As a book published in the Great Ming stated: to solve external problems, one must first resolve internal issues.
Clearly, the greatest external problem facing the so-called Great Eagles’ home now was the Great Ming and Qin, who were constantly draining the entire small planet dry. Even the Great Eagle, one of the Five Great Benevolent Ones, was not spared; at most, he was drained less than other countries.
The Great Eagle’s greatest internal problems were the Native Americans and the insatiable workers.
A renowned fallen scholar from a Central Plains sect once uttered a famous saying: one should pick the soft persimmons to squeeze.
James Rothschild was now harboring a similar sentiment—I may not be able to provoke the Great Ming and Qin, but can’t I still provoke you?
Coincidentally, William Avery Rockefeller and other lords of the Israelite financial magnates had similar thoughts.
William Avery Rockefeller nodded slightly and looked at James Rothschild, asking, "From which aspect do you plan to start?"
James Rothschild’s smile gradually turned twisted and ferocious; the entire person looked like a devil crawling out of hell. "Of course, by increasing the bounty for Native American scalps—don't those greedy workers want more income? Then go hunt Native Americans and bring back their scalps to exchange for money."
William Avery Rockefeller was immediately delighted, and the other lords of the Israelite financial magnates looked at James Rothschild with admiration.
Look, what a perfect plan! Those damned Native Americans would be hunted by those greedy workers, and those avaricious workers would also have their income increased. Meanwhile, the Israelite magnates only needed to pay a pittance in dollars to achieve all this. It was simply too clever for words!
However, after a moment’s thought, Avery Rockefeller frowned again. "James, your proposal is good, but all of this is based on the assumption that the workers can hunt Native Americans. However…"
The other Israelite financial magnates also couldn't help but frown.
The Native Americans now were no longer the barbarians of the past, who only knew how to go naked, holding bows and arrows to fish and hunt. They had evolved into barbarians who hunted and fished with firearms.
With both the Native Americans and the Great Eagles’ workers in possession of flintlock muskets, the Great Eagles’ original firearm advantage had vanished. The Native Americans, who had resided on the American continent for generations, instead held the geographical advantage. If Native Americans and the Great Eagles’ workers of equal numbers and possessing the same firearms met in the wilderness, it was truly hard to say who would die!
However, James Rothschild laughed indifferently. "What does that have to do with us? As the Ming people say: 'Humans die for wealth, and birds are shot down for food.' If those workers don't go hunting Native Americans out of greed, they won't be in any mortal danger."
After thinking for a moment, James Rothschild added, "The population growth rate of us Great Eagles has been very fast in recent years, while the total amount of resources is fixed, which has also led to fewer and fewer benefits being distributed to the common people of the Great Eagles. So, if the population decreases, doesn't that mean the resources increase?"
As James Rothschild finished speaking, the lords of the Israelite financial magnates present also nodded in agreement.
On the contrary, John Quincy Adams, the current leader of the Great Eagles, and the descendants of the Mayflower gang, all frowned.
For student Adams and the descendants of the Mayflower gang, they didn't care whether the Israelite financial magnates valued the lives of Native Americans or not. However, Rothschild's words, implicitly or explicitly, didn't value the lives of the Great Eagles' own workers, which was very disgusting.
Adams decided to endure this indignity. Adams understood very well that rather than saying the Great Eagles were decided by him, the supreme commander, it was more accurate to say they were decided by these lords of the Israelite financial magnates. If he fell out with these Israelite financial magnates now, he would only end up with the same fate as the previous president, Thomas Jefferson, who wanted to change the Great Eagles.
He only served one term as leader before being impeached and removed from office, and his reputation after leaving office was incredibly foul.
Only after the lords of the Israelite financial magnates had left did student Adams say to Ridgway, a descendant of the Mayflower gang who had stayed behind, "Lee, what do you think of what happened today?"
Ridgway said expressionlessly, "Your Excellency, the President, these matters are decided by you and the lords of Congress, and I am merely a soldier. I am only responsible for fighting."
This was pure nonsense.
If the lords of the Israelite financial magnates didn't know Ridgway well, it would be understandable. But student Adams, a descendant of the Mayflower gang himself, understood Ridgway very well.
This guy was a genuine graduate of the Great Ming Military Academy, an outstanding student among that batch of descendants of the gang who studied abroad.
The reason he was unwilling to comment on today's events was entirely because this fellow was a firm adherent to the Thomas Jefferson school of thought: that is, taking the Great Ming as a reference in everything, and aligning oneself infinitely with the Great Ming in governance and statecraft.
After Thomas Jefferson was impeached and removed from office, Ridgway, as the leader of the Thomas Jefferson school of thought, naturally did not fare well. In the end, he could only remain in the White House as a negligible officer.
Military power?
What military power? Being allowed to keep his life was only because this guy usually kept a low profile, coupled with the fact that the Great Eagles needed military officers like Ridgway who had studied at the Great Ming Military Academy. Otherwise, this guy would have likely lost his life long ago!
Adams certainly knew Ridgway's concerns.
Seeing that Ridgway was unwilling to express his opinion, Adams did not overly pressure him. Instead, he said sincerely, "Lee, there are only the two of us here. No matter what we say, no third person will ever know."
Ridgway remained unmoved. The last president who believed that the White House could keep secrets was Thomas Jefferson, who had now fled to a foreign land.
However, Adams was completely unaware of Ridgway's concerns and continued, "Even from a military perspective, I hope you can offer some opinions."
Ridgway stopped evading the question and said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, the President, from a military perspective, I believe we should not instigate our Great Eagles' civilians to hunt those Native Americans. Instead, we should let the military handle it. If civilians are allowed to do everything, then what use are we soldiers?"
Adams nodded slightly and tried again, "The Great Eagles' army is not in the hands of the President, or rather, it can be said that the Great Eagles' President is merely the nominal President. Even if a dog were tied to this position, it would have no impact on the Great Eagles."
Ridgway's expression finally changed.
Student Adams's words were unpleasant to hear, but they were clearly the truth.
Power in the Great Eagles' home resided in the White House, but the White House was not controlled by the President who lived in it.
On the contrary, the entire power of the Great Eagles was actually controlled by those lords of the Israelite financial magnates who did not live in the White House.
As Adams said, even if a dog were tied to the position of President of the Great Eagles, the Great Eagles could continue to operate normally.
The only difference was that a dog would not have its own ideas. Those lords of the Israelite financial magnates could be even more unscrupulous. However, a person chosen through freedom sitting in the presidential position would have their own ideas, and could somewhat restrain those magnates, even if this restraining force was negligible.
What's more, everyone's ideas were different. Some presidents merely occupied the position and enjoyed its benefits, but in essence, they were like human seals for the financial magnates. Others wanted to achieve something in this position.
For example, Thomas Jefferson, who had been impeached and removed from office.
And, for example, the current John Quincy Adams.
Just as Ridgway was contemplating how to respond to Adams, Adams continued, "God can bear witness, I never wished for the Great Eagles to foolishly challenge the Great Ming, because that is an act of extreme stupidity. But…"
Ridgway's expression remained unchanged, and he asked, "What does the President mean?"
Adams did not answer Ridgway's question. Instead, he lowered his head and pondered for a while before looking up at Ridgway and asking, "Can you tell me why President Thomas Jefferson failed?"
This question was somewhat presumptuous, and it was also a test for Ridgway by Adams.
However, Ridgway was already tired of this back-and-forth testing.
As an outstanding graduate of the Great Ming Military Academy, although the so-called "excellence" of Ridgway and the other overseas students contained a great deal of water, it had somewhat instilled some military habits.
For instance, being direct.
For instance, using one's fists if there was a chance to act.
Adams's testing, which was habitual for veteran politicians, was very irritating to Ridgway.
Ridgway directly frowned and said, "Thomas Jefferson's failure was inevitable. When I was studying at the Great Ming Military Academy, the instructor analyzed Thomas Jefferson's character, saying that he was someone who forgot righteousness for small gains and was overly cautious of his reputation when seeking great deeds."
"He wanted the Great Eagles to develop like the Great Ming, but he was afraid of damaging his own reputation and unwilling to bear even the slightest infamy. Therefore, he was destined not to be able to control military power. Without military power in hand, he was destined to achieve nothing."
When Ridgway finished speaking, Adams was completely thrown into disarray. "I asked you why Thomas Jefferson failed, but you're being too blunt! You're practically pointing at my nose and saying either bear the infamy and seize power, or honestly be a human seal!"
Just as Adams was in a state of dazed confusion, Ridgway continued, "If Your Excellency the President wants to change the current situation of the Great Eagles, my suggestion is to quickly grasp military power. Additionally, you should also establish our Great Eagles' own Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Adams's heart stirred, and he pressed, "Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
Ridgway nodded and said, "That's right, it's the Great Ming's Embroidered Uniform Guard. Ostensibly, it's the Great Ming Emperor's honor guard and escort, but in reality, it's an intelligence agency responsible for gathering intelligence and monitoring officials."
"For example, the Emperor of the Great Ming can know any intelligence he desires at any time. For instance, what's happening within our Great Eagles' homes, or what Louis XVI ate last night."
Through Ridgway's description, Adams couldn't help but yearn for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
If he had such a powerful intelligence organization at his disposal, those Israelite financial magnates…
Adams, unable to contain his excitement, directly said to Ridgway, "How many US dollars would it cost to establish such an intelligence organization? Can you establish such an intelligence organization?"
However, Ridgway did not directly answer Adams's question. Instead, he frowned slightly and said, "Your Excellency, the President, having such an intelligence agency is both a good thing and a huge trouble. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was not invented by the current Great Ming Emperor, but has existed for hundreds of years. Before the Tatars occupied the Central Plains, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was already serving the Ming Emperor of that time."
"However, all the Ming Emperors who heavily relied on the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not have a good reputation in historical records because people strongly disliked such intelligence agencies."
"It would infinitely infringe upon the privacy of all officials and ordinary people, and posed a great threat to the 'security' of many people."
"If you establish such an intelligence agency, you are very likely to be impeached."
"In addition, the cost of establishing such an intelligence agency would far exceed the cost of establishing an army of the same scale."
Adams's heart was immediately displeased.
You were the one who just said I should establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and now you're saying establishing it would lead to impeachment and be very expensive.
What exactly do you want to say?
His anger grew, and Adams simply snorted, "Listen, what I need to know now is the use and purpose of establishing the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Can it make the Great Eagles stronger? As for other reputations and expenses, I don't care, understand?"
Ridgway suddenly smiled and replied, "Of course, Mr. President, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can gather all the intelligence you wish to know. It will be your best helper in leading the Great Eagles towards greatness!"
"Of course, our intelligence agency absolutely cannot be called the Embroidered Uniform Guard, otherwise it will bring us great trouble."
"I suggest, why not call it the Fobola?"
(End of this chapter)
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Heavenly Emperor's Noble Lineage reminds you: Remember to collect after reading.