USSR 1991

Although what the Soviet Union said was like a slap on the face of the British negotiator whose smile hadn't solidified, and although the Soviets' tone was calm, the more they thought about what they said, the more embarrassing they felt.It's as embarrassing as a millionaire humiliating a millionaire.Just about to compare the problems, Britain has far more minor problems with nuclear power plants than the Soviet Union.

"Besides, the cost of building nuclear power plants in the UK is much higher than the use of newly emerging oil and natural gas energy sources. Don't you want to reduce the energy? After all, we in the Soviet Union can be said to have profound research on nuclear technology. country. We’ve worked on nuclear-powered cars, nuclear-powered airplanes, even nuclear-powered lighthouses. And we’ve tackled gas with nuclear bombs.”

It is indeed a nation that dared to use nuclear bombs to dig canals. The Slavs' research on nuclear energy has almost reached a morbid state.At this time, the British finally realized that talking to Soviet experts about the use of civilian nuclear technology was simply humiliating themselves.

"Then there is the issue of nuclear technology safety. Similarly, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the Soviet Union's safety experience on nuclear leaks has improved several levels compared to before. This cost the lives of thousands of soldiers, There are also the lessons learned by the displaced Soviet people. It is not a conclusion that can be drawn after participating in a few exercises and a few simulations."

The negotiator raised his head and asked calmly, "Can our nuclear technology negotiations continue now? Or can you at least listen to our opinions now? Although it may be dismissive to you before .But I think these valuable opinions can at least prevent you from having a tragedy like Chernobyl."

"Yes... so it is possible." The British negotiators no longer dared to look directly into each other's eyes, and their tone of voice became a little hesitant. The calm education of the Soviet negotiators directly made them start to doubt themselves life.

"Very well, this is our precautionary design drawing. Because we haven't seen your gas-cooled reactor nuclear facility technology, we dare not make a decision on our own. So if you think these designs are meaningful, we will put this If it doesn’t make sense to continue this negotiation, then let’s call it a day. We’re not going to do a deal like this with someone who is reluctant.”

The Soviet Union adopted a retreat-for-advance method, which made the British experts feel the invisible pressure from the other party, and they also knew that the British government would reach this agreement because of certain transactions, not to mention the Soviet government also said that it could How much profit can be drawn depends on the game between them.Sure enough, the British experts chose to make concessions this time. They picked up the Soviet design plan and conducted preliminary research. After conducting preliminary research, they found that the other party's design was much more perfect and reasonable.

This is simply unbelievable. The Soviet Union did not conduct actual inspections of British nuclear power plants. Why would they know these things well.When they recovered from the shock, the Soviet experts kept their mysterious smiles as always, and they had a look that I had seen through everything.

"How did you do it? These designs are really... perfect." At this point, the British experts had to admit that the Soviet Union was really terrible, and they had completely explored their ways.It was like a scalpel precisely cutting along the flesh and blood, dissecting everything of them at a glance.

Experts from the Soviet Union heard some naive questions from the British side, so they had no choice but to spread their hands and said, "With all due respect, perhaps the UK has not made a breakthrough in nuclear technology for almost 13 years, while the Soviet Union has been committed to researching nuclear technology. Therefore, your so-called advanced technology seems to us to be nothing more than a product that has long been outdated."

Chapter 264 Interviews with BBC Television

Along with Yanayev, Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze went to London, England, to let the West know more about the Soviet Union, change their bad image of the government’s propaganda for decades, and show the West the original Soviet Union. veil.Tell them we are a friendly and kind country now, not a dictatorial empire under the watchful eyes of KGB agents.

The young and energetic Minister of Foreign Affairs Shevardnadze on the screen immediately attracted the attention of all audiences. Compared with the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs with the same surname Shevardnadze, this time the image is obviously in line with many.At least Shevardnadze is a beautiful landscape compared to the lifeless old man politics.

The same reason why Yanayev chose him was his outstanding performance.At least let this young man attend, Yanayev has a feeling that I can rest assured that you do things.After all, the current Soviet Union is not the most dangerous moment in 1991. There is no need for Yanayev to go out to show his face and fight with hosts from Western countries on TV.Whether they are American journalists or British journalists, these people have a problem, that is, they like to talk about ideology.

Just when Shevardnadze was sitting in the live broadcast hall, Marvin, the host of the British Radio and Television Station, began to brew his own offensive.After Shevardnadze finished introducing himself in front of the TV, Marvin began to focus on the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.

"Hello, Minister Shevardnadze, I'm glad you came to our program. We all know that the West had ideological hostility to socialist countries during the Cold War, but I think many people have very curious questions about the Soviet Union. , then I hope Minister Shevardnadze can answer us one by one."

"Of course." Facing the lights and the camera, Shevardnadze put on a friendly smile, and changed his posture in an attempt to make himself more comfortable.He has made sufficient preparations for this interview, the purpose is to let the other party bite the other party when they try to hack the Soviet Union.

Sure enough, the host Marvin did not disappoint Shevardnadze. The first question just now was about his views on the United States.

"U.S. President Mario delivered a speech today, especially talking about the fact that the United States will continue to be the leader of the world for about 100 years. The Soviet Union and other socialist countries will also be bourgeoisized. Minister Shevardnadze said: What do you think about this?"

"I don't know what the United States thinks of world leaders. If it is to create regional wars and conflicts and plunder local economies and resources, I hope such world leaders can get out as soon as possible. There is a saying, some people I always like to demand others by the standards of Jesus, and myself by the standards of animals. Of course, this sentence is completely correct at the national level. The Soviet Union never thought that a big country that persecuted other countries’ regimes was a qualified world leader. Don’t It is not wrong to say that a century can last for ten years.”

Marvin was a little stunned, he didn't expect Shevardnadze to answer so simply and neatly.It was obviously planned for a long time. If it weren't for the fact that his questions were all random, Marvin really thought that his director had colluded with Soviet officials.

"The Soviet Union mentioned that the United States is the maker of world troubles. I don't quite agree with this point of view. The United States has also made indelible contributions to world peace..."

"Yes, he did contribute to world peace." Shevardnadze sarcastically said, "As long as the President of the United States holds his hands high and does nothing, then the President of the United States has a chance to win the Nobel Peace Prize, right? "

Marvin found that he was no match for the politician when discussing the issue of the United States, so he had to change the subject and make a breakthrough on ideological issues.

"I heard that the Soviet Union is currently undergoing market-oriented reforms, allowing the circulation of capital and finance. Does this mean that you have given up the socialist system you insisted on and switched to the embrace of capitalism? Or is it that the Soviet Union has actually recognized socialism in disguise? It has already failed, it’s just that you don’t say anything.”

The host Ma Wen asked this question a little tricky. He specifically talked about ideological and political system issues, just to let the other party admit that what he originally insisted on was just a wrong choice.Shevardnadze raised his head and glanced at the complacent BBC presenter sitting across from him. At this time, his smile was still tinged with a hint of sarcasm.The studio lights shone on his face, making his expression a bit distorted.

At the same time, he also looked around, and the others all focused their attention on him because of this question.Shevardnadze shook his head, somewhat laughing at the self-righteous stupidity of these people.He stared into the eyes of the host Marvin.He asked word by word, "If you say this, then I would like to ask whether Roosevelt declared that capitalism had failed like the world when he implemented his New Economic Policy? You must know that he was still accused of this policy at that time. Criticized as a traitor to communism."

"However, Roosevelt's policy not only did not fail, but also led the US economy out of the predicament and to take off. The so-called market is just a means, not the most critical determinant. So when the host Marvin saw Roosevelt's economic policy At that time, would you still think that our implementation of market-oriented reforms is an act of negating our own system?"

Shevardnadze's oral English pronunciation is standard and fluent, even with a hint of London accent.He is like the strongest king in control of the situation. In Shevardnadze's view, all the slander, framing and ridicule are just scratches.

"So you are going against the ideals of Lenin and Stalin when you cooperate with the capitalists we once hated? They have devoted their lives to eradicating the so-called capitalist exploitation and polarization, but now you are creating a group of capitalists?"

Marvin didn't stop attacking. His questions became sharper and sharper, just to know how many questions Shevardnadze would be silent about.After all, the presenter of the BBC was one of the most troublesome British government officials.

"Sorry, host, if you think that you have found a breakthrough in the Soviet political system on this issue, it will be futile. After all, your question is relatively naive. Wallace in the United States does not know how much higher than you are, but We still have a lot of fun talking and laughing with him.”

"Our ultimate goal is to achieve the level of common prosperity through capital and the market. Eliminating exploitation and eliminating extreme polarization is the faithful will of Moscow. We take the business elites from the London Stock Exchange, oh no, we should It is said that there is an essential difference between vampires and how we treat people, whether we treat them as lambs for harvest or as the masters of the government. This can also be regarded as some life experience of an elder for you.”

Marvin's face was a little embarrassed. He didn't expect that while he was mocking the other party, he would be counterattacked by the elegant man opposite him.Mance's orderly tone and the smile on his lips gave him the illusion that the person sitting opposite him was not from a totalitarian country, but an authentic British gentleman.

"However, the human rights situation in the Soviet Union was very bad. According to the white paper on human rights in the United States, the phenomenon of KGB abuse of power against ordinary citizens still exists. I wonder how Minister Shevardnadze can explain this problem?" Marvin gritted his teeth and made a final struggle Therefore, human rights have always been the most sensitive issue in the Soviet Union.From the Great Purges to the Kazan Mental Hospital, from the Gulag concentration camps to the persecution of intellectuals, human rights have always been a topic of criticism in the West.

"I think the American white paper on human rights must have not been updated for a long time, or they have been relying on imagination to speculate on the human rights issues in the Soviet Union. It can be said that the human rights situation in the Soviet Union is even much better than that in the United States. At least the United States still discriminates against colored people every day. Racialization and suppression of riots. Didn’t they have a large-scale suppression of riots last year?”

"The British police used to stop and search ethnic minorities based on the principle of reasonable doubt. It was also because of this system that the Rodwater farm riot broke out. Could it be that the human rights situation in the UK is also very bad? Shevardnadze asked with a smile.There was no aggressive tone, but the confrontation between the words made Marvin a little powerless.

Chapter 265 TV Debate

The British viewers who followed the BBC tonight saw such an interesting scene. The TV host Marvin, who originally wanted to embarrass the Soviet foreign minister, was turned red-faced and speechless by the retort.And Shevardnadze has always refuted the other party in an unhurried tone, just like an author who has seized the initiative and can refute the other party unscrupulously.

Perhaps as Shevardnadze said to the audience when he first took the stage, "I just want to chat with you casually. As for other political issues, I am also very happy to give some answers within my ability. I heard that The BBC presenters are very pointed in terms of asking questions."

Originally, everyone expected to see a bureaucrat from a dictatorship be refuted speechlessly by the righteous British Broadcasting Corporation. They did not expect to see a TV presenter from a democratic country being refuted speechlessly by a bureaucrat in a dictatorship. Be right.This is different from the script that was agreed at the beginning. Hey.

And why it is obvious to list the shortcomings of the dictatorship, and why the long-winded talks on both sides are about how the British government is against human rights. Aren't we the first country to advertise freedom and equality?

Of course, everyone knows that the so-called human rights are what it is. British democracy is a joke. I am a bourgeois free world. When we discuss equality, black slaves and other people of color had better shut up.

"We don't have much time, and now I want to ask one last question." Marvin wiped the sweat from his forehead, not sure if it was because of his impatience or because the studio was too hot.And at this time, he was almost speechless by Shevardnadze's rebuttal. No matter how he listed the black history of the Soviet Union, Shevardnadze could always refute more unsightly British history.

"Since your system and theory are much more advanced than ours, why is the living standard of your people so different from that of the United Kingdom and the United States? You must know that after 1989 the Soviet Union had to queue up to buy bread. Can you create Create the most unique heavy industry system in the world, but it can't solve the people's living problems?"

"What's strange about this? When the economy was most difficult, the British would rather pour milk into the Thames than share it with the poor. We think it's unbelievable, but you think this kind of thing is very common." Shevardnadze asked the other party, "If you talk about the standard of living, the Soviet Union had a welfare system that made the entire Western society pay attention during the period from the 70s to the 80s."

Speaking of this, everyone became quiet. Many people never thought about why the capitalists who used low salaries to control poor workers at the beginning of the [-]th century would turn into capitalists in just a few decades. Benevolent philanthropist.

"I can even boldly say that the current welfare society in the West is entirely due to the influence of the Soviet Union. Please also think about what Che Guevara said when you insult us as a dictatorship, we are not free, and we are not democratic. If they don’t, they’ll build you schools and hospitals, and raise your wages, not because of their conscience, or because they’ve become good people. It’s because we’ve been here.”

The high welfare system and workers' rights promoted by Western countries were not a sudden discovery of conscience by capitalists, nor were they the actions of so-called liberal and democratic politics. produce results of the struggle.

As soon as Shevardnadze finished speaking, there was a burst of applause in the studio. This was the affirmation of what the staff said to him. Those who received a low salary that was just enough for food and clothing every day, rushed to the crowded subway, and burdened heavy loans. The working class was deeply touched by the words of the Soviet foreign minister.No one expected that it would be an official from a socialist country who finally spoke for the British people and expressed their own feelings.

The host Ma Wen looked dejected, and the original plan to embarrass Shevardnadze had been completely aborted.And his performance on TV tonight will also be engraved in the minds of the people.But at this time, he still maintained the pride of a British gentleman, shook hands with Shevardnadze and said, "It was a pleasure communicating with you, Minister Shevardnadze."

Shevardnadze held the warm and thick hand of the other party, and said with a smile, "It should be said that this is a pleasant debate. I think there is still a lot of room for improvement in the performance of the host Marvin. I also hope that the next One time you can play at a higher level."

Shevardnadze's subtext is that I'm sorry you are a weak scum with five combat effectiveness in front of me.Of course, Marvin could hear the sarcasm and disdain in the Soviet official's tone, and he just forced a smile at the other party helplessly.The current Soviet Union is no longer the brutal Soviet Union that was defeated in the United Nations leather shoe knocking on the table incident and the kitchen debate.In Marvin's eyes, these leaders of the Red Empire have become cunning and hypocritical, with an evil heart hidden under the cover of politeness.

The next day, Shevardnadze's photos of the interview appeared in newspapers on the streets of London. The British media believed that this was a new ideological debate between the East and the West.It is also the peak of the debate after the kitchen debate in 1959.It's just that when Khrushchev desperately praised the difference in the communist system, Shevardnadze perfectly used the differences in society and systems in Britain to perfectly set off the advantages of the Soviet Union.This incident was also called a television debate by the media, and it can be compared with the kitchen debate.

This time everyone thought that Shevardnadze of the Soviet Union won the debate, and Marvin appeared on TV like a middle-aged man with prostate problems staring at the urinal in a daze.Other TV hosts bluntly declared that I had never seen such a substandard British debater.

This is where the trip to the UK comes to an end.In Yanayev's view, no matter how strong Britain wants to be, it can't cover up the slow pace of a twilight empire at dusk, a naval fleet that demolishes the east wall to make up for the west wall, and a Lafayette who controls the government. , a crown prince who has been waiting for more than 40 years to be unable to succeed to the throne, a papermaker's nave, a group of wolf-like powers, and a bunch of revolutionary parties in Ireland who are splitting all day long...History is always surprisingly similar...

Yanayev stood at the gate of the plane and waved goodbye to everyone. This trip to the UK came to a successful conclusion. Yanayev reached a huge commodity trade order with the empire on which the sun never sets. There are secret deals that only the leaders of both sides know about.All in all, apart from some small frictions in private, this visit is still a symbol of completeness.

"Farewell, Great Britain."

Facing the slowly sinking sunset on the horizon, Yanayev waved his hand and said goodbye softly.