Chapter 380: productive forces
"Time flies!"
Paul reclined on the chair in the office as if Ge You was lying down, expressing his emotions.
The courtyard outside the window is already golden. When the wind blows, the leaves on the trees fall one after another, and another autumn has arrived.
The slightly sad atmosphere infected the Earl.
It has been the third year since the soul traveled to this world similar to the Middle Ages of the earth, or awakened the consciousness of the previous life.
What have you done in the past two years?
Eliminated slavery? No, there are still a large number of serfs in the territory struggling to survive under the exploitation of the landlords.
Overthrow the feudal aristocracy? No, and he himself was a member of the feudal nobility.
Raised civilian status? No, the civilians in the territory are still trembling when they see the nobles, and they dare not let a fart go.
weakened the authority of religion? No, the people have to pay tithes to the church in addition to paying taxes to their lords.
Although some workshops were opened and a batch of new-type manufacturing industries were born in the territory, they only solved the financial distress and really had a major impact on the society. It seems that none of the substantive changes were successful.
Whenever I want to implement my grand plan, either this group of people opposes it or that group of people opposes it. Really, I am clearly for the future of human society, and the history that happened on another planet has proved my claim is correct, why can't those people make a small sacrifice.
Those big strides above are nothing more than that, so that even a customs union is opposed by some people?
Running into walls everywhere is really worthy of the name of a time traveler! The original ambitions are being worn away by the reality bit by bit, and if this continues, he will degenerate into an ordinary nobleman waiting to die.
Paul recalled that the little bit of political knowledge left in his mind was ultimately due to the backwardness of social productivity, and the substratum determined the superstructure.
"Master Grayman, what were you talking about just now?"
Paul's emotion aroused everyone's curiosity.
The lord's office gathered the heads of various important departments of the Government Affairs Council, and they all came to attend the regular weekly meeting of the lord's mansion. However, it was not held in the hall as usual, but was called to his office by Paul.
According to Bernard, the chief secretary of the lord's mansion, after Earl Greiman came to the office in the morning, he never left his chair except to go to the toilet. The lord seems to be in a low mood recently.
Paul raised his eyelids: "Huh? I'm saying that time is like a shuttle on a loom. It flies by without stopping for a moment."
Everyone is very strange, the Earl is obviously only 16 years old.
"Why do you express such emotion?"
Hansel asked the questions in everyone's mind.
Paul put on a youthful look: "I saw autumn leaves falling just now, so I couldn't help but have this idea. If a person's life is just wasting time, in the end, it will fall in a hurry like the leaves on this tree."
"Then how does Lord Graham think his life should be spent so that it is not wasted?"
Hansel's question hit an itch in Paul's heart, and the idea of pretending to be B came to his mind.
"Hmm!" He cleared his throat loudly, with a serious look.
"The most precious thing for a person is life, and life belongs to a person only once. The life I look forward to should be spent like this: When I look back on the past, I will not regret it because I wasted my life, and I will not be ashamed because I have done nothing; Then, when called by the Lord, you can say without guilt: 'My whole life and all my energies have been devoted to the most magnificent cause in the world—to...'
Paul got stuck all of a sudden, what should he fight for? Could it be that they are fighting for the liberation of mankind in front of their faces?
At this time, the people in the office had already whetted their appetites by his passionate words just now, and they all looked at Paul expectantly, hoping to hear what the lord wanted to do for his whole life.
Paul moved his stiff tongue and said, "Strive to fill the bellies of the people!"
Damn, compared with the original version, the style has dropped a lot.
"Crack, clap!"
Old Ford, the director of the Government Affairs Council, applauded first, and then everyone in the room applauded.
Old Ford nodded and said, "Master Greiman, this is the ideal that a great lord should have."
Only people living in this era know how far away the goal of "filling the stomachs of the people" is. They know it better than Paul who came from the 21st century of the earth.
Hansel splashed a little cold water, he shook his head and said: "Unfortunately, there have never been people who can do it, not even those legendary heroes and wise kings in history."
Although Hansel was born in a big family in the royal capital, he had no worries about food and drink since he was a child, but he has been working as a grassroots tax official in the royal family since he was an adult, so he knows the hardships of the people.
Guy Burns looked at Paul adoringly: "But as long as you work hard in this direction, even a small step forward will save a lot of people."
"Haha, let's work hard together."
The encouragement of everyone gave Paul great confidence, and the depression caused by the failure of the reform disappeared, and was replaced by a kind of pride.
"Everyone, I think the reason why so many people don't have enough to eat is ultimately due to the lack of productivity in human society, so we must vigorously develop productivity."
"productive forces?"
Everyone heard a new term from the mouth of the lord, but it is not difficult to understand.
"You mean the capacity of the field to produce crops?"
Because we were discussing the issue of filling the belly just now, everyone couldn't help but think of farming.
"Well, this is just one aspect of it~ www.readwn.com~ To put it more generally, it should be 'the ability to transform nature formed by the combination of people with labor capacity and means of production' or 'the ability of human beings to create new wealth ’, this is not just about farming. For example, mining, textiles, pottery, etc., can be collectively referred to as manufacturing or industry. In addition to developing agriculture, these manufacturing industries are also the directions I plan to vigorously develop.”
Old Ford said: "But these industries do not produce food. Even if they develop them, the food will still be the same. How can we solve the stomach problem? Therefore, Mr. Graiman, I suggest that you should encourage the people under your rule to cultivate more land. It's the best policy."
Paul raised his eyebrows: "Oh, my lord, let alone no matter how hard it is to cultivate, the land that can be cultivated is limited after all. Based on the current area of cultivated land, in a normal year without natural disasters, dare you say that the land that can be cultivated is limited. Is the food really not enough?"
"This…"
"If I issue an order to forcibly collect all the food in Arda, Bairding, and Emden, and then distribute it equally to everyone, rich or poor, high or low, including me. Everyone thinks that they will starve to death this year. person?"
Everyone was shocked, how could the earl have such a crazy idea.
"Haha, just kidding, don't be nervous, everyone."
Old Ford heaved a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat off his brow and said, "It shouldn't cause people to starve to death. The main reason why they can't get enough to eat is..."
"It is mainly caused by the uneven distribution of food." Paul took his words, "The mice in the granary of the big landlords are fat and strong, but the poor can only starve to death."
He sighed deeply: "How shameful!"
Everyone was speechless for a while, who is the biggest landlord in Arda, is the earl scolding himself?
