American Strategic Deception Bureau

　The Soviet Union's population was always slightly larger than that of the United States, so despite its weak foundation, it was able to gradually catch up and barely achieve a strategic balance with the United States.

　Ahem, let’s get back to the topic. Now that old Europe has been stabbed in the back by the United States, it is like waking up from a dream, and there will definitely be a sense of urgency to rearm from top to bottom.

　But even France, which emphasizes independence the most, has a population far from sufficient to sustain an independent industrial system. Although France currently has a relatively independent military-industrial sector and does not have to rely on purchasing weapons from the United States, its overall economic operation is no longer able to break away from the United States.

　West Germany's population was slightly larger than France's (really, even after the division, West Germany's population was still larger than France's). But even without considering the original sin of defeat, its population was less than half that of the United States and smaller than Japan's 100 million people. Therefore, although Japan's industry was completely incomparable to Germany's during World War II, it has now surpassed Germany and ranked second in the world.

　As for countries of the level of the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Spain, there is no need to mention them.

　The only way to make Europe the world's third pole capable of competing with the United States and the Soviet Union is to move towards integration.

　Unfortunately, the Iron Curtain of the Cold War cut Europe in two, and the iron fist of the United States is always ready to crush any attempt of Europeans to unite.

　Not to mention, every European country has its own little thoughts, and with a big troublemaker like Britain standing in the way, how can they unite?

　In this chaotic situation, even if Europeans were hit by a nuclear bomb, looted, endured all kinds of unimaginable humiliation, even suffered a total collapse of their world view, outlook on life and values... what else could they do except howl a few times?

　Can't we just obediently bend over Uncle Sam's crotch, be branded as a bald eagle, and helplessly kneel down as a slave in order to survive?

　"So, in the future, European countries will become like those Hollywood starlets who like to put on airs but get taken advantage of. They complain all day long, but their bodies remain honest? They curse and swear, but they still lie down obediently and let you have your way?"

　Father Patrick thought about it and described it in the language he understood best.

　"Ahem, I'm afraid, perhaps, probably, it's about like this, right?"

　Ferry choked twice on his father's words and replied with a dry cough, "Just like the Indians in the reservation, I know they all hate white people and think that white people destroyed their hometown. But they still have no choice but to accept the status quo and are content to make money from casinos and taverns.

　Because on the one hand they are few in number and backward, and on the other hand they cannot unite. They have neither the strength nor the will to reverse the situation..."

　Hearing this analogy, everyone present had a strange look on their faces. Most white people had little sympathy for Indians. They were even happy to show off their scalping skills. But as for Europeans... whose ancestors didn't migrate from Europe? Many people still had relatives in Europe!

　Apart from anything else, the Jin family has distant relatives on the banks of the River Shannon in Ireland, and someone even came to visit Patrick's father a few years ago.

　Therefore, the metaphor of describing Europe's homeland as a future Indian reservation still makes people feel a little uncomfortable.

　However, now that the Nixon administration had committed to dropping nuclear bombs on Paris, talk of "US-European rapprochement" and "shared Western values" seemed a bit ridiculous. As a Cold War veteran, Major General Haig naturally thought of his old adversary: ​​"Old Europe can't integrate on its own, but what if the Soviet Union continues its westward advance, its steel torrent reaching all the way to the Straits of Dover? Wouldn't that be the equivalent of the unification of 'Greater Europe'? European industry combined with Soviet resources—the thought is terrifying!"

　Major General Haig argued, "The threat posed by a Red Europe is many times greater than that posed by the European Community!"

　"A Soviet-led Red Europe? Well, if it were twenty years ago, when Stalin was still alive, there might indeed have been such a risk. But now, with the complete breakdown of Sino-Soviet relations, we basically don't have to worry about it anymore.

　Under the current circumstances, if the Kremlin continues to adhere to its Soviet-style socialist path, which is becoming increasingly unpopular in Europe, and its rigid planned economic system, it will not be able to effectively integrate Europe and will only cause the entire Europe to come to a standstill.

　But if the Kremlin changes course and implements market-oriented reforms to accommodate Europe, it will not only plunge itself into ideological chaos and undermine Moscow's global appeal, but Russia will eventually become Europe's gas station and raw materials warehouse, and the center of power will shift to Germany.

　Fili shrugged. "After all, Germany is the geographical center of Europe and its natural economic hub. When Lenin and Trotsky launched the October Revolution, they were determined to place the red capital of Europe in Germany.

　But now, the Soviet leadership in the Kremlin is no longer a group of revolutionaries, but a group of bureaucrats. They're even trying to restrict the economic development of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), so how could they possibly want to see Germany rise? The Slavs haven't forgotten their old grudges from World War II!

　Speaking of this, Fili couldn't help but feel a little emotional and sigh.

　In the early days of the Cold War, the Kremlin did have

　With a strong hand, the Sino-Soviet alliance could have truly triumphed over capitalism. Even if Sino-Soviet relations cooled, maintaining a state of conflict without breaking up could have maintained the East-West confrontation. However, the Sino-Soviet split and subsequent hostility dashed all these hopes.

　That unimagined road has actually been cut off by now.

　On the surface, the Soviet Union, now in the Brezhnev era, is still powerful and continues to shock the world in various fields.

　But in fact, the day when the Soviet Union could keep pace with the United States was only now.

　Because the next wave of industrial upgrading is about to come.

　By the time computer technology matured and the information revolution began, the more than 200 million people of the United States and the Soviet Union were not enough to cope with the next industrial upgrade. If they wanted to develop a full industrial chain again, they would have to have a population of 500 million to 600 million - only China and India in the world could come up with this number of people.

　The United States can also continue to transfer industries to foreign countries and bring the total population of 200 million in Japan, West Germany and South Korea into its own industrial chain.

　If necessary, the industrial populations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand could also be integrated into the United States.

　Next, there are Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, etc. to make up the number, so the number can be made up anyway.

　——The U.S. does not have enough population, but it can still transfer civilian industries abroad and continue to own the products of these factories through financial means. This is equivalent to expanding the country's industrial population and industrial chain without introducing immigrants or increasing social welfare pressures.

　Theoretically, the tactics that the United States can use can also be used by the Soviet Union. The problem is that the world's maritime power is still in the hands of the United States.

　The United States can deploy its industries across oceans, while the Soviet Union can only expand its sphere of influence on the Eurasian continent.

　However, after the breakdown of Sino-Soviet relations, the Soviet Union lost this "super labor pool" to continue expanding its industrial population.

　Even if the Soviet Union effectively integrated tens of millions of people from the Eastern European Warsaw Pact countries, this population would still be far from enough to cope with the next industrial upgrade - not to mention that the Soviet Union was far inferior to the United States in terms of economic colonization:

　During the Cold War, the Soviet Union fostered a number of satellite states and deployed troops abroad for combat operations. However, it never transformed any of these states into true economic colonies. With the exception of East Germany and Czechoslovakia, which provided the Soviet Union with a wealth of sophisticated technology, most of these states were laggards, relying far more on money, military aid, and oil than on transfusions.

　In short, the Soviet Union's industrial and technological development has reached its upper limit and will soon enter a period of stagnation.

　Although the United States made numerous mistakes in the early stages of the Cold War, causing chaos in its military, economic, political, and diplomatic affairs, it ultimately had the support of a global system that allowed for greater tolerance for error.

　Even if the United States continued to make stupid moves, made one wrong choice after another, and even lost the Cold War... the Soviet Union could not win.

　Because the bureaucratic Soviet Union is no longer even able to digest the fruits of victory in the Cold War.

　——As long as the Soviet Union can be defeated, the United States can establish and maintain a unipolar world in which the United States dominates the earth, even if it is only for twenty years.

　But on the other hand, even if the United States lost the Cold War, the Soviet Union would never be able to establish a unipolar world headed by itself, not even for a year!

　Given this, the US can confidently and boldly blackmail Europe, Japan, and South Korea. No matter how hard they try, these established capitalist countries won't be able to raise the red flag and join the Communist Party, and the Soviet Union won't be able to absorb and integrate them, so they're nothing to be feared...

　In this way, the United States will be able to do whatever it wants to its allies for at least the next twenty years!

　It must be very sad, but don't blame the fire department, they are in a terrible situation."

　Patrick's father sighed, "In Los Angeles, the fire department is still equipped with retired water tankers from World War II. But the mayor's Lincoln sports car has six air conditioners installed in the back seat - don't get me wrong, it's so that he can keep his hairspray from melting while inspecting fire scenes."

　"The police didn't know what they were doing. They actually set up 10 roadblocks on Sunset Boulevard, blocking the fire trucks."

　Fieri's mother walked into the living room with a plate of freshly baked cookies and complained, "At first I thought these idiots really thought roadblocks could stop wildfires, but later I found out they were trying to prevent environmental groups from putting up 'Stop Burning the Earth' signs in Beverly Hills!"

　Alas, those college students who joined the environmental protection organization are crazy. Do they really think that the wildfire will be extinguished automatically just by posting a few slogans?

　Do they think they are God? If they have the time to put up slogans, why don't they join the volunteer rescue team and do voluntary labor to help put out fires and carry water?

　"These college kids aren't really interested in putting out fires! Mom, they're just doing it for show and to earn credits!"

　Fili curled his lips. "Compared to risking their lives to fight fires in the mountains, these college students prefer to paint graffiti and post slogans on the streets!"

　——American schools require students to participate in many social activities. Many people want to get credits but are afraid of hard work and fatigue, so they start doing performance art.

　"So that's how it is? What a bunch of shameless little rascals."

　My mother grumbled as she took away the empty coffee pot, "I wonder how long this fire will last?"

　Fili could only shrug. California's wildfires have always been more man-made than natural. Last year, California was in such chaos that even a civil war broke out within the state. No one wanted to expand or strengthen the fire department.

　What to do? All we can do is wait patiently for the rain to put out the wildfire!

　Compared with the wildfires that mortals are powerless to deal with, Major General Haig's task of "studying how to attack the shelters" is equally puzzling.

　Honestly, the "hydrogen sulfide odorous gas injection plan" he had devised earlier was one of the best solutions that could be devised in a short period of time, given the numerous constraints. Furthermore, during the actual combat test on Malibu Beach, Major General Haig had indeed smoked out the criminals hiding in the shelter. As for the subsequent fierce firefight that resulted in heavy casualties? That was merely an accident, and it didn't negate the correctness of the previous offensive tactics.

　I believe that as long as the next battlefield is not in the dry and scorched mountains of southern California, such chaos will not occur.

　But... if every attack on the shelter in the future causes a terrible stench, wouldn't that be very disgraceful?

　Firi made this complaint to Major General Haig in a joking tone, while Major General Haig just spread his hands.

　"What can we do? You have to choose between the stench of hydrogen sulfide and the stench of rotting corpses! If we don't want the entrances and passages of the shelter to be filled with the bodies of police and soldiers, turning it into a World War I trench mass grave, we can only resort to some less than dignified means..."

　Besides the sensory discomfort caused by this stinking attack method, if the shelter had comprehensive gas filtration and ventilation facilities, or even an even more exaggerated air recirculation design, then even if more hydrogen sulfide was injected, it would probably not have an effective killing effect.

　After all, a shelter that meets true military standards must be able to withstand nuclear explosions and the existence of military biological and chemical weapons!

　In response, Major General Haig said that if they really encountered such a difficult underground turtle shell, they would probably have to use heavy earth-penetrating bombs, or try to make a mini version of the shield machine used for digging subways, and then use the mini shield machine to drill holes and blast the outer shell of the shelter...

　However, just as the two major generals were excitedly discussing how to attack the underground shelter, Fili suddenly felt something and his face changed. "Oh no! A little thief actually broke into my house! How dare he!"

　-

　Turn the clock back sixteen hours.

　A simple bar made of wooden boards on the edge of Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles.

　The whale-shaped neon tube flickered due to unstable voltage, and the sea breeze wrapped around the ashes, choking the soprano in the jukebox out of tune.

　A few dejected middle-aged men and women were huddled in a corner of the bar, watching the salty sea breeze wrapped in ashes dancing tango between the rusty fan blades.

　"Cheers to our Municipal Planning Department! The sewers are always clogged! The fire hydrants are always empty!"

　A dusty stuntwoman, Roy, sipped her beer while wiping tears from her eyes with her shirt sleeve. "A palm tree burned in Beverly Hills, and 15 fire trucks rushed over. Yesterday, the wildfire reached my house, and the jerk who answered the fire call told us to use the car wash hose in the backyard to save ourselves. And by the way, water prices have skyrocketed lately. My water bill is higher than my mortgage!"

　"Hey, at least your house is still there. I'm almost homeless!"

　Buck, the middle-aged owner of a fishing tackle shop, lamented, "I spent half a year's income to hire a private fire department. When the fire broke out, those cowboys told me there wasn't a drop of water in the tap and that the fire couldn't be put out! Then they drove away in their modified sprinkler truck!"

　Now, my fishing tackle shop, my house, my warehouse, are all burned down!

　The loan from the bank still has to be repaid!"

　"The police chief taught us on TV to use wet towels to seal the cracks in the door. City Hall's emergency plan is more empty than a hippie's crotch!"

　Daisy, a former rock singer, sighed, "I bought fire insurance for my house, but the insurance company went bankrupt the moment my house caught fire! My car was burned to ashes, and I still haven't received any reductions on my mortgage, car loan, or student loan! How am I supposed to live from now on?"

　"I got a congratulatory call from the power company while my roof was on fire – Congratulations on being the Energy Saver Champion of the Month!"

　Unemployed welder Carl was hitting a jukebox with a wrench and complaining, "That damn electric meter insisted on charging me during the fire—and now there's an overdue electricity bill next to the ashes at my house!"

　"You know what those vampires in Beverly Hills are doing? They're having a pool party in the middle of a fire!"

　Leonard, a third-rate Hollywood screenwriter, fretted as he played with his pen. "The fire hydrants down the mountain are all dry, yet the mansions up there are using fire trucks and helicopters to fill their swimming pools! And they're calling it a charity gala to raise money for the fire!"

　"Ah, I've received their kindness. The charity foundation sent a truckload of love envelopes."

　Singer Daisy pulled a gold-sealed envelope from her crotch. "I was expecting a check, or at worst, a food stamp, but guess what's inside?" She tossed out a pink slip of paper, laughing so hard she was about to cry. "Hahaha, it's a coupon for a Beverly Hills beauty salon! Giving coupons from a beauty salon to refugees whose homes are on fire? What kind of genius idea is that?"

　A few neighbors and old friends sat around a small round table in the dirty bar, venting their dissatisfaction with life and society.

　When it came to the emotional part, Leonard, the screenwriter, couldn't help but take a deep breath, brewing his emotions, and then said with great emotion: "Friends, we are not native to Los Angeles. We all came to this City of Angels to pursue our dreams.

　I'm from Brooklyn, New York. You, Daisy, are from a ranch in Texas. Roy's a mountain girl from Montana. Carl and Buck are illegal immigrants from Mexico. And where are we now? None of us have made it!

　"Since arriving in Los Angeles, from the age of twenty to thirty, I've been working hard here for a full ten years! But what's the result? Not only have I failed to achieve success, I'm also in debt! You're all the same. Even if Buck once made a small fortune, it's all gone to hell now!"

　At this point, Leonard once again looked up and scanned the eyes of everyone at the table. His voice lowered, but his tone became more intense. "Is it because we don't work hard? Is it because we don't have talent? No, every one of us has fought for our dreams here!

　But what is the result? Only disappointment again and again!

　My scripts were rejected and plagiarized; Roy and Carl never got decent roles; Daisy's wages were always delayed; Buck had been an extra for 20 years, finally saving enough money to open a fishing tackle shop, but he was constantly being extorted by gangs! And calling the police was useless; the police were even more aggressive!

　This city has deceived us! It has deceived all of us at the bottom of society! Our youth, blood, sweat, and hard work have all become cheap nourishment, feeding those glamorous bigwigs standing in the spotlight! Are you willing to accept this?

　He raised his right hand in hatred. "I won't give up! I'll get what I can't get by taking the right path, even if I have to go through the wrong path! I have a plan. If we work together, we can get rich quickly! Are there any of you willing to work with me?"

　After hearing Leonard's bold words, everyone present was in awe. After a moment, the singer Daisy asked cautiously, "Leonard, the plan you mentioned...isn't it about robbing a bank?"

　"Robbery a bank? No, no, no, that's too dangerous, and we have no experience with guns."

　Seeing the panic on everyone's faces, Leonard realized that he seemed to have gone a bit too far, and quickly tried to make amends, "Compared to the heavily guarded bank vaults, there are many places in this city where it's easier to make a fortune!

　Haven't you been watching the news these days? This wildfire not only burned the slums, but also burned many upper-class communities where wealthy people live! Blackrock, Malibu, Brentwood..." He counted them on his fingers, "Although the fire burned the wood, there must be a lot of valuable things in these mansions that didn't burn, such as fire-resistant safes! If we disguise ourselves as firefighters, can't we search for treasure in the ruins?

　A few days ago, a warehouse storing movie props collapsed due to fire near where I live. I took advantage of the chaos and stole two boxes of firefighter costumes, all in various sizes! Go change at my place now, and we can start searching the rubble tomorrow!

　After hearing that this was a way to get rich, although it was illegal, it seemed much safer, so all the poor guys thought it was worth a try.

　After all, wasn't California historically developed thanks to gold miners?

　Since people could make a fortune by panning for gold in the mountains in the past, why can't we pan for gold in ruins burned by fire now?

　Poor people like them who are almost driven to desperation by life are not qualified to abide by the law in order to survive!

　then,

　After exchanging glances, Roy, the stuntwoman who was performing the fight scenes, was the first to slap the greasy table with her chubby fingers and shout, "That's a good idea! I'll do it! I even have a water gun for fire drills hidden under my bed!"

　"Count me in! I worked as a locksmith for a few years! Now I can try to open a safe!"

　"I'm going too! I have a burnt curtain at home that can be cut into a fire flag!"

　……

　Just like that, five hands clapped together in the middle of the table, much to the delight of Leonard, the man who had initiated the drink. He generously pulled out a few bills and slapped them into the arms of a passing waiter, "One more round before we go! Five of today's special!"

　A moment later, the waiter brought out five blue-green cocktails mixed with cough syrup and various strange ingredients.

　But this newly formed criminal group of five people really enjoyed this novel taste. They immediately clinked their glasses together, almost cracking them.

　"To fucking America!"

　"May the treasure we find be enough to pay the bills!"