What happened that the Chinese opinion gauge disappeared? Is it because it's too much of a mess in China at the moment to have an estimate of their opinion?
In exchange for Free Tibet, resolving the Indo-China border dispute in Indian favor, and creating buffer zones for Vietnam and Laos, all said nations have agreed to interdict any attempts to smuggle arms and equipment into China.
Laos and Vietnam are part of CyPac as well, and alongside North Korea, Mongolia, and us are contributing some materiel and equipment for local operations in support of our favored faction (the CCP).
Furthermore, we leaned on Moscow to send in the tank legions and MiGs to also support the CCP out of a combo of keeping us happy (and the electronics flowing) and ensuring they both prevent a US aligned state from forming on their border, as well assd having influence on what the CCP would do after.
Honestly the Soviets are doing the bulk of the work on the entire Northern Front, while we're focusing on supporting our allies in the south and east.
The long term goal is a CCP that's more closely aligned with CyPac (and by extension Guang) economic and social policy, that will be able to manage reconstruction effectively (which were in a very good position to help with and profit from), and be positively predisposed towards Guangchou in matters of foreign policy.
All true, but in regards to my specific point, that still doesn't leave us in control of China when the smoke clears. It leaves China in the control of (best case, hopefully probable case) a Chinese government that we have significantly influenced. And which is also being influenced by outside third parties who on the whole wish us quite well, but who may not agree with us about everything forever (it'd be weird if they did) and who ultimately aren't all that accountable to us.
China doesn't end up actually run by "us" unless you dilute the definition of "us" into something a lot larger than Guangchou and considerably less 'Guangchou-ey' than Guangchou proper.
All true, but in regards to my specific point, that still doesn't leave us in control of China when the smoke clears. It leaves China in the control of (best case, hopefully probable case) a Chinese government that we have significantly influenced. And which is also being influenced by outside third parties who on the whole wish us quite well, but who may not agree with us about everything forever (it'd be weird if they did) and who ultimately aren't all that accountable to us.
China doesn't end up actually run by "us" unless you dilute the definition of "us" into something a lot larger than Guangchou and considerably less 'Guangchou-ey' than Guangchou proper.
You know that, and I know that, but the person I was originally talking to before you joined that particular line of discussion... well, sounded like they weren't so clear on that point. Or that was my impression at the time.
You know that, and I know that, but the person I was originally talking to before you joined that particular line of discussion... well, sounded like they weren't so clear on that point. Or that was my impression at the time.
Guang will not rule China, but will be the most listened out of others including itself because honestly if China was an animal of some kind it wouldn't be a panda, it would be some kind of Hydra creature with each head having its own different personality that also has it's own unique split personalitys.
The "Goose Nest," as it had become known since its creation, was filled to bursting with the hustle and bustle of dozens upon dozens of analysts, secretaries, translators (dear God, so many translators...), bureaucrats, and the couple handful of people with unusual skills and knowledge required in these trying times. And these were trying times, even as the noodles, smokes, coffee, and other assorted "keep-em-ups" were well stocked, handed out like candy on Halloween, and used by many of the higher-ranking agents until they were forcibly told to stop and sleep, as caffeine wouldn't help them stay awake if they were too dead to feel its effects.
Agent Goose was no different to them, though perhaps he had been hit far harder than the others, as since the start of the Chinese Civil War, he had been selected by the asshats on top of the CIA to play mother goose to "Operation Yellow Duck." A part, the one still awake and not in a half-shamble brought by dread, sleep deprivation, stress, and a diet consisting of up to 93% noodles alone, shuddered at the name. However, he had taken part in, or heard, far worse titles for operations, such as "Operation Fruit Jam." Nevertheless, he was now here, awake (by his definition of the word these days anyway), and ready to continue working for Uncle Sam and the Union, even if his body tried to drag him toward the blessed oblivion called "a full night's sleep."
His exhaustion wasn't, in any way, reduced by the fact that every person in the military with far too much access and too little sense had pestered him for any and all information about the military armament programs of Guangchou, especially any crumb of data that could be gathered about the Steel Leopard Mechanized Armors used in Africa to surprising effect, alongside the Fairy and Carol, or Air Defense Fighter Type 3 and General Transport Aircraft Type 1 that had been used to deliver painful blows and AWACS support to CyPac's efforts in fighting against freedom fighters and, admittedly, Morrocans running a semi-genocide.
The fact that hard data on any of the three machines was more challenging to come by than an honest politician in Washington didn't please either his superiors or the high-ranking generals already barging into his offices at hours he would have tried to charge double-pay for if he had been working in the private sector. Alas, he was but a poor soul being crushed into nothingness by the wheels of the government, uncaring about his need for sleep, some time off, and not being assigned to so many operations and agents that he seriously wondered how bad it would be if he hadn't had hired three secretaries, and was currently seeking a fourth and fifth to handle more of the paperwork being dropped on his table.
One of those papers on his desk had been given to him by the man sitting in his office on the (deliberately uncomfortable) chair before his desk, a sealed envelope with [TOP SECRET] stamped on it lying discarded to the side. The man hadn't said more than the necessary words to appear polite, every hair and fiber on his body telling Agent Goose that he had likely never left headquarters for more than getting back to a love-less marriage and cold home before returning to his cubicle again.
But that didn't matter as Goose had stared frozen at the words on the paper for over ten minutes now, frozen and in shock, trying to understand the implications of the order he had read alone, not to speak of the ramifications should he fail in delivering what was being asked of him.
Then, like a car suddenly starting after spluttering for far too long, his entire body jerked. Agent Goose stood with shaky hands, unsure steps bringing him over to the tiny liquor cabinet he had bought a year ago to store some social lubricants, one hand taking out a bottle of old whiskey and a glass, placing the latter on top of the cabinet as the other held the bottle in an unsteady grip.
A moment passed as Agent Goose stared at the glass, one hand holding the bottle, the other primed to open it, intending to pour himself a drink to steady his nerves.
Then he remembered the words on the document.
[37 NUCLEAR WARHEADS UNNACOUNTED FOR]
He put the bottle to his lips and began to chug.
Choose the Point of View of the next update (after the next Turn):
[] The Steel Leopard Mechanic
[] The Wounded Hero Pilot
[] The Imprisoned Traitor General
[] The Panicking Pentagon
