7.c.iii.
“Prosperity. That’s the key folks. Once we prosper, then we’ll find that we’re
not disprosperous anymore,” said George W. Bush, tilting his head and cocking
his cowboy hat in a reassuring manner.
“Tax cuts will ensure prosperity and deregulation enables businesses to
take advantage of this prosperity and grow.
And growth is the only way …” He
jangled his hand as if jostling man-fruit.
Then he redoubled the intensity of the movement to emphasize each of his
next statements. “Prosperity. Tax
cuts. Deregulation. Change my diaper. War on poverty.”
The crowd
roared. The applause of deafening. George W. adjusted his diaper in quick
thrusting movements and the crowd roared again.
“Wait,” said Corporate
Man.
“Did he make these kind of speeches during his terms in office?”
“Yes,” said
Business Woman, jaw clenching.
“And he got
elected for a second term?”
Business Woman
sighed and said, “Yes. People are that stupid.”
Bull Market
paced frantically, scratching haphazardly.
“This is not good. Not good at
all.”
“We all want
the same things, right?” George W. Bush continued. “We want to live life, have our things, be
happy Americans, and kill terrorists. Am
I right?”
Cheers from
the crowd.
“Sure I’m
right. No terrorist left behind!”
An earthquake
of crowd noise.
“The only way
we can do all that is by prospering and the only way we can prospersize is by
fixing this economy and then only was we can fix this economy is by having a
conversation. Starting a dialogue with
economists and trusting in our business leaders who are already very prosperous
because they know how to do it. And we
can all follow their example. So spend
money. Stimulate the economy. And trust in the system. Let the economy correct itself. Prosper.
And that alone will create prosperity.
And prosperity for the nation means that we can continue our war on
children.”
The response
to this was disparately flat. A secret
serviceman shuffled onto the stage and positioned himself behind and to the
side of George W. Bush. He reached a
tentative finger toward the waistband of the former President’s diaper, pulled
it open slightly, and peered down inside.
His brow furrowed and his lips pulled back from his teeth. The agent nodded and was joined by more
secret servicemen. They carried W. off
the stage.
An alarm bell
sounded, signally the start of trading.
Bull Market
charged forward shouting, “Sell!
Sell! Sell!”
The arena
became a frenzy of aggressive activity and overpowering noise. Everyone trying desperately to outmaneuver
and out hand-signal each other. Bull
Market’s cries were drown out by the crowd and he was swept away into a boiling
mass as mob panic consumed the floor.
Tele-screens
and digital tickers displayed falling numbers as the market plummeted. A noise, like a high pitched whine, pierced
the air then grew higher and higher.
“Oh damn. This is bad,” said Business Woman.
“We gotta get
out of here,” Senior Executive hissed.
“It’s too
late,” said Corporate Man. “It’s here.”
Commander
Credit’s eyes gleamed and smile cut across his face. He checked the weapon systems on his arm and
said, “Yes. And it’s about damn time.”