American Strategic Deception Bureau

　I don't care, I'm going back to Los Angeles now! I want to go home and eat turkey for Thanksgiving this year!

　Well, it just so happens that a friend of mine has become the commander of the Space Army and is holding a celebration party next week. If I hurry back, I should still be able to make it..."

　Author's words: PS: The stock market has finally taken off, but unfortunately the few stocks that my family had previously locked up are still not moving at all.

　Chapter 437: Colonel Jin, Commander of the Federation Space Force

　A week later, Los Angeles, Hollywood, the old house of the Jin family

　Despite the war raging across the ocean, the night in Los Angeles remained hazy, and various romantic stories of drunkenness and debauchery continued to unfold.

　The sun, the beach, the ocean, the bustling city, and the handsome men and beautiful women coming and going make this city a city of pleasure.

　From the luxurious Beverly Hills to the dirty and messy Compton black district, there are countless nightclubs, bars, clubs and villas, and countless parties every night. Men and women are entangled with each other, filling the city with a strong smell of hormones.

　Of course, in addition to those wild and entertaining parties where men and women have sex and take drugs, there are occasionally some more serious parties - such as promotion parties, birthday parties, and business parties, etc.: although in the end it is inevitable that they will become chaotic.

　On this day, the Kim family's old mansion in Hollywood celebrated the promotion of their youngest son, Ferry, to Commander of the Space Force. They traditionally hired a housekeeping company, ordered a custom package, and then decorated the place with lights and colors, throwing a sci-fi "space-themed party."

　In Hollywood, Los Angeles, high-end housekeeping companies specialize in serving the wealthy. They not only provide high-end daily housekeeping services for luxury villas, but also often organize high-end parties and events.

　Because, just like the lavish weddings and funerals in rural China, organizing and preparing a large party in the United States, as well as the cleanup and maintenance afterwards, is also a very troublesome task. Rich people in the United States generally do not have the energy to do it themselves, but are accustomed to "outsourcing services."

　It has to be said that the party venue arranged by professionals is very sophisticated: not only is a model of the Milky Way hung on the gate of the Jin family's old house, but hydrogen balloons in the shape of flying saucers, spaceships and octopus-headed aliens are rising above the courtyard, and even the doorman welcoming guests is dressed in an astronaut puppet costume.

　Some of the drinks on the table came in soft-serve containers, similar to those used by astronauts, while there was also authentic space food available for tasting, squeezed out like toothpaste. Furthermore, the maids and chefs hired temporarily for the party were all dressed up in sci-fi attire. There was even a robot with lights all over it pushing a food cart—only to discover later that it was actually just an empty shell, with a short Asian woman inside, carrying the shell around...

　Seeing how sci-fi and aerospace-inspired this celebration party was, Firi was initially quite surprised. Could it be that so many props and costumes had to be custom-made just for a party like this? How much would that cost?

　However, the manager of the housekeeping company smiled and told him that these things were all rented: due to the recent "space fever" pandemic, these kinds of space-themed sci-fi props have become rampant in Hollywood, and he can borrow a truckload with just one phone call!

　Moreover, because it is a science fiction themed party, apart from renting more props, there is no need to invite big stars to walk the runway, nor does it need too many handsome men and beautiful women - you can just find some ugly people to dress up as aliens or astronauts, so the cost is relatively low.

　Anyway, at today's party, as the head of the family, Father Patrick, despite being very old, still looked rosy and energetic as if he had taken drugs, smiling all the time, almost laughing to the point of showing his teeth.

　After all, Firi became the commander of the military branch this time!

　This is the commander of the space army, who is nominally on par with the commander of the navy, commander of the army, commander of the air force and commander of the marine corps!

　Just imagine, when you're chatting with old friends, you can proudly say, "My son is the commander of the space army!" How impressive is that?

　Regardless of the true power of Firi as the Commander-in-Chief of the Space Force, it sounds more impressive, more advanced, and more sci-fi than having a governor or senator in the family.

　There are fifty governors and one hundred senators in the United States, but there is only one commander of the space army!

　Then, as the object of congratulations of this party, the newly appointed commander of the Federal Space Army, Ferry naturally had to wear a neat and handsome military uniform, and stand in the courtyard with Marita, who was wearing a burgundy evening dress, to welcome all the guests, greet them and chat with them.

　Of course, most guests are just polite, but occasionally you'll encounter some troublesome guests who are not very tactful.

　For example, a few naive children kept pestering Firi, wanting to visit a space battleship that didn't exist.

　In addition, he had to explain to a kind-looking middle-aged nun why the country should spend huge amounts of money on space exploration instead of helping the poor.

　"Dear Sister Louisa, you just asked me why the Federation

　Why would the government spend billions or even tens of billions of dollars to explore the universe when there are still many children on Earth who don’t have enough food to eat and countless poor people who are living in poverty?

　I think you definitely don't want an answer like this: "Oh, I didn't know there were children starving to death. OK, from now on, all space programs will be suspended until the children have food to eat."

　In fact, just looking at the debates and arguments in Congress year after year, and the various aid plans that have been delayed in implementation even after compromise, you will know that even if all space projects are suspended, those poor children will probably still not have enough food to eat.

　What's more, compared with our country's huge annual expenditure, space exploration really only accounts for a very small proportion.

　Currently, the US federal government's annual budget is approximately $600 billion, of which $400 billion is for military spending, and the remaining $200 billion is allocated to healthcare, education, welfare, urban development, highways, transportation, environmental protection, science and technology, agriculture, and other projects. The Apollo moon landings, on the other hand, cost less than $20 billion over eight years, an average of just $3 billion per year, representing only 2% of the annual budget.

　Instead of taking money out of the space exploration budget to help hungry children and suffering poor people, it would be better to save some military spending!

　At the very least, through space exploration, we can launch more satellites to better understand our home planet. In orbit far above Earth, satellites can scan vast swathes of land in a very short time. They can simultaneously observe and calculate multiple indicators essential for crop growth, including soil, drought, rain and snow, and pests and diseases. From the sky, we can see many things we can't see from the ground.

　It turns out that even the simplest agricultural satellites can increase annual crop yields by tens of billions of dollars.

　Space travel, a challenging undertaking, cannot directly solve the problems of poverty and famine. However, the numerous new technologies and methods it brings can still benefit humanity. If we want human life to continue to improve, we need the continuous advancement of science and technology.

　But if we want science and technology to continue to progress, we must have a grand ideal and a lofty goal, otherwise mankind will only stagnate.

　Before the space race began, human activities that played a similar role were world wars and arms races!

　Sister Louisa, do you think it is better for countries to compete with each other in terms of the tonnage of warships and the number of nuclear bombs, or in terms of the performance of spacecraft?

　The winner of the competition will not have blood on his hands, the loser will not have his home destroyed, hatred will not accumulate, and no war will be triggered.

　Compared with the great significance of world peace and scientific and technological progress, the expenses of the space race are really not worth mentioning."

　"But doesn't your appointment as commander of the Federation Space Forces itself mean bringing war and the arms race into space?"

　Despite Ferry's eloquent and eloquent words, Sister Louisa was clearly not so easily fooled. "The Vietnam War across the Pacific has already been hard on the United States. If there's another space war with the Soviet Union, it's simply too much for them to handle!"

　I don't want to see an atom bomb explode in orbit above my head!"

　"Ah, the Pentagon has no plans to fight the Soviets in space, and I, the Space Force Commander, have no combat troops under my command. Just like Columbus, who discovered America, was also an admiral. But he never fought a single naval battle for the Kingdom of Spain."

　(When Columbus was still in his hometown of Genoa, he was suspected of having fought against Venetians and North African pirates as a small fry.)

　"But it's still a complete waste of money and does nothing for world peace. Besides, if NASA were to launch agricultural and weather satellites to benefit humanity, I might believe it. But you and the newly formed Federation Space Forces only launch warships and space artillery into the sky..."

　In short, Ferry and Sister Louisa talked for a long time, but neither of them could convince the other.

　Firi believes that having a big goal for the country is better than just getting by; Louisa firmly believes that the country should recuperate and use the money to improve people's livelihood.

　Well, even if we want to improve people's livelihood, giving money and bread directly to the poor doesn't seem right no matter how you think about it, right?

　But there is no way. Early white leftists like Sister Louisa, who were compassionate, can be considered very reasonable.

　If it were the younger generation of white leftists half a century later, they would really just be unreasonable and use nonsense to deceive people with their rhetoric.

　A common characteristic of the European and American left in later generations is that they like to create a false and empty goal that is impossible to achieve, such as "world peace" and "zero carbon emissions", etc., and then around this goal, they constantly raise various empty questions, such as love, peace, tolerance, banning meat eating, etc. They live completely in fantasy, use a set of bizarre standards that they don't even believe in to discipline others, and at the same time fill it with all kinds of personal opinions.

　This type of person is only suitable for chanting scriptures and empty talk, and must never be in power. If they are allowed to do actual work, the result can only be a mess.

　Even worse, Western white leftists generally have a "fairy-like" mentality of "never admit defeat" and never play by the rules. Even if they lose, they'll continue to stir up trouble and make trouble, making the winner feel uncomfortable in order to enhance their own united front value...

　Therefore, it is better to cherish the present situation where even the leftists can reason with you calmly instead of fabricating charges against you as soon as they meet.

　Time!

　"You just said it very well, Commander. Humanity really needs to leave the cradle of the Earth."

　Just as the two were parting on bad terms, Hugh Hefner, who had just returned from Vietnam, approached with a glass of sparkling wine and said with a chuckle, "But does NASA really have such lofty ideals and missions today? Do you want to turn the space race into the Olympics of our time?"

　"Of course not, although there was once an idea of ​​a 'space handshake', which was to have the Apollo spacecraft and the Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft dock in low-Earth orbit, and then the astronauts of the two countries would shake hands in space, similar to the 'Christmas Truce' on the Western Front of World War I.

　But since our army carried out a nuclear bomb in Hanoi, the easing of US-Soviet relations came to an end, and the space handshake became nonsense.

　In reality, NASA's only real goal now is to invent new schemes to raise more money, thereby increasing its own funding and staffing. But now that even the Apollo moon landing is over, the next round of budget cuts will undoubtedly affect space exploration spending.

　Ferry shook his head and smiled bitterly, "But to be honest, those bastards at NASA really need to live a hard life..."

　Don't be fooled by how he just spoke of space exploration in such a grandiose way. But NASA in this era and time is truly a culmination of the worst of all worlds: the overstaffing of state-owned enterprises, the nepotism of private enterprises, the lack of accountability in collective enterprises, and the falsification of bureaucratic circles...

　Therefore, Firi expressed strong support for the federal government's decision to slash NASA's space exploration funding immediately after the Apollo moon landing.

　——The moon landing hoax was already enough to worry him. If he was to pull off a Mars landing hoax in the future, he wouldn't be able to handle it!

　"Huh? As the commander of the Space Force, you actually agree to cut funding? Oh, that's right, NASA is NASA, and the Space Force is the Space Force."

　Hugh Hefner, the current U.S. ambassador to South Vietnam and owner of Playboy, nodded in understanding, his glass in hand. "But you're now the commander of the Space Force. Why is your rank still only colonel? I thought the Pentagon should have promoted you to general, at least."

　He pointed to the colonel rank on Ferry's shoulder straps and asked curiously.

　"..." Fili, whose sore spot was touched, was speechless for a moment.

　——As the commander-in-chief of the Federation Space Army, his military rank is only colonel. This is the biggest pain in His Excellency Ferry King's heart at the moment.

　It’s so embarrassing to tell anyone about it!

　At least he should be a general, right?

　In the future, transgender people and men with beards who dress like women will be able to rise to the top and become four-star generals easily. With all the hard work I have done for the Kennedy family over the years, how come I still don’t even deserve a star?

　"Well, the President has already promised to promote me to brigadier general. But the Pentagon said they have to go through the formalities, and it seems someone is deliberately delaying the process. So, the President asked me to be the commander of the Space Force first. Anyway, my Space Force is relatively small right now, so it doesn't matter if the commander is just a captain."

　After a moment's silence, Firi said with a self-deprecating smile.

　——Speaking of which, Firi, the commander of the space army, is really even more shabby than the commander of the Mongolian navy.

　The future commander of the Mongolian Navy was able to put together a lineup of the "Seven Warlords of the Sea", with seven people, three ships and a cannon. His flagship was the famous Fishing King, the "Sukhbaatar" that appeared in "Warship Girls R".

　And what about Firi? He didn't even have a single satellite under his control, let alone a spacecraft!

　Even the headquarters of the Federal Space Force existed only in his imagination. Although he would have an office of his own in the Pentagon in the future—it hadn't been prepared yet, and he would have to wait and see when it was vacated—at least for now, he truly had no place in Washington.

　In addition to having no residence or office, he also had no project funds and even no clear goals.

　Because President Kennedy had clearly told him that due to the government's current high debt, huge deficit, and massive military spending, he shouldn't expect the White House to invest a single cent in the space force in the next one or two years, aside from basic office expenses and staff salaries!

　And wait a year or two? Sorry, the commander of the Federation Space Force will surely have been replaced by then, maybe even twice. US ambassadors stationed in hotspots generally rotate annually, and the commander of the Space Force is about the same. You don't want to serve a second term as president, do you?

　Therefore, Firi, the first commander of the Federal Space Army, was destined to be a commander with nothing but gilded military power.

　Moreover, even if he wanted to do something in this position, he currently does not even have the power and budget to recruit new personnel.

　——Because the formation of a space army is just a gimmick at the moment, the president has no intention of seriously forming a space army!

　Given the current capabilities of the Apollo spacecraft, are we going to use it to fight a space war? Is this a joke?

　Besides, the country has no money now!

　The only task President Kennedy gave him was to find someone to design the Space Force's flag, anthem, emblem, and uniforms during his term, and to gather scientists and science fiction writers to conduct preliminary theoretical discussions on the establishment of a space force.

　In short, it is to make a PPT of the Space Army and publicize it to deceive people.

　Even if it's over.

　Of course, the advantage is that Firi, the commander of the space army, can use the name of the Federal Space Army to do some private work, such as hiring some literary and artistic workers to serve as space army consultants, or awarding the title of "Space Army Designated Certification" to the products of some food companies and home appliance companies, etc.

　But ultimately, these tactics were a bit of a mess. The commander's rank was only colonel, which gave people the impression of a makeshift team—even though Firi didn't even have a makeshift team.

　So, after reluctantly explaining a few words, Fili changed the subject and turned the blame back to Hefner: "Mr. Hefner, I heard that there have been a lot of nuclear explosions in Saigon recently, and the radiation pollution is serious. It's really hard for you!

　However, I remember that your ambassadorial term will not end until next spring. I wonder when you plan to return?"

　Now, it was the turn of Playboy owner Hugh Hefner to look so ugly that his face turned pale...

　Chapter 438: Everyone Has an A-Bomb! Global Nuclear Weapons Proliferation! (Happy National Day!)

　With the United States' intercontinental missile nuclear explosions on the North Vietnamese capital Hanoi and other cities, and the Soviet Union generously opening its nuclear arsenal and providing North Vietnam with various miniature nuclear weapons, the Vietnam War in this dimension finally escalated further in the second half of 1969, and completely reached the extremely high intensity of a local nuclear war.

　International observers around the world watched in awe as an unprecedentedly brutal "nuclear guerrilla war" was waged. Nuclear warheads from US intercontinental missiles and nuclear bombs carried by strategic bombers continuously bombarded major cities and transportation hubs in North Vietnam, as well as Viet Cong strongholds in the South. The Viet Cong, in turn, upgraded their human and car bombs to human nuclear bombs and vehicle-mounted nuclear weapons, frequently attacking US military bases.

　Generally speaking, the US military "fired rockets" at the communist sphere of influence in North Vietnam at an average frequency of one intercontinental nuclear missile per week.

　While ICBMs are expensive, all weapons need to be upgraded. The early versions of the Minuteman land-based ICBMs are already outdated. The Pentagon believes that using them directly on the battlefield is more valuable than scrapping them.

　On the other hand, the Vietnamese army also "planted small mushrooms" against the US and South Korean troops stationed in Vietnam at an average frequency of two or three "suicide nuclear explosions" per week.

　Although on one side is a hydrogen bomb with a TNT equivalent of millions of tons, and on the other side is a miniature atomic bomb with a TNT equivalent of thousands of tons, their lethality is completely disproportionate.

　However, the fighting spirit of the Viet Cong fighters fighting on their home soil and the American soldiers fighting on foreign expeditions was also completely unequal.

　Imagine this: American soldiers crossed the vast Pacific Ocean to a foreign land on the other side of the world to fight for some inexplicable "free system." They thought they could show off their might in front of the "barbarians," only to discover: the natives were using nuclear bombs!

　All the advanced equipment that he was proud of in his hands would be turned into dust in the face of the mushroom cloud rising from the nuclear bomb explosion!

　Although the Pentagon has more and more powerful nuclear bombs to kill the enemy, what is the point for me who has already been defeated?

　Then, in the face of the Viet Cong's nuclear attack, the US military's helicopter jumping operations, armored forces crushing and attack aircraft licking the ground all became pale in comparison - as long as the Vietnamese soldiers carrying miniature nuclear mines are prepared to exchange their lives for others, which US military base can't be destroyed by nuclear bombs?

　And it is completely impossible to prevent any suspicious Vietnamese from approaching the US military bases on the front line in Vietnam...

　Putting aside other things, even among the South Vietnamese puppet army that the United States supported financially and manpower, who knows how many Vietcong spies were lurking?

　Besides, even if the US military base can be fenced off and grow on its own, can the American soldiers inside not leave?

　Therefore, during the "nuclear war" in the past few months, the US troops stationed in Vietnam suffered unprecedented casualties. In just three months, more than 50,000 people were killed in the battle, and more than 300,000 were injured and suffered radiation sickness. If they could not afford the extraordinary treatment of the "Tantric Master", the rest of their lives would be over.

　Such a horrific current situation and bleak future made the usually simple-minded American soldiers start thinking.

　Why did these American soldiers, forcibly conscripted, die in the thousands on this strange land? For a few slogans from their masters? Or to develop the assets of the United Fruit Company? They were not entitled to any dividends, yet were forced to die first?

　Damn it, I quit! Even if I shoot the supervisory team and the military police, it's better than charging towards the mushroom cloud with my own hands!

　In this desperate atmosphere, not to mention ordinary soldiers, even the commander of the US forces in Vietnam and the US ambassador were in danger of losing their lives.

　——Unless you "imprison yourself" and stay in the bunker all day long, who can withstand the attack of a nuclear bomb?

　Mr. Hefner, the ambassador to Vietnam, fled back to the United States in November without a care in the world. General Taylor, the commander of the US forces in Vietnam, was knocked over by the blast of an atomic bomb at Bien Hoa Airport. From then on, he never dared to go out to inspect the troops again. He just sat in his office, taking drugs and becoming a stay-at-home.

　In comparison, the Vietcong suffered even greater losses and faced a more dire situation, but they had no choice but to surrender their land to the United Fruit Company and become slaves for generations, or fight to the death under the threat of a nuclear explosion. Anyone with a bit of backbone would know what to do.