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"And don't forget what sparked the First Gulf War."
"You mean Kuwait?"
Blair said seriously, "That's right. Kuwait, which was invaded by Iraq, had once been a British protectorate. Even after it gained independence, British and American influence never left.
"For a small country in the Middle East like this to join the United Nations as an emirate and become an internationally recognized independent state, it obviously wasn't relying on geopolitics or powerful military forces. It was relying on oil.
"In the Middle East, countries with large territories don't necessarily produce as much oil as these tiny states. Do you think the larger countries around them can calmly accept that situation?"
"I don't think so." Henry looked at the newly promoted squad leader and spoke somewhat guiltily.
Blair became increasingly impassioned.
"Exactly! Even if most of these small countries' profits are siphoned off by Europe and America, they're small and have small populations. The oil that leaks through the fingers of the Western giants is already enough for them to live incredibly comfortable lives because their burdens are so light.
"You can imagine how furious the surrounding powers are about the existence of these small states. If those oil-rich regions were in their hands, the profits from the oil could be used to subsidize their poorer regions.
"But the Western powers led by Britain divided up the Middle East in this unfair manner, eventually leading Iraq to invade Kuwait and set fire to large numbers of oil fields in Kuwait.
"From Iraq's actions, it's clear that they also knew they couldn't occupy or annex Kuwait for long. So they chose to destroy Kuwait's oil fields, reducing oil production and driving up the unit price to make a profit—"
The source of profits from oil and other commodities traded on futures markets wasn't quite what ordinary people imagined.
In other industries, increasing profits meant cutting costs and increasing production to seize market share, or even pursuing a self-destructive strategy of making small profits through high-volume sales.
With oil and other commodities traded on futures markets, profits came from reducing production to drive up prices.
Ideally, other competitors would stop producing altogether while you alone supplied the market. The market's overall supply would shrink, while your own profits increased.
The ultimate goal, of course, was to monopolize pricing power.
"—burning down their oil fields is a very direct way of forcing others to stop production. In the end, Iraq was satisfied, while the British and American powers behind Kuwait were not.
"So in 1991, Britain and America rallied the United Nations and brazenly intervened.
"This time, on the surface, Britain and America appear to be trying to settle the score from the previous war. But everyone knows that's just an excuse. Their real target is the oil fields inside Iraq.
"Back then, Iraq merely wanted to reduce production and raise prices. Britain, America, and the others simply went straight for the oil itself, intending to stuff their own pockets. You can see who has reached the higher level of shamelessness.
"However, after the powerful propaganda campaign by the news media, the claim that Iraq possessed 'weapons of mass destruction' has already been widely accepted by most people. So the moral justification for today's war rests entirely on unreliable intelligence."
Fortunately, this wasn't a beer hall, and Blair didn't have a little mustache under his nose.
Otherwise, seeing him speak with such fervor, Henry might have wondered whether some great immortal had been reincarnated, intending to set the Marvel Universe straight.
Henry gave an awkward smile.
"I never expected you to think this deeply about things. Have you considered going into politics?"
"Indifference and ignorance have never been the proper way to live." Blair smiled.
He continued, "And look, even we have stepped forward. We've openly organized a mutant battalion and joined this war.
"Isn't it because we're afraid Iraq might use 'weapons of mass destruction' against us, so we have to strike first?
"To be fair, that concern isn't entirely unjustified. After all, Iraq used chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War.
"And Iraq also inherited ballistic missile technology from the Red Empire—the Scud missile. It's hard not to worry about the damage they could cause if they equipped those missiles with chemical warheads.
"Whether or not they actually possess such weapons, and regardless of how they repeatedly emphasize on the international stage that they have no stockpiles, simply having the ability to manufacture them is an unforgivable original sin."
Henry applauded.
"That was beautifully said. If you ever decide to run for office, remember to tell me. I'll move to your district ahead of time and vote for you."
Henry wasn't the only one applauding. Others who had heard Blair's speech joined in as well.
The vain Apache Native American was currently bowing in all directions, responding to everyone's applause.
Then Lieutenant Frank Castle walked through the door and poured a bucket of cold water over the whole scene.
"Soldier, until you're elected to Congress, you're still a soldier. Hurry up and pack your things for redeployment. If you miss the plane, you'd better be able to swim all the way to Kuwait.
"Otherwise, you'll become a deserter."
Blair pulled a face.
Amid everyone's laughter, he hurried off to pack his luggage.
In truth, what Blair had said was exactly the "reasonable" deduction Henry himself had made.
Precisely because it aligned so perfectly with Henry's own thinking, it was easier for the other party to gain his trust.
Did that mean Blair might be the breakthrough point in this illusionary world?
Or was he simply voicing Henry's own thoughts?
Looking at the composition of this mutant battalion, Henry couldn't help but wonder how much of it had been filled in by his own superhuman brain.
Blair Proudstar.
Judging from his abilities and background, he seemed suspiciously similar to the mutant Thunderbird.
Except that Thunderbird's name should have been John, and his age didn't match either...
So this Proudstar was very likely Thunderbird's father or uncle?
Among all the mutants in the battalion, he was the one who attracted Henry's attention the most.
After all, Thunderbird would eventually become one of the leaders of the mutant underground movement in Arizona, the state that would later become notorious for its extreme discrimination against mutants. He would stand on equal footing with Polaris, Magneto's daughter.
Lieutenant Frank Castle was no ordinary person either.
He was very likely the legendary Punisher.
Except that his wife and daughter hadn't died yet.
Whenever his family came up in conversation, this young platoon leader could always reveal a gentleness that seemed completely at odds with his hardened-soldier image.
Henry was also careful when interacting with him because of the Punisher's peak achievements.
As an ordinary human being, without any drugs or serum enhancements, he had slaughtered his way through the entire Marvel Universe.
Don't ask how he managed it.
He simply did.
And it was officially canon.
Even Wolverine, a superhuman with a healing factor capable of surviving a nuclear bomb, had been killed by him.
So tearing apart one or two Kryptonians probably wouldn't be a problem either...
Henry shuddered every time he saw this platoon leader, his heart trembling with fear.
Then there was Lieutenant Colonel Ray Schoonover, the battalion commander.
He should be the man who would later become the drug trafficker who screwed Frank over, ultimately achieving the "wife-and-daughter sacrifice" necessary to bring the Punisher into existence: the Blacksmith.
Strictly speaking, Lieutenant Colonel Ray Schoonover was actually a good man who took care of his subordinates.
But he had chosen to make money through illegal means, ultimately forcing Frank Castle to become that cynical antihero who fought violence with violence and killed to stop killing.
As for the mutants in the battalion, Henry hadn't explored all of it yet, and there weren't many particularly powerful mutants.
Most were still low-level Epsilon-class mutants.
That was also why they said the rifles in their hands were more trustworthy than their mutant abilities.
However, it was reasonable to speculate that aside from Professor X's direct X-Men not appearing here, and some famous old mutants choosing not to enlist, this mutant battalion might still hold more surprises for him.
But if Henry wanted to leave this illusionary world, he didn't dare become too deeply entangled with it.
He had no intention of seeking out the hidden "Easter egg" characters within this mutant battalion either.
Just like the no-killing principle he'd established for himself moments ago, this was another form of self-protection designed to prevent himself from becoming too deeply involved.
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