Chapter 725 - 337: Abundance Agenda

Roosevelt’s voice suddenly took on a mocking tone.

"But Leo, you must understand the fundamental difference between these two types of abundance. It will determine the future direction of your administration."

"Their abundance is manifested in the extreme scale and low cost of their physical output, achieved by competing relentlessly on efficiency to drive down prices."

"America’s abundance, on the other hand, is currently reflected more in the financial system’s unlimited money printing and its systematically high premiums."

Leo recalled the absurdly expensive screws he had seen in a Department of Defense budget report, and his expression darkened.

"In my time," Roosevelt recalled, "we had to pinch every penny. But in today’s massive military-industrial-governmental complex, money has lost its meaning as a scarce resource. It’s become a purely abstract accounting figure."

"It’s called cost numbness."

"In the self-perpetuating system we have now, when the government buys that bag of absurdly expensive screws, it’s not actually buying a product. It’s propping up an ecosystem."

"To ensure that factory stays in business, the government is willing to pay $700,000 for something that costs only five cents to make. That’s because the $700,000 covers the cost of maintaining employment in that electoral district, the interests of the Lobbying Group, and complex regulatory approval and compliance."

"This is actually a premium created by defensive bureaucracy," Roosevelt analyzed, his insight piercing. "To prevent corruption, the government drew up five thousand pages of procurement regulations."

"To prove this bag of screws meets various environmental, national security, and carbon footprint requirements, the supplier has to hire a hundred lawyers just to fill out the paperwork."

"The screws themselves cost a dollar. The paperwork and manpower to prove they’re compliant cost $690,000."

"When a country pursues a completely closed-loop system and self-sufficiency, it often denies market access to cheaper, more efficient foreign suppliers."

"In an internal loop with no competition, domestic suppliers become giant parasites feeding on the taxpayer."

"In this system, abundance becomes a smokescreen for corruption."

"The thinking is, ’We’re rich, so we don’t mind a little waste.’ Or, ’We need security, so we have to subsidize these inefficient domestic companies.’ The result is that this self-perpetuating cycle becomes an internal game of wealth transfer."

"The government’s high spending is, in reality, a way to legally channel ordinary taxpayers’ money into the pockets of special interest groups through absurd means, like those outrageously priced screws."

Leo rose to his feet.

The last rays of sunset had faded, and the streetlights flickered on.

’I understand now,’ Leo thought. ’In the future, I will purge those parasites from this agenda of abundance that’s sweeping across All of America.’

He finally understood. The industrial revival, the Computing Power Special Zone, and the nuclear power restart initiatives he was pushing in Pennsylvania weren’t merely local political maneuvers.

He had, in fact, put his finger on the nation’s core pulse for the coming decade.

He was taking part in building the vast state apparatus known as "Abundance."

Leo continued walking along Pennsylvania Avenue.

He saw the White House.

A white fence separated it from the street. The building at the far end of the lawn was illuminated.

It was the highest seat of power.

Leo stood outside the iron fence, gazing at the building.

The industrial power and votes he commanded in Pennsylvania gave him the standing to challenge the building’s occupant.

He turned and walked back toward his hotel.

Back in his room, he took a hot shower.

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

He didn’t think about the next day’s meeting. He needed to rest, completely.

Darkness enveloped him.

He fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

「Seven in the morning.」

His phone’s alarm rang right on time.

Leo’s eyes snapped open, and he got out of bed immediately.

He changed into a dark blue suit, knotted a dark gray tie, and stood before a full-length mirror, examining his reflection.

His suit was crisp, his energy restored.

He picked up his briefcase and walked out the door.