"Well said!" A burst of warm applause suddenly erupted from the scene, startling everyone and making them turn to look. They then saw that the applause was clearly coming from a group of Indian guests. Having heard Bicke's words and that their country had already surpassed hy geographically, their faces flushed with excitement. Some eagerly asked, "Then what about the opportune moment?"
At the same time, others inquired about what "opportune moment" meant, as it was indeed difficult for these Westerners to understand.
"Opportune moment, to translate it simply, is the timing granted by heaven. And if we were to use a modern term to metaphorically describe it, I believe it would be international relations."
"When a country is about to rise, if all its neighboring countries are like Russia in the 1990s, it can rise with peace of mind, without worrying about the influence of its neighbors, as they are all preoccupied with their own affairs."
"But if this country were surrounded by us in the 1990s, it would be nothing short of tragic. Even if it possessed great inherent strength, it would be suppressed to death, much like Fusang back then."
"This is the opportune moment. So, how does the opportune moment compare between hy and India today?"
"Firstly, hy. hy's opportune moment is, in fact, quite obvious. When the professor said earlier that hy is our biggest future competitor, no one was surprised, nor did anyone object. This indicates that hy's strength is already a fact, and it has touched a sensitive nerve for everyone present."
"Furthermore, the fact that Mr. DuPont proactively asked this question just now signifies that our nation's greatest core, the Emperor, has thoroughly recognized the issue with hy and reached a point where it must be addressed and resolved. Therefore, I believe we should now discuss what actions we should take in the international market."
"Then what about India? Just as no one questioned hy earlier, when I mentioned India, almost everyone mocked me. This means that no one considers India a competitor, and this provides India with the strongest and best opportunity for development. It's like twenty years ago, when no one considered hy our competitor."
"Of course, you are entirely welcome to disagree with what I've said. However, there is one point I hope everyone will remember. India is a free and democratic country where capital can develop freely and unleash various powerful forces!"
"But what about hy? Can capital develop freely there?"
"Clap, clap, clap, clap!" Applause suddenly filled the room. This time, the applause was no longer just from the few Indian guests. Many other guests were persuaded by this speech and responded with approving applause.
This clearly further encouraged Bicke, and he continued, "Finally, and most importantly, there is the matter of people. As people of hy often say, 'The opportune moment is not as good as the geographical advantage, and the geographical advantage is not as good as the unity of people.' So, in the end, people are still the most fundamental element and the key to determining whether a country can rise."
"This 'people' first refers to the sheer number of people. A country only qualifies to compete for world dominance if its population reaches a certain critical mass."
"I personally believe this critical mass to be one hundred million, because only with a population exceeding one hundred million can a country's influence permeate every industry, possess a complete industrial chain, and have the confidence to face any restriction or competition."
"hy currently has a population of 1.4 billion, and India has a population of 1.1 billion. Both countries have far exceeded the standard. Some might say that hy has an additional 300 million people. Actually, once a population surpasses the critical threshold, the surplus population may not only be an advantage but also a disadvantage, though this situation requires specific analysis."
"After discussing population numbers, the crucial factor is population quality."
"Perhaps at this point, everyone will immediately say that India is completely defeated in this aspect. To be fair, under India's caste system, a large portion of the population remains illiterate, which is indeed a fatal weakness for India. Conversely, hy has largely completed its literacy programs, with its illiterate population now less than 1%. In terms of population quality, we must admit that hy holds a slight advantage over India."
"But the question is, does a world power truly need all its citizens to possess extremely high qualities?"
"No, that is certainly not necessary. Just as I mentioned earlier about the critical mass of one hundred million, a country truly needs about one hundred million high-quality people. That's enough!"
"Because the composition of job positions in a country is definitely pyramid-shaped. The jobs at the very bottom require the largest quantity but demand the least in terms of education."
"For example, assembly line workers only need to learn how to operate their specific tasks, which requires no formal education."
"Or consider street sweepers and domestic helpers; they only need to know how to do their jobs, not any formal education!"
"Take our own country as an example. The number of jobs that truly require formal education is only tens of millions. The remaining jobs require nothing. In fact, a vast majority of these jobs have no inherent value; they are merely excuses to provide salaries to the poor and to consume their surplus energy, preventing them from causing trouble for us!"
"Otherwise, why would the United States' technological advancement still lead the world after so many years of educational reform and the promotion of quality education and happy education? It's because the world doesn't need so many intelligent people, so many educated people. One hundred million is enough for a country!"
"India has 200 million people with sufficient education, and in terms of top universities and talent cultivation, India's institutions are in no way inferior to hy's. These individuals are more than enough for India to rise."
"And at this point, we also need to consider another issue: is such a large number of high-quality people truly necessary for a country? Could it, in turn, become a disaster?"
"This point can actually be proven by our own country's experience."
"Right after World War II, our education system was at its peak. All schools, whether public or private, focused on maximizing students' knowledge and cultural levels. At that time, our citizens' general knowledge and cultural levels were far higher than they are now."
"But what was the result of this higher-than-current knowledge and cultural level?"
"It led to the entire 1970s, which was thoroughly known as the era of decadence!"
"The young people of that generation actually possessed considerable knowledge and cultural levels. And once people acquire knowledge, they believe they should obtain jobs that match their knowledge and cultural levels."
"If you're a university student, then I should be sitting in a laboratory doing research, or working in finance on Wall Street. At the very least, I should be in an office, being a noble white-collar worker, not crammed into factory workshops or farm fields with those sweat-smelling 'rednecks', doing tiring and dirty jobs as a laborer or farmer."
"Let alone being a street cleaner, a gardener, or working on dusty construction sites!"
"At that time, we had the highest national quality in the world, but we fell into a severe labor shortage. Many strenuous jobs couldn't find people to fill them, forcing us to rely on open immigration and to bring in people from other impoverished countries to complete the work that our own citizens were unwilling to do!"
"This is known as the high-quality population trap. It was precisely because we discovered this trap that we began to reform our education system, making the entire educational process enjoyable, happy, and enriching. Finally, they would happily complete high school and graduate directly, regardless of their grades."
"And after their happiness, these children understood that they couldn't competently fill positions requiring knowledge and cultural levels. Consequently, they obediently became construction workers, industrial workers, and farmers, thereby restoring balance to our social structure."
"This is a trap we have experienced, and it will inevitably befall hy in the future."
"Based on my observations, every citizen of hy has a very strong obsession with education. They believe education is the only means to change one's life. Therefore, over 90% of hy's population undergoes the most rigorous exam-oriented education. As a result, almost all hy citizens possess high knowledge and cultural levels. Every hy high school student can mathematically outperform our university students, which is an indisputable fact!"
"Then, how many job positions can hy accommodate for these high-quality talents?"
"At most, one hundred million. But the number of people capable of competing for these positions reaches 700 million."
"What about the remaining 600 million?"
"Among these 600 million people, even if 200 million are willing to take on some less desirable jobs, there will still be 400 million who are not content. These individuals will then engage in fierce competition, relentlessly pursue higher education, and participate in various examinations, expending ten times the effort and energy in an attempt to overcome their rivals!"
"But regardless of who wins or loses, ultimately, 400 million people will not find their desired jobs. These individuals will then become tumors in society. They will be unwilling to work, will leech off their parents, and will complain endlessly online, blaming society and the nation for not providing them with sufficient employment!"
"Meanwhile, the massive population of 1.4 billion requires a vast amount of food and products, as well as more extensive social basic services. However, these positions cannot find workers, as the noble university graduates are not willing to engage in these low-status jobs. Consequently, hy will fall into a dire social environment, where relationships between people begin to fracture, anger fills interactions, and ultimately, the unity of people is completely lost."
"Conversely, India does not face such problems at all. Due to India's unique caste system, the vast majority of Indians are willing to undertake those low-status and arduous jobs."
"They are willing to do the most tiring work in the world while earning the lowest wages globally. Consequently, the nation and capital can extract their gains through their exploitation, fueling the country's upward development and thus building a perfect nation."
"It's like a rowing boat; only when the hundred rowers at the bottom of the boat diligently paddle without interruption can the king sitting on the deck lead the entire nation forward at full speed!"
"Therefore, the only one with the opportunity to surpass us in the future can only be the great India, and not the collapsing hy!"