"Mr. President, we absolutely cannot agree to their terms. Otherwise, it will only accelerate the Soviet Union's reunification."
"This is nuclear blackmail! We have nuclear weapons too—bigger, stronger, and better!"
"War? They want war, then we strike first! Launch a hundred strategic nuclear missiles and hit their major cities first."
At the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., an emergency Senate meeting was underway with the President of the United States in attendance. The last time an American president had walked in here overnight without any preparation had been when Pearl Harbor was attacked and Roosevelt declared war on Japan.
Standing behind the podium, Little Simple listened to the chaotic discussions among the senators and felt his head swelling.
Still, their general attitude was fairly united: no money, and if they wanted lives, there were plenty of soldiers' lives to spare. They absolutely could not bow to blackmail.
America had always blackmailed others. Since when had it become their turn to be blackmailed?
No. Even if it really came to Nuclear War, they could never show weakness. Now it depended on China's attitude. Perhaps things would become even more complicated.
"Gentlemen, let us vote."
The Vice President, acting as Senate Speaker, tapped the table to signal for the gentlemen to remain calm.
The results came out quickly. The senators representing the interests of big capital unanimously opposed paying compensation and refused to apologize.
They wanted war even more. They had not fought the Indestructible Alliance back then, but it was not too late to fight now.
In any case, the rich all had their own shelters on this Earth. Whenever anything major happened, they could survive, while a reshuffling of the lower classes brought them plenty of benefits.
Clear out inventory, dump products, hoard goods and drive up prices. As