tc.thebearandthedragon-第126部分

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　he　watched；　first　one；　then　two　more；　of　the　tracer　rounds　missed；　all　falling　short；　until　the　fourth　shot　hit　high　on　the　painted　turret　shape。　With　that　feat　acplished；　the　tank　shifted　aim　to　a　second　target　at　twelve　hundred　meters　and　missed　that　one　twice；　before　achieving　a　pinwheel　in　the　geometric　center　of　the　target。
　〃Nothing　wrong　with　that；〃　Aliyev　said　next　to　him。
　〃Except　that　the　tank　and　the　crew　were　all　dead　ninety　seconds　ago！〃　Bondarenko　observed；　followed　by　a　particularly　vile　oath。　〃Ever　see　what　happens　when　a　tank　blows　up？　Nothing　left　of　the　crew　but　sausage！　Expensive　sausage。〃
　〃It's　their　first　time　in　a　live…fire　exercise；〃　Aliyev　said；　hoping　to　calm　his　boss　down。　〃We　have　limited　practice　ammunition；　and　it's　not　as　accurate　as　warshots。〃
　〃How　many　live　rounds　do　we　have？〃
　Aliyev　smiled。　〃Millions。〃　They　had；　in　fact；　warehouses　full　of　the　things；　fabricated　back　in　the　1970s。
　〃Then　issue　them；〃　the　general　ordered。
　〃Moscow　won't　like　it；〃　the　colonel　warned。　Warshots　were；　of　course；　far　more　expensive。
　〃I　am　not　here　to　please　them；　Andrey　Petrovich。　I　am　here　to　defend　them。〃　And　someday　he'd　meet　the　fool　who'd　decided　to　replace　the　tank's　loader　crewman　with　a　machine。　It　was　slower　than　a　soldier；　and　removed　a　crewman　who　could　assist　in　repairing　damage。　Didn't　engineers　ever　consider　that　tanks　were　actually　supposed　to　go　into　battle？　No；　this　tank　had　been　designed　by　a　mittee；　as　all　Soviet　weapons　had　been；　which　explained；　perhaps；　why　so　many　of　them　didn't　work…or；　just　as　badly；　didn't　protect　their　users。　Like　putting　the　gas　tank　inside　the　doors　of　the　BTR　armored　personnel　carrier。　Who　ever　thought　that　a　crewman　might　want　to　bail　out　of　a　damaged　vehicle　and　perhaps　even　survive　to　fight　afoot？　The　tank's　vulnerability　had　been　the　very　first　thing　the　Afghans　had　learned　about　Soviet　mobile　equipment　。　。　。　and　how　many　Russian　boys　had　burned　to　death　because　of　it？　Well；　Bondarenko　thought；　I　have　a　new　country　now；　and　Russia　does　have　talented　engineers；　and　in　a　few　years　perhaps　we　can　start　building　weapons　worthy　of　the　soldiers　who　carry　them。
　〃Andrey；　is　there　anything　in　our　mand　which　does　work？〃　〃That's　why　we're　training；　rade　General。〃　Bondarenko's　service　reputation　was　of　an　upbeat　officer　who　looked　for　solutions　rather　than　problems。　His　operations　officer　supposed　that　Gennady　Iosifovich　was　overwhelmed　by　the　scope　of　the　difficulties；　not　yet　telling　himself　that　however　huge　a　problem　was；　it　had　to　be　posed　of　numerous　small　ones　which　could　be　addressed　one　at　a　time。　Gunnery；　for　example。　Today；　it　was　execrable。　But　in　a　week　it　would　be　much　better；　especially　if　they　gave　the　troops　real　rounds　instead　of　the　practice　ones。　Real　〃bullets；〃　as　soldiers　invariably　called　them；　made　you　feel　like　a　man　instead　of　a　schoolboy　with　his　workbook。　There　was　much　to　be　said　for　that；　and　like　many　of　the　things　his　new　boss　was　doing；　it　made　good　sense。　In　two　weeks；　they'd　be　watching　more　tank　gunnery；　and　seeing　more　hits　than　misses。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　　40
　Fashion　Statements
　
　〃So；　George？〃　Ryan　asked。
　〃So；　it's　started。　Turns　out　there　are　a　ton　of　similar　contracts　ing　due　for　the　next　season　or　something；　plus　Christmas　toy　contracts；〃　SecTreas　told　his　President。　〃And　it's　not　just　us。　Italy；　France；　England；　everybody's　bugging　out　on　them。　The　Chinese　have　made　huge　inroads　into　that　industry；　and　they　pissed　off　a　lot　of　people　in　the　process。　Well；　the　chicken　hasn't　so　much　e　home　to　roost　as　it's　flown　the　coop；　and　that　leaves　our　friends　in　Beijing　holding　the　bag。　It's　a　big　bag；　Jack。　We're　talking　billions　here。〃
　〃How　badly　will　that　hurt　them？〃　SecState　asked。
　〃Scott；　I　grant　you　it　seems　a　little　odd　that　the　fate　of　a　nation　could　ride　on　Victoria's　Secret　brassieres；　but　money　is　money。　They　need　it；　and　all　of　a　sudden　there's　a　big　hole　in　their　current　account。　How　big？　Billions。　It's　going　to　make　a　hell　of　a　bellyache　for　them。〃
　〃Any　actual　harm？〃　Ryan　asked。
　〃Not　my　department；　Jack；〃　Winston　answered。　〃That's　Scott。〃
　〃Okay。〃　Ryan　turned　his　head　to　look　at　his　other　cabinet　member。
　〃Before　I　can　answer　that；　I　need　to　know　what　net　effect　this　will　have　on　the　Chinese　economy。〃
　Winston　shrugged。　〃Theoretically；　they　could　ride　this　out　with　minimal　difficulties；　but　that　depends　on　how　they　make　up　the　shortfall。　Their　national　industrial　base　is　an　incredibly　muddled　hodgepodge　of　private…　and　state…owned　industries。　The　private　ones　are　the　efficient　ones；　of　course；　and　the　worst　of　the　state…owned　industries　belong　to　their　army。　I've　seen　analyses　of　PLA　operations　that　look　like　something　out　of　MAD　magazine；　just　impossible　to　credit　on　first　reading。　Soldiers　don't　generally　know　much　about　making　things…they're　better　at　breaking　them…and　tossing　Marxism　into　the　mix　doesn't　exactly　help　the　situation。　So；　those　'enterprises'　piss　away　vast　quantities　of　cash。　If　they　shut　those　down；　or　just　cut　them　back；　they　could　kiss　this　little　shortfall　off　and　move　on…but　they　won't。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Adler　agreed。　〃The　Chinese　People's　Liberation　Army　has　a　lot　of　political　clout　over　there。　The　party　controls　it；　but　the　tail　wags　the　dog　to　a　considerable　extent。　There's　quite　a　bit　of　political　and　economic　unrest　over　there。　They　need　the　army　to　keep　things　under　control；　and　the　PLA　takes　a　big　cut　off　the　top　of　the　national　treasure　because　of　that。〃
　〃The　Soviets　weren't　like　that；〃　POTUS　objected。
　〃Different　country；　different　culture。　Keep　that　in　mind。〃
　〃Klingons；〃　Ryan　muttered；　with　a　nod。　〃Okay；　go　on。〃
　Winston　took　the　lead。　〃We　can't　predict　the　impact　this　will　have　on　their　society　without　knowing　how　they're　going　to　react　to　the　cash　shortfall。〃
　〃If　they　squeal　when　it　starts　to　hurt；　what　do　we　do？〃　Ryan　asked　next。
　〃They're　going　to　have　to　make　nice；　like　reinstating　the　Boeing　and　Caterpillar　orders；　and　doing　it　publicly。〃
　〃They　won't…they　can't；〃　Adler　objected。　〃Too　much　loss　of　face。　Asian　mind…set。　That　won't　happen。　They　might　offer　us　concessions；　but　they'll　have　to　be　hidden　ones。〃
　〃Which　is　not　politically　acceptable　to　us。　If　I　try　to　take　that　to　Congress；　first　they'll　laugh　at　me；　then　they'll　crucify　me。〃　Ryan　took　a　sip　of　his　drink。
　〃And　they　won't　understand　why　you　can't　tell　Congress　what　to　do。　They　think　you're　a　strong　leader；　and　therefore　you're　supposed　to　make　decisions　on　your　own；〃　EAGLE　informed　his　President。
　〃Don't　they　know　anything　about　how　our　government　works？〃　POTUS　asked。
　〃Jack；　I'm　sure　they　have　all　sorts　of　experts　who　know　more　about　the　constitutional　process　than　I　do；　but　the　Politburo　members　are　not　required　to　listen　to　them。　They　e　from　a　very　different　political　environment；　and　that's　the　one　they　understand。　For　us　'the　people'　means　popular　opinion；　polls；　and　ultimately　elections。　For　them；　it　means　the　peasants　and　workers　who　are　supposed　to　do　what　they're　told。〃
　〃We　do　business　with　these　people？〃　Winston　asked　the　ceiling。
　〃It's　called　realpolitik；　George；〃　Ryan　explained。
　〃But　we　can't　pretend　they　don't　exist。　There's　over　a　billion　of　them；　and；　oh；　by　the　way；　they　also　have　nuclear　weapons；　on　ballistic　launchers；　even。〃　Which　added　a　decidedly　unpleasant　element　to　the　overall　equation。
　〃Twelve　of　them；　according　to　CIA；　and　we　can　turn　their　country　into　a　parking　lot　if　we　have　to；　just　it'll　take　twenty…four　hours　instead　of　forty　minutes；〃　Ryan　told　his　guests；　managing　not　to　get　a　chill　when　he　said　it。　The　possibility　was　too　remote　to　make　him　nervous。　〃And　they　know　that；　and　who　wants　to　be　the　king　of　a　parking　lot？　They　are　that　rational；　Scott；　aren't　they？〃
　〃I　think　so。　They　rattle　their　saber　at　Taiwan；　but　not　even　much　of　that　lately；　not　when　we　have　Seventh　Fleet　there　all　the　time。〃　Which；　however；　burned　up　a　lot　of　fuel　oil　for　the　Navy。
　〃Anyway；　this　cash　problem　won't　actually　cripple　their　economy？〃　Jack　asked。
　〃I　don't　think　so；　unless　they're　pretty　damned　dumb。〃
　〃Scott；　are　they　dumb？〃　Ryan　asked　State　Department。
　〃Not　that　dumb…at　least　I　don't　think　so；〃　State　told　the　President。
　〃Good；　then　I　can　go　upstairs　and　have　another　drink。〃　Ryan　rose；　and　his　guests　did　the　same。
　
　〃This　is　lunacy！〃　Qian　Kun　growled　at　Fang　half　a　world　away；　discussing　what　turned　out　to　be　the　same　set　of　issues。
　〃I　will　not　disagree　with　you；　Qian；　but　we　must　make　our　case　to　the　rest　of　our　colleagues。〃
　〃Fang；　this　could　mean　ruin　for　us。　With　what　shall　we　buy　wheat　and　oil？〃
　〃What　are　our　reserves？〃
　The　Finance　Minister　had　to　sit　back　and　think　about　that　one。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　tried　to　remember　the　numbers　on　which　he　got　briefed　the　first　Monday　of　every　month。　The　eyes　opened。　〃The　harvest　from　last　year　was　better　than　average。　We　have　food　for　about　a　year…assuming　an　average　harvest　this　year；　or　even　a　slightly　short　one。　The　immediate　problem　is　oil。　We've　been　using　a　lot　of　that　lately；　with　the　PLA's　constant　exercises　up　north　and　on　the　coast。　In　oil；　we　have　perhaps　four　months　in　reserve；　and　the　money　to　purchase　another　two　months。　After　that；　we　will　have　to　cut　back　our　uses。　Now；　we　are　self…sufficient　in　coal；　and　so　we'll　have　all　the　electricity　we　need。　The　lights　will　burn。　The　trains　will　run；　but　the　PLA　will　be　crippled。〃　Not　that　this　is　an　entirely　bad　thing；　he　didn't　add。　Both　men　acknowledged　the　value　of　the　People's　Liberation　Army；　but　today　it　was　really　more　of　a　domestic　security　service；　like　a　large　and　well…armed　police　force；　than　a　real　guarantor　of　their　national　security；　which　had；　really；　no　external　threats　to　deal　with。
　〃The　army　won't　like　that；〃　Fang　warned。
　〃I　am　not　overly　concerned　with　their　likes　and　dislikes；　Fang；〃　the　Finance　Minister　countered。　〃We　have　a　country　to　bring　out　of　the　nineteenth　century。　We　have　industries　to　grow；　and　people　to　feed　and　employ。　The　ideology　of　our　youth　has　not　been　as　successful　in　bringing　this　about　as　we　were　educated　to　expect。〃
　〃Do　you　say　that。。。？〃
　Qian　shifted　in　his　chair。　〃Remember　what　Deng　said？　It　doesn't　matter　if　the　cat　is　black　or　white　as　long　as　it　catch