As the date for the midterm election approached, Simon's attention indeed shifted towards this event.
The 1994 midterm election was crucial in shaping the political landscape of the USA for at least the next twenty years around the turn of the millennium. It also marked a significant shift in modern American politics from neoliberalism to neoconservatism.
Explaining these so-called "isms" is not something that can be done in a few words, and Simon was primarily concerned with how they affected the Westeros system.
One key difference between the two ideologies is their stance on big businesses.
Neoliberalism strives for fairness, which led to the breakup of large corporations like AT&T and the imposition of strict antitrust regulations by the U.S. government for many years. Neoconservatism, on the other hand, values market freedom, making 1994 a turning point in the resurgence of industry monopolies in modern American history.
It's hard to judge which approach is better.
During the neoliberal era, the U.S. economy gradually lost its dynamism, contributing significantly to Japan's rise, which eventually forced the U.S. to take unconventional measures to curb Japan's threat. Similarly, the most prosperous economic boom and the most severe economic crisis in modern U.S. history both began during the neoconservative era that started in 1994.
For Simon, the latter was more conducive to the development of the Westeros system.
Over the weekend, Simon remained at Dume Point Manor, appearing to stay in, but he spent most of his time dealing with various matters related to the midterm election.
In the first-floor study of the Baker House, Simon finished a phone call with Joseph Schlapp on the East Coast, put down the receiver, and looked over at Janet, who was holding Seattle and playing a guessing game in front of a wall covered with plaques. He got up and walked over.
Janet and Seattle were playing a name-guessing game.
His daughter had looked at the plaques on the wall only a few times but could remember them all perfectly, even recalling the exact position of each name—a clear example of photographic memory.
After letting mother and daughter play for a while, Simon smiled and said, "Don't spoil Syl too much, or Mel and Nick won't be close to you in the future. After all, they're your biological children. And today is Nick's first birthday. Shouldn't you be helping with the preparations?"
Janet pointed to a spot, and as she listened to Seattle accurately name it, she affectionately kissed the little girl on the cheek. She replied nonchalantly, "Janine is handling it. We agreed long ago that I'd take Syl, and she'd take Nick."
Simon was exasperated.
Janet had once been very troubled by her inability to conceive, and during those days, she would feel an intense affection whenever she saw other people's children, even wanting to take them home to raise herself. When she finally got pregnant with Melbourne, she was excited for a while.
After Melbourne and Nicholas were born, it was as if she had completed a mission. Janet quickly lost interest in the tedious task of raising children. Melbourne had been mostly taken care of by Veronica early on, and now Jennifer was responsible. Janet's fondness for Seattle stemmed more from the natural affinity between a very smart girl and an even smarter little girl.
Ignoring her husband's expression, Janet, tired of holding Seattle, handed her over to Simon and asked, "I heard you and Joseph discussing the NRA just now?"
Holding his daughter, Simon didn't avoid the topic in front of the little girl and said, "Yes, this time the uproar is too big. Once it's over, both parties will inevitably push back. We need a scapegoat."
The Democratic Party's defeat in this midterm election was already certain.
The two plans orchestrated by the Westeros system were expected to conclude perfectly.
Now it was time to consider the aftermath.
The solution was the "Scapegoat Plan" that Simon had just discussed with Joseph Schlapp.
In this midterm election, the Westeros system had drawn a lot of attention, partly because the Clinton administration had introduced a series of gun control laws, angering the NRA, which then went to great lengths to respond.
Simon's plan was to make the NRA the scapegoat.
According to the plan, after the November 8th voting day, the Westeros system would discreetly leak various NRA plans and schemes from the past year to some pro-gun control media outlets. During this time, the Westeros system would also closely monitor gun-related incidents across the U.S., using them as "ammunition" for later public outrage.
Gun violence was rampant in the U.S.
In 1993 alone, there were over 40,000 gun incidents, excluding suicides, resulting in 13,000 deaths—a loss comparable to a large-scale war.
Thus, by exposing the NRA's role in the midterm election and highlighting the severe consequences of gun violence, the media, whether willingly or not, would quickly turn their focus on the NRA. At that point, even Congress would have to respond.
With the NRA taking the heat and drawing most of the public's ire, anyone trying to target the Westeros system would have a much harder time.
In fact, during this time, Simon had not only been working on the "Scapegoat Plan," but he had also been making other arrangements, intentionally or otherwise.
For example, the "Information Age" marketing campaign that had rapidly gained momentum since the beginning of the month.
For example, the Thanksgiving movie releases starting on November 11th.
For example, the third annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, strategically scheduled for November 12th.
All these events were designed to divert as much public attention as possible from the midterm elections.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, one of the most renowned Western strategic thinkers of the 20th century, had a famous "pacifier theory." Although rarely mentioned in the media, it had quietly spread globally.
According to Simon's memory, the pacifier theory was proposed at a global elite gathering in San Francisco in 1995, but it was still 1994.
However, Simon knew about it in advance.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the East-West confrontation that had long occupied the world's attention had disappeared, and social issues such as income inequality were becoming increasingly prominent. The 80/20 rule, where 80% of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of 20% of the population, was becoming more severe.
To prevent the marginalized 80% of the world's population from causing too much trouble for the top 20% elite, Brzezinski's solution was to give these marginalized people a "pacifier." The idea was to massively promote the entertainment industry, using movies, music, video games, and other virtual content that maximized sensory stimulation to capture the public's attention, gradually numbing their minds so that they would accept the status quo and stop thinking about issues like social injustice.
Historically, South Korea executed the pacifier theory most thoroughly and successfully.
Under the control of the chaebols, South Korea had severe social inequality, yet it remained remarkably stable. The reason, when compared to the pacifier theory, became evident. South Korea's booming entertainment industry—movies, music, video games—had an obvious effect.
Japan's cultural resurgence after its economic stagnation was largely for the same reason.
The so-called "low-desire society" in Japan twenty years later seemed like a serious social issue on the surface, but in reality, wasn't it precisely what Japan's ruling class wanted to see? With no desires and only instincts left, wasn't that the perfect condition for a content "corporate drone"?
Later on, smartphones became the next global pacifier.
Simon recalled a statistic: more than 50% of smartphone users worldwide spent over 5 hours a day on their phones. With only 24 hours in a day—8 hours for work, 8 hours for rest, 3 hours for meals—that left exactly 5 hours.
As the Westeros system grew larger, Simon almost instinctively began considering this issue.
Public opinion is like water.
It can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it—this is no empty talk.
If everyone believed that the Westeros system should be restricted, Simon would undoubtedly face significant trouble.
This required a solution.
And then Simon thought of the "pacifier theory" he had seen in his memory.
Brzezinski was undoubtedly a genius.
Long-term plans cannot be achieved overnight, but in the short term, to divert public attention and temporarily fill their minds with other things, the Westeros system could already easily accomplish this.
Hence the large-scale "Information Age" marketing campaign.
Simon hadn't explained the deeper reasons to anyone.
The official justification was, of course, to further promote the development of the new tech industry and accelerate the public's entry into the information age.
In just one week, with relentless effort, the overwhelming "Information Age" campaign effectively dominated media coverage and easily overshadowed the midterm election's prominence.
After the midterm election, the "Information Age" marketing campaign would continue. However, starting on November 11th, with multiple films hitting theaters for the Thanksgiving holiday season, there would be another nationwide spectacle for the public to enjoy.
The Angels will descend.
Who would care about the midterm election after that?
To achieve this, the third Victoria's Secret Fashion Show would receive more promotional effort than the previous two combined. Although the TV broadcast wouldn't air until November 16th, after the live event on November 12th, the mainstream media across North America would be filled with talk about the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
With all these distractions, Simon doubted many people would still focus on the midterm election.
After chatting with Janet for a while, the phone rang again. Janet took
Seattle and left while Simon continued his work.
Until evening.
Tonight, the Westeros family was hosting a birthday party for Seattle and Nicholas, who were turning one. Seattle's birthday was on November 3rd, three days earlier than her brother Nick's. However, Simon's assistant had suggested combining the birthday parties, and officially, as "twins," the two kids were also registered as being born on the same day.
Simon had no objections to this.
Since it was a children's birthday party, the guest list had been carefully curated to include only a few core members of the Westeros system. Most guests would be attending with their children.
Even though Simon generally disliked socializing at Dume Point Manor, the birthday party still ended up with more than 200 guests. Due to the onset of winter, the weather had turned cold, so the party couldn't be held outdoors. Instead, the guests had the privilege of being invited inside the Baker House.
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