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　　 撒切尔夫人放下茶说：“我想我们的计划失败了？尽管我们向葛罗米柯表示只接受与戈尔巴乔夫交流，但是克里姆林宫还是选择它自己的主人。”

　　 “是的，恐怕是这样。不过，这是一种安慰。”

　　 “那是什么？”

　　 “我们收集的信息足以让我们与苏联建立新的关系。我相信，如果有足够的时间，我们可以建立起对两国都有利的关系。这可以解决我们的许多问题。克里姆林宫可能不愿意放弃他们的独裁统治，但为了与西方的稳定关系可能带来的利益，他们愿意放弃很多。”

　　 “我明白了。如果是这样的话，那么我们有希望对他们的政治制度保持一定程度的影响力。我很高兴听到这个消息，总统先生。”

　　 “在不久的将来，我们仍有很多艰苦的工作要做，但我对结果持乐观态度。我们有机会做一些以前从未做过的事情。我们可以与一个强大的国家实现和平。我相信历史会善意地评判我们。我们可以回头说，‘看，我早就告诉过你了。’”里根开完笑话又说：“在历史评判我们之前，我们需要讨论一下贸易往来的问题；美国现在有一些不愉快的问题，比如贸易逆差与债务。”

　　 “我明白了。我希望你是对的，因为有很多人指望我们解决这些问题。”

　　 “当然，那么英国财政部长与央行行长会在广场饭店作为让所有人都满意的决定？好吧，我相信你可以理解我为什么持怀疑态度，但这就是为什么我们必须做我们将要做的事情。”

　　 “嗯，这是一种可能性。”撒切尔说：“然而，我有很多疑问。”

　　 “我明白。我也有很多疑问，但我们必须试一试。我们不能因为一些狂热分子正在制造麻烦而放弃和平。我们必须努力实现对世界最有利的目标。如果你觉得你在背弃和平，来找我吧。我们可以商量一下。”

　　 “当然。”

　　 “那么，你打算怎么办？”

　　 “好吧，我要和苏联人谈谈，”里根说。

　　 “祝你好运，”撒切尔说。

　　 “谢谢你的款待。我相信我们将来会经常见面。”

　　 “是的，我期待着你的来访。”

　　 “随时欢迎你来纽约。”

　　 “谢谢。我想只要有可能，我会经常来的。”

　　 “祝你的项目好运。”

　　 “谢谢你。”

　　 他们握手。里根离开了房间。过了一会儿大气才恢复正常。

　　 “嗯，事情并没有按照我的计划进行。”撒切尔夫人说：“克里姆林宫没有选择能达到我们目的改革者，而是一位新沙皇。”

　　 ------

　　 任何依靠理想主义建立的政权都会在20～40年内转变为官僚主义政权。

　　 克里姆林宫学：对付狂热分子的唯一方法就是遏制他们，让他们做你想让他们做的事。

　　 这种方法的问题在于你无法控制一个狂热者，你只能希望他们的理想最终会消失。

　　 考虑到被这种原因吸引的人的类型，这似乎不太可能发生。里根是一个总是追求自己目标的人，不管必要的手段如何。

　　 这种做法注定要失败。

　　 苏联注定灭亡对于世界而言，是一件好事。当它的人民与东欧共产主义政权下的人民从独裁管制与谎言中解放出来时候，这一切都会变得更加美好。

　　 苏联是一个威胁，它的人民不是无辜的。他们和他们的领导人应对数百万人的死亡负责。

　　 它的日子屈指可数了。

　　 问题在于，美国会依然存在。里根总统的政策会决定美国几十年甚至百年的发展道路。他的政策仍然牢牢植根于他自己的意识形态，而这种意识形态是被误导的。

　　 新自由主义摧毁了与奴役了美国的年轻人，美国在他的任期内创造了经济繁荣与隐患，在他任期之后的资本家们努力地赞扬他，因为他使资本阶级彻底控制了美国的经济发展。

　　 第二次世界大战结束后美国国债占GDP比重逐渐减少，但在里根重新回升。美国开始从最大债权国向最大债务国发展，同时从制造业国家向金融国家转变。

　　 在里根的整个任期内，债务一直是个问题。他的政治生涯得益于金融阶层的支持，他进一步巩固了他们的地位。

　　 美国的金融资本体系是一个掠夺性的体系。它建立在剥削工人阶级的基础上。它的建立是为了保护经济现状。这是一个利用弱者使富人更富的制度。

　　 与此同时，美国国债不断提高的后果就是，当美国政府的财政收入无法支付债务利息时……唯一的解决办法是美国政府增加货币供应量。

　　 这增加了通货膨胀，从而降低了债务的价值。然而，债务仍然是一种债务，当美国政府印钱来支付利息时，它会使货币进一步贬值。

　　 这造成了一个恶性循环：债务增加，通货膨胀加剧，债务价值下降。

　　 当然，除了过度发行货币和提高债务上限之外，还有另一种方法可以使债务危机持续下去，即利用其他国家来保持美元的低价值。这是通过发动无休止的战争来实现的。

　　 为了防止重演1929年的经济大萧条，美国只能采取发动对外战争的方式摆脱债务拉动经济并维持美元在国际贸易上的地位，也就是国际货币。由于债务在本世纪末还不清，政府不得不印更多的钱来支付利息。

　　 这导致了恶性通货膨胀，这使得美元实际上毫无用处。在交易中保持其价值的唯一方法是将其与外币挂钩。

　　 一但美元失去国际货币的地位与美国国债丧失信誉之时，美国将陷入噩梦。但是这不是金融资本的危机，相反，它可以转移到一个与美国同样的大国继续奴役与剥削全人类。就像美国在两次世界大战中面对英国的衰落一样，而这一切只是重复资本的运作，兴起新的超级大国只会是第二个美国或者说第三个英国。

　　 一个全球超级大国不会为全球精英以外的任何人的长期利益而工作。

　　 苏联是一个失败国家与独裁政权。

　　 但是，它与它相等邪恶的美国不同的是，它是计划经济国家。这从根本上决定了金融资本根本不可能与它融合，因此如果苏联赢了冷战就可能意味资本的毁灭与计划经济在全球范围内建立…因此，苏联的真正敌人不是美国而是资本主义。美国的真正敌人不是苏联而是社会主义。冷战是决定了全人类命运与社会形态的斗争，无论苏联与美国都如何邪恶，冷战都加速了全人类的发展。（相反，现在二十一世纪美国与中国所谓新冷战的斗争，只是两个美国对金融资本的争夺。谁胜利了都不会改变全世界人类的命运…）

　　 一个所有国家平等参与的全球市场，一个像人类这样的全球社会可能永远不会知道。所谓的世界新秩序是富人之间经济竞争的世界。所谓的世界新秩序是一个富人越来越富，穷人越来越穷的世界。

　　 毕竟，谁有在乎世界上的贫穷人口？谁在乎美国贫民窟里被摧垮的‘野兽’与中国工厂里被剥削的‘奴隶’呢？

　　 工业革命产生的制度是一种贫富悬殊的制度。超级富豪变得如此暴富，以至于他们现在控制的财富超过了世界上最贫穷的50%的人口。这就是“文明”社会的样子。

　　 富裕工业化国家的中产阶级现在处于灭绝的边缘，经济差距扩大到自罗马帝国时代以来前所未有的水平。

　　 未来是一个没有未来的世界。在全球经济动荡和停滞的同时，世界上富有的精英阶层继续积累财富。与此同时，世界穷人的数量继续增加，生活条件更加恶劣。

　　 与此同时，我们被告知“新冷战”正在酝酿，我们再次感到同情。

　　 世界将是富人想要的样子。世界将是强权告诉我们应该是的样子。

　　 当一个社会的大多数成员都没有未来时，它就不能被称为“文明社会”。

　　 当一个社会的成员都与同一个主人联系在一起时，这个社会的成员就不能真正生活。他们都必须被纠缠，被束缚，被引入歧途。

　　 这是全人类的命运。

　　 ------

　　 美国总统办公厅内

　　 里根用怀疑的目光盯着中央情报局局长凯西。为什么中情局永远都做不好事情？

　　 “这到底是什么意思，‘如果你还在’？”

　　 “我们仍在分析，这些用德语书写的信封是谁寄来的。”

　　 “那么，可能是俄国人干的？”

　　 “可能是伊朗人。我们也在从这个角度努力。”

　　 “有线索吗？”

　　 “不，还没有。我们正在跟踪每一个可能的角度。不过，这是一个很长的列表。”

　　 “这些信封的内容如何？对此有何分析？”

　　 “这是一份针对美国的可能袭击清单。我们仍在试图找出一些袭击的意义，比如针对洛杉矶的袭击。目前，我们还不知道。”

　　 里根点点头沉着脸说：“总之，不要再失败了。你知道苏联今年七月世界青年联合节抓到中情局帮助的那几个阿富汗人让我们怎么解释的？”

　　 “是的，先生。”

　　 “好吧，我们会对伊朗人做同样的事情。如果你发现他们帮助恐怖分子，就开枪打死他们。”

　　 里根盯着凯西说：“如果我们找不到任何证据，那我们就不得不考虑这是一个大骗局，我们必须尽一切努力保护国家。”

　　 “是的，先生。”

　　 “我是认真的，凯西。如果我们发现这是一场骗局，那么我们将面临一场重大的国际事件。我说清楚了吗？”

　　 “先生，我们会尽力的。”

　　 “很好。现在，去找出谁应该对此负责。”里根指着凯西手中的文件说。

　　 里根走回窗口，思考着。他望着波托马克河说：“这些预言性的信封是一个骗局吗？或者……如果是俄罗斯人或伊朗人幕后操纵，那么我们很可能会看到某种形式的袭击。”

　　 ------

　　 在白宫的情况室里

　　 会议结束了。总统刚到情况室。这个房间是一个巨大的长方形房间，配备了各种控制台和大型地图桌，可以监控来自世界各地的各种视频。

　　 总统走进房间，环顾四周。他走到一堵玻璃墙旁的一张大地图桌旁，眺望世界各地正在进行的各种活动。

　　 总统看起来很严肃。副总统老布什已经在房间里，看着一系列的读数。

　　 “我们在阿富汗的部队情况如何？”总统问道。

　　 “我们正在取得稳步进展，先生，”布什说，“阿富汗游击队正在继续与苏联军队进行游击战争，这耗尽会苏联他们的意志。他们的抵抗力似乎越来越弱，应该很快就会瓦解。我们的部队正在进驻以支持阿富汗政府，并加强我们对抗苏联的力量。”

　　 “阿富汗的自由斗士正在为了抵抗苏联这个不得人心的邪恶帝国而奋战，为了阿富汗人民的利益和所有人民的自由，”里根说，但没有抬起头，“在这方面，他们与美国没有什么不同。和我们一样，他们也在红星的手中受苦。”

　　 “他们不是团结的美国人，“总统先生，”布什说。

　　 “不，但和美国一样，他们是自由战士，纯洁而简单，他们值得支持。”

　　 “总统先生，阿富汗政府本身处于混乱之中；它甚至不能控制它已经占领的地区，”布什说，“人们不明白为什么他们应该支持它，因为他们的生活改善得太少了。”

　　 “如果人民愿意为自由而战，那么他们就应该这样做。”里根说。“阿富汗人民从来都不是自由斗士。他们充其量是懦夫，最糟糕的是，他们正在寻找一条简单的出路。”布什说。

　　 “他们愿意为自由而死，”里根说。

　　 “这才是最重要的。”

　　 “问题是，我们是吗？”布什问道。“我们愿意为自己而死吗？”

　　 “我想这是一个未来可能永远不会到来的问题。”里根说。

　　 “愿红星永远不再升起。”总统说：“以美利坚合众国的名义，我们继续战斗。”

　　 总统转身离开了房间。

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　　 Mrs. Thatcher put down her tea and said, \"I guess our plan failed? Despite our indication to Gromyko that we would only accept exchanges with Gorbachev, the Kremlin chose its own masters.\"

　　 \"Yes, I am afraid so. However, there is a consolation.\"

　　 \"What\u0027s that?\"

　　 \"The information we have gathered is more than enough for us to start a new relationship with the Soviet Union. I believe, given enough time, we could build up our relations to the point where they would be mutually beneficial for both nations. This could solve a lot of our problems. The Kremlin may not be willing to give up their authoritarian rule, but they would be willing to give up a lot for the benefits that a stable relationship with the West could bring.\"

　　 \"I see. Well, if that\u0027s the case, then there is hope for us to maintain some level of influence over their political system. I am glad to hear that, Mr. President.\"

　　 \"There is still a lot of hard work ahead of us in the near future, but I am optimist about the outcome. We have a chance to do something that has never been done before. We can make peace with a powerful nation. I believe that history will judge us kindly. We will be able to look back and say, \u0027Look, I told you so.\u0027 \" Reagan finished the joke by adding, \"Before history judges us, we need to talk about trade exchanges; the United States has some unpleasant problems right now, like the trade deficit and the debt.\"

　　 \"I see. Well, I hope you are right, because there are a lot of people counting on us solving these problems.\"

　　 \"Of course, then the British finance minister and the governor of the central bank will be at the Plaza Hotel as a decision that makes everyone happy? Well, I\u0027m sure you can see why I am skeptical, but that is why we must do what we are going to do.\"

　　 \"Well, it\u0027s a possibility,\" said Thatcher. \"However, I have a lot of doubts.\"

　　 \"I understand. I also have a lot of doubts, but we must give it a try. We can\u0027t just turn our back on peace because a few fanatics are stirring up trouble. We must work to achieve what is best for the world. If you ever feel you are turning your back on peace, come and see me. We can talk this over.\"

　　 \"Of course.\"

　　 \"So, what are you going to do?\"

　　 \"Well, I am going to speak to the Soviets,\" said Reagan.

　　 \"Good luck,\" said Thatcher.

　　 \"Thank you for your hospitality. I am sure we\u0027ll be seeing a lot of each other in the future.\"

　　 \"Yes, I am looking forward to your visit.\"

　　 \"You are very welcome anytime you come to New York.\"

　　 \"Thank you. I think I\u0027ll be coming more often, whenever I can.\"

　　 \"Good luck with your project.\"

　　 \"Thank you.\"

　　 They shook hands. Reagan left the room. It took a few moments for the atmosphere to return to normal.

　　 \"Well, that didn\u0027t go quite as I planned,\" said Thatcher. \"The Kremlin did not choose a reformer who could achieve our aims, but a new tsar.\"

　　 ------

　　 Any regime built on idealism will be transformed into a bureaucratic regime within 20 to 40 years.

　　 Kremlinology: The only way to deal with a fanatic is to contain them, to make them do what you want them to do.

　　 The problem with this approach is that you cannot control a fanatic, you can only hope that their ideals will eventually fade away.

　　 This seems unlikely to happen, considering the type of person attracted to such a cause. Reagan was a man who always pursued his own goals, regardless of the means necessary.

　　 This approach is doomed to failure.

　　 The doomed Soviet Union is a good thing for the world. It will all be better when its people, along with those under the communist regimes of Eastern Europe, are freed from dictatorial control and lies.

　　 The Soviet Union is a menace, and its people are not innocent. They and their leaders are responsible for the deaths of millions of people.

　　 Its days are numbered.

　　 The problem is that America will remain. President Reagan\u0027s policies would determine the path of the United States for decades, if not centuries. His policies remain firmly rooted in his own ideology, and that ideology is misguided.

　　 Neoliberalism destroyed & enslaved America\u0027s youth, and America created economic prosperity & pitfalls during his tenure, and capitalists after his tenure struggled to praise him for giving the capitalist class complete control over America\u0027s economic development.

　　 The U.S. national debt gradually decreased as a percentage of GDP after the end of World War II, but rebounded at Reagan. The United States began to evolve from the largest creditor to the largest debtor country, while changing from a manufacturing country to a financial country.

　　 The debt was a problem through Reagan\u0027s entire term in office. His political career was made possible by the support of the financial class, and he further solidified their position.

　　 The U.S. system of finance capital is a predatory one. It is built on the exploitation of the working class. It is built to protect the economic status quo. It is a system that exploits the weak to make the rich richer.

　　 Meanwhile, the consequence of the rising U.S. national debt is that when the U.S. government\u0027s financial revenues are unable to pay the interest on the debt...the only solution is for the U.S. government to increase the money supply.

　　 This increases inflation, which decreases the value of the debt. However, the debt is still a debt, and when the U.S. government prints money to pay the interest, it devalues the currency even more.

　　 This creates a vicious cycle: increasing debt, increasing inflation, decreasing value of the debt.

　　 Of course, there is another way to perpetuate the debt crisis besides over-issuing money and raising the debt ceiling, using other countries as a way to keep the value of the U.S. Dollar low. This is done through waging endless war.

　　 To prevent a repeat of the Great Depression of 1929, the United States had to resort to waging foreign wars to get out of debt to pull the economy and maintain the status of the dollar in international trade, or international currency. Since the debt was not repaid by the end of the decade, the government had to print more money to cover the interest payments.

　　 This caused hyperinflation, which made the U.S. Dollar practically useless. The only way to preserve its value in transactions was to peg it to a foreign currency.

　　 The United States will be in a nightmare when the dollar loses its status as an international currency and the U.S. national debt loses its credibility. But this is not a crisis of finance capital, on the contrary, it can be transferred to a power that will continue to enslave and exploit all of humanity in the same way as the United States. Just as the United States faced Britain in the two world wars, and all this is just a repetition of the workings of capital, the rise of a new superpower will only be a second United States or rather a third Britain.

　　 A global superpower will not work in the long-term interests of anyone except the global elite.

　　 The Soviet Union is a failed state and a dictatorship.

　　 But, unlike its evil equivalent, the United States, it was a planned economy. This fundamentally determined that finance capital could not be integrated with it at all, so that if the Soviet Union won the Cold War it could mean the destruction of capital and the establishment of a planned economy on a global scale... Thus, the real enemy of the Soviet Union was not the United States but capitalism. The real enemy of the United States was not the Soviet Union but socialism. The Cold War was a struggle to determine the fate and social form of all mankind, and no matter how evil both the Soviet Union and the United States were, the Cold War accelerated the development of all mankind. (On the contrary, the so-called new Cold War struggle between the United States and China in the twenty-first century is now just a struggle between the two United States for financial capital. Whoever wins will not change the fate of the world...)

　　 A global market in which all nations participate on an equal footing, a global community, such as humanity may never know. The so-called new world order is a world of economic competition among the rich. The so-called new world order is a world in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

　　 After all, who cares about the poor people of the world? Who cares about the devastated \u0027beasts\u0027 in the slums of America versus the exploited \u0027slaves\u0027 in the factories of China?

　　 The system that emerged from the industrial revolution is one of extreme wealth disparity. The super-rich have gotten so obscenely rich that they now control more wealth than the poorest 50% of the world\u0027s population. This is what a \"civilized\" society looks like.

　　 The middle-class of the rich industrialized countries are now on the brink of extinction, with economic disparity growing to levels not seen since the days of the Roman Empire.

　　 The future is a world in which there is no future. The wealthy elite of the world continue to amass wealth while the global economy sputters and stagnates. Meanwhile, the world\u0027s poor continue to increase in number and live in even more wretched conditions.

　　 Meanwhile, we are told there is a \"New Cold War\" brewing, and once again we are to be pitied.

　　 The world will be what the rich want it to be. The world will be what the powerful tell us it should be.

　　 A society cannot be called \"civilized\" when the majority of its members have no future.

　　 When a society\u0027s members are all tied to the same master, the members of that society cannot truly live. They must all be entangled, all be bound, all be led astray.

　　 This is the fate of all of mankind.

　　 ------

　　 Inside the Executive Office of the President of the United States

　　 Reagan stares at CIA Director Casey with a look of incredulity. Why is it that the CIA is never able to get anything right?

　　 \"What the hell does that mean, \u0027if you\u0027re still in\u0027?\"

　　 \"We are still analyzing who sent these envelopes, written in German.\"

　　 \"So, it could\u0027ve been the Russians?\"

　　 \"It could\u0027ve been the Iranians. We\u0027re still working on that angle as well.\"

　　 \"Any leads?\"

　　 \"No, not yet. We\u0027re following up on every possible angle. It\u0027s a long list, though.\"

　　 \"What about the content of this envelopes? What\u0027s the analysis of that?\"

　　 \"It\u0027s a list of possible attacks against the United States. We\u0027re still trying to figure out the significance of some of the attacks, like the one against LA. At this point, we don\u0027t know.\"

　　 Reagan nodded his head and said soberly, \"In short, don\u0027t fail again. You know how the Soviets made us explain the few Afghans they caught the CIA helping at the United World Youth Festival this July?\"

　　 \"Yes, sir.\"

　　 \"Well, we\u0027ll do the same thing with the Iranians. If you find them helping terrorists, shoot them.\"

　　 Reagan stared at Casey and said, \"And if we find no evidence of any of this, then we\u0027re going to have to consider the possibility that this is all a big hoax. We\u0027ll have to do whatever it takes to protect the nation.\"

　　 \"Yes, sir.\"

　　 \"I\u0027m serious, Casey. If we find that this is a hoax, then we\u0027re going to have a major international incident on our hands. Do I make myself clear?\"

　　 \"sir, We\u0027ll do our best.\"

　　 \"Good. Now, go find out who\u0027s responsible for this,\" Reagan said, pointing to the file in Casey\u0027s hand.

　　 Reagan walked back over to his window, thinking. He looked out over the Potomac River, and said, \"Are these prophetic envelopes a hoax, or...If the Russians or Iranians were behind this, then we\u0027re likely looking at an attack of some kind.\"

　　 ------

　　 Inside the Situation Room of the White House

　　 The meeting has ended. The president has just arrived in the Situation Room. The room is a large rectangular chamber, equipped with various consoles and large map tables, where the various video feeds from around the world can be monitored.

　　 The president enters the room, and looks around. He walks over to a glass wall, next to a large map table, and looks out over the various activities taking place around the world.

　　 The president looks grim. Vice President George H.W. Bush Sr. is already in the room, looking at a series of readouts. \"What\u0027s the situation with our forces in Afghanistan?\" the president asks.

　　 \"We\u0027re making steady progress, sir,\" Bush says. \"The Afghan guerrillas are continuing their guerrilla war against the Soviet army, which drains the will of the Soviet Union them. Their resistance seems to be growing weaker, and should break down soon. Our forces are moving in to support the Afghan government, and to strengthen our hand against the Soviets.\"

　　 \"The freedom fighters of Afghanistan are fighting to resist the unpopular and evil empire of the Soviet Union, for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan and for the freedom of all peoples,\" Reagan says, not lifting his head. \"In this, they were not unlike the United Americans. Like us, they suffered at the hands of the Red Star.\"

　　 \"They\u0027re not United Americans, Mr. President,\" Bush says.

　　 \"No, but like the United Americans, they\u0027re freedom fighters, pure and simple, and they\u0027re worth supporting.\"

　　 \"Mr. President, the Afghan government itself is in disarray; it can\u0027t even control the areas it already occupies,\" Bush says. \"The people don\u0027t see why they should support it, given that their lives have improved so little.\"

　　 \"If the people are willing to fight for freedom, then they should,\" Reagan says.

　　 \"The Afghan people have never been freedom fighters. They\u0027re cowards, at best, and they\u0027re looking for an easy way out, at worst,\" Bush says.

　　 \"They\u0027re willing to die for their freedom,\" Reagan says. \"That\u0027s all that matters.\"

　　 \"The question is, are we?\" Bush asks. \"Are we willing to die for ours?\"

　　 \"I suppose that\u0027s a question for a future that may never come,\" Reagan says.

　　 \"May the Red Star never rise again,\" the president says. \"In the name of the United Americans, we fight on.\"

　　 The president turns, and leaves the room.