Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Goldwater (1)
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Barry Goldwater, the U.S. presidential candidate, was a young politician born in 1909 in Phoenix, Arizona.
He possessed the progressive streak typical of young politicians.
"Black people are just like us, differing only in skin color. Why treat them like animals?"
"No, how could niggers be the same as us? That's why they were made slaves—they're inferior."
"If I forced you to work for me, would that make you an inferior breed too? Instead of spouting nonsense, why don't you crack open another book?"
Goldwater always bellowed at racists like that.
He firmly believed that idiots like them were weakening the United States.
What America needed wasn't self-destructive discrimination, but unity through freedom.
Goldwater absolutely revered the value of liberty.
"So don't piss on the value of freedom that President Lincoln proved. Freedom is noble and a great value that cannot be infringed upon by anything."
Goldwater went to protest sites and condemned those who mobilized the National Guard.
"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."
With words like these, Goldwater expressed support for Malcolm X and the black militants.
Even black people cheered his statements.
"You're the only politician who gets us, Goldwater."
Amid the fervent support from blacks and progressive whites, Goldwater rocketed to the top as the presidential nominee.
Even the military quietly backed Goldwater.
"Just hearing him speak feels refreshing. No compromising with commies—not even worth considering. This is the kind of guy who should be president."
As a result, Goldwater boasted the highest name recognition among the primary candidates.
Before the primaries even started, Republican congressmen lined up behind him.
"The Rockefeller Republicans are finished. The answer is the conservative coalition."
Riding the wave of this bandwagon effect, Goldwater surged ahead.
"Goldwater! Goldwater! The spirit of this era is Goldwater!"
Goldwater freely displayed the reformist mindset unique to young politicians.
"I'll change everything. I'll build a country without discrimination, where fair opportunities are given to all. This is Barry Goldwater's promise!"
"What about the commie problem? Could you say a word on that?"
"There will be no concessions to the commies. Yielding to those who don't understand the value of freedom infringes on the liberty of our neighbors."
From racial issues to foreign policy.
Goldwater had clear answers for every problem.
Unlike established politicians, he didn't beat around the bush or equivocate.
Right is right, wrong is wrong.
The public went wild for the young conservative, Goldwater.
Overwhelmed by his popularity, his rivals quickly dropped out.
"I believe Candidate Goldwater will form a new administration that truly represents our party's values, so I hereby withdraw my candidacy."
Before the primaries were even halfway done, every Republican primary candidate had dropped out.
Goldwater was no longer just another run-of-the-mill congressman.
He was a heavyweight tipped to be the next president.
Like it or not, the world had to prepare for a Goldwater presidency.
The Cold War was about to hit its peak.
*
Barry Goldwater's rise was a major issue for Korea as well.
I read a KCIA report analyzing Goldwater's tendencies.
Goldwater represented populist right-wing politics, a far cry from the moderate Rockefeller Republicans who dominated the GOP mainstream.
He might sound like some unheard-of hack at first glance, but Goldwater was no lightweight.
He was the leading voice among hardline Republicans calling for aggressive intervention in foreign affairs.
His sudden rise to frontrunner status stemmed from the bizarre twists of the Cold War landscape.
In the end, Goldwater's ascent was partly my fault.
'Headache. Of all people, Goldwater.'
I wanted to block the ultra-hawk Goldwater's path to power if possible, but I couldn't.
The Democrats, who should have stopped him, were in a hopeless state for this election.
And it was no one but me who'd put them there.
If I'd known it would come to this, I wouldn't have backed the Democrats into a corner.
My mistake was assuming the GOP would at best produce someone like Nixon.
"Keep eyes on Goldwater. Report any anomalies immediately."
"Understood."
But there was no need to watch and wait.
Goldwater's bandwagon was only growing stronger with time.
He was a lock for the nomination.
'Looks like there's no way out.'
Even the Republicans were shifting, with libertarian-leaning proto-neocons gaining ground.
The once-dominant moderate Rockefeller wing was being crushed by Goldwater and steadily losing influence.
I had Goldwater's background investigated, just in case.
But Goldwater had hardly any weaknesses.
His foreign policy was boneheaded, but domestically, he was more progressive and moderate than liberals.
He was one of the few politicians who openly opposed racial discrimination.
Heck, Goldwater was even a founding member of the NAACP, the black civil rights group.
Yet his foreign policy was as extreme as it got.
In the original timeline, Goldwater had advocated dropping small nukes on North Vietnam and hitting the Kremlin with nukes too.
What if a Cuban Missile Crisis blew up during his presidency? Would it really lead to nuclear war?
The thought of nuclear war made even me—someone not easily scared—shudder involuntarily.
Back during the Italian War, when Stalin and Truman were bandying about nuclear threats, it hadn't felt this terrifying.
Sure, there were few warheads then, and no ICBMs.
But by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, things were different.
Thousands of warheads on ICBMs, ready to go.
Realizing my decisions had heightened the risk of nuclear war left my mouth parched.
I lit up several cigarettes, but couldn't fully shake the fear.
"Prime Minister, what brings you home early? If you've got time today, want to catch a play? Or an opera?"
My wife looked as cheerful as ever.
Watching her upbeat demeanor, I suddenly wanted comfort from her.
Without warning, I swept her into my arms.
The housekeeper was nearby, but I ignored her.
"Pr-Prime Minister, what are you doing?"
My wife, who usually boldly demanded my attentions, blushed to her ears this time and whispered a protest.
She shyly tried to wriggle free from my embrace, but I held on.
I carried her to the bed.
Too embarrassed to speak further, she fell silent.
I laid her on the bed and buried my face in her chest.
Listening to her pounding heartbeat, I closed my eyes for a moment.
After lying still for a while, she cautiously asked.
"Weren't you... going to do it?"
For someone so shy, her voice held a hint of eager anticipation.
Seeing her flushed face stirred me.
"Prime Minister."
We shed our clothes like old skins and soon tangled together.
In the hot, humid air, the worries filling my head evaporated.
I poured all my inner anxieties into her.
As our lovemaking ended, she whispered to me.
Unlike usual, her voice brimmed with satisfaction.
"That was really good today."
"For me too."
In her arms, no thoughts intruded.
For that moment, I was glad to be ordinary Lee Seong-jun, a man seeking solace from a woman—not the leader upholding the nation.
Briefly, her embrace granted me peace.
Maybe because I'd vented my fears to her.
An idea struck me that I hadn't considered before.
If the Cuban Revolution was the problem, why not prevent Castro from taking power?
It was the surest fix.
Sure, it was ridiculous to support them only to block them later, but with Goldwater's unprecedented rise, sticking to the original plan was pointless.
"Warn the U.S. that there's a risk of communist revolution in Cuba."
"Understood."
It wasn't some minor country issuing the warning—it was the world's third superpower.
I didn't think America would ignore it.
With the alert given, they'd handle the Cuban Revolution somehow.
If nothing else, the U.S. would spare no effort to stop a communist revolution in the Caribbean.
I awaited Washington's response.
"We understand Korea's warning. We'll pay attention."
The U.S. reply was lukewarm, but they confirmed they'd address the Cuba issue.
"With America stepping in, the Cuba problem shouldn't escalate."
I thought so too, but Batista was such an incompetent ruler—anything could happen.
He was a net negative who'd wrecked the economy in just a year.
"Keep monitoring the situation. Things could twist in unexpected ways."
Watching Goldwater's emergence taught me a lot.
What I'd thought was the best move could turn out to be the worst.
From now on, I needed to tread more carefully.
In the Goldwater era, one mistake could lead straight to nuclear war.
I started rereading Goldwater's file, which I'd already gone over multiple times.