Xinshun 1730

Chapter 1296 Death and Revenge ([-])
When a country or a person catches up with the trend and suddenly develops, a sense of anxiety will naturally arise.

This sense of anxiety stems from the fact that they don't know why they are developed.

Because I don't know, I am anxious about whether it can be maintained and passed on.

The entire British society at this time is in such a state of anxiety.

Once faced with this kind of anxiety, there are no more than three mainstream ideas.

One is religion, because we are the chosen people, God's chosen people, so we are strong and developed.

One is tradition, the classic one is the Whig set, everything is doomed at this moment by the traditional past, our tradition doomed all of this.

There is also a kind of reflection, such as the Chinese craze caused by the European Enlightenment Movement at this time, including the Marquess of Temple in the United Kingdom, and trying to find laws from an equally powerful country to avoid this kind of "developed without knowing how". anxiety.

At this time, the overall atmosphere in Britain is in such a state of anxiety.

When this anxiety is confronted with war, it becomes fanatical and fleeting.

Like in the Wonder Years, full-on fandom, fanatical support for Pitt's Infinity War.

Like a miracle year, full-blown panic, attacks on Pitt's policies.

Pete started his career by inciting public opinion, and it can even be said to be populist.Naturally, when the situation is not right, he will also suffer great backlash.

He loves Britain, although many of his actions are political speculations. For example, he has always regarded himself as a "big commoner". For this reason, he has won the support of a large number of industrial and commercial bourgeoisie, because they are the common people at this time.But historically, when the situation was reversed, he accepted the canonization of the Earl of Chatham and immediately lost so much support that the Financial Street canceled the celebration of his return to power.

However, he really thinks that only he can save Britain.

For, he believed, the power of commerce was greater than that of landlords and rent.

And all his strategies revolve around the route of expanding commercial and trade power.

So he was convinced that only he could save Britain, and that the rest of the cabinet were worms.

Because of this, he was more sensitive than others to perceive the purpose of Dashun's participation in the war, and what kind of disaster Dashun would bring to Britain if what Dashun wanted was achieved.

Dashun yelled at the top of his voice that "the Indian issue caused Dashun's security anxiety, so he joined the war." It's fine to deceive the common people, or to deceive those self-reflecting people, but William Pitt I definitely don't believe it.

Different from the self-myth after Britain gained the right to speak in the world in later history, some people who are more sober in Britain at this time still know how they developed.

Take textiles as an example. So far, the UK has made several adjustments around textile tariffs.

In 1685, the first 10% tariff was added to Oriental textiles.

In 1690, a list of 55 oriental goods was drawn up, and the tax must be increased by 20% on the previous basis.

In 1701, the first cotton ban:

[Since 1701, all wrought silk, Bengal, and things mixed with silk or herbs, made in Persia, China, or East India; and all printed cotton, and all that is there painted, dyed, or dyed, shall be locked in In warehouses designated by the Customs Commissioner.So that none of the above goods should be used, and in England, neither clothing nor furniture, are confiscated, and a penalty of two hundred pounds is imposed on anyone who possesses or sells any of them]

In 1702, the tax on oriental textiles was raised again by 15%.

In 1707, a list of 27 oriental goods was issued, and the tariff was increased by 50%.

In 1721, the second cotton ban:

[Act to protect and encourage wool and silk manufactures in the kingdom, prohibiting the use and wearing of all printed, dyed or batiked cotton fabrics in clothing, household items, furniture or otherwise after 72022th February 25]

It is completely different from the appearance of a certain invention advocated by later generations, which immediately made Britain invincible.

To put it simply, the truly sober people in the UK know very well that the development of British industries is the most typical example of infant industry protectionism or modern import substitution industrialization.

Or to put it more clearly, it was the East India Company that used violence to destroy Indian industry.

This is very different from the situation in China later. The Chinese handicraft industry was defeated by the mass production of machines and the high efficiency of the second industrial revolution.

The Indian handicraft industry was destroyed by bayonets, cannons, troops, and muskets.

Now, Dashun participated in the European war, and the problem of cotton cloth smuggling was already very serious before, making Britain at this time have to face a difficult problem.

This problem is not a simple theoretical problem of rationality or experience.

Rather, human thinking and cognition can be distorted for a long time.

There is a saying in China that when you lift a rock, you drop it on your own foot.

The problems facing the UK now can be explained with this sentence.

The root of this problem is the East India Company.

The East India Company has lifted a rock before and smashed itself in the foot.

Because, because of the "import problem" of the East India Company, there was a serious currency shortage and a precious metal crisis in Britain.

At that time, Britain was criticizing the East India Company, saying that the crisis was the responsibility of the East India Company.

And the director of the East India Company, the famous economist, Thomas Mun, used his economic theory to prove one thing in two magnificent papers:

[The loss of precious metals is not in itself a damage to the economy.The practice of the East India Company indirectly benefited the economy.Not only did some imported goods generate greater profits when they were re-exported (mainly as second-hand dealers to the European continent), but the growth of the shipping industry and the employment of dock workers also greatly increased, which also promoted the development of the financial industry. 】

[So, the loss of precious metals itself is not an act that is harmful to the economy.On the contrary, in a way, it is still very beneficial. 】

This is the "legality" of the East India Company's existence.

Moreover, the East India Company has been spending a lot of money over the years to raise a group of propagandists, proving that the East India Company's sending silver to India and China is very beneficial to the economy.

Talk every day.

Talk every month.

Talk every year.

How is Thomas Mon's level?

Let's put it this way, he believes that [the reason why the UK is not as successful as the Netherlands is because of the inferiority of the British nationals.The British, on the other hand, do not have the work ethic, the restraint of conspicuous consumption, the vigorous commercial spirit, the ordinary great national character of the Dutch.These are not available to the British, so the trade of the UK is not as good as that of the Netherlands. 】

His two majestic essays have been the theoretical basis of the East India Company.

It is also the theoretical basis for the East India Company to be able to obtain trade concessions again.

I can't stand to talk about it every day, every month, every year. After decades of talking, the propagandists hired by the company have been promoting it.

In the UK, there are really people who believe in this theory, and there are quite a few people who believe it.

The problem of "moving stones" also appeared.

How did the East India Company make money?

Sell ​​foreign goods back to the country, and send silver to India and China, thus ensuring the company's profits.

Dashun chose to participate in the European war. If he wanted to sell goods to Europe, who would suffer the most?
East India Company.

Does the theory of the East India Company support imports and outflows of precious metals?

stand by.

As far as China's industrial capital is concerned, is there any difference whether it is the Dashun Western Trading Company or the British East India Company that buys the goods?
No.

As far as Chinese commercial capital is concerned, is there any difference whether the goods are shipped by the Western Trading Company they hold or by the East India Company?

The difference is big.

For the British people, is there a difference whether the tea is sold by the East India Company or by Dashun?
No.

The rationality of the economic explanation for the existence of the East India Company, after refining, is it to explain the "reasonable outflow of precious metals"?Or "Is there a rationale for the existence of the East India Company?"

It was a thing when the East India Company equaled the seller.

But if the East India Company is no longer equivalent to a seller, these are two things.

Why do you say that this is called lifting a rock and shooting yourself in the foot?
If from the very beginning, the economists of the East India Company stood up and said: You are poor, you can’t get a share, and you are jealous when you see us making money, and you are poor here.Our company is a comprador, and it made a fortune by importing goods to attack the domestic industry. The king still has shares.You don't even ask, who are the major shareholders, just in this poverty, we are the ruling class, and we don't accept it.

This is not called lifting a rock and shooting yourself in the foot.

But it is obviously a very simple matter. The members of the board of directors must become economists, and then write a special article to prove that the outflow of precious metals may not be a bad thing.

Therefore, from a higher economic point of view, the rationality of the existence of the East India Company was deduced.

This is lifting a rock and shooting yourself in the foot.

The East India Company talks about it every day and every year, and many people in Britain believe this set of theories.

Then according to this theory, it is nothing more than Dashun replacing the East India Company as a supplier of goods.Since the outflow of precious metals is not necessarily a bad thing, why is it unacceptable?
Is William Pitt new to Thomas Mond's theory?

Obviously don't believe it.

Before, those who believed in this theory obviously would not oppose the East India Company.

Those who do not believe in this theory are obviously against the East India Company.

But there were two situations in opposing the East India Company before.

One is a purely three-view question: Are you kidding around here?In this era when precious metals are commonly used in the world and paper money cannot be printed, you tell me that the outflow of precious metals and the import of foreign goods may not be a bad thing?Does this make sense?

The other is not a question of three views, but a question of interests: Why should the East India Company occupy this oriental trade product by itself?Such a big piece of meat, why do you eat it by yourself?I also want to eat it.

For the first type of people, it is easy to say that their three views determine their attitude, and the behaviors derived from these three views can be determined. They opposed the East India Company before, and now they are against Dashun’s import of trade products.

The second type of person is troublesome.

East India Company bombed, is it a good thing?
Of course it's a good thing.

Dashun will ship the goods to London or Amsterdam, let go of customs duties and trade protection, okay?
Of course good.

I can sell tea, you can sell silk, he can sell cotton cloth, everyone has a bright future, why not support the release of customs duties?

I am not a weaver in Lancashire, I am not a textile workshop in Manchester, I do not raise sheep, I do not knead wool, and I do not knead pottery. Why do I not support liberalization of trade?

Unemployed textile workers?Can you go to North America as a contract slave? If you work hard for seven or eight years, won't you have your own piece of land?

For some middle-class families, especially those who bought government bonds, this in itself is not a bad thing, right?
For example, the national debt can be repaid with tariffs as collateral, which is better than the national debt purchased by oneself, right?
William Pitt was not afraid of anything else, but he was afraid that the purpose of Dashun's participation in the war was trade issues.

Basically, Britain can hold the strait, which he is confident.

The situation in North America is not a big problem. The Puritans will not accept the rule of Catholic France.

A country has prosperity, decline, victory and defeat.

The basic disk is not lost, and there is always a chance to get back other things.

If there are other things, such as the loss of Hannover, it may be a good thing, which can completely decouple Britain from Germany and become the real Britain, not the Britain of the Germans.

For example, the sugar-producing islands in the Caribbean would be a loss if lost, but it would be a big deal to regain them later.Even if I die, I have no chance to be in politics anymore, there will always be someone who can train the navy, and go to war in the future.

None of this threatens the very foundations of Britain, it's just a temporary defeat.

Just be afraid, the purpose of Dashun's participation in the war is trade issues, and Britain is really doomed.

Is there a way out now?

In theory, there are.

but……

Just like the Indian issue that Liu Yu was worried about at the beginning, Britain lost India to France, let China and France go to war for India, and drive away tigers and wolves, so Britain can at least maintain the Atlantic sea power.

However, it works in theory, but it doesn't work in practice.

same.

At this time, if Peter can let Britain give up Hanover, cede Barbados and other Caribbean islands, issue a decree prohibiting North American colonists from crossing the border, give up support for Prussia, support the demilitarization of the Austrian Netherlands, and withdraw fishing rights from Newfoundland fishing grounds... …

Then, use this to negotiate a separate peace with France and disintegrate the Sino-French alliance.

In theory, you can also keep the foundation.

But is this possible?Even if he is willing to bear the big scapegoat with the spirit of serving the country's long-term interests wholeheartedly, and scold me to bear it, will the king and the parliament let him bear it?
(End of this chapter)