Cash-Loaded Fleet

Chapter 4 - The Rich are Superior

"Regarding the current situation in Japan, how do you see it?"

While Binta was in the middle of sharing his overseas travel stories, the retired soldier suddenly steered the conversation in a different direction.

"The fact that Japan's military started fighting on the continent has become quite a topic in the United States. Well, Japan is being portrayed as the villain, so I didn't feel too good about it."

The conflict in the continent that began with the Manchurian Incident has turned into a protracted and messy situation, contrary to the initial optimistic expectations for a swift resolution. Even now, a clear path to resolution has not been found. However, that conflict has not reach Japan, so the Japanese people, who should be directly involved, remained relatively calm.

"So, how do you see it from an economic perspective?"

In response to the retired soldier's repeated questions, Binta paused for a moment before speaking.

"I consider myself more of a speculator than a businessman. So, with that premise, the situation is very dire. Currently, due to the war on the continent, the Army is freely exploiting resources and talent within Japan, which is causing the Japanese economy to stagnate or even weaken. The international perception of Japan is also at its worst. If we don't stop this soon, it could escalate into a war with the United States."

To the average person, this might seem like an exaggeration for such a situation. However, the retired soldier nodded with a serious expression.

"As you said, the Army's overreach is causing problems for the Navy as well. In fact, the Navy's shipbuilding plans are being hindered by the Army's actions. While they haven't meddled with shipbuilders and engineers, it doesn't mean they wouldn't. In any case, the greedy and foolish Army folks are causing a lot of trouble for everyone."

It seems that the retired soldier doesn't have a favorable impression of the Army. However, in many countries, it's common for the Army and the Navy to have a strained relationship. Moreover, both are financial burdens that are funded by taxpayers, so Binta didn't have any specific thoughts on the matter.

"Also, you mentioned that if things continue like this, it might lead to a war with the United States. Do you think Japan could win if, hypothetically, it picked a fight with their country?"

Unusually, the retired soldier fixed a scrutinizing gaze on Binta.

"First of all, we wouldn't win. At most, we could drag out the conflict, make the Americans tired of the war, and aim for a peace treaty. Even that would have less than a one percent chance of success. But the fundamental issue is that our economic power and technological capabilities, in other words, our national strength, are far too different. Moreover, the gap in human resources is overwhelming. Americans are far more skilled in many areas compared to Japan. They have a much higher number of people who can drive cars, and flying a plane is not rare. The number of people with higher education is on a completely different level. When it comes to scientists and engineers, the difference is even more significant. Furthermore, considering their gun culture, many of them will be experienced in handling firearms."

Binta paused for a moment and continued.

"I had subordinates in Wall Street who were Americans, and their average capabilities far exceeded those of Japanese. Their creativity in starting new things, the ability to identify areas for improvement when problems arise, and their persistence and patience in troubleshooting are on a different level compared to the Japanese. Japanese people tend to easily give in to despair after a minor failure or when cornered, and their overall strength as individuals is significantly different from Americans."

Despite Binta's harsh words about the Japanese, the retired soldier continued to listen attentively without showing any sign of offense.

"Also, the United States is a democracy. While Japan claims to be a parliamentary democracy, the current situation is more like a military dictatorship by the Army. The strength of democracy lies in the awareness of its members, that is, the citizens' active participation in decision-making. These individuals have a strong sense of responsibility towards their nation or group and, above all, a resilient will to protect their freedom. On the other hand, dictatorship is the opposite. Those excluded from decision-making lack a sense of belonging to the group, or if they do, it's very weak. They simply follow orders from above without question. Therefore, when faced with adversity, soldiers in a democracy can think for themselves and are trained to do so to some extent. However, in a dictatorship, it's the opposite, and soldiers drop out rapidly, leading to a complete collapse. So, the Japanese military......"

Before Binta could conclude his statement, the retired soldier raised his hand to stop him. His eyes conveyed a plea not to go any further. There was no blame in his expression.

"I understand what you're trying to say. However, it's taken a somewhat ominous turn, so let's change the topic. Currently, the Imperial Navy is being challenged by a new force, in addition to the gunners and torpedo experts, that is, the aviators. According to them, battleships can't defend against airplanes. What do you think about this?"

"It's a debate about which is stronger, battleships or airplanes. It's a rather absurd argument. Battleships win if they have anti-aircraft weapons to shoot down airplanes easily. Conversely, airplanes win if they have weapons to sink battleships quickly. Both battleships traveling on the water and airplanes flying in the sky are essentially just means of transporting projectiles to hit the opponent. The question is which side can deliver a fatal blow to the other first. However, with the current technology relying on optical targeting for anti-aircraft weapons, the advantage remains with airplanes. No country has the technology to ensure a small airplane moving in three dimensions is hit with certainty. So, unless battleships have groundbreaking fire control systems or new weapons, the era of airplanes having the advantage will continue."

With an agreeing expression to Binta's words, the retired soldier continued to ask.

"What do you mean by these new weapons? If you have a specific image in mind, I'd appreciate it if you could share."

"It's weapons like guided rockets that track the enemy using the heat, sound, infrared, or radio waves emitted by airplanes. A seeker is mounted on the tip of the rocket and it automatically heads toward the enemy. Well, with the current level of technology, it's a bit of a high hurdle."

Saying this, Binta took out a notepad and pencil and drew a simple illustration of a rocket fired from a battleship flying toward an airplane. The retired soldier, staring intently at the illustration, unintentionally muttered words of regret.

"I should have strongly encouraged you to join the Naval College. I was a big fool who missed the opportunity to acquire an irreplaceable talent."

"You're giving me too much credit. Besides, this is just a fanciful idea that anyone could come up with."

Binta modestly responded, but the retired soldier shook his head slightly.

"No, it's not. Unless you can turn such fantasies into reality, we won't be able to defeat the United States. And besides, the relationship between Japan and the United States is undoubtedly heading in a negative direction. If things continue like this, we will probably be at war with their country within ten years."