American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Therefore, during the Great Depression after 1929, despite one-tenth of the American population becoming unemployed and the emergence of the Nazi group known as the "Silver Shirts," due to the people's lack of martial virtue and their unbearable depravity, those fleeing famine in their cars never became large-scale bandits, let alone the ability to capture cities—even ordinary police could stop them with batons, arrest them, or drive them away!

　Three sticks shatter the cowboy spirit! Wall Street's gratitude is endless!

　But now that the United States has become a global empire, the size of its military has naturally soared. Due to the recent end of the Vietnam War and the Civil War, the number of U.S. Army and National Guard troops swelled to a peak of 3 million last year—though it has now been rapidly reduced to less than 1 million. However, the 2 million veterans who have been exported to society have not forgotten their combat skills and experience in killing.

　What's more, in the not-too-distant World War II, 10 million Americans served in the war, and now it has only been more than 20 years since the end of World War II. Many veterans of World War II are still alive and have retained their weapons and medals, and their memories of the former world war are still fresh.

　Now, so many experienced warriors are suddenly unemployed, bankrupt, and without pensions, under the impact of the super-financial crisis... The banks are even taking away their homes and driving them out onto the streets as homeless people...

　Do you think they will surrender docilely or take up arms and fight to the death?

　Especially since the Nixon administration in Washington today is theoretically an illegal government that was not elected?

　"So what? Without the organization and order of the army, they are just a group of thugs."

　After hearing Ferry's account, Colonel Haig disagreed. "As an ancient Greek philosopher said, a mob is not an army, just as a pile of building materials is not a house. Even if they gather together to cause trouble, as long as the government is determined, they can be easily defeated.

　Wasn't Washington's army of veterans easily dispersed by MacArthur's tanks and cavalry?

　"It's true that a group of retired veterans can't defeat the regular army, but they don't need to go head-to-head with the army."

　Fili nodded first, then shook his head. "When they were defending the fortress, the advantage of the regular army was wiped out."

　"A fortress? Where can they find a fortress to hold? This is the continental United States, where there hasn't been a war in a hundred years!"

　Colonel Haig curled his lips. "You're not talking about those forts left over from the Civil War, are you? As far as I know, except for the few that have been converted into museums, the rest have long since collapsed or been demolished. Besides, what use are the forts from that time still today?"

　"Alas, you are mistaken, Colonel Haig. They have no fortresses above ground, but they have plenty underground!"

　Fili sighed, "Have you forgotten the many shelters that the American people have built over the past decade?

　When a nuclear war breaks out and the United States becomes a radioactive wasteland, these shelters will become the spark that continues human civilization; but when World War III does not break out and the United States falls into civil unrest, these underground shelters will become solid strongholds for the rebels!

　No matter from which angle you look at it, these underground shelters with complete defense facilities are much harder to attack than the barricades in Paris!"

　Shelter?! Holy shit! How could I forget about this?

　After hearing this, Colonel Haig's eyes widened, his mind shuddered, and his thoughts went blank.

　"Colonel Haig, do you know? Over the past decade or so, over a million underground shelters have been built across the United States. Over 80% of them were built privately, many directly in their own backyards. America is now rife with bunkers!

　Do you think these shelters, which can withstand the shockwaves of a nuclear explosion, can withstand a surprise attack by the police and the National Guard?"

　Firi continued to talk, "Moreover, these shelters not only have turtle shells, but also are huge arsenals.

　As far as I know, even if most shelters in the country didn't have time to stockpile biscuits and canned food, they certainly stockpiled guns and bullets. The number of rocket launchers and submachine guns currently stockpiled by civilians may be more than the number of equipment currently in service in the US military!

　A shelter like this, with its robust defenses, ample supplies, and powerful firepower, is as troublesome as the island fortifications built by the Japanese during the Pacific War! If there are a few retired veterans guarding it, how can you expect the police to help the bank repossess the house? Will they fill the shelter with poison gas?

　As for Snow White's dark skin, people have been complaining about it for years, and there's nothing more to say.

　But I still don’t understand. Disney already has an IP of a black princess Tiana (The Princess and the Frog). Why, after so many years of political correctness, has it refused to make a live-action version of The Princess and the Frog, and instead insisted on changing the skin color of other princesses?

　The background of "The Princess and the Frog" still takes place in the United States, so it should be more down-to-earth.

　Chapter 598: Intelligence Leak! The Country is Leaking from the Top!

　In the first half of the 20th century, there were basically no military fortresses and modern fortifications in the continental United States.

　——The smoke of the Civil War had long since dissipated with the wind, and the last resistance of the Indians also came to an end in the second half of the 19th century.

　In every subsequent war the US participated in, the US military took the initiative, crossing seas to invade foreign countries, and never again allowed an enemy to set foot on the American mainland. Similarly, the US also experienced no large-scale domestic armed conflict, keeping the vast majority of Americans away from the flames of war.

　With no powerful enemies to the north or south of the country and a vast ocean serving as a moat to the east and west, cities in the United States are undefended and have no military defense plans, let alone fortified cities. Similarly, there are not many bunkers and fortresses in the countryside of the United States.

　In this way, the risk of armed separatism among the American people is eliminated invisibly, leaving potential rebels with no strongholds to defend.

　In other countries, eliminating the potential for local separatism often requires a lot of effort to achieve.

　After the end of the Japanese Warring States Period, the Tokugawa shogunate, which established the Edo period, issued the "One Country, One Castle Order," which mandated that all vassal states destroy their own castles. Even the vassal states' own castles required shogunate approval for repairs. The purpose was to eliminate the foundation for local forces to rebel against the central government. This left the country largely defenseless, leaving potential rebels without ready-made fortresses to use.

　Similarly, since the US mainland is completely defenseless, even if a small-scale rebellion breaks out, the rebels have no strongholds to exploit. Faced with an attack by government forces, these unarmed rabble-rousing forces, without fortifications, will inevitably collapse at the first sign of trouble, unable to become a persistent force.

　This defenseless situation of the U.S. mainland did not change until the "Sputnik Moment" in 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched the first artificial satellite into space. At that time, all walks of life in the United States were in panic, because after decades, the United States once again faced the threat of a possible attack from hostile forces on its mainland. People generally worried that a Soviet nuclear bomb would one day fall from their heads and burn their homes to ashes.

　The oceans on either side of the United States, once a source of comfort for isolationists, now seem like fordable streams.

　President Eisenhower publicly encouraged people to dig holes in their backyards and stockpile canned goods—only to find that more people chose to stockpile guns.

　Construction companies across the United States began to launch their home shelters. In the 1950s, Americans only had to pay a maximum of two or three thousand dollars to own a doomsday home that looked pretty good - with brightly colored concrete walls, grass-green plastic carpet, cleverly concealed entrances and vents, as well as separate water filters, generators, and Geiger counters for measuring radiation.

　There are even more American handicraft masters who are dissatisfied with the standard shelters provided by construction companies. They would rather make their own plans and use the time after get off work every day to "move mountains" bit by bit to build a more luxurious underground shelter in their backyard.

　——If it were after the Cold War, this kind of unauthorized construction would definitely not be approved, but during the Cold War, no one cared.

　Otherwise, President Eisenhower and President Kennedy had just made speeches encouraging the whole nation to dig shelters and stockpile supplies, and the court announced that digging shelters required approval and payment of fees, and stockpiling supplies was also illegal - isn't this tantamount to forcing a major battle between the White House and the court?

　This grand movement involving the whole nation to dig deep into the earth and build large-scale shelters has been going on vigorously for more than ten years.

　For Americans today, a "hole in the backyard" has almost become a standard feature of middle-class families.

　The richer ones are also keen to spend money to build their underground castles and underground palaces - which is always more positive than building luxurious mausoleums.

　By the early 1970s, refuges of all kinds were hidden throughout the United States, from the lush forests of the Appalachian Mountains to the shores of the Great Lakes, from the scorching deserts of Arizona to the bayou swamps of Louisiana.

　Although these shelters are not as tall, conspicuous, eye-catching, and intimidating as the castles of medieval Europe and the Japanese shogunate era, they are hidden deep underground, and even the entrances are carefully camouflaged. However, their actual functions are basically the same as those of historical military fortresses - they also have strong defenses and strong self-sustaining capabilities, which can deter attackers and make them helpless against those hiding inside.

　exhibition.

　Furthermore, civilian shelters in the United States are generally well-equipped with firepower. For the average American, building a shelter presents a daunting challenge: when a nuclear bomb strikes and the shelter is activated, what will happen to those neighbors who haven't had the foresight to build their own shelters? Once you're in your own shelter, with no room for your neighbors, you'll have to lock them out. And those neighbors might be armed. Therefore, you, hiding in the shelter, must use force to expel those who are not there.

　Therefore, every decent shelter had a large stockpile of firearms and ammunition, even simple bullet reloading equipment. They also had firing slits installed at the entrances. Some large shelters even had electrically powered automatic machine gun turrets installed at the entrances, and the perimeters were wired with electric fences or stockpiled with mines.

　Now, the Third World War has not broken out, but the financial crisis and wave of bankruptcies have already arrived on the land of the United States of America.

　So, as a sudden bankrupt, would you choose to let the bank take your house and all your assets, leaving you to become a homeless person on the streets? Or would you quickly pack up your belongings, take your family and hide in a luxurious underground shelter, hoping to see if there's a chance of recovery after a while?

　No matter how you think about it, it's better to hide in a shelter first than to become a homeless person, right?

　Then, once these bankrupt debtors hide in the shelter, it will be very difficult for the police to catch them again.

　——Speaking of this, Fili couldn't help but think of an old movie called "Tunnel Warfare" and the passionate lyrics: "Tunnel Warfare. Hey, Tunnel Warfare, ambushing millions of divine soldiers"...

　How should I put it? Compared to the earthen tunnels used during the Anti-Japanese War, the facilities and equipment in America's underground shelters are undoubtedly far more advanced.

　Although these American civilian shelters are generally not interconnected, they cannot immediately form an anti-raid combat network.

　But if the owners of the shelters can unite and cooperate with each other, it seems that it is not completely impossible...

　He quickly shook his head to drive away the messy thoughts in his mind, and then continued: "Colonel Haig, I used to be in the shelter business. Therefore, no one knows better than me how difficult these shelters are!

　Let me put it this way: during the Pacific War more than 20 years ago, the Japanese tunnel positions faced by our Marine Corps predecessors at Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Saipan were probably not as strong as the shelters in China!

　Ferry said to Colonel Haig, whose face was becoming increasingly ugly,

　If these underground shelters for home use can meet the three-defense standards, then under normal circumstances, even the shock wave of a nuclear bomb will not be able to break these turtle shells and drive the owners out of the shelter!

　In this case, if ordinary troops with only conventional firepower were to conquer these sturdy underground fortresses, it would be even more difficult..."

　"Although the Japs held their ground tenaciously on the island, the Marines still managed to take down their fortifications," Colonel Haig argued.

　"Yes, you are right. Even the strongest bunker can be taken. But what is the cost?"

　Ferry curled his lips. "Colonel Haig, if every police eviction operation was a miniature Battle of Iwo Jima, to what extent would the cost of operations and the death rate of police officers soar? Would anyone still be willing to be a police officer by then?"

　You can't just forcibly recruit prisoners from prison as special police and order murderers to attack the shelter in police uniforms? That would be too hellish!

　Furthermore, if we choose to do what the Marines did on the Pacific islands, we could bring out flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, bombers, howitzers, tanks, and even poison gas bombs, and launch special operations against various shelters in the United States.

　Even if we win, what will we gain in the end except a pile of corpses and ruins? Will public order only become more chaotic?

　As he spoke, he imagined the American soldiers and police storming thousands of shelters every day like playing whack-a-mole under machine gun fire... Well, this scene is definitely more lively than the New York in the Marvel world and Gotham in the DC world, with the fighting going on every day in a trance.

　The only good thing is that American civil engineers no longer have to worry about not having work to do. They can tear cities down and rebuild them at will! There are too many orders!

　But the question is, can the US economy sustain such frequent, large-scale civil wars? Risk-averse investors will likely flee immediately!

　Although, like what the Nixon administration is doing now, recklessly attacking its allies and bombing other places with nuclear warheads to make them even more chaotic than the United States, thereby making the United States, where street fighting is taking place every day, appear relatively safe, this is also a very ridiculous way of solving problems...

　——It doesn’t matter if I make my country miserable, as long as other countries become hell on earth!

　However, even if capital has nowhere to escape, the capitalist mode of production itself cannot withstand such crazy social unrest.

　The result will likely be the evaporation of capital, the complete collapse of industrial chains, and a significant decline in productivity across the capitalist world... How should I put it? It feels like the collapse of the Roman Empire and the advent of the Dark Ages.

　"I don't think it's that serious. Putting aside the ignorant masses at the bottom of society, those respectable people still respect the law..."

　Colonel Haig had just muttered a few words when he saw the latest local news broadcast on the TV in the cafe. It was shocking: "A bankrupt tycoon who failed in his investment fled his Beverly Hills villa before the debt collection company's thugs arrived and hid in a private refuge in the coastal mountains. He used random gunfire to repel the debt collectors and police raids, and is currently in a standoff with the police..."

　On the slightly blurry TV screen, one could see a policeman covered in blood and bandages being carried down on a stretcher, with black smoke billowing in the distance.

　Well, it seems that the American middle class may be hardworking and law-abiding in normal times, but when they go bankrupt and become homeless, their original fear of the law and the system disappears: anyway, the situation can't get worse.

　As the saying goes, "When you have a sharp weapon, you will naturally have the desire to kill" - since you clearly have a solid fortress, why would you surrender?

　Then, once the bankrupt debtor hides in an underground shelter, the ball is kicked back to the authorities.

　Sending troops to attack these numerous refuges would be a recipe for disaster. But if, seeing the opportunity presented, they were to let them go for now… well, many banks would be left with mountains of bad debts, unable to collect collateral. Faced with these "too big to fail" banks, the government would have no choice but to turn on the nuclear-powered printing press, relying on frantic "quantitative easing," or the printing of money, to bail them out.

　By then, prices, which have already been rising, will continue to soar, and inflation of several thousand percent a year will be common.

　——After thinking of this horrible possibility, Colonel Haig felt a chill in an instant.

　“The situation with the dollar is indeed bad, but it’s only temporary.”

　He murmured, holding his coffee cup, not knowing whether he was trying to convince Firi or himself, "As long as we attack the French in Africa, everything will be fine - should it be in the next few days?"

　"Well, the war will probably start the day after tomorrow. Our fleet should be almost reaching the Gulf of Guinea by now."

　Fili answered while looking at the new newspaper he had just bought from the newsboy.

　"The day after tomorrow? Wait, how do you know? Will Washington also inform us of such military secrets?" Colonel Haig asked with a frown.

　"Secret? What secret? It's already in the newspaper!"

　Ferry spread the newspaper on the table and pushed it in front of Colonel Haig. Haig looked down and his eyes suddenly went dark.

　The newspaper's front-page headline read: "Our four aircraft carrier battle groups, along with 30,000 landing troops, are on an expedition to the Gulf of Guinea in Africa! Expected to engage in a showdown with the French Navy! The world's largest naval battle since World War II is about to begin!"

　Looking more closely, the content of the news was quite detailed, even listing the numbers of the expeditionary forces, the names of the ships, and the commanders. There was even a simple map showing the main attack routes of the US military's African offensive!

　"This, is this a leak of intelligence from the top?" Colonel Haig took a deep breath and said in shock.

　"That's right. The news must have leaked from Washington. It's impossible for the grassroots personnel involved in the operation to know so much inside information."

　Fili curled his lips and said, "When the ship of the country sinks, it always leaks from the top!"

　Chapter 599: Gallic Roosters Always Raise the White Flag (Part 1)

　“Hey-isn’t this President Nixon, our favorite tough guy?

　You've almost lost all your allies in Asia, and you're still bragging?

　You said you were irreconcilable with the Bolsheviks and would lead the United States to victory, but instead you turned around and first visited Beijing and then Moscow, flattering the two red leaders in an extremely disgusting way. You really have no shame at all. Even a little girl would feel embarrassed when seeing you!

　They built so many nuclear bombs, saying it was to defend against the Soviet Union, but in fact they were hitting European allies. Is this the legendary "I hit myself"?

　Oh wow - the economy is in trouble, so they have to seize the French’s African colonies. The French representative in the United Nations is jumping up and down again!

　Tsk tsk, are you addicted to betraying and attacking your allies? Your reputation is even worse than that of Nazi Germany's great liar Goebbels!

　On the streets of Washington, the capital of the United States, Dr. Henry Kissinger, the White House National Security Advisor, was sitting in a taxi, rubbing his temples to relieve the dizziness caused by the long journey, while listening to a talk show on the car radio that mocked President Nixon. Suddenly, he felt dizzy.

　——What's worse than backstabbing an ally?

　That is, when you have already drawn your poison blade and are about to backstab your ally, someone suddenly jumps out from the side, holding a camera and pointing it at you for a global broadcast!

　Before you even stab your ally with your poisonous blade, countless bloodthirsty spectators are already discussing your backstab technique, observing the angle and force you'll use, discussing whether you've colluded with your visibly exposed enemy, and rating your backstab technique...

　This is really an outrageous opening to outrageous things - it's outrageous to the extreme!

　And when such an outrageous thing happens to you, it will almost make you fall to the ground and scratch the wall, or even have a heart attack!

　Just 48 hours ago, Dr. Kissinger, who had just recovered from a fever, flew across the Atlantic Ocean as a special envoy of the President to visit the Swedish capital Stockholm and meet with King Gustav VI of Sweden and the Swedish Prime Minister.

　Olof

　Palme expressed to them the "support and goodwill of the free world" and encouraged the Swedes to continue to fight the Soviet bear to the end, "the entire free world stands behind you"!

　As a result, before his meeting with the Swedish Prime Minister was over, the news media broke the explosive news that "the US military that had crossed the sea to attack Africa changed its course and was about to stab the French African Fleet and the Foreign Legion in the back." Then the French Elysee Palace also issued a warning statement.

　So, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, who had been having a good conversation with Dr. Kissinger just a moment ago, suddenly became furious and accused Kissinger of "wanting to repeat the Munich Conference", colluding with the Soviet Union and playing with the Swedish people like fools.

　The King of Sweden also said that "Sweden is definitely not Czechoslovakia" and he would rather surrender to the Soviet Union than be a fool to be played by others.

　Next, the two sides naturally parted ways on bad terms. Dr. Kissinger was practically driven out of Stockholm by the Swedes with a broom. On the way back to the airport, people threw garbage at his car everywhere, making him look as embarrassed as a rat crossing the street.

　Although Dr. Kissinger had experienced being disliked before, this was the first time he had felt so embarrassed as during this trip to Sweden.