2030_ The Real Story of What Happens to America - Albert Brooks [144]
And that was one more reason why the Max Leonards of the world were fed up. They were willing to work within a system if there was one. But now all anyone could talk about was California and how great China was and how maybe China would build up the rest of the country. The idea of a new America had now become only about its buildings and infrastructure. It was like someone had detonated an intellectual neutron bomb. What happened to the new America that was going to let younger people breathe and dream and not be saddled with debt? Younger people now felt as if the earthquake had set them back even more. And Max was determined to do something that even the president couldn’t do: change the focus.
* * *
When Shen Li took the stage in Miami, the audience went wild. The older folks thought he looked so handsome, especially for a Chinese man. He showed them holographic images of the new Los Angeles, and he explained his ideas of putting “care” back in health care, showing people exactly how it could be done. When he asked, “Can you remember the last time someone knew your name as soon as you walked into a clinic?” the people in the audience broke out in applause. “Never,” they responded.
And then Li turned to the elephant in the room. Their protection. And for the first time he sounded more like a lawmaker than a health minister. He told the audience that in his opinion, violence toward older people was simply unacceptable. He used facts and figures to explain to them how China had stopped this kind of violence in its tracks, and said he thought America should do the same thing. Then he uttered one line that would make people love him forever: “Getting old is a right, not a privilege, and young people must treat their elders with the respect and the dignity that they would want for themselves.”
The audience stood up and applauded for a solid minute.
At that moment, Max and his group, who were sitting in the back row, had had it. This man was the anti-Christ. What is he saying? That these old fucks need even more care? Great. Let’s keep them going until they’re two hundred and then young people can work in labor camps to make the money to feed them. They didn’t stay for the end. They went back to their motel and felt more empowered than ever. Someone had to stop this madness.
When Li finished his speech he received another standing ovation. Laura was backstage and felt as though it was her accomplishment, too. Her idea of getting him in front of this crowd had turned out perfectly.
Later that night Paul Prescott and Robert Golden held a small dinner for the Lis at one of Miami’s most exclusive restaurants. At the dinner was the governor of Florida, the mayor of Miami, Laura’s father, and another senator from Illinois.
It was Christopher Martin, Florida’s governor, who said something in jest that planted the seed that evening. After a few drinks he toasted Shen Li and said, “If Congress can finally amend the Constitution and let this guy run for president, he’ll win!” Everyone laughed and drank to the toast. But Laura Li had one of those moments that people dream about, a moment when the future is clearly laid out and all one has to do is follow it. She looked at her father, and it seemed from his expression that he had the same exact moment.
* * *
Watching Betsy Bernstein go through her daily duties as First Lady of the United States, one would never suspect that her marriage was ending. She had made a decision that she would not leave during the first term, even if it meant staying in separate bedrooms or spending more time away from the White House. But she knew she could not do this again.
She had to ask herself if it would change the way she felt about her husband if he did not choose to run for a second term. The answer was no. It wasn’t about his job or her job, it was about the feelings that had disappeared from their marriage years ago, and Betsy wanted those feelings back,