[Chapter 559: Who to Deal with First]
William White's thoughts were simple: make money while minimizing losses. No insurance company was willing to accept the insurance policy of these guys; if something went wrong, it would be on him.
The reason he decided to pull out of Africa was that he had a cheat. Without that foresight, he wouldn't have been so decisive.
He had a cheat, but Washington didn't. Evidence of the Lockerbie disaster had been found, and if it was made public now, they had to deal with Gaddafi first.
"George, who are you trying to lobby this time? You didn't even call ahead."
"Hey, it's my personal business, so I prefer not to use the phone."
"Yeah, Suzuki, don't let anyone disturb us."
"Sure thing, sir."
Once the assistant left, Bush Jr. chuckled, "She still call you sir? Shouldn't she be calling you honey instead?"
"Pfft, it's just a title, merely a code name."
"You're really shameless."
"Thanks."
Bush Jr. wanted his help with the media campaign. From a broad perspective, they should target Saddam first. But on a personal level, Gaddafi needed to be dealt with first.
At the very least, from the feelings of the American public, Gaddafi had to be punished. As for Saddam, those whose country had been wiped out weren't in a rush, so why should America worry about this matter?
"Whoa, is it really true? Did Gaddafi actually do this?"
"This time it was a joint operation with the Brits, so the credibility is pretty high."
"Hey, has your old man thought this through? If he can't satisfy the people, how will he get re-elected?"
"Yeah, it's a different ball game. Saddam's got more oil than Kuwait. If this isn't resolved soon, another oil crisis is right around the corner."
"Come on, I know that. But the Soviets are completely done for; even if oil prices stay reasonable, they're still hurting."
"Nobody's willing to take risks; the Soviets are going down."
"Okay, I'll adjust things. After we wrap this up, I'll go after Gaddafi."
NBC's credibility remained strong. It's worth noting that William White's media companies had always maintained a neutral stance, not taking sides whether they were Elephants or Donkeys, or left or right -- they merely reported the facts, rarely passing judgment.
American media wasn't afraid of politicians; offending them wasn't a big deal. On the flip side, if the media ignored you or actively suppressed you, no amount of money would help.
William promised Bush Jr. to help control the narrative. He was also quite stressed about it. NBC was manageable; he could persuade Barry Diller, but the newspapers were a different story. He couldn't snap his fingers and make them toe the line unless he could replace all the editors.
Now that he had the evidence, William believed it needed to be acted upon swiftly. An eye for an eye was definitely necessary in many situations.
The Lockerbie incident had been lightly brushed over. They couldn't go to war with Gaddafi until Saddam was dealt with first.
"You've really got a knack for making things tough. I say let's do another operation like the Gulf War. After some serious bombing, we could directly hit Saddam where it hurts."
Bush Jr. shot him a disdainful glance, "You sure Saddam won't just wet his pants?"
"Come on, that can't be true. They never intended to solve this peacefully."
"Ha, do you really think that's possible?"
William knew that, from the American perspective, both of these jerks needed a lesson. There wasn't much difference between them.
However, they needed to consider what their allies were thinking.
Taking down Gaddafi?
That could work. But if it escalated and couldn't be resolved quickly, what would they do then?
If they lost Saddam's and Kuwait's oil, the major economies would already be in trouble. If Gaddafi's oil was lost too, well, let's just say it wouldn't just be a thirty-dollar problem; it could easily get out of hand.
"Wow, for cheap oil, these guys sure have some guts."
"Alright, quit complaining. If it wasn't for that reason, why would I bother showing up myself?"
"Ha, true that. I've got my own beef with Gaddafi. If we hit him first, the oil price will skyrocket. I'd be at a serious disadvantage!"
"Okay, but Rockefeller would lose more. That old guy's been under a lot of stress lately. If he dies of it, that'd really be a hassle."
"Pfft, better to die sooner rather than later. An old coot like him is just a waste of medical resources -- enough for a hundred people. Living here is just wasteful. Besides, his parts are wearing out; with frequent replacements, it's just a matter of time before he has an accident."
"Whoa, you really are harsh."
"I'm serious. Those parts could save plenty of lives; wasting them on someone like him isn't worth it."
William thought living longer was good, but quality of life mattered too. Relying on replacing body parts just to survive was pointless.
Everyone had to die eventually; it's a scary thought but part of nature. Even if you became a tortoise, you couldn't live forever.
With the decision made, the American mobilization capacity was incredibly strong. Delighted defense contractors finally welcomed the war they had been waiting for.
Selling weapons didn't make that much money. Europe wasn't at war right now, so there were no buyers for those so-called high-tech weapons.
That was different for the U.S.; not only could they test new weapons, but they could also advertise them at the same time.
"By the way, you've never seen an IMAX movie, have you?"
"Nope, isn't that just 3D? A lot of folks say you're crazy."
"Pfft, come on. I just got this new setup. Let me show you what it's like, even if it's only a part of it."
"Pfft, with costs this high, are you planning to sell tickets for fifty bucks?"
"It's not that steep -- twenty bucks is a must, but trust me, it'll be a hot ticket."
"Really? From what I hear, no theater's been able to keep up. Besides, how many movies can you make in a year?"
"Hey, that's different. Let's put it this way: three months of showtime is the basic requirement."
"Ha, if so, this could be a good business."
The two strolled into the screening room, getting ready to experience it up close.
"Wow, you really went all out."
"This is nothing; Lucas already decided that the next Star Wars will be in IMAX format."
"Yeah, Star Wars is definitely suited for it. I heard the film quality differs too, so the shooting process must be incredibly challenging."
"It's a lot more expensive, but that's okay. The folks are working hard, and I believe they'll come up with reasonable pricing."
"Haha, those guys are probably in for a rough ride this time. They'll probably never mess with finance again. Producing real stuff is the way to go."
*****
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