The Bear and the Dragon - Tom Clancy [132]
"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."
"Thats a tall order, George. If they dont 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 theyre cheating out of their jobs are American citizens."
"I know that. But what you have to remember is that we cant dictate to a sovereign country. The world doesnt work that way."
"Okay, fine, but we can tell them that they cant 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, were 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 isnt a baseball game with rules and fences. Its like racing a sailboat in the fog. You cant 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. Hes my computer 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 wasnt the same as living it out in the real world, a fact that too many State Department "professionals" didnt always appreciate as fully as they should.
"Okay, send him over. Now, just how rough are we supposed to play this?"
"Well, I guess youll 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 accomplish. He liked and admired President Ryan, but he wasnt 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 moments reflection. "Ill talk it over with him before I tell my people what to say. This could get nasty. The Chinese play rough."
"Lifes a bitch, Scott," Winston advised.
SecState smiled. "Okay, duly noted. Let me see what Jack says. So, hows 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 community is nice and comfy. The Fed Chairman is keeping a nice, even strain on monetary policy. Were going to get the changes we want in the tax code. So, things look pretty good. Its always easier to steer the ship in calm seas, yknow?"
Adler grimaced. "Yeah, Ill have to try that sometime." But he had marching orders to lay on a typhoon. This would get interesting.
"So, hows readiness?" General Diggs asked his assembled officers.
"Could be better," the colonel commanding 1st Brigade admitted. "Weve 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 thats not the same as going out in the dirt with our tracks." There was general nodding on that point.
"Its a problem for me, sir,"