I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 109 America always brings tears to my eyes.
Logan's "fireside chat" had a huge impact that caught many people off guard.

Those colleagues who had once mocked The Sun as an "animal newspaper" or a "cat and dog weekly" were initially unconvinced.

Surely not that many people really think Logan is good enough to be president, right? No way!

So some media outlets conducted public opinion polls, and the results shocked many people!
In a wide range of opinion polls, Logan's approval rating is indeed higher than that of the incumbent president, Harding!
In other words, if Logan were to run for president now, he could very well win the White House!
The reason given was utterly absurd: "A man who loves small animals can't be too bad as president!"
Damn Fuck!

What happened to this world?
Is loving animals really a criterion for judging a good president?
Although it is known that this level of support will not last long and will dissipate once this wave of enthusiasm subsides, the impact on the upper-class elites is very real.

After a painful period of reflection, the media elites suddenly had a flash of insight: reporting on small animals was actually the perfect choice with the lowest risk!
The public discourse is driven by emotions, not by reason.

But in the current situation, it is too dangerous to fuel racial antagonism!

The reason why people could play like this in the past was because Black people were very docile and dared not fight back no matter how much they were oppressed. Wasn't that just taking out their frustrations on Black people when society was under some pressure?
God knows how much courage a "divine fire" that was almost "punishing only white people" gave to Black people, making them dare to resist.

Rebellion is fine, but if it harms the property of the white gentlemen, then it cannot be allowed to continue.

—If something like the New York Harbor explosion happens a few more times, no capitalist can stand it!
From this perspective, small animals are different—they can't speak, they can't resist, and their furry appearance easily evokes people's love and sympathy, making them perfect tools for guiding public opinion.

As a result, the American public discovered that, quietly, rescuing small animals had become a standard feature of media coverage of disasters.

At first, it was just a decorative element, inserting reports of small animals being rescued after normal disaster news.

Gradually, reports and photos of small animals in the disaster area being rescued began to appear on the front page, just like in The Sun.

Finally, the news about the disaster relief efforts shifted to featuring small animals, with even the media jumping on the bandwagon. One family would present a "heroic cat that survived the fire," another a "heroic dog that bravely rescued its owner from the flames," and yet another a "legendary hamster that survived being trapped in the ruins for three days and three nights"...

However, politicians acted even faster than the media.

A Missouri state legislator was the first to arrive at the fire scene, half-embracing a smoke-blackened fawn, and tearfully addressed the camera: "Look, we are not powerless against this disaster; we are doing our best to save every life!"

Not to be outdone, a senator from Kansas personally fed a rescued dog in the rubble, accompanied by a touching statement in the accompanying photo: "In the puppy's clear eyes, I saw gratitude. Who says animals don't have feelings?"

The most outrageous announcement came from the mayor of Florida, who had no connection to the area whatsoever. He declared the formation of a "Special Animal Rescue Fire Brigade," equipped with the latest gear, to go to the disaster area specifically to rescue affected animals.

When asked if this team would affect regular rescue efforts, the mayor replied solemnly, "Every life deserves respect!"

Soon, politicians, from local councilors to members of Congress, joined the “save the animals” campaign.

What a great opportunity for exposure!

The key point is that it can both highlight their image as animal lovers and cover up the government's ineffective disaster relief efforts, making it a win-win situation!
Politicians privately marveled at how President Logan, or rather, Mr. Logan, had managed to carve out such a harmless yet highly cost-effective propaganda channel!

For firefighters, it's even simpler.

Saving a person can take hours, involve risking one's life, and in the end, no one will remember it.

Save a cat, a dog, or even a mouse? You could be making national headlines in half an hour!
Why would I bother going through all that trouble to rescue people?

Quick! Go find the cat and dog right now!
Of course, not all firefighters would choose to save animals over people.

But there are always firefighters who prioritize rescuing cats and dogs, which makes the news and earns them praise from all sides.

If this happens a few more times, who can accept it?

I'm not saying I won't save people anymore, but shouldn't I at least pay some attention to poor little animals while I'm saving people?

The key is that the public genuinely supports it.

We Americans are too kind-hearted to bear too many human tragedies!

We cannot shift our hatred now, because that would only lead to more human tragedies!
You should care more about animals!

Seeing these adorable little creatures rescued brought peace to everyone's hearts and a sense of spiritual upliftment! The world was filled with hope once again!

This collective mentality spread rapidly.

People would rather focus on heartwarming stories of animal rescues than confront the real casualties and losses caused by the disaster; they would rather be moved by furry little creatures than think about the social problems and government dereliction of duty behind the disaster.

The newspapers weren't initially focused on rescuing small animals, but the public voted with their feet, and even the most serious newspapers had to follow suit.

Moreover, America has never lacked people with good intentions.

In this atmosphere, various animal protection organizations quickly sprang up and were established.

These animal protection organizations firmly believe that "animals also have feelings, pain, and fear, and protecting animals is the highest virtue of humanity!"

They weren't just talking; they mobilized their resources and rushed to the disaster area to carry out an "unprecedented animal rescue operation" in human history!
What? You're asking them if they'll save people in the disaster area?
Bold!

Are you insulting people or small animals?

Don't you know that all life is equal?
And so, America was swept up in a nationwide wave of emotion as "another animal has been rescued." Newspapers featured the good news of animal rescues on their front pages every day, radio broadcasts were filled with touching stories of animal rescues, and people talked about the latest rescued animal stars during their leisure time.

It's as if the fire that burned down the city, set the forest ablaze, and devoured countless lives was just a backdrop.

Believe it or not, a miracle really happened!

The fire tornado once again broke out of Missouri and entered Arkansas.

But by this point, the fire tornado had finally exhausted all its energy and stopped its rampage across four states.

It left behind shocking scars: hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land were directly affected by the fire, hundreds of thousands of residents were displaced, the number of missing and dead was difficult to count, and the economic losses were comparable to a small war...

But none of that matters anymore.

Most importantly, hundreds of animals, big and small, were rescued!

Hope triumphed over fear!

Look, isn't this fire of divine punishment going out?
America wins!
It was at this time that President Harding finally returned to the White House from his vacation, bringing this disaster to an end.

In a national address, he solemnly declared: "Under God's protection, the American people, through their spirit of self-reliance and their great relief efforts that never gave up hope, have overcome this terrible natural disaster!"

“In this disaster, countless heroic figures have emerged, worthy of our praise and remembrance. Therefore, after discussion, I have decided to establish the ‘Presidential Citizen Medal’ to be awarded to American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds or served their country or fellow citizens…”

The White House then announced the carefully selected list of winners.

The award recipients included firefighters who sacrificed their lives in the rescue (everyone observed a moment of silence), civil servants who "exhausted themselves" in the fire (everyone grimaced), firefighters and volunteers who rescued the most small animals (everyone argued), and, unsurprisingly, Logan, who "led the people to unite as one" (everyone cheered)!

The third category has the highest proportion, making it seem as if the president is making a silent statement: "I actually love small animals too, so I'm not doing a bad job as president, am I?"

Logan: ...

To be honest, Logan was completely stunned, from head to toe, he was numb!

At first, I was just trying my best to perform.

Finally, everyone gave their all in their performance.

In the very end, the entire United States was complicit in this self-indulgent sentimentality.

For a time, Logan seriously doubted whether he had traveled back in time to 21st-century America!

But ultimately, this is indeed America in the 1920s!

This is an era without the internet, where everyone cannot have a voice!
Those lives lost in the disaster can indeed be selectively forgotten, because Americans are moved by the hundreds of animals that have been saved.

Those deep-seated social divisions can indeed be ignored because everyone sees a superficial restoration of national unity (?).

The enormous losses caused by the fire can truly go unnoticed, because those who want to ask questions are silenced, and those who can speak out are busy celebrating their victory over "divine punishment"...

Logan was greatly impressed; America in the 1920s was so eager to learn and so capable of evolving!
……

The award ceremony was held in Washington, D.C.

President Harding personally presented Logan with the medal.

Logan finally saw President Harding in person.

You know what, just looking at his appearance, the president has a angular face and an extraordinary demeanor. His eyes always reveal a kind and benevolent gaze. Unlike those hypocritical politicians who deliberately put on fake smiles, his expression seems to be a genuine expression of his heart.

Therefore, when he called Logan "the conscience of America" ​​and had "a heart of gold," there was absolutely no trace of acting in his words.

Perhaps, in the president's eyes, he really is just a patriotic young man who loves animals?

stretch!
In the eyes of the reporters, the handsome and dignified president, standing next to the dashing Logan, was simply the best representation of the current and future presidents of the United States!
When interviewed by reporters, Logan broke down in tears, his voice choked with emotion: "America always brings tears to my eyes! I'm ashamed that my contributions to America haven't been great enough..."

This is a heartfelt expression, absolutely genuine, without any pretense.

The sheer wonder of America moved him deeply.

You all make me feel like I'm falling behind!
The reporters couldn't help but sense his sincerity and praised him, saying, "He truly deserves to be called the young man with a pure heart, just as the president described. He's done so much and yet remains so humble..."

"This is so touching!"

……

(End of this chapter)