Chapter 810 Education determines national destiny (third update, please subscribe)
What is the biggest tragedy for weak countries?
Without even realizing it, we have become victims in the game of great powers.
To some extent, Egypt has been caught up in this tragedy from the very beginning.
More than a decade ago, when the American Civil War broke out, Ismail Pasha, the actual supreme ruler of Egypt, seized the opportunity to further expand the planting area on the basis of the modern cotton planting industry pioneered by his grandfather in the face of Europe's demand for raw cotton. The large-scale export of cotton brought an increase in Egypt's wealth, and Ismail also launched his ambitious modernization plan.
But with the end of the Civil War, when southern cotton returned to the global market, cotton prices fell, and all this became a bubble. Egypt, unable to repay its debts, is now trapped in a dilemma both internally and externally. But this is not the most fatal. Egypt's debt crisis has only just begun. Although in history, the Egyptian Governor Ismail sold Egypt's shares in the Suez Canal Company to the British government at a very low price. But it still could not avoid Britain's "protection" of Egypt seven years later.
In the game of international politics, this is the fate of weak and small countries. Their fate is to be "protected", annexed, and occupied. This is their fate.
Egypt's fate was already doomed. No matter how enterprising Ismail had been, no matter how ambitious he had been, when the British expedition in Africa became a joke, Egypt became the choice for British politicians to attract domestic public opinion and escape from the political crisis.
Egypt's fate is sealed!
"Oh, Egypt..."
When Zhu Xianhai in Yingtian learned that Britain had sent Stephen Cave to investigate Egypt's financial situation, he sighed.
"It's finally going to perish..."
"Your Majesty, the canal stock,"
Zuo Zongtang asked.
"Didn't Your Majesty intend to buy shares in the Suez Canal?"
The acquisition of Suez Canal shares was a move made after the Egyptian debt crisis broke out this year. The heavily indebted Egypt could no longer borrow from the international financial market and had no choice but to sell shares in the Suez Canal to pay debt interest. Historically, upon learning of this news, British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli borrowed 3.97 million pounds from another Jewish financial giant, the Rothschild family, overnight without the permission of Congress to purchase 45% of the shares of the canal, thereby controlling the canal rights.
Originally, Emperor Zhu was planning to take advantage of the situation. In fact, as early as three years ago, the HSBC Bank of the Ming Dynasty had already opened a branch in Cairo. He was just waiting for the right time to directly pay for the shares of the Suez Canal. That would be several times the profit!
"Spend money?"
Emperor Zhu laughed.
"Is it necessary to spend money now? The British want to occupy Egypt, which means that the Quadruple Alliance will definitely attack Egypt in the future. There is no need to spend that money anymore. Why spend money on something that can be looted?"
"Your Majesty, does this mean that we are going to recognize the British occupation of Egypt?"
Zuo Zongtang sighed.
"What a pity! Ismail Pasha was also an enterprising ruler. Unfortunately, time did not wait for him. It was time, luck, and fate..."
Perhaps this is the fate of small and weak countries!
"It's not the right time, nor is it luck. Ismail is like many monarchs of weak and small countries. They don't understand how a weak country should develop. Cotton may bring wealth to Egypt, but what they call modernization is just modern buildings. What is modernization? Is it just buildings and factories?"
“It’s education! It’s school! Without education and school, everything is rootless!”
Zuo Zongtang's answer made Emperor Zhu nod slightly.
"Yes. If you want to know whether a country has a future and the possibility of rising, you only need to look at their education. If a country insists on sending its children to school even when it is poor, then even if the country is in ruins, it will still rise rapidly. If a country, like Egypt, builds a splendid palace and a grand opera house when it becomes rich, but its people still do not receive education, then the country definitely has no future."
educate!
Education is the foundation of a country's rise! Especially with the development of modern science, education has become the only prerequisite for a country's rise. What happened to Africa in the future, after receiving so much international aid?
The railway is overgrown with weeds, the factories are ruins, only the presidential palace in the capital and the villas of the dignitaries are always magnificent, and the local children are either playing with lamb legs or swinging lambs, or boys and girls playing together. If such a place can rise, it would be really unfair.
The same logic applies to the wealthy countries in the Middle East. Apart from spending their time in debauchery and enjoying the wealth brought by oil, have they ever really valued education?
"Your Majesty, this means that there is no hope for China right now..."
Zuo Zongtang's tone suddenly became a little heavy, and he spoke with some concern.
"Until now, even in Xuzhou, only a few Xingye schools have been built."
What is Xingye School?
This is just a word game. When Li Xuzhou was running the Westernization Movement, he founded several "factory and mine affiliated industrial schools" in order to solve the talent problem. But even so, it has gone further than in history!
"Ji Gao, do you know what the greatest characteristic of us Chinese is?"
In response to Zuo Zongtang's concerns, Emperor Zhu shook his head and said.
"Attach importance to education! Attach importance to education. This has long been engraved in the bones of our nation. If a son does not study, it is better to raise a pig. As long as conditions permit, Chinese people will definitely send their children to school. Now they do not send their children mainly because of economic reasons and the restrictions of the Qing Dynasty, especially the restrictions of the Qing Dynasty. Before the Jiashen Incident, every village in our Ming Dynasty had a community school. However, since the Jiashen Incident, when China sank, in order to implement a policy of keeping the people ignorant, not only did they destroy all academies, but the Qing Dynasty strictly prohibited all behaviors that would hinder its slave rule. In addition to severely suppressing rebellion, gatherings were also prohibited. More than five people were considered treason. As a result, not to mention private social skills, even the inheritance of family studies could not be passed on normally. It can be said that Chinese civilization was almost completely destroyed by the Qing Dynasty..."
Speaking of the destruction of Chinese civilization by the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Zhu's hatred towards the Qing Dynasty deepened a little.
After thinking about it, Emperor Zhu's eyes suddenly lit up, and then he said.
"Ji Gao, what do you think, if we set up a group of schools in the country?"
(End of this chapter)
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