The rise of great powers: starting from military industry

Military Intelligence, the full name of the British Military Intelligence Service.

It was affiliated to the British War Department before 1963 and later to the British Ministry of Defence.

MI5 is responsible for the UK's domestic security affairs and is mainly engaged in counter-intelligence and counter-infiltration work; MI6 is responsible for the UK's overseas intelligence activities and is mainly engaged in espionage activities.

MI5 and MI6 have played important roles in the history of world intelligence and the global political landscape.

The Western intelligence community regards MI6 as the 'founder' of the British intelligence agency. From the early days of Elizabeth's creation to the present, MI6 has existed for a very long time and has spread all over the world.

In today's world, there has always been a saying that the "world's four major intelligence organizations" refer to the British Intelligence Service, the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Soviet KGB and the Israeli Mossad.

In less than half an hour, a meeting was held at No. 10 Downing Street.

"Richard, please introduce the situation." Mrs. Thatcher glanced at the core staff present, and then looked at a middle-aged man.

Richard, head of MI6.

"After we received the order, we immediately started intelligence collection. The French were the first suspect. However, according to our investigation, since April, the 'Exocet' anti-ship missile produced by France Aerospace has not been exported. This has never been exported. The various intelligences are compared with each other and can be extremely confirmed, so the suspicion of the French can be ruled out," Richard said solemnly, "There is no evidence that the American anti-ship missiles were shipped to South America, plus they openly support us. , the possibility is very small.”

"Through the intelligence system in Argentina, we got definite information that Argentina purchased a batch of arms from arms dealers from the East, including weapons and equipment that can arm 100,000 people, as well as anti-ship missiles." Richard said, "As for the number of anti-ship missiles, it has not yet been determined."

"Another arms dealer from the East. It's not enough for them to make huge war profits in the Iran-Iraq war. They also extend their hands to South America?" A core staff member frowned, "They have no interests in South America and nothing. Channels are the only ones, and we have already blocked the sea. How could they transport such a large amount of arms? "

Although Panshan Machinery Factory has never been made public, it has always done business in a low-key manner.

However, with so many weapons appearing in the Iran-Iraq war, Iraq and Persia have long been infiltrated by major intelligence systems and cannot be concealed at all.

It's just that Panshan Machinery Factory is an arms dealer, and major countries around the world are doing this kind of thing, and others are not qualified to say anything.

Especially now, with the rise of "neoliberal economics" in Europe and the United States, who can blame this kind of normal trade?

You know, the top two major arms exporters in the world today are the Soviet Union and the United States!

It's just that they can't figure out how Panshan Machinery Factory reached out to South America and Argentina.

You must know that it has only been ten years since they established diplomatic relations, and their contacts are not close.

How did Panshan Machinery Factory transport a large amount of arms to Argentina? You must know that the Royal Navy had already blocked the sea area.

"According to our intelligence, arms dealers from the East had previously shipped weapons to South America. After reaching a deal with Argentina, this batch of weapons was quickly shipped to Argentina," Richard said.

"If this is the case, then we will directly put pressure on the East to stop selling weapons and ask them to hand over the core signal frequency of the missiles!" A core staff member said with a strong attitude.

Another core staff member who looked mature and steady shook his head slightly and said: "What reason do we use to exert pressure? You know that so far, Dongfang has not publicly admitted that they sold these anti-ship missiles to Argentina? Besides, even if Dongfang has sold them , this is also a normal trade, why should we exert pressure? Do they have a close relationship with us? "

"But we have evidence!?" The staff member frowned.

"Evidence!? What evidence!? Is that evidence!?" Another core staff member said solemnly, "They can completely deny it directly. Do you have specific anti-ship missiles to show as evidence? Even if you show anti-ship missiles, How do you prove that this is what the East sells to Argentina? And why do you think that arms dealers from the East cannot do business with Argentina?”

"Don't forget, arms dealers are in the arms business, and they only do it to make money!" The core staff member said rudely, "Don't forget, it was a big country with a population of one billion. Thirty years ago, they I hammered all the entrances!"

"We can unite with the United States, the United States is our ally!" the staff said reluctantly.

"The United States? It's true that we are allies with the United States, but don't forget, how did we lose control of the Suez Canal, and how did our colonies become independent one by one?" The core staff member was angry.

After World War II, Churchill's "Iron Curtain Speech" was very successful and successfully provoked the two camps to confront each other. The advent of the Cold War prevented the world order planned by Roosevelt and Stalin from being formed, and also successfully tricked the United States.

However, the United States and the Soviet Union were also dismembering the colonies of established powers such as Britain and France, triggering a wave of colonial independence.

Even under pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union, the British had to swallow their anger and give up control of the Suez Canal.

Now, in the financial field, the US dollar is strongly replacing the pound's status.

The pound is no longer the most valuable and trustworthy currency in the world.

There is no such thing as allies or non-allies between countries, but rather interests that are so practical that they are outrageous.

This is most clear to Britain, which was once the world hegemon and the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets".

Just like Churchill's famous saying: There are no eternal friends between countries, only eternal interests!

In the face of interests, even old rivals such as the United States and the Soviet Union, who compete in all aspects, can temporarily put aside their prejudices and reach cooperation in a certain field or on a certain matter.

"Don't forget, Americans and Chinese are now very close, and their economic, trade and political exchanges are getting closer and closer. The United States also needs China to help it share the pressure from the Soviet Union, and there is more and more cooperation between them." Another core staff member had to remind.

The pressure brought by the polar bear is too great, and Europe and the United States have some unbearable trends. Even the Western-81 military exercise held by the polar bear last year has made the pessimistic clouds shroud Europe and the United States.

The situation in the United States is also not good now. In 1980, the US inflation rate was as high as 13.4%, and the foreign trade deficit also set a new record of 36.4 billion US dollars. In 1981, the US inflation rate was still as high as 9.7%, and the trade deficit still exceeded 30 billion US dollars.

And this is still the Federal Reserve's federal funds rate as high as 14%. Even in a telephone conference at the end of 1980, it was expressed that the federal funds rate would be raised to 19-20%!

Crazy interest rate hikes, but the inflation rate is still very high, and the trade deficit is also high.

From 1970 to the present, for a full 12 years, the US economy has been in a stage of stagflation.

The first oil crisis hit the US economy hard, and before the US could recover, the second oil crisis broke out in the second half of 1979, and oil prices soared, which severely hit the US economy, aggravated the US foreign trade deficit, and deepened the stagflation trend.

In this case, whether the United States will choose to stand on the side of Britain is hard to say!