"It sounds great, but if you do this... I'm afraid there will be trouble when people react, right?"
Gao pragmatically raised his eyebrows and asked, "What does it mean to react?"
"You have already received all the benefits. Are you going to let me take advantage of you like this?"
Gao pragmatic shook his head and waved his hand: "There are many heroes in the long history, but there are very few heroes who can be 'selfless'. The conditions I gave are suitable for Tumut, Horqin, Is there any 'oppression' for the upper-class nobles of the three Manchu tribes? No, there is no pressure. For them personally or for the entire ruling group, those are very favorable conditions. Why would they 'react'?"
"Maybe not for a while, but after a long time, won't they find that the country's power is weakening? When they find out, won't they react?" Liu Xin obviously didn't believe it.
Gao Pragmatic shrugged: "Not all of them are Burihatu, and what if they really react in the future? It is not easy to expect addicts to take the initiative to quit drugs. What's more, when they really do By that day, I believe they have lost the courage and ability to oppose the Ming Dynasty, and can only continue to drink poison to quench their thirst."
Liu Xin thought for a while and asked: "Will you take further actions on that day? For example... bring them directly under the rule of the Ming Dynasty."
Gao pragmatic laughed and praised: "Secretary-General Liu has made great progress. Yes, when we reach that point, we should be included under the rule. This so-called will happen naturally."
After a pause, he added: "Government is an art. Forced occupation is usually the stupidest way. It is a last resort when political means cannot solve it. To forcefully occupy the conquered land, unless the local area is Kill all the people, otherwise it will bring long-term turmoil or cause us to have to invest huge costs in governance.
This is just like us in southern Xinjiang. Why does southern Xinjiang need more than 200,000 well-equipped security forces and form some servant armies that are obedient to us? As the secretary-general of Jinghua, you are very aware of this cost. How much would it cost to maintain more than 200,000 elite servants in the Ming Dynasty? However, because we must maintain sufficient force to prevent local rebellion, this cost of governance, this very high cost of governance, is what we have to pay.
The reason why Jinghua currently has to pay such a huge cost of governance is because Jinghua relied on force to conquer southern Xinjiang. The measures we are currently promoting such as the naturalization household registration system are actually wiping the butt of military conquest, because in the final analysis we need to grasp the hearts and minds of the local people, and even convert the local people into Han Chinese step by step... But why do we need to convert?
Because only when they all become Han Chinese, the cost of governance will be minimized, the value created will be maximized, and the Ming Dynasty's ability to resist Western invasion will be strongest. On the contrary, the Ming Dynasty can consider not being so reckless in northern Xinjiang. We can maintain strong military pressure while using other means to draw one faction to fight against another. Minimize. "
"What does it mean to operate it properly?" Liu Xin asked again.
"Don't force the other party to be brought under our rule when their national power is rising, but we should quietly make them enter an obvious decline before taking action. In this way, when we bring them under our rule, the people at the bottom of the other party will soon find that their living standards have improved. , all kinds of threats no longer exist, and their centripetal force towards us naturally arises." Gao Pragmatic smiled: "Some people don't understand what it means to use force without force. In fact, it means using force without force."
Liu Xin thought for a while, frowned and said, "When you said that, I suddenly remembered that at that time, some people on an island in the southeast missed Japan. It seems that the factors you mentioned are fundamentally there..."
Gao Pragmatic sighed and nodded: "Yes, the methods adopted by Japan in its early colonial rule were somewhat similar to what I just mentioned. This was the soil for a certain party to emerge on a certain island. But later on, after we developed, the island More and more people have understood that the only way out is to return. Although the two of us have not seen the day when Jin Ou is intact, I think it will definitely come true. After all, the trend of history is unstoppable."
"Are you going to create the historical trend of the Ming Dynasty now?" Liu Xin blinked and said, "It turns out that heroes really create the trend of the times."
Gao Pragmatic waved his hand: "A hero must have a foundation to create the current situation. For example, I now think that Burihatu is a hero. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he works, he can't create any current situation, because as history has developed to this day, it belongs to the Mongols. The glory has come to an end. The era of hot weapons to end the cavalry is continuing to advance, and I just accelerated this process in the Ming Dynasty by taking advantage of the time traveler."
"Okay, now I think your reasoning makes sense, but how are you going to convince the court and the emperor? I don't think you can tell them the principles you just told me, right?"
"The main principles can still be explained, but the narrative method needs to be changed. For example, while hinting at 'cost accounting', one talks about the benevolence and righteousness of the Celestial Empire. In short..."
"It's the so-called 'talk about doctrine, but heart is all about business', right?" Liu Xin couldn't help but laugh, and then deliberately shook her head: "It's true that the world is declining and people's hearts are not as old as they used to be!"
Gao pragmatic shrugged, but did not say anything, and continued to eat.
But Liu Xin couldn't help but ask: "There is something I have been thinking about for a long time but have not been able to figure out the result. Although the 'hegemony' you mentioned today does not seem to be the same thing as the hegemony I originally understood, it is This reminds me of this matter again: Where do you think the Ming Dynasty will go? Or, in other words, where do you think the Ming Dynasty should go in the future, and at the same time, how should Southern Xinjiang get along with the Ming Dynasty? "
"Eh?" Gao Pingshi was obviously surprised. He looked up at her carefully and said, "You seem to have really started to pay attention to the strategic level from the tactical level."
"Isn't this the case of Meng Dong's family, where you have been appointed as the secretary-general of Jinghua?" Liu Xin blinked and said, "But if my boss refuses to say anything, just think I didn't say hello."
Gao Pragmatic chuckled: "Is there anything you don't want to say? But let me think about how to tell you..." He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then asked: "Do you know that on geopolitical issues, there are three very important things? Is it an important theory?"
Liu Xin was stunned, shook her head and said, "I don't have much experience in this area."
Gao Pragmatic was not surprised. He nodded to express his understanding, and then said: "These three theories are Mahan's sea power theory, Mackinder's heart land theory, and Spykman's land and sea marginal zone theory."
Liu Xin suddenly said: "Oh, I have heard of the theory of sea power. Is it the saying that if you control the ocean, you can control the world?"
Gao pragmatic smiled and said: "Your generalization is a bit like a keyboard warrior. In fact, this statement is too general. What Mahan means is: the ocean is the center of the world stage. Whoever controls the chokepoint of the world will It controls the economic and security lifelines of countries around the world, and then controls the world in disguise.
He believes that there are two main aspects of the importance of sea power: one is to control the ocean through naval superiority; the other is to create national wealth and strength in order to expand maritime trade, seize overseas territories, and obtain foreign market privileges.
You have to know that Mahan lived in an era when the Empire of the United States began to expand overseas. Whether it was maritime trade or the fight for overseas colonies, the maritime power of the Empire of the United States indeed played a decisive role. On the surface, Mahan was studying the importance of the ocean to the growth of a country in the previous hundred years, but in fact the theory of sea power he proposed happened to meet the theoretical needs of the American Empire's external expansion.
As a country surrounded by two oceans, the Japanese emperor always regarded Mahan's theory of sea power as the basic strategy for governing and rejuvenating the country. But you must understand that among the two points that Mahan believes are the most important, the first point serves the second point and is the basis of the second point. "
Liu Xin nodded, and then said tentatively: "Let me guess, is the idea of sea power theory the path you intend for Southern Xinjiang to take in the future?"
Gao Pingshi was silent for a moment, nodded and said, "Mostly."
"You mentioned three theories. The sea power theory is intended to be handed over to southern Xinjiang for testing. So for the Ming Dynasty...could it be the 'heart land theory'?"
Gao pragmatically said: "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Liu Xin raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "What viewpoint does this theory hold?"
"In 1904, Halford Mackinder published a paper entitled 'The Geographic Pivot of History', calling the center of Eurasia the pivot zone and considered it to be the hub of world politics. Mackinder believed that who ruled Whoever rules Eastern Europe controls the center; whoever rules the center controls the world island; whoever rules the world island controls the world.
However, like the theory of sea power, you have to note that Mackinder lived in an era when Asian and European powers competed with each other for land spheres of influence. Therefore, his description of the land heart theory had a profound impact on the competition among the powers at that time. . After the Cold War began, Mackinder's land power theory also became the basis for Western countries to contain the Soviet Union. Truman, Kennan and others inherited the mantle of Mackinder's land power theory.
Moreover, even the collapse of the Soviet Union did not eliminate Western countries' concerns about Eurasian countries controlling the heartland. Zbigniew Brzezinski, an important political figure in the US Empire at the time, said: 'For the United States, Eurasia is the most important geopolitical goal...Now, the United States, a non-Eurasian continent, has achieved a pivotal position here. . Whether the United States can maintain this position effectively for a long time will directly affect the United States' control of global affairs. "
Liu Xin frowned: "Eastern Europe? Isn't this too far away? Your dream Ming Dynasty wants to control Eastern Europe?"
"The reason why Mackinder believed that Eastern Europe was the center was because of the world situation at that time. In fact, from a geographical perspective, the real center area in his theory was a large area of Eastern Europe, Siberia, Central Asia and Persia. .”
Gao Jingshi stretched out his finger and tapped the table, reminding: "Let me say two points: First, if you recall the period when the Tang Dynasty had the largest territory in the Western Regions, you will find that the Tang Dynasty at that time occupied almost half of the 'central area' ;
Secondly, it is now the period when Tsarist Russia begins to expand eastward, but the force they actually use is not strong, and most of their expedition teams are only a hundred people in size. Moreover, Tsarist Russia itself at this time could not be said to be powerful. Later, in more than a hundred years, it was beaten to the brink of annihilation by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth several times. "
Liu Xin rolled her eyes, still a little in disbelief, and asked: "So you hope that the Ming Dynasty will compete with Tsarist Russia for Siberia and Central Asia in the future? I think... Central Asia is easy to say, after all, our ancestors also occupied it, But isn’t it too cold in Siberia? That place is probably the home ground of the Russians!”
Gao pragmatic curled his lips and said: "Do you think I put so many people in Liaodong and implemented those anti-cold measures just to consolidate Liaodong? Do you think I have to peacefully assimilate so many Mongolians just for cost accounting? ?”
Liu Xin was speechless and said after a long while: "Is this all preparation for Siberia and Central Asia?"
Gao Pragmatic said calmly: "Central Asia is rich in good horses and is suitable for cavalry. The Mongols have conquered Central Asia for a long time, and most of them are now ruled by Mongolian descendants. If our Ming Dynasty conquered Mongolia, it would be logical for us to go west to Central Asia; and Siberia is so vast. The crowds are sparse and it’s still very cold, so some preparations in Liaodong will come in handy sooner or later.”
Liu Xin frowned and said, "Are you thinking too far? Now the Ming Dynasty's sphere of influence is at most Qinghai, but the actual control area is still in Gansu!"
Gao Pragmatic spread his hands and said: "If you don't think long term, you will have immediate worries. Besides, this is just a 'strategy'. When it can be implemented will depend on when other prerequisites are completed - I didn't say it will be done next year." Expedition to the West. I’m not even thirty yet, am I running out of time?”
"Oh, okay then, as long as you don't intend to encourage others." Liu Xin nodded and asked, "What's the matter with the fringe zone theory?"
“After entering the 20th century, American Nicholas Speakman believed that it was not the heartland of Eurasia that posed a threat to maritime powers, but the Eurasian land between the heartland and the coastal areas controlled by Western forces. The fringes of the continent are the crux of the struggle for world sovereignty.
In his view, the status of the world's edge areas in the future world political landscape will continue to rise and become key areas that dominate coastal areas. This area has a large population, rich natural resources and human wealth. It is surrounded by a transportation line surrounding the sea that is connected to the entire so-called sea power country gathering area, and sea transportation is very developed. Therefore, Speakman believes that controlling the fringe is equivalent to controlling Eurasia, and controlling Eurasia is equivalent to controlling the world.
The direct impact of Spykman's fringe theory was the 1991 Gulf War, the 1999 Kosovo War and the 2003 Iraq War that overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime. The United States and its allies have taken advantage of the sea to launch attacks on land targets to achieve strategic goals. Following the "from sea to land", the US military proposed the "air-sea integrated" combat concept, taking the junction of ocean and land as the main battlefield of the United States in the future. Its main purpose is also to strengthen control of coastal areas and then control the center of the world. "
Liu Xin opened her eyes wide: "Are you... asking Ming Dynasty and Southern Xinjiang to fight over this 'marginal zone'?"
Gao pragmatic was silent for a while, shook his head and said: "It's not sure yet." But after a pause, he added: "Whether Chinese civilization needs internal competition in the future, I am still hesitant about this. Or to be more straightforward Said, the real key is that I haven't figured out how to keep this competition in a healthy range and not turn into a civil war between the land power faction and the sea power faction within Chinese civilization. No civil war, this is what I value most of."
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