The Sinister Alliance #6
The Korean Empire was fundamentally a country that struggled to build alliances rather than just piling up lackeys. It figured that comrades, colleagues, friends, and even family who would help each other in tough times were better than subordinates who might stab you in the back at any moment. That was why it hadn't bothered carving up Japan or China. The Empire accepted that its counterparts could potentially become threats. It was prepared to work harder, surpass them, and stay ahead. At most, it advised Japan to keep its naval tonnage in check. Following the treaty, it believed that was enough on its own.
In that sense, Indonesia was one of the Korean Empire's success stories. Composed of countless islands and diverse ethnic groups, each clamoring for independence with the Empire's backing—but the Empire wasn't after lackeys. It simply demanded that each ethnicity kill off that thing called "ethnic sentiment." Why keep falling for the Western divide-and-conquer forever? The Empire agreed with self-determination in principle, but not if it was built on a dubious concept like "nation," whose very existence was questionable. By that logic, how the hell were Africa's ridiculously numerous ethnic groups supposed to form a nation-state? Southeast Asia too. It was like taxonomy. The world doesn't neatly define living things, but humans classify organisms for their own needs. And that's where the tragedy began. The moment humans divided themselves into ethnicities—and the moment the Southern and Equatorial hemispheres were force-fed Northern Hemisphere standards—disaster unfolded. There was anger, so much anger. They defined each other as different ethnicities and pointed guns at one another. They rampaged to carve out nation-states in what they saw as their rightful living spaces. Naturally, no real national development was possible. The Westerners had lit the fire of nationalism in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, using it as fuel for their own industrialization. Better to have farms and mines where anyone—even dogs and oxen—could toil with child labor, than factories no one could run.
They committed untold sins for a one-dollar cup of black tea or Americano.
'Self-determination urges ethnic groups to "self-determine," blocks the societal progress they could achieve through interaction, and dooms them to self-determination in a whole other, twisted way.' It was a massive ladder-kick. They built empires blending multiple ethnicities into grand civilizations, then blocked latecomers from doing the same. 'Whether through "revolutions" that devolve into massive genocides, or cozying up to foreign powers to oppress other ethnicities—neither path leads to success.' And right now, those Westerners were blowing that wind of ethnic self-determination at my precious success story, Indonesia. Trying to shove it into the shitter and foreclose on it. Perfect recipe for civil war, just like China today. The islands would splinter one by one. Since Indonesia was a federation, they were probably aiming to shatter that federation under the banner of ethnic self-determination. Of course, that was unacceptable.
If they fragmented Southeast Asia into lackeys like that, the Empire's sea lanes would be choked off. The problem was, their method made it hard for me to complain. They were lending money to local Indonesian elites who came begging. The world was in a booming wartime economy. With Westerners creating infinite demand, raw material-rich countries were desperate to borrow and develop. They even begged the Empire for loans. But naturally, the Empire couldn't lend to Indonesia or its elites. Because it didn't need lackeys. In other words, the West was just fulfilling the demands of the Indonesian government and its people.
'Japan's meddling right now, but honestly, it should worry about its own path ahead.' Japan didn't realize it would get booted from the Empire's economic bloc later. Because colonial liberation wasn't in the naval treaty. It was framed as me buckling under Wilson's recommendations. If we wrote colonial liberation into the treaty, Britain and France would have to list which colonies to free—fat chance they'd agree. Wilson and I had that much common sense. So we buried the Japan issue, agreeing to use it as leverage against Britain and France later. Japan didn't know that yet. Even if the U.S. hinted, it'd sound insane. The Empire and Japan were economically intertwined that tightly. Liberating Japan would hit the Empire hard too. And I'd already decided to stomach that.
'By then, the wartime boom will be over anyway—might as well decouple then.' Above all, the potential threat of forcibly including Japan paled against the value of expelling it. The issue was, post-expulsion, recession-hit Indonesia would become a true Western economic colony. Then they'd slowly carve up the Indonesian platter with their knives. Splintering islands into mini-Singapores, mini-Gibraltars. Flying the flag of ethnic liberation, no doubt. Circular investments made equity grabs tough, so they'd squeeze local elites with debt, peel off ethnicities one by one, and claim their shares. All too plausible. Circular ownership diluted shares, but debt hit the jugular.
Watching their moves, I realized I hadn't considered this angle before. They wouldn't wait for Indonesia's mistakes—they'd lure it in, pounce on any slip, and seize the collar. Treating it like a lamb escaped from the slaughterhouse. They'd devour it without a shred of conscience.
'But the Empire can't lend them money.' It had to stay positioned to always pull back. It couldn't repeat America's mistake. Hell, even if it lent, they'd just demand more when shortages hit. Telling them to cut spending if they want loans? Straight IMF treatment. Not forcing loans, just conditioning them on austerity—they'd call us trash for it. "So many demands just to borrow?" They'd parrot that their economy was "sound." Soundness was essential—maybe even more than that. What could I say? "So what?" Unless it fixed itself after one default, believing it'd improve on its own to lend more? No real compromise. To me, "cut spending a bit" was the compromise. Otherwise, temporarily seizing management rights—aka sovereignty—was the only option. And Britain and France were pros at that. Military governors, company rule, trusteeships—they'd plant one. And Britain had already "temporarily" imprisoned the Sultan.
"...My head's throbbing."
I'd worried about Britain and France swallowing Indonesia whole, but never that Indonesia would shove its head into their jaws. Why hunt treasure in a crocodile's mouth? Thinking it'd succeed like the Empire did in Britain's maw? Massive delusion. The Empire was lucky in many ways.
"Come to think of it, America probably knew it was a mistake and did it anyway."
The Marshall Plan. To stop communization, America dumped cash worldwide. Maybe it knew it'd choke itself someday. Only it had the money back then. It faced sacrificing itself or handing Europe to the Soviets. America chose the former, eyes squeezed shut. I figured just toss it to the Soviets—they'd "cleanse" via people's trials—but that didn't diminish America's sacrifice. It dumped the cash, win or lose, crush rivals or not. Roosevelt allied with the Soviets to save the world from Germany, Britain, France; the Marshall Plan saved it from the Soviets. Americans were tenacious bastards. Would be nice if they saw the Empire as a friend. A nation ready for sacrifice like that was scary. Unlike Britain and France, obsessed with scattered interests, barely mustering their strength. But if those two committed? Terrifying. Rarely happened, though. Post-war, France dumped 2 or 3 million into Algeria—that was their "sacrifice" mode. Economy wrecked, sure.
"Order massive projects in Indonesia, save it from forex crisis with advances? That'd provoke Britain and France."
They'd reach out: "Don't do it." Slap it away? Instant hostility.
"Invest other capital instead? If it existed, Indonesia would've already."
Spare capital? Only Sandniggers scraping oil money. Most were all-in on wartime boom. Only the future-knowing Empire and cash-flush America were purely scaling up. Naturally, excess capital? Oil-rich Middle East, where development was slow. Lend against their oil full-throttle, invest in Indonesia? Possible. But same as Empire lending. And if Britain and France aggressively recalled forex? Real crisis, investments bust. Debt and investment differ—Empire guaranteeing might get burned too.
"Either stomach Britain-France hostility and America's mistake... or..."
Something to mull over. Couldn't just tell Indonesia, "That's a crocodile's mouth." Wouldn't listen anyway. They'd just lament their hardworking nation's collapse one day.