pertwk Page 121
Page 121
In addition, there is the result of the Western world's deification movement, which has constantly praised the United States, ultimately destroying it.
It literally means that the older brother was blown away.
Look at the haphazard tech trees that the US subsequently developed, especially the iconic Zumwalt, which uses the navy to control the land. Just thinking about it makes you realize how unreliable it is. For occupation and control in war, you have to send the army. Being able to destroy and being able to occupy are two different concepts. War also has to be calculated in terms of cost. You can't do a losing business. You have to make a profit after the war.
Just like the Gulf War, the goal was oil, to control the heart of the world's oil industry.
Objectively speaking, the Western world was extremely successful for a period of time, and the US military became an invincible myth. But just like everyone who is praised, they eventually fall hard. This time, the US military has been forced to confront reality.
Iran claims to possess hypersonic anti-ship missiles, has demonstrated them, and has even provided them to the Houthis.
Honestly, every single word in this news article is understood by the American high-ranking officials, but put together in one sentence, it's magical realism.
So where did Iran get its supersonic anti-ship missiles? The technology behind them is quite advanced!
The US wants to say it's Xinhua, but Xinhua has absolutely no connection with Iran. And just last month, Xinhua announced the discovery of a super oil field with reserves equivalent to two Middle Eastern oil reserves.
This was a bolt from the blue for the United States. Of course, they didn't want to believe it was true, but the prices of various petroleum products in China did indeed plummet at lightning speed, fully demonstrating the terrifying power that could be unleashed when China's productivity was combined with its abundant oil resources.
In reality, those so-called oil wells are just artificial oil bases disguised as oil wells. This technology obtains oil by decomposing various substances through microbial communities, which can produce high-quality oil. It is equivalent to having a universal processing area for Xinhua's ever-increasing waste consumption. All the garbage can be thrown here, buried underground, and handed over to those artificial microbial communities for processing.
So for a period of time, Xinhua carried out extensive underground exploration in the southwest and northwest regions, and actually built a lot of underground landfills, the kind that can be opened. After filling them with garbage, they spread bacteria, waited a month, and then they could directly extract oil like picking pickled cabbage. The price was completely cheaper than oil from the Middle East.
This industrial chain connects the upstream and downstream of the petrochemical, machinery manufacturing, and automobile industries, as well as all related service industries and derivative manufacturing industries. It is expected to create more than 100 million jobs and there is a trend of continuous expansion of related industries, directly turning Xinhua's low-cost human resources into a huge industrial workforce.
Layoffs and unemployment? Not a chance. There's a demand for people everywhere. Plus, with the upcoming outer space exploration and development plan, even if there are 50 billion people on Earth right now, Qin Shan can make sure they're all taken care of.
They solved the problem of food and clothing directly and in one step, and at the same time began to fully promote rural revitalization and urban reform. Money makes things easier, and many problems can be solved easily.
Xinhua is terrifying without any weaknesses, and it is even more explosively powerful without its large group of public intellectuals. Not to mention the NATO countries led by the United States, there is still no evidence that Xinhua provided Iran with hypersonic anti-ship missile technology. Even if they did find irrefutable evidence, Xinhua's eighteen supercarrier fleets would make them instantly choose to shift the blame to the former Soviet Union.
They're just taking advantage of the fact that the dead can't speak. Russia, this oligarchic comprador state, can't possibly speak for the former Soviet Union.
What a joke.
So the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union, it's the Soviet Union. Iran's hypersonic anti-ship missile technology was provided by that evil Soviet Union through Egypt. Damn it, they never stop even after they're dead. What a cunning red empire.
The US government, having been attacked, immediately vowed revenge. The US military still enjoys a strong reputation; it hasn't degenerated into the Rainbow Army of the 2020s. A significant proportion of American soldiers are from good families willing to dedicate their youth and lives to the American Dream, and they are enthusiastic about serving and earning merit. This gives the US military a somewhat appreciative air about potential conflict.
However, a very real problem soon confronted the U.S. military staff.
Look, this is a map of the Middle East. This is Palestine and Israel, and this is Somalia and Yemen, which blockade the Red Sea.
The recent coup in Iran brought a new faction to power. This faction is clearly more eager for war than any previous faction in Iran, and it appears to be very capable and not to be trifled with. If the US military were to intervene, it would likely be a protracted war.
"What's there to be afraid of? We've fought Iraq before, and is Iran any stronger?"
These words were spoken by a U.S. Army staff officer, his face radiating confidence.
In fact, it's not just him who is very confident; the US military itself is also very confident. They now believe that as long as war breaks out, the US can crush Iran in no time. At most, war is troublesome, not something they can't win.
After considering the current situation in the Middle East, the US military believes that it should first take down Iran, the most aggressive party.
"As long as Iran is defeated, the situation in the Middle East will improve."
The assessment by the U.S. military general staff was quickly approved by Clinton, much to the delight of the U.S. military-industrial complex.
War is great! As long as the United States starts its war machine, the profits will come!
No one doubts that the US special military operation against Iran will fail. As for the sunken Nimitz aircraft carrier, it was merely a sneak attack. In a direct confrontation, the US military will become the nightmare of all its enemies.
"Tell the players that a new event has started in Iran in the Middle East. Get ready." Qin Shan smiled as he dug a bottomless pit for the US military.
More than 300,000 players entered Iran and quickly integrated with the local armed forces.
It's actually the original Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The combat effectiveness of the Iranian army is currently rather underwhelming.
In religious countries, an army with religious beliefs is the only truly combat-effective force. Putting aside everything else, their fearless religious faith is a huge problem for the enemy. Even filling in the gaps can cause the enemy a heart attack.
Meanwhile, Iran also mobilized the entire nation, deploying all available resources. However, like many countries in the Middle East, Iran's central control over local areas is limited. You can't really expect a group of people still listening to the imams of mosques to obey government orders. You might as well expect Mohammed to personally take down the US military.
"Although we now control the central government of Iran, Iran is only slightly better off than the United States in terms of its fragmented state. Various local forces are intertwined and may even be hostile to us. These pro-American factions cannot be dealt with quickly and effectively. Therefore, this war is also a war of self-purification, hunting down the US military invasion and clearing away these problems!"
Yes, the players' targets aren't just the US military, but also various internal problems within Iran. The simplest and most direct way to solve problems is to eliminate those who create them, and war is the best means to do so. A US invasion would show the Iranian people how inhuman the US military is, thereby uniting them around the Iranian government. Local pro-American forces can be dealt with under the pretext of them welcoming the US army with food and drink. As for those more difficult to deal with, well, in war, it's normal to accidentally injure a few people during combat—it's just a matter of a few shells, nothing to be alarmed about.
Xinhua News Agency naturally opposed the US's proposed special military action against Iran, arguing that it was blatant aggression and that Middle Eastern affairs should be resolved by the people of the Middle East themselves, without interference from external countries, especially hegemonic aggression, which would only further complicate the hard-won situation in the Middle East.
Throughout the history of the world, the US military's strategy in the Middle East has been a classic example of ignoring the advice of elders. Their series of military operations and color revolutions have successfully eliminated and marginalized those who were originally favorable to the US, while also incidentally harming potential US allies. The remaining people no longer believe in freedom, democracy, or American values. Those willing to cooperate with the US military and government are either after money or US green cards. In short, those who truly have liberal beliefs and imagine the US as paradise have all disappeared.
Finally, a bunch of compradors and puppet troops are left behind. What kind of fighting power can you expect from them? The US withdrawal from Afghanistan proves this point. High-definition, high-frame-rate, uncensored aerial acrobatics represent the shattered American Dream and the dream of hegemony.
That's why we say you have to distinguish between enemies and friends first, and analyze specific problems in specific ways. The US clearly hasn't learned dialectics properly. Isn't American elite education supposed to be rigorous? Is this the kind of rigid thinking that produces these people?
These people may not care about the overall interests of the United States, but they care a lot about whether their own family can make the most of their profits.
What powerful families and clans are above the state?
Well, considering that the United States is still a young person who is less than 300 years old, it is understandable that they do not realize the disastrous consequences of family-dominated politics. In any case, even if they are unwilling to understand, reality will help them understand.
On September 11, 1997, a very auspicious day for the United States, the U.S. military launched a special military operation against Iran, codenamed "Infinite Justice."
Section 47: I haven't boarded the ship yet!
"take off!"
As fighter jets took off one by one from the US aircraft carrier, the US's "unlimited justice" operation against Iran officially began.
In Iran, a large number of urban residents had already been evacuated in advance. As for air defense, players chose to let the US military bomb them at will, even if they had good items, it wouldn't matter for the time being.
If the US Air Force is bombed into pieces right from the start, and the US Army is scattered in pieces, they will definitely suspend the next operation, which will be very detrimental to the players' plan to annihilate the US military on a large scale.
Between killing American soldiers and capturing tens of thousands of American prisoners, the latter obviously has more propaganda value.
Iran also needs its own Phutong POW camp.
On the first day of bombing, the US military felt like they were on a picnic. All strategic objectives were successfully achieved. Iranian resistance was minimal, with only some anti-aircraft guns firing at most, and no anti-aircraft missiles were seen.
"Doesn't Iran have anti-aircraft missiles?"
"Perhaps it's expired because it hasn't been used for a long time."
"It could also be due to a lack of maintenance. Iran's industrial level is a joke; they don't have the ability to maintain advanced weapons."
"What about those F-14s we sold to Iran before?"
"It has been confirmed that they have all been destroyed. The Iranian Air Force no longer exists. Even if there are still aircraft, there are no airfields where they can take off. Air superiority is in our hands."
"It seems that Iran is just a figurehead; their resistance is not even as strong as Iraq's back then."
"It's a joke that we were worried about such an opponent before."
"Given the current situation, we can complete all our work and successfully destroy our target in just one day."
"We could consider having the army land ahead of schedule."
It is said that a good start is half the battle, and Iran's response to the US airstrikes has convinced the US that they can prepare to welcome victory ahead of schedule, because the goddess of victory is already in their bed.
Ultimately, the air force completed the bombing of all planned targets within Iran in just one and a half days, with zero losses.
Because there was simply no more bombs to be made in Iran, the US military decided to launch the landing operation ahead of schedule.
The landing proceeded without any obstacles, as if Iran's military forces had vanished. This scene undoubtedly shocked the world, and pessimism about Iran became the mainstream view. Everyone felt that Iran was about to become another sacrifice for the invincible United States.
Many pro-American figures internationally have begun to celebrate, declaring that "the presence of the U.S. Army on a country's soil signifies victory and belongs to the beacon of freedom and democracy in the world."
US military journalists on the front lines took the opportunity to interview many US soldiers, showcasing the confidence and pride of the US military to the world.
"I thought this would be a Normandy landing, oh God, forgive me, it's more like an armed landing at best."
This American soldier named Cordick gave a very optimistic speech in front of reporters. Just then, an American tank drove past him from behind, creating a seemingly hawkish scene between Cordick and the tank.
American journalists seized this opportunity to film a glimpse into American military might, successfully projecting the tough image of Soldier Cordick onto various pro-Western propaganda outlets, showcasing the might and grandeur of the American warriors. At least in the eyes of the time, America seemed just one step away from victory.
Yes, it really was a throttle, a throttle that plunges you into hell.
Five years later, when Cordyce, with only one left hand, extensive burns, and looking like a zombie, saw this photo again, he felt a lump in his throat, suffered a heart attack, and died in front of the reporter who was interviewing him.
However, that's all five years from now. The current U.S. military represents the strength and confidence of the beacon of freedom.
Because Iran's resistance was too weak, the US Army General Staff believed that the Army could complete the combat mission independently. So every day, all the US Army troops accompanying them were sent ashore, totaling 40 troops. This time, they did not call on allies. It is estimated that they felt that the biggest cost of this "war" would be fuel, and the Middle East would not be short of oil. When needed, they could just dig it up.
Apart from the lack of concrete response from the Xinhua camp, the whole world believes that Iran will be finished within a week.
This confidence lasted until a massive formation of fighter jets appeared in the sky.
"Fighter jets spotted! F-14s! My God, so many F-14s!?"
At this moment, the US fleet radar showed a full four hundred F-14 fighter jets. The formation was so large that it was visible to the naked eye and did not need to be confirmed by radar.
"What a joke, where would you get so many F-14s from in the Middle East?"
"Forget the Middle East, we don't even have that many F-14s on our aircraft carriers!"
"What country's F-14 is that? Don't tell me it's Iranian!"
The answer was quickly revealed: it was indeed Iran's, a full 400 F-14 fighter jets, some of which carried hypersonic anti-ship missiles, clearly coming to fight the US military to the death.
Although they knew the enemy's identity, the US military still couldn't accept it. The F-14 was a jet fighter, not a World War I biplane that could take off from just any flat ground. In the previous bombing, all of Iran's airfields had been destroyed. Did these planes just emerge from underground?
This is the amazing operation of the players. They use all sorts of methods to send themselves into the sky, then exchange for F-14 fighter jets in the air, and once inside, they go straight for the US military without needing an airport.
Players call this combat style "summoning-style aerial combat".
For the US military, no matter where these F-14s come from, they only have one answer to the enemy—go to war.
Aircraft from the US aircraft carrier took off at top speed to engage the enemy, and the US aircraft carrier's air defense network also began its attack. The sky instantly turned into a death zone where steel and life were strangled. From tens of thousands of meters to thousands of meters, the battle between the two sides entered a white-hot stage.
However, as the battle progressed, the US military quickly discovered that they were rapidly losing air superiority because enemy planes were continuously joining the battle. Before the battle, there were 400 enemy planes, and now at least 200 enemy planes had been lost, but there were still 400 Pandas in the sky, which was incomprehensible.
But these things can only be thought about later. Right now, all their energy is focused on the enemy. The US Navy pilots are elite soldiers and have achieved considerable results, but they have also suffered heavy losses. Players can quickly replenish their planes and pilots, but once a US pilot dies, he is gone and cannot be resurrected.
As an F-14 broke through the US air defense network and crashed directly onto the deck of a US aircraft carrier, the weaknesses of the US air defense network were exposed.
Flaws in fate.
"Now's the time! Begin the decisive strike, clear the field!"
The hypersonic anti-ship missiles carried by the players' F-14s are not compatible with the F-14 models, and there are many restrictions on their use. However, based on the principle of making do, the players chose the most cost-effective option for themselves.
The plan is very simple: assemble aircraft, charge through the US air defense network, and then use overwhelming firepower to destroy the US aircraft carrier.
If this were a normal battlefield, the players' behavior would be criminal, a classic case of Nogi Maresuke's reckless charge. Even if they won, they would suffer heavy losses on both sides, and the military commander would be executed even if he won.
However, for players, as long as they still have points and resurrection opportunities, they can make a fortune by inflicting effective damage on the enemy in such a large battlefield. Why not?
Therefore, every player, given the circumstances, is willing to trade pieces. I'm willing to die, are you? The answer is too obvious; the US military can't outmaneuver the players' madness.
"Enemy planes are coming again!"
"This is a trap!"
"Abandon ship!"
This isn't a joke; it's a real abandon ship operation. All of the US aircraft carriers involved in this operation have gone out of control, with raging fires engulfing everything on board. As the carriers sank, the US Navy collapsed, and the US pilots in the sky had no choice but to return to the nearest base, provided the player spared them.
Even if the players let them go, these US pilots wouldn't be able to fly to the nearest US base. The recent air battle had already depleted their fuel reserves, and these US F-14s would all crash into the sea halfway there. At most, they would choose a location relatively close to the shore, glide as hard as they could, and then eject to try and survive.
But no matter what, the US Navy still has options, while the US Army, which has already landed, is in a bind.
You can leave, but we can't swim back to America!
Section 48: The US Siege of Changping
A very interesting topic: how resilient is the U.S. military in combat?
First, it must be acknowledged that the U.S. military possesses combat resilience. However, many actions by the U.S. government have placed the U.S. military's combat resilience in a Schrödinger's cat state, with occasional lapses and frequent glitches.
For example, the issue of drug use among US military personnel.
In 1997, the U.S. military was still considered an army with the American Dream, with a high proportion of good-natured people. Therefore, they rarely used drugs officially recognized by the authorities. However, they could freely take various painkillers prescribed by U.S. military doctors.
Anyone who frequently takes painkillers knows that they are no different from drugs, especially when taken in unlimited quantities.
As those who frequently use drugs know, once you're addicted, the best way out is to start over.
This is why we fought so hard against drugs back then. You know, many documentaries about fighting drugs were shown directly in theaters, especially those showing drug addicts struggling desperately during withdrawal. Those scenes were unforgettable, especially for elementary school students. They would definitely scare a lot of kids to tears, but at least they could ensure that no matter how much they wanted to become drug addicts in the future, they wouldn't become drug addicts themselves.
So what are the consequences of drug use in the military?
The simplest and most direct reaction is the fluctuating morale curve of the US military, which is sometimes high and sometimes low, with no middle ground. It's either "Hurrah!" or "Damn!" This kind of army can only win in one wave on the battlefield. If they rush in, they will definitely win. If they are blocked, they will definitely lose. And the soldiers who are on drugs have become disposable expendables.
Treating ordinary soldiers like disposable commodities—no wonder the wealthy and powerful United States dares to waste its soldiers like this.
Even the Russians, who have risen up, strive to make every sacrifice more valuable, rather than squandering it recklessly.