Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 330 Robert Turns Against Him

Another assassination attempt?

Assassinations are as numerous as hairs on a cow.

Throughout this year, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Lin Ran to Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, upon learning the news from his White House Chief of Staff, felt not secret joy, but utter fury.

It's quite simple, even though Robert Kennedy was his primary rival and performed well in the California primary.

But he knew very well that there were many people within the party and among the corporations who disliked the Kennedy family and were unhappy that Robert Kennedy wanted to continue digging into his brother's death. No matter how powerful the other side was, they couldn't beat him when it came to the final primary election.

The repeated occurrence of such heinous assassinations, each targeting a high-ranking official, gives the public the impression that the government is incompetent, its administration ineffective, and that the country is beset by internal and external troubles.

This will seriously affect his final showdown with the Elephant Party candidate.

Therefore, he was very dissatisfied. "Jones, you are responsible for sending a message of condolence to Robert Kennedy in the name of the White House, and then help me prepare for my national address."

In normal countries, if similar incidents occur, especially in this many cases, the police would be called in to take the matter seriously and investigate who or what forces are behind it.

President America's idea was to give a speech and use it to prove that she was right.

In the original timeline, after Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, Lyndon Johnson delivered a national address emphasizing that whites and blacks must unite to ensure that America "will not be ruled by bullets, but by the votes of free and just people."

In his speech, he also mentioned convening a meeting with leaders from the Black community, the white community, the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branch, and plans to propose “constructive action” recommendations to Congress.

However, he did not explicitly call for the capture of the murderer in his speech; he only called for justice and overcoming division.

It's just an appeal.

This time is no exception.

He missed the chance to speak at Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral, but he finally got the opportunity to deliver a national address after Robert Kennedy's assassination.

It's a blessing in disguise.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Robert Kennedy announced his withdrawal from the race just three days after regaining some composure. In his current state, it was impossible for him to continue running.

He was also shot in the chest, making it difficult for him to even get on stage. In this era, running for office is not only a mental activity but also a physical one.

You need to travel all over the country, tour the country to meet voters, give speeches, and express your political views.

The president has Air Force One, but Robert Kennedy didn't.

Furthermore, if an assassination attempt can happen once, it can happen again. Even with heavy security, Lin Ran was assassinated. Robert Kennedy's security team was far inferior to Lin Ran's, so he really didn't dare to continue the election.

Let's talk about it in four years. Anyway, I'm still young and have plenty of room for improvement.

Fellow countrymen of America:
At this juncture, I hope the White House’s efforts to seek peace will continue, and that America’s attempts in the Vietnam War should cease, regardless of who the next president is—a wrong, unjust, and devastating war.

No one should persist in it to the end.

Some might argue that fifty years ago, when President Woodrow Wilson stood before Congress and declared the end of World War I, saying, "The war is over; because of these armistice terms, the German command will never be able to re-establish itself," the peace that followed was not a just peace, nor a lasting peace; it carried with it the seeds of its own destruction.

But my fellow countrymen, you must know that lasting peace is better than temporary peace, temporary peace is better than temporary war, and temporary war is better than lasting war.

Although there is no permanent war on Earth now, perhaps one day there will be.

If we can achieve peace in Baiyue for the time being, then we can make this peace permanent. No matter how long and difficult the road to that peace may be, America can do it, because we are America!

I am well aware that there are people who want war, both inside and outside America. They want war to last forever, the eternal war I mentioned earlier, because it is in their interest, although I do not know how they profit from it.

But such a war has divided us, it has caused us to oppose each other, it has caused us to lose confidence, and we cannot allow him to succeed.

Whether or not I become president, I do not want to see this happen; we must stand together.

War is not the only problem. We also have serious problems at home, such as the gap between rich and poor, racial inequality, aging cities, overcrowded schools, and air and water pollution.

These issues are not as dramatic as the Vietnam War, nor do they make headlines like war, but they are just as important to our future and to the lives of our people.

Therefore, while the White House strives for peace abroad, it must also strive for progress at home.

We must build a better America, an America where every child has the opportunity to learn, and an America where every family has a decent home.

Robert Kennedy's withdrawal statement was exceptionally long, and he attempted to deliver it from the perspective of the president.

He was injured, but in his view, his political life was not over yet.

The most shocking part of the entire withdrawal statement is the last paragraph:
"Due to personal health reasons, I will not seek, and will not accept, my party's nomination as a presidential candidate."

But let me be clear: my loyalty to the Donald Party never wavered when I made this difficult decision.

This party represents America's greatest ideals—equality, justice, and social progress.

I respect and appreciate my fellow Donalds who have contributed so much to the country.

However, as a person of conscience, I must face a harsh reality: I cannot believe that the current president, Lyndon Johnson, will truly advance the peace he has promised.

In my view, his policies will only prolong this pointless war and lead to more unnecessary sacrifices.

This is not an attack on a political party, but an honest rebuttal to a particular viewpoint. We need a leader who can decisively end the quagmire of the Vietnam War and rebuild national unity.

At this critical moment, I believe that Mr. Richard Nixon, as the Republican nominee, can offer a new perspective that transcends partisan boundaries and is truly committed to the peace of honor and the healing of America's wounds.

My support is not a betrayal of the Democratic Party, but for the sake of the country, because peace is above all political parties.

Let the world know that a united America will steadfastly seek peace, no matter the cost.

Thank you to all the people of America who are watching, whether you support me or not.

Good night, God bless you all.

At the Redstone base in Huntsville, Jenny felt as comfortable as if she were at home. "I've never seen President Johnson so gloomy," Jenny remarked to Lin Ran.

After listening, Lin Ran asked, "Why do I feel that he looks fine on TV, not much different from usual?"

Lin Ran was well aware of the devastating impact Robert Kennedy's speech would have on Lyndon Johnson. After all, President Kennedy had a considerable number of supporters among the public, and the Kennedy family had switched sides, supporting Nixon under the pretext of peace.

This was simply unacceptable to Lyndon Johnson.

I have clearly made efforts for peace and have pushed for a ceasefire on the front lines. How can you say that I will not promote real peace?
Jenny added, "No, no, no, what you're seeing is President Lyndon Johnson with makeup and lighting effects."

He called me over to the dressing room and asked about your situation. He was in a very frightening state while in the dressing room. McCarthy had already come out to oppose him, which had caused a split within the Democratic Party.

In addition, the conservative Democratic lawmakers in the Southern states have always been at odds with Lyndon Johnson, so Robert's actions can be said to have dealt him the most fatal blow.

His talk of peace was a lie, and even gave voters a potential psychological suggestion that the assassination of Robert Kennedy was ordered by President Johnson.

This is terrible. Robert's statement gave the opposition within the Democratic Party the best reason to criticize him. His wording made him a hero who puts principles above party lines, and the statement ended by focusing criticism on Johnson personally.

So if Robert can do it, so can other dissenting voices.

This is causing further divisions within the Democratic Party.

Jenny has remarkable insight in this regard; she also wrote a similar conclusion in a New York Times editorial that the Donald Party is losing its way.

Lin Ran didn't answer directly, but asked, "Jenny, why do you think Robert Kennedy didn't support Fred? Fred and Nixon haven't decided who won within the Republican Party yet, have they?"

Wouldn't it be awkward if Fred won in the end?

Jenny scoffed, "Impossible. No matter how corrupt the Kennedy family is, they would never support Fred."

This will never happen.

Lin Ran said quietly, "Never say forever."

He might very well switch sides and support Big T if he looks at Robert Kennedy II.

After all, they share the same view on opposing vaccines.

(In 2020, it was already 2022, and Robert Kennedy II had not yet publicly endorsed Big T.)

Jenny didn't argue anymore; she just smiled and said, "If that day really comes, I can hardly imagine what kind of world it will be."

Yes, in any world, nothing is impossible.

No loyalty is absolute.

In the 1968 presidential election, the Democratic Party won 81% of the Jewish vote, while the Elephant Party won only 17%. Who could have imagined that, after all these changes, the Elephant Party would become the biggest supporter of Zionism?

“Professor, I’ve seen many Jewish community newspapers reporting on the mystery of your origins lately, saying that your mother is Jewish, so strictly speaking, are you Jewish?” Jenny asked.

The reason she asked was because she saw Goldberg's name in her visitor log. Jenny certainly knew who Goldberg was—a well-known Jewish politician in Washington.

Lin Ran explained, "Goldberg did mention this to me, but I couldn't go back to Germany to verify it in person for the time being. It's possible that the news was reported by a Jewish-run newspaper, and they thought it was news, so they published it."

To determine whether it's true or not, I need to verify it myself before I can give you an accurate answer.

When you know you're going to die sooner or later, and you can't die in a fair and square way, then the more people you drag down with you, the better.

Lin Ran knew very well that once he left, people like Jenny from the Plain Yellow Banner would be fine, but people of Chinese descent would inevitably suffer unfair treatment and be the target of venting their anger.

What if you were Jewish in such a situation?
It would be interesting if America were to target Jews from within.

This is the fundamental reason why Lin Ran is not opposed to agreeing to Goldberg's conditions.

It's the same principle behind his attempts to link Black and Chinese Americans whenever he participates in similar civil rights movements or gives public speeches.

Previously, they could only bind Black people, but this binding method isn't strong enough.

Binding Jews with blood ties, is that enough?

As for the Jewish and Israeli people wanting to back out, it's not that easy. Lin Ran's mentors are all Jewish, and their appearances are quite different from those of Chinese people. You Jewish newspapers and media have been spreading this propaganda repeatedly.

How can you just go back on your word?
There are many ethnic groups within America who are dissatisfied with the Jewish community, and when that time comes, they will naturally take advantage of it.

No sooner had Goldberg left than Lin Ran understood why the Jewish community had offered such generous terms.

That's right, it's very generous.

Some might argue that a president in name only doesn't necessarily have real power.

Only tools and titles cannot be entrusted to others; these are the responsibilities of the ruler.

This is an old Chinese saying.

Assuming Lin Ran really wants to return to Israel to compete for this position, once he gets it, with his status, strength, the connections he built in America, and his abilities, he will have both power and prestige in Israel. How could he possibly fail to gain power?

It's not impossible that Israel's system could be turned into something like Singapore's, with power concentrated in one person.

Therefore, the conditions offered by the Jewish community were genuine; they represented the most sincere conditions they could offer.

The reason they were able to offer this condition, besides Moses parting the sea and Lin Ran's own abilities, was that Lin Ran guessed the Star Wars program had greatly shocked them.

Because Israel is a very small country, with a small population and surrounded by pagan countries.

What they need is advanced technology to build their defense system.

Who is more suitable than Lin Ran?
If Lin Ran really comes to Israel after retiring, he can help them rebuild the most advanced defense system. In the process, can we also use the Star Wars program that America has built?
So even if Lin Ran is not Jewish and does not have Jewish blood, as long as you come, you are Jewish. Lin Ran is too good to pass up for Israel. From religion to living space, he perfectly meets their needs.

　I was out of town for the entire weekend and only got home today. I really didn't have time to write, so this is just one chapter today.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)