[Chapter 513: The Road is Rocky]
The shrinkage of the security company made sense to Gaddafi. You were just a businessman; running a security firm was already questionable, and causing trouble everywhere was just plain silly. If he weren't so tied up with his own matters, he'd have taken the time to educate this clueless guy.
Gaddafi wouldn't understand that he would be busy soon. Playing a one-man show was fine, but crossing the Americans ain't wise.
As for excuses, they were just fluff; you could cook up any story. Didn't you see how the Americans operated in Panama?
Selling laundry detergent?
Ha! That was a creative angle. The absurdity was that the court actually found them guilty.
So, talk of fairness and justice? It was best not to bother; that didn't exist. Whenever there's a need in Washington, someone will be sure to spin a tale.
...
With Mandela's release, the issue of racial discrimination escalated significantly. To avoid being exploited, William White once again issued a stern warning to his media outlets.
In short, religious and racial issues had to be downplayed. Words like "black guys" were absolutely forbidden in print. The only term that could be used now was African-American.
Had discrimination truly disappeared?
Not on your life. They didn't so much discriminate against African-Americans; rather, they discriminated against the poor. Educated, well-placed black individuals already made their mark, even in the most exclusionary places like Texas, they thrived.
Of course, whether things turned out well or poorly was up to them. Even turning a developed nation into a developing one was their own call.
But if all this transpired due to outside forces, William White had to be extra cautious. He wouldn't invest in Africa anymore, not even in simple extraction projects.
Why were the Brits clamoring for Brexit?
They couldn't handle it; if they opened their doors to African refugees, their welfare system would crumble in no time.
You can bet, if staying home to have kids would let people live, not just the refugees but over ninety percent of population would skip working altogether.
Moreover, the whole mess in Africa was orchestrated by the Americans. From the subprime mortgage crisis to the European debt crisis, it all led to a flood of refugees. With everything that happened, the euro had no hope of displacing the dollar; it was all about sustaining a strong dollar.
Sure, African-Americans stood up and gained status, but they were merely pawns to constrain Europe.
The geographic advantages of Africa were too good; they were close to Europe, no huge ships required.
So while they appeared noble on the surface, the true motivations were hard to discern. Ironically, the Europeans were clearly complicit.
To use an old saying, the future looked bright, but the road was quite winding. How far they'd go? Only heaven knew.
...
William White's every move in Africa was being monitored closely by the CIA. But this time, they seemed a bit lost.
On the surface, it seemed he was scared, like a small-time thief who made off with a little loot.
While they mocked his timidity, they remained watchful. After all, they had already taken the fall once; was he going to drag them into another debacle?
Soon enough, they figured out a few things.
"Damn, Gaddafi started off strong but faded fast; wasn't he the wild one? No worries, let him keep it up. We'll just act like we don't see him."
"Chief, it's been said--"
"Spit it out! What's been said?"
"They ran into anti-personnel mines on their way out and suffered heavy losses. At least three times."
"What the hell is he up to?"
"Chief, our analysts say they're clearly trying to provoke the other side. If Gaddafi crosses the line, we can't ignore it. You know, in that area, without several thousand elite troops, it's impossible to make a dent."
"Damn rich guys, damn Washington."
As the head of the CIA, he knew all too well what William White possessed in Africa. Don't talk about a few thousand; if the gear was subpar, even ten thousand wouldn't matter.
Besides, with such strength, those guys would've bolted long ago.
The hired hands scattered, while their own personnel fled. Gaddafi, as powerful as he thought he was, wouldn't dare mess with the U.S.
If Gaddafi really sent that many down there, it would become simple. The Americans were just looking for an excuse. If he brought trouble to himself, he could hardly complain when the other shoe dropped.
William White's strategy of retreating to advance left him quite vulnerable. Come on, were those Apaches in his grip meant for hunting wild boars?
*****
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