Chapter 90: Unity Is Strength

Almost everyone was waiting for Chen Yaozu's answer, but his face was full of disappointment at this moment.

"You don't even know what you yourselves want, yet you come asking me how to change all this.

Change it into what? Do you know? You haven't even figured out what you're fighting for, yet you want to change the world! How to make an effort? In what direction to make an effort?"

The crowd present fell into a silence; they didn't know! Before today, they had even thought that all of this in America was already the best in the world.

But in fact, America before 1980 was the best era in the world.

Because at that time state capitalism was implemented; the whole nation, even half of Europe added together, were a single chessboard, everything proceeded according to plan.

It was a true strategic planned economy.

Because they had a powerful enemy, and also because of this, half of Europe united behind America, helping him together against this powerful enemy.

Everything developed according to plan, everything had to align with the plan, disobedient existences were not allowed, because this concerned life and death survival.

America at that time was truly at its zenith; at that time even ordinary commoners working in factories could live very well.

One person working could even support a whole family.

But that was the past.

After '91, that most powerful enemy of America and even half of Europe fell.

From then on America and half of Europe no longer had any threats, standing alone as the sole hegemon over the whole world.

Without external pressure, the powerful strategic planned economy system began to disintegrate, began to develop toward freedom, and moreover at a rapid pace of free development.

Then in just a few years, a dozen years' time, it rapidly hollowed out.

In '99, Europe, in order to escape America's economic control, created the Euro themselves, intending to break the dollar-controlled economic sphere, leaving the already rapidly liberalizing America with suffering it couldn't voice.

Although, later they seized the opportunity; right after Lao Sa in Baghdad announced using the Euro instead of the dollar to settle oil, they swiftly acted, using a bag of laundry powder to butcher Lao Sa like a chicken, scaring all the monkeys in the dollar economic sphere, only then stabilizing the situation.

Then they spent 20 years suppressing the Euro so it couldn't get out of half of Europe, but rapid liberalization had already caused industrial transfer long ago.

America, having lost a large number of factories, in 30 years' time also created many unemployed people, also created many impoverished people.

Before, America needed ordinary people to prop up the entire industry, so it was still okay to ordinary people.

But after breaking free from the strategic planned economy controlled by state capitalism, America's industry returned to individual capital control.

They care about money, about earning more money, so shifting industry toward Asia, to countries with lower labor costs, became a matter of course.

As for the life and death of ordinary people after industrial hollowing, what does that have to do with capitalists? Amidst the silence, it was still that yellow-hatted woman from just now who had the courage to step forward again and ask the doubt in her heart: "Then, respected Archbishop sir, what kind of world do you think is the best?"

This question is a bit big.

But it's not unanswerable; Chen Yaozu instead countered: "In what capacity do you think you are asking this question?

Because the seat you sit in is different, the answer you get is also different.

For example, America's financial consortia, the rich, the current upper class, those people who control this country's upper structure.

They would think that America now is already the best country in the world.

Here, money can do whatever it wants, free and unrestrained! But if standing from the perspective of those homeless people, standing from your perspective, I can only say this world is cold, because you have not received this world's gentle treatment."

He paused for a moment, thought a bit, then continued: "Actually, I want to tell a story!"

The people below were deathly silent; they all knew that when this purple-robed Archbishop opened his mouth to tell a story, it was definitely a story with ulterior motives.

"In my hometown, it's a relatively remote village.

When I was very small, I often heard the grandfathers' generation in the village tell stories of the past.

Seventy or eighty years ago, our village, even half the town's dozen or so villages' fields, mountains, forests, rivers were all the property of a wealthy landlord surnamed Bao in the town.

The people of these dozen or so villages had no fields of their own, they could only farm for this Master Bao's family, every season handing over 80% of the harvest as tax and rent.

Even going up the mountain to cut firewood required paying firewood-cutting money every year, because the mountains and ridges for cutting firewood were also his.

At that time, if lucky, one mu of land could harvest 400 catties of rice grain, but after paying rent and tax, only 80 catties landed in hand.

How is that enough to eat? So, the peasants at that time mostly could only grind the rice grain unhusked, bran and all, into chaff flour to make cakes to eat.

But still not enough to eat, they could only go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables, only thus barely making it until next year's harvest.

Also precisely because of this, at that time there were many children who couldn't grow up.

I had two uncles, who starved to death at that time from not eating enough (true story).

Later, in '49 things changed!

Peasants and workers became masters of the house, had their own fields, finally ate their fill!

You fundamentally don't know, the power of peasants who had starved so many years finally eating their fill is how great!

Everyone was afraid, that the days of eating their fill were just a fleeting moment, so they swore to defend to the death the right that let them eat their fill.

Even facing the 17 Nation Allied Forces! Even though weapons and equipment differed by not just a little bit, they still could hard-carry and fight this world's most powerful national alliance to the negotiating table!

People at that time thought of being able to eat their fill forever after, able to face everyone in the world, straighten their backs and eat their fill! This was their claim at that time!"

He raised his head somewhat proudly, looking at the people below, some understanding, some not understanding, and continued: "I don't know what your claims are.

Even more don't know, what the best world in your hearts is.

But in my heart, the one currently doing the best in the world is my homeland. Although that country is just a developing country.

There, if childless widowed elderly reach a certain age, they all receive state-issued subsidies, will be sent by the state to nursing homes, where there are specialized caregivers to support these elderly, even if these elderly never paid any pension insurance.

Travel by vehicle is free, many medical treatments are free, and of course these free medical treatments don't require queuing.

Even if young people, if disabled, can apply for a disability card, travel by vehicle and many medical treatments can be reimbursed.

If the disability is too severe, the state will also issue subsidies, even if severe to the point of limited mobility and no one to care for them, the Subdistrict Office must have someone visit daily to provide care.

If not done properly, accountability will be pursued! And the accountability is not just one person, sometimes it's a whole chain of responsibility.

If orphans, there are orphan living subsidies, schooling has student aid subsidies.

In the East.

There is the world's fairest education, everything looks at grades, as long as grades are reached, no recommendation letter needed to enter famous schools.

Elementary and middle school are free, although free, they are not America's happy education here, the teaching quality is the same as private school elite education here.

University tuition is very cheap, usually a few hundred to a thousand-plus dollars per semester.

If a family is truly too poor, they won't be unable to attend school like in America, nor do they need to borrow from usury.

If it's an impoverished family, there are grants, there are scholarships; if they can't get grants or scholarships, there are interest-free loans.

As long as it's a proper university, there will be interest-free loans! Everyone has a fair opportunity, a fair college entrance exam system, everything is judged by academic achievement.

As long as you can test in, you have the opportunity to complete your own studies.

Even, if you can test into a top-tier institution, you basically don't need to spend money, and can even make money every year! The East's college entrance exam system speaks of fairness, fairness, and still fucking fairness!

America's prestigious schools, even with good grades, can ordinary people without recommendation letters get in?"

"In the East, what the top cares about most is ordinary people; even in the most remote mountain areas, even if there's only one household, they must think of every way to give them running water and electricity.

Even build highways for them, even if it costs a huge amount for no return, they still have to do it.

This is respect for ordinary people!"

Speaking here, Chen Yaozu looked at those below and said: "Of course, not everyone is satisfied with that kind of country.

There will still be people who complain! They complain that their lives are bitter, their work is tiring, their wages are low.

But they never thought that, back in that fair educational environment, they didn't work hard at their studies.

Now they can only vomit bitterness on the internet!

Complaining about this world! I don't know what kind of world you hope to be in.

I believe a world with a fair educational environment, giving ordinary people an upward channel, giving them the opportunity to change their class through effort.

A survival environment where weak ordinary people, the elderly, orphans can be properly cared for.

And, a world that universally respects ordinary people, that is what I believe is the best world."

Speaking truthfully!

The world spoken from Chen Yaozu's mouth sounded a bit like Utopia to everyone present.

This doesn't seem like a developing country!

Even America can't achieve this; how could a developing country possibly do it?

This is a rational doubt, but it also aroused their yearning.

That's right!

Things that seem ordinary and proper in Easterners' eyes are things worth yearning for in many Americans' eyes.

Actually America also has such policies.

But relatively they're not that fair.

For disabled people with limited mobility, there are volunteers who visit to care for them, but it's not that thorough, and it costs money.

Most importantly, the educational fairness this Purple-robed Archbishop spoke of is what they desire most.

After all it concerns the next generation.

"Then what must we do to have such fairness?

Like you Easterners, pick up guns and resist?"

Chen Yaozu saw the moment was ripe, hurriedly laughed and shook his head: "No no no, doing that is still too early, and our strength is still very small; what we must do now is unite.

Unite the majority, unite all ordinary people.

Only unity brings strength!

Let more people know what they want! Only when all who know what they want unite can they present their claims to the consortium lords and capitalists! Only then can they obtain the fairness they want!"

"And right now, only if you join my Religious Sect can I help you unite!"

(Chapter End)