OBS Chapter 2383
Chapter 2383
Chapter 2383
That's exactly what the Americans are worried about!
The inclusion of India and China in multilateral agreements is, in a sense, a brilliant move by the Americans!
Don't be fooled by how readily the US sold out its products to the Chinese. Just because they did it doesn't mean the two countries are now estranged. International politics isn't so absolute; self-interest is paramount!
To say that Britain is one of the most cunning countries is not to mean that it wins every battle or that every plan succeeds, but rather that for centuries it has repeatedly demonstrated a sophisticated algorithm of "exchanging limited resources for maximum benefit": combining military, diplomatic, economic, and cultural tools into a single force to leverage the greatest long-term dividends with the least direct cost.
Great Britain wasn't born strong, but rather exceptionally shrewd. If you view modern history as a global game of Texas Hold'em, Britain certainly wasn't the strongest player, but it was always the best player. Before the Age of Exploration, European powers fought each other on land, and Britain, with its natural barrier of the Channel, was largely ignored. But once the Age of Exploration brought the entire world into play, Britain discovered its island's geographical location was a crucial node in global trade—to the west lay the New World, to the east Eurasia, and to the south the Gold Coast of Africa. While others were pushed along by the times, Britain was the first to proactively adapt—seizing sea power, trade routes, and colonies. This wasn't brute force; it was underpinned by a comprehensive mindset of "global vision + meticulous calculation."
The Seven Years' War is a prime example. Prussia fought tooth and nail across Europe, while Britain, while providing financial support, seized all of France's overseas colonies. After the war, the balance of power shifted, and Prussia retained its territory, while Britain became the global hegemon. The same strategy was employed during the Napoleonic era. The French army swept across continental Europe, while the British navy blocked the Channel. In the final Battle of Waterloo, Britain barely engaged in direct combat, relying entirely on its allies to wear down Napoleon and ultimately securing global dominance. This tactic of betting on crucial moments and reaping the lion's share of the spoils became well-understood by Britain from that time onward.
So, is Britain always right? Actually, no. Britain has made many mistakes and done many foolish things. But it has a unique ability in the world—it always knows who is most likely to win the next round of the game, and then it jumps on their heels immediately, because pride is worthless. Don't underestimate this ability; historically, most powerful nations that stubbornly resisted to the end ended up failing along the way. Britain, with its ability to be flexible and adaptable, has always thrived. This is something worth learning, because everyone likes to win, but the key is how to win, and Britain has already demonstrated that in textbook form.
From a historical perspective, the UK and the US share deep historical ties, a crucial foundation for their special alliance. In the 17th century, Britain established colonies in North America. Although the US later gained independence through the War of Independence, the two countries maintained a high degree of consistency in language, culture, and legal systems. English became the official language of both countries, and British cultural works such as Shakespeare's plays and Dickens' novels were widely disseminated in the US, while Hollywood films and popular music were also very popular in Britain. This cultural affinity resulted in many shared values, such as the pursuit of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, laying the ideological foundation for their alliance. From the perspective of realist international relations theory, cooperation between nations is often based on shared interests, and the common interests of the UK and the US in the security and economic spheres are particularly prominent. In terms of security, during the Cold War, facing the threat of the Soviet Union, the UK and the US, along with other Western European countries, formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), creating a collective defense system. After the Cold War, although the international security landscape changed, new security threats such as terrorism and regional conflicts emerged, leading to even closer cooperation between the UK and the US in areas such as intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism operations. The CIA and MI6 have long maintained intelligence sharing. In combating international terrorist organizations, the two countries have repeatedly conducted joint military strikes and arrests, effectively curbing the spread of terrorism. In the economic sphere, both the US and UK are capitalist market economies with highly developed financial markets and advanced technology industries. Wall Street in the US and the City of London in the UK are the world's two major financial centers. Financial institutions in both countries invest in and cooperate closely, and numerous multinational corporations have established branches in both countries, promoting the cross-border flow of capital, technology, and talent. This economic interdependence necessitates coordination and cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade policy and financial regulation to safeguard their respective economic interests.
In the long term, the alliance between the UK and the US will have a profound impact on the global political and economic landscape. Politically, cooperation between the two countries will further solidify the unity of the Western world and enhance the Western camp's voice in international affairs. With the rise of emerging economies, the global political landscape is moving towards multipolarity. By strengthening cooperation with other Western allies, the UK and the US are attempting to maintain the existing international order, which may lead to increased conflicts with emerging economies over issues such as international rule-making and the reform of international organizations. Economically, cooperation between the UK and the US in science and technology will promote global technological progress, but it may also lead to increased technological monopolies. Both countries are world leaders in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. If they jointly impose technological blockades on other countries, it will hinder the balanced development of global science and technology and exacerbate the technological gap between nations.
The relationship between Britain and the United States is perhaps the most distinctive and unique, so much so that it is often described as "the same nation belonging to two countries."
Following World War II, Britain's overall national strength declined sharply, with its economic, political, and military power all experiencing a dramatic downturn. Coupled with the global wave of national independence movements that followed the war, the foundations of the British Empire were severely shaken, and Britain naturally became a second-rate power. Meanwhile, the United States rapidly rose to become the world's leading power, leaving the once-mighty British Empire far behind. Churchill famously described the situation at the time: "On one side of me was the mighty Russian bear, on the other the mighty North American bison, and sandwiched between me was a small, weak English donkey."
However, Britain's global ambitions did not diminish. It was only in the end that Britain realized its ambitions for world domination were far from matching its actual strength. Faced with the changing international landscape after the war, Britain made a wise choice—to maintain its alliance with the United States and leverage America's overwhelming power to achieve its goal of global hegemony. For the United States, World War II gave it a significant advantage far exceeding that of Britain and France, a stark contrast to its neglected position during World War I. However, the rise of the Soviet Union after World War II greatly constrained America's ambitions for global domination, making it imperative for the United States, which had not yet completed its global strategy, to seek allies. From the United States' perspective, although Britain had fallen from a global power to a regional power, its strength should not be underestimated. As a former world hegemon, Britain still possessed considerable political influence globally; its extensive global military bases alone were something the United States lacked.
Therefore, in the post-World War II global hegemonic order jointly constructed by Britain and the United States, the United States could not do without the support of Britain, and Britain could not break free from its dependence on the United States. In 1946, Churchill clearly stated: "It is impossible to effectively prevent war and to continue to advance organizational development without what I call a fraternal union among the English-speaking peoples. This union is the establishment of a special relationship between the Commonwealth and the British Empire and the United States." The intention of Britain and the United States to seek a special diplomatic relationship was thus clearly revealed to the world.
In 1947, with the introduction of the Truman Doctrine, the Cold War gradually began. This led to a consensus between Britain and the United States on a policy of jointly confronting the Soviet Union. For example, during the Berlin Crisis, Britain allowed American B-29 bombers to be stationed on British soil, and during the formation of NATO, Britain made every effort to maintain relations with Western European countries. The establishment of the Atlantic Alliance placed Western Europe under American protection, thus ensuring Britain's security.
Beyond their joint efforts to counter the Soviet Union, Anglo-American cooperation in other areas also demonstrated close ties. This special relationship was first evident in their cooperation on the sensitive nuclear field. Britain was the only Western country willing to cooperate with the United States in nuclear weapons development. During Clement Attlee's presidency, Britain readily agreed to allow the United States to establish a highly controversial and sensitive nuclear base on its territory. This was a result of mutual strategic needs and coordination between the two sides. In return, the United States allowed Britain to detonate a British nuclear device at the Nevada Test Site and subsequently provided Britain with the Polaris and Trident missile systems. After signing the Polaris missile purchase contract in 1963, the missile was deployed on Royal Navy submarines from 1968 until the mid-1990s.
The military cooperation between the UK and the US extends far beyond the nuclear sphere, a depth unmatched by other countries cooperating with the US. Even now, the US maintains a large military presence in the UK, with as many as eight military bases. Alongside this deepening military cooperation, their intelligence cooperation is equally close. This special Anglo-American relationship is also reflected in their often-overlooked cooperation in the propaganda field. The propaganda agencies of both countries consistently provide mutual support, especially during times of war. For example, during the US invasion of Nicaragua in the 1980s, the propaganda narratives of the two countries were completely aligned. To justify the Iraq War, Anglo-American propaganda initially promoted the claim that Saddam Hussein possessed and produced weapons of mass destruction, creating a pretext for war. After the outbreak of war, media coverage of the conflict remained largely consistent between the two countries.
Thus, the partnership between the UK and the US became a core pillar of Atlantic and NATO defense. The special relationship between the two countries, along with Britain's sincerity, significantly enhanced US trust in the UK. Consequently, on some sensitive political and military issues, the US preferred to consult with Britain, while remaining wary of other allies. It was precisely because of this special relationship with the US that Britain gained unparalleled political advantages. Leveraging US political influence, Britain's global influence remained largely stable (however, the British colonial system ultimately could not be sustained, which dealt a significant blow to Britain).
The UK's emphasis on the Anglo-American special relationship is essentially driven by a desire to safeguard its own interests. Following the US lead is, in effect, a way for Britain to influence American policy and maximize its own gains. Britain believes that despite its inevitable decline to a second- or even third-rate power, its extensive international diplomatic experience allows it to guide the still-developing superpower, the US, and leverage the Anglo-American special relationship to help the US achieve global dominance. This special relationship has been crucial to British foreign policy since World War II, and Britain's influence on it is evident, but this does not change the fundamental nature of American leadership and British subservience.
Therefore, even though Britain betrayed the United States on the issue of the Apocalypse, it could not truly and completely reverse its relationship with the United States.
It's important to understand that the United States fears being held accountable after its hegemony declines.
But Britain is afraid too!
Or rather, they're even more afraid than the United States!
You should know that when it comes to being despicable, these two are of the same ilk, and the British are even more despicable.
In other words, their strength has weakened considerably in recent years.
There's no way to pull off any earth-shattering moves.
Even so, Daiying has done quite a few things that make people grit their teeth in anger.
The US is afraid of being purged, but Dai Ying is even more afraid!
So despite the fact that Britain betrayed the United States, the reality is that Britain has no way to break away from the alliance between the two countries!
With his good reputation and current foundation.
Losing the United States, a crucial ally, would be a huge disaster!
Putting everything else aside, those guys in Europe definitely won't let this opportunity slip by!
So don't be fooled by the fact that Ying betrayed the Americans once.
But in reality, their alliance is even stronger... after all, Apocalypse holds the key to Britain's fate!
Without the Suez Canal, trade between Britain and the Far East would have been completely cut off.
So they had to admit the apocalypse... In the end, America failed!
This time, bringing Britain and India into the multilateral agreement was, in a sense, also supported by the United States.
The United States was not happy to see such an agreement, which was not under their control, emerge... Most importantly, a certain mysterious Eastern power never intended for the United States to participate from the very beginning... This greatly alarmed the Americans... But the truth is not so simple. Initially, the Eastern power was indeed invited to the mining agreement led by the United States.
But when I looked at the results... it was just the same old thing in a different guise.
Please, brother, open your eyes and see the world!
If you had shown even a little sincerity, that great Eastern power wouldn't have started a new system and excluded you!
They're still living in a dream!
The balance of power has already shifted, but the US is still clinging to its inherent arrogance, which is intolerable!