tc.thebearandthedragon-第54部分

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who　talked　like　this　had　real　possibilities。　Now　it　was　his　turn　to　be　coldly　professional　to　counterpoint　Adler's　working…class　patois。
　〃They're　ideologically　driven；　then？〃
　〃Totally…well；　maybe　with　a　little　corruption　thrown　in；　but　remember；　they　figure　that　their　political　astuteness　entitles　them　to　live　high　on　the　hog；　and　so　to　them　it's　not　corruption　at　all。　They　just　collect　tribute　from　the　peasants；　and　'peasant'　is　a　word　they　still　use　over　there。〃
　〃In　other　words；　we're　dealing　with　dukes　and　earls？〃
　The　Secretary　of　State　nodded。　〃Essentially；　yes。　They　have　an　enormous　sense　of　personal　entitlement。　They　are　not　used　to　hearing　the　word　'no'　in　any　form；　and　as　a　result　they　don't　always　know　what　to　do　when　they　do　hear　it　from　people　like　me。　That's　why　they're　often　at　a　disadvantage　in　negotiations…at　least；　when　we　play　hardball　with　them。　We　haven't　done　much　of　that；　but　last　year　after　the　Airbus　shoot…down　I　came　on　a　little　strong；　and　then　we　followed　up　with　official　diplomatic　recognition　of　the　ROC　government　on　Taiwan。　That　really　put　the　PRC　noses　seriously　out　of　joint；　even　though　the　ROC　government　hasn't　officially　declared　its　independence。〃
　〃What？〃　Somehow　SecTreas　had　missed　that。
　〃Yeah；　the　people　on　Taiwan　play　a　pretty　steady　and　reasonable　game。　They've　never　really　gone　out　of　their　way　to　offend　the　mainland。　Even　though　they　have　embassies　all　over　the　world；　they've　never　actually　proclaimed　the　fact　that　they're　an　independent　nation。　That　would　flip　the　Beijing　Chinese　out。　Maybe　the　guys　in　Taipei　think　it　would　be　bad　manners　or　something。　At　the　same　time；　we　have　an　understanding　that　Beijing　knows　about。　If　somebody　messes　with　Taiwan；　Seventh　Fleet　es　over　to　keep　an　eye　on　things；　and　we　will　not　permit　a　direct　military　threat　to　the　Republic　of　China　government。　The　PRC　doesn't　have　enough　of　a　navy　to　worry　our　guys　that　much；　and　so　all　that　flies　back　and　forth；　really；　is　words。〃　Adler　looked　up　from　his　sandwich。　〃Sticks　and　stones；　y'know？〃
　〃Well；　I　had　breakfast　with　Jack　this　morning；　and　we　talked　about　the　trade　talks。〃
　〃And　Jack　wants　to　play　a　little　rougher？〃　SecState　asked。　It　wasn't　much　of　a　surprise。　Ryan　had　always　preferred　fair　play；　and　that　was　often　a　rare　modity　in　the　intercourse　among　nation…states。
　〃You　got　it'　Winston　confirmed　around　a　bite　of　his　sandwich。　One　thing　about　working…class　people　like　Adler；　the　SecTreas　thought；　they　knew　what　a　proper　lunch　was。　He　was　so　tired　of　fairyfied　French　food　for　lunch。　Lunch　was　supposed　to　be　a　piece　of　meat　with　bread　wrapped　around　it。　French　cuisine　was　just　fine；　but　for　dinner；　not　for　lunch。
　〃How　rough？〃
　〃We　get　what　we　want。　We　need　them　to　get　accustomed　to　the　idea　that　they　need　us　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　than　we　need　them。〃
　〃That's　a　tall　order；　George。　If　they　don't　want　to　listen？〃
　〃Knock　louder　on　the　door；　or　on　their　heads。　Scott；　you　read　the　same　document　this　morning　I　did；　right？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　SecState　confirmed。
　〃The　people　they're　cheating　out　of　their　jobs　are　American　citizens。〃
　〃I　know　that。　But　what　you　have　to　remember　is　that　we　can't　dictate　to　a　sovereign　country。　The　world　doesn't　work　that　way。〃
　〃Okay；　fine；　but　we　can　tell　them　that　they　can't　dictate　trade　practices　to　us；　either。〃
　〃George；　for　a　long　time　America　has　taken　a　very　soft　line　on　these　issues。〃
　〃Maybe；　but　the　Trade　Reform　Act　is　now　law…〃
　〃Yeah；　I　remember。　I　also　remember　how　it　got　us　into　a　shooting　war；〃　Adler　reminded　his　guest。
　〃We　won。　I　remember　that；　too。　Maybe　other　people　will　as　well。　Scott；　we're　running　a　huge　trade　deficit　with　the　Chinese。　The　President　says　that　has　to　stop。　I　happen　to　agree。　If　we　can　buy　from　them；　then　they　damned　well　have　to　buy　from　us；　or　we　buy　our　chopsticks　and　teddy　bears　elsewhere。〃
　〃There　are　jobs　involved；〃　Adler　warned。　〃They　know　how　to　play　that　card。　They　cancel　contracts　and　stop　buying　our　finished　goods；　and　then　some　of　our　people　lose　their　jobs；　too。〃
　〃Or；　if　we　succeed；　then　we　sell　more　finished　goods　to　them；　and　our　factories　have　to　hire　people　to　make　them。　Play　to　win；　Scott；〃　Winston　advised。
　〃I　always　do；　but　this　isn't　a　baseball　game　with　rules　and　fences。　It's　like　racing　a　sailboat　in　the　fog。　You　can't　always　see　your　adversary；　and　you　can　damned　near　never　see　the　finish　line。〃
　〃I　can　buy　you　some　radar；　then。　How　about　I　give　you　one　of　my　people　to　help　out？〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃Mark　Gant。　He's　my　puter　whiz。　He　really　knows　the　issues　from　a　technical；　monetary　point　of　view。〃
　Adler　thought　about　that。　State　Department　had　always　been　weak　in　that　area。　Not　too　many　business…savvy　people　ended　up　in　the　Foreign　Service；　and　learning　it　from　books　wasn't　the　same　as　living　it　out　in　the　real　world；　a　fact　that　too　many　State　Department　〃professionals〃　didn't　always　appreciate　as　fully　as　they　should。
　〃Okay；　send　him　over。　Now；　just　how　rough　are　we　supposed　to　play　this？〃
　〃Well；　I　guess　you'll　need　to　talk　that　one　over　with　Jack；　but　from　what　he　told　me　this　morning；　we　want　the　playing　field　leveled　out。〃
　An　easy　thing　to　say；　Adler　thought；　but　less　easy　to　acplish。　He　liked　and　admired　President　Ryan；　but　he　wasn't　blind　to　the　fact　that　SWORDSMAN　was　not　the　most　patient　guy　in　the　world；　and　in　diplomacy；　patience　was　everything…hell；　patience　was　just　about　the　only　thing。　〃Okay；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment's　reflection。　〃I'll　talk　it　over　with　him　before　I　tell　my　people　what　to　say。　This　could　get　nasty。　The　Chinese　play　rough。〃
　〃Life's　a　bitch；　Scott；〃　Winston　advised。
　SecState　smiled。　〃Okay；　duly　noted。　Let　me　see　what　Jack　says。　So；　how's　the　market　doing？〃
　〃Still　pretty　healthy。　Price/earnings　ratios　are　still　a　little　outrageous；　but　profits　are　generally　up；　inflation　is　under　control；　and　the　investment　munity　is　nice　and　fy。　The　Fed　Chairman　is　keeping　a　nice；　even　strain　on　monetary　policy。　We're　going　to　get　the　changes　we　want　in　the　tax　code。　So；　things　look　pretty　good。　It's　always　easier　to　steer　the　ship　in　calm　seas；　y'know？〃
　Adler　grimaced。　〃Yeah；　I'll　have　to　try　that　sometime。〃　But　he　had　marching　orders　to　lay　on　a　typhoon。　This　would　get　interesting。
　
　〃So；　how's　readiness？〃　General　Diggs　asked　his　assembled　officers。
　〃Could　be　better；〃　the　colonel　manding　1st　Brigade　admitted。　〃We've　been　short　lately　on　funds　for　training。　We　have　the　hardware；　and　we　have　the　soldiers；　and　we　spend　a　lot　of　time　in　the　simulators；　but　that's　not　the　same　as　going　out　in　the　dirt　with　our　tracks。〃　There　was　general　nodding　on　that　point。
　〃It's　a　problem　for　me；　sir；〃　said　Lieutenant　Colonel　Angelo　Giusti；　who　manded　1st　Squadron；　4th　Armored　Cavalry　Regiment。　Known　within　the　Army　as　the　Quarter　Horse　for　the　lst/4th　unit　designator；　it　was　the　division　reconnaissance　screen；　and　its　mander　reported　directly　to　the　manding　general　of　First　Tanks　instead　of　through　a　brigade　mander。　〃I　can't　get　my　people　out；　and　it's　hard　to　train　for　reconnaissance　in　the　kazerne。　The　local　farmers　get　kinda　irate　when　we　crunch　through　their　fields；　and　so　we　have　to　pretend　we　can　do　recon　from　hard…surface　roads。　Well；　sir；　we　can't；　and　that　bothers　me　some。〃
　There　was　no　denying　the　fact　that　driving　armored　vehicles　across　a　cornfield　was　tough　on　the　corn；　and　while　the　U。S。　Army　trailed　every　tactical　formation　with　a　Hummer　whose　passengers　came　with　a　big　checkbook　to　pay　for　the　damage；　the　Germans　were　a　tidy　people；　and　Yankee　dollars　didn't　always　pensate　for　the　suddenly　untidy　fields。　It　had　been　easier　when　the　Red　Army　had　been　right　on　the　other　side　of　the　fence；　threatening　death　and　destruction　on　West　Germany；　but　Germany　was　now　one　sovereign　country；　and　the　Russians　were　now　on　the　far　side　of　Poland；　and　a　lot　less　threatening　than　they'd　once　been。　There　were　a　few　places　where　large　formations　could　exercise；　but　those　were　as　fully　booked　as　the　prettiest　debutante's　dance　card　at　the　cotillion；　and　so　the　Quarter　Horse　spent　too　much　time　in　simulators；　too。
　〃Okay；〃　Diggs　said。　〃The　good　news　is　that　we're　going　to　profit　from　the　new　federal　budget。　We　have　lots　more　funds　to　train　with；　and　we　can　start　using　them　in　twelve　days。　Colonel　Masterman；　do　you　have　some　ways　for　us　to　spend　it？〃
　〃Well；　General；　I　think　I　might　e　up　with　something。　Can　we　pretend　that　it's　nineteen…eighty…three　again？〃　At　the　height　of　the　Cold　War；　Seventh　Army　had　trained　to　as　fine　an　edge　as　any　army　in　history；　a　fact　ultimately　demonstrated　in　Iraq　rather　than　in　Germany；　but　with　spectacular　effect。　Nineteen　eighty…three　had　been　the　year　the　increased　funding　had　first　taken　real　effect；　a　fact　noted　fully　by　the　KGB　and　GRU　intelligence　officers；　who'd　thought　until　that　time　that　the　Red　Army　might　have　had　a　chance　to　defeat　NATO。　By　1984；　even　the　most　optimistic　Russian　officers　fell　off　that　bandwagon　for　all　time。　If　they　could　reestablish　that　training　regimen；　the　assembled　officers　all　knew　they'd　have　a　bunch　of　happy　soldiers；　because；　though　training　is　hard　work；　it　is　what　the　troops　had　signed　up　for。　A　soldier　in　the　field　is　most　often　a　happy　soldier。
　〃Colonel　Masterman；　the　answer　to　your　question　is；　Yes。　Back　to　my　original　question。　How's　readiness？〃
　〃We're　at　about　eighty…five　percent；〃　2nd　Brigade　estimated。　〃Probably　ninety　or　so　for　the　artillery…〃
　〃Thank　you；　Colonel；　and　I　agree；〃　the　colonel　manding　divisional　artillery　interjected。
　〃But　we　all　know　how　easy　life　is　for　the　cannoncockers；〃　2nd　Brigade　added　as　a　barb。
　〃Aviation？〃　Diggs　asked　next。
　〃Sir；　my　people　are　within　three　weeks　of　being　at　a　hundred　percent。　Fortunately；　we　don't　squash　anybody's　corn　when　we're　up　practicing。　My　only　plaint　is　that　it's　too　easy　for　my　people　to　track　tanks　on　the　ground　if　they're　road…bound；　and　a　little　more　realistic　practice　wouldn't　hurt；　but；　sir；　I'll　put　my　aviators　up　against　anyone　in　this　man's　army；　especially　my　Apache　drivers。〃　The　〃snake〃　drivers　enjoyed　a　diet　of　raw　meat　and　human　babies。　The　problems　they'd　had　in　Yugoslavia　a　few　years　earlier　had　alarmed　a　lot　of　people；　and　the　aviation　munity　had　cleaned　up　its　act　with　alacrity。
　〃Okay；　so　you're　all　in