact, even in the moment of his death and after his death, he was constantly being devoured by the sharks of public opinion, and the world remained the same.

‘But at least I can create a foundation for a better world.’

He could create such social foundations and welfare facilities. Of course, the Republican Party would throw a fit, saying that he was giving too much power to the Democrats. But what could he do? What Bush wanted now was the most powerful superpower America in history. If they were going to make a fuss internally, he could just ignore them both.

Of course, anyone could say anything, but the Chief of Staff believed that this man would do anything to achieve what he wanted. Bush had a madness made of order. It was a truly contradictory statement, but there was no better way to describe him.

The things he did were things that couldn’t be 추진 [pushed forward] without madness, but in the end, he always brought a new order. What an absurd thing! Madness gives birth to order!

“Honey, I think that was the last song.”

“The festival is over.”

“Lastly, I would like to thank the President for making this event possible.”

‘Huh, am I really receiving thanks from Michael Jackson?’

Bush hid his excitement and casually waved to Michael Jackson as a greeting and reply. They agreed to meet privately in a month to have a chat. Michael Jackson hadn’t finished his tour yet, and this was just a hastily arranged performance.

The White House had already proposed a performance, but Michael Jackson was hesitant because of his existing schedule, even though he was grateful to Bush. However, Bush, knowing his tendencies, asked if he would like to hold a performance for orphans. “If it’s for such a performance, I would pay to ask you to do it,” he readily accepted.

However, the performance equipment and devices were paid for out of the Bush family’s private funds. His father, Bush Sr., who wasn’t stingy with praise but never gave meaningless praise, didn’t hold back this time. Thanks to that, Bush had to blush with ‘shame’ for the first time in a long time.

This was because Kim Bush, who was now becoming a new being rather than Bush, was very sensitive when praised by someone he respected.

Of course, it wasn’t because Bush was truly charitable. About 80% of it was the desire to watch it in person, and about 60% was to project political influence closely into Michael Jackson’s fan base. It would be a big mistake to think that Michael Jackson’s fan base was limited to the United States. His fan base was literally a global phenomenon.

So, it was a total of 140% sincerity. The exact specific figure was about 146.7%. If that number reminds you of Russian election results, that’s a ridiculous misunderstanding! Of course, if you have a peculiar taste for collecting Cherenkov radiation-shining cola in your stomach, you can object! [A humorous reference to a rare phenomenon]

In any case, Michael Jackson’s charitable nature and Bush’s idea created an unprecedented spectacle.

“Then, shall we….”

Suddenly, Laura Bush’s eyes turned sharp. She was hungrier than Bush thought.

However, Bush wasn’t someone who couldn’t have anticipated this at all.

‘But I’ve thought of everything!’

The emergency escape device!

“Ah, I’m sorry, but I have to leave right now.”

That’s right. That was why Bush was in Texas.

It was true that he had become accustomed to it, and that Bush’s knowledge, memories, and emotions had melted into it quite a bit. But he wasn’t so accustomed to it that he could share it, so he had adjusted his schedule in advance. The Chief of Staff was slightly puzzled, but Bush deliberately bought the Chief of Staff many gifts and asked about the First Lady to dispel the question.

“The engine sounds great!”

“Bush! Bush! Bush!”

“Yahoo!”

Of course, this bizarre behavior was featured prominently in the news and newspapers. All the reports were based on hard facts, but Bush was always consistently criticized, and the pattern was always the same. It was like there was a repeat sign in the criticism.

“Bush goes on a rampage.”

“The President forgets his duty.”

Very quickly, they focused on the most damaging aspects by using perfectly factual photos or videos so as not to be accused of misinformation. Thanks to that, the approval rating that had soared to the sky faltered for a moment.

The problem was that Bush himself was very, very, very, even ‘giggling’ satisfied on the Harley Davidson, very satisfied that the news was running properly.

“Now the rampage is over.”

‘What is a rampage that doesn’t break the speed limit? Well, the President’s authority did rampage,’ thought the leader of the biker gang who had been running next to him, but Bush had no way of knowing this. It was refreshing for them, who were macho themselves, but it was a bit incomplete.

“I’m going to Louisiana next.”

“I see.”

The biker gang leader was the type of person who thought that the virtue of a man was brevity, and that a man didn’t need many words to convey something. However, he actually had many things he wanted to ask, so he was unconsciously feeling regretful.

“Take it.”

Bush parked the Harley Davidson he was riding right next to him.

“Huh?”

For the biker gang leader, it was one of the most dumbfounded moments in his life. That’s because what exactly was he supposed to take?

Bush signed the Harley Davidson with a permanent marker he had brought in advance, then pulled out the key to the Harley Davidson and threw it to the leader. The leader reflexively caught the key and alternately looked at the key and Bush’s face in a daze.

“It’s yours now.”

“Uh, uh?”

His mouth opened involuntarily, and his pupils dilated as if he had seen a divine light. There was definitely a halo there.

Would this be how it feels if Jesus himself came down from heaven and bestowed the Holy Grail? As a devout Catholic, he couldn’t dare to compare him to God. No, even if not God, he at least looked like an apostle. He was definitely a saint and apostle sent down by God to protect America.

“Uh!?”

He was so moved that he couldn’t speak. Originally, he felt like he was looking at a celebrity, but when such a person bestowed upon him a sacred object containing a token of trust, something that welled up in his heart went beyond respect and admiration, even to awe.

“Th, thank you!”

He blurted out a thank you, but what came out of his mouth was no longer words, but something close to pure sincerity borrowing the shell of words.

Inside, he was no different from a boy who had received the game console he wanted for Christmas.

‘Hmm, I didn’t know he’d like it this much.’

“Since it’s come to this, let’s give one to everyone here.”

Of course, cheers erupted. Some were even so moved that they were hiding their tears.

“Chief of Staff, pick them out appropriately. I’ll have my autograph printed as stickers and distribute them for free soon.”

Bush was a tycoon before he was president.