How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
There should be a news broadcast on, he realized. Seating himself, he turned on the radio. Maybe the new Reichs Chancellor has been picked. He felt excitement and anticipation. To me, that Seyss-Inquart seems the most dynamic. The most likely to carry out bold programs.
I wish I was there, he thought. Possibly someday I'll be well enough to travel to Europe and see all that has been done. Shame to miss out. Stuck here on the West Coast, where nothing is happening. History is passing us by. (7.143-4)
Let's define politics as "the history that's happening now." (Redefining words is fun.) That's some of Childan's feelings here. The important political decisions aren't going on in San Francisco, but off in Germany and Japan. There's not a lot of political power around Childan (even though he sells to powerful Japanese politicians).
Quote #5
Relations between Reiss and Kreuz vom Meere were rather strained. Their jurisdiction overlapped in countless matters, a deliberate policy, no doubt, of the higher-ups in Berlin. Reiss held an honorary commission in the SS, the rank of major, and this made him technically Kreuz vom Meere's subordinate. The commission had been bestowed several years ago, and at that time Reiss had discerned the purpose. But he could do nothing about it. Nonetheless, he chafed still. (8.6)
Even the politicians in San Francisco aren't very powerful. Here's Reiss thinking-complaining about the relationship between the formal consul position (his) and the German secret police's position (Kreuz vom Meere's). But as he notes here, the German government set up that conflict on purpose—and there's nothing he can do about it.
Quote #6
Reiss leaned back in his chair. "Care to make a bet?"
"Not on the Partei deliberatons. If that's what you mean."
"It'll be The Hangman."
Lingering, Pferdehuf said, "Heydrich has gone as far as he can. Those people never pass over to direct Partei control because everyone is scared of them. The Partei bigwigs would have a fit even at the idea. You'd get a coalition in twenty-five minutes, as soon as the first SS car took off from Prinzalbrechtstrasse. They'd have all those economic big shots like Krupp and Thyssen—" He broke off. One of the cryptographers had come up to him with an envelope. (8.33-6)
People love discussing politics, even Reiss and his secretary Pferdehuf (which yes, sounds like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets). As we've seen in the last quote, Fascist politics can be purposefully full of conflict, with different agencies and factions fighting. Does that sound at all like the Japanese or American governments in this book?