Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 271 Development of Industrialization Backed by Military Slavery Factory
"That should be because I think too much..." Guo Kang scratched his head.

"I think it's because you have too few contacts." Theodora said bluntly: "You have dealt with that businessman recently, and he is also a person with bad intentions. Of course, you can't see their usual routines."

"These people's minds are not much better than those of the barbarian nobles." She shook her head and said, "Sometimes, nobles need to care about their reputation and show their generosity and generosity to gain the support of others. Big businessmen often Not even that."

"I think the businessman's status is not high, so he must make more compromises and abide by the existing rules..." Guo Kang explained.

"You have to see what kind of businessman it is." Theodora shook his head and said, "Small vendors who set up street stalls are not much different from ordinary citizens. As for those big businessmen with multinational operations, ordinary local nobles sometimes have to look at their complexion."

"The status of big businessmen is not high, compared to kings and big lords. People with this kind of funds have either already gained power or are supported by those in power. Isn't it easy for people to bully ordinary people?"

"Take your new friend's Florence as an example. There is no king in that place now, but do you know how they manage it?"

"Why do you keep staring at this..." Guo Kang began to wonder if she was too hostile to a certain businessman, causing her hostility to all her colleagues.

"Who asked her to be an example." Theodora straightened up and told him: "Florence is a city ruled by big merchants, and the local 'nobility' and 'merchant' have combined with each other. In this case, the merchant There is no difference between them and the nobles. What the nobles will do, these big businessmen in power will do the same."

"In name, there is city-state democracy, but in fact only some guilds have the right to speak, and the opinions of ordinary people are of no value. Even small guilds will be suppressed by big guilds and can only exist as vassals."

"In order to protect the interests of the big guilds, the city-state has formulated many regulations, such as restricting the treatment of apprentices and ordinary craftsmen, in order to maintain the profits of high-priced textiles. It also actively suppresses the development of cheap textiles, preventing technological progress and production increases from making luxury textiles price reduction."

"The structure of those commercial city-states is different from ours. The largest population is not landed farmers and handicraftsmen with workshops-these people are in them, and the number is very limited. The mainstream in that kind of city is Rich merchants and poor craftsmen who have almost nothing."

"This is obviously intentional." She explained: "When ordinary craftsmen are poor enough, they have no confidence in bargaining and can only rely on big businessmen. Therefore, the compensation theory you mentioned only exists In imagination. Think about it and know what will happen in reality.”

"That said, it's true." Guo Kang thought for a while: "You still know a lot."

"I must always pay attention to the state of the barbarians, this is our duty." Theodora disagrees: "The current war is no longer the time when the country was first established, and a few princes took the lead to charge away those barbarians. .We need to consider a lot of things, especially we need to understand the enemy, so that we can discover their weaknesses and conflicts with each other, so that we have a better chance of winning.”

"Since I can't go to the battlefield, of course I have to pay more attention to these things. Otherwise, dealing with barbarians every day, wouldn't it be a waste of money?"

"Okay..." Guo Kang could only admit, "Then what do you think we should do?"

"We must not imitate them." Theodora said without hesitation: "Even if you abandon morality, this is not feasible. Barbarians can drive poor people into workshops, but if we do, citizens will mutiny. Only People who don't think about the consequences think like that."

"I think that as long as the Slavic slaves are put into the workshop, it will be fine. Haven't you tried it before?" She suggested: "According to your description, the barbarian craftsmen who entered the workshop did not have any technical level. They Slavic slaves can do the same if they can do it. Anyway, the cost of slaves is also very low, and we are not afraid of barbarians competing with us.”

Guo Kang thought for a while, and found that he hadn't thought it through before.

In the theories he has learned, it is said that slavery is not suitable for the development of productive forces in the new era.But on the other hand, historical facts continue to prove that disguised forms of slavery, and even direct "original" slavery, have existed for a long time, and there is no conflict between them and the new era.

In the theories he understands, capitalism and industrialization are generally bound together.Capitalism obviously does not reject slavery very much, and the "free trade" they emphasize the most has nothing to do with whether slaves are used or how much slaves account for in the total production.

In the early days of industrialization, in order to reduce costs, the treatment and living conditions of workers were extremely poor, and their life expectancy was even lower than in the Middle Ages.For the uncles of the Purple Horde Khanate, facing such an environment of ten deaths and no life, they must raise their swords and rebel.Therefore, Theodora's suggestion is the most suitable for the current environment.As far as they are concerned, it is indeed better to fill the factory with Slavic slaves.

"That's fine." Guo Kang thought for a while and nodded: "Anyway, we are at an important node in trade, and we can continue to promote free trade in the future. If the profits are enough, it will not be difficult to convince more people to invest firmly in industry. .”

"Why rely on free trade?" Theodora asked puzzled.

"Uh... because it's more beneficial." Guo Kang gave her a science popularization: "According to the theory I understand, capitalism is more suitable for industrial development. This 'capitalism' is a kind of factory and machinery that are all privately owned. , and a social system of free trade. This system is the most suitable for industrial development.”

"I don't think so." Theodora shook her head: "How can a society that pursues private profits be the most suitable for industry? Workshops are obviously not the most profitable way. In this kind of society, people will not turn quickly Usury and debt speculation? Your 'new friend' runs a bank, don't you know that this is the most profitable business in Italy?"

"Uh...then what do you think?" Guo Kang asked.

"Of course it's war." Theodora said: "War doesn't care about these messy concepts, it just depends on whose soldiers are more and stronger, ordnance is sharper and stronger, and food and logistics are more abundant. These can best reflect the advantages of industry. Bar."

"Besides, how can the pursuit of profit be compared to the drive to preserve life? How can the income from trading commodities be compared to the income from victory in war?" Industrial, not those liberties and profits."

"You don't care about that, as long as you prove that your invention is useful for war." She told Guo Kang: "No matter how much investment the merchants invest, can it be compared to the investment of the whole of Rome? You should first find a way to establish a production of ordnance The War Workshop. As long as it shows its strengths, the whole country will support you."

(End of this chapter)