Chapter 3: The Eve of the Great Reform

The population problem is a long-term problem that cannot be solved in a few days or months; it must take decades or centuries of struggle to slowly see the effect.

There are many factors that affect the fertility rate, including environment, pressure, economic conditions, etc., which need to be improved little by little. oliver hopes to raise the fertility rate to more than 5% in the coming period.

Five percent, no small feat, or 2,500 babies a year.

The two men talked briefly for a while and decided to start with this aspect of matchmaking. It is easy to organize and there are many people willing to participate. Through dating, so that these single men and women have the conditions of contact, close to each other, mutual acquaintance, so as to get rid of single.

Since the explosion of the earth, many people are lonely, lonely, full of insecurity. They are eager to find each other's other half. Blind dates are still reliable, and they have been held several times with good results.

Of course there are other ways. For example, the work environment as balanced as possible between men and women, create multiple dating locations and so on.

Alas, it is not easy to be a captain, the pressure is huge, but also have to consider the problem of people's singleness ... left Wade's office, Oliver's head is still thinking.

Next, the entire ship has to be reformed in many aspects such as environment, construction, economy, politics, technology and so on, one link to another, and moreover, many aspects need to be carried out at the same time.

Since waking up from the coma, he felt that his brain was smarter and more courageous. He has long made up his mind that this reform is a must, and if it succeeds, people will take a big step forward in the fundamental system!

Whoever dares to stand in the way, that will defeat whoever, that is the enemy of the whole civilization!

However, relying on his wisdom alone, he certainly could not do it, he had to pool the wisdom of more people and gain the support of more people to do it.

Now he is going to the home of the famous sociologist - Professor Shawn.

There were very few sociologists and economists in the Noah spacecraft, because most of these people stayed on Earth at that time. And Professor Sean from Germany was lucky to escape because he was on an expedition to the moon base at that time.

Oliver visited him not only for that reason, but also because Professor Schoen was a real political scientist!

After graduating with a PhD, Professor Sean left academia and worked as a construction worker for 17 years, speaking two "languages", the high-sounding "Professor's English" and the plain, vulgar "Worker's English". ".

In Wade's words, although he believes in politics, however, he has no way to do what Professor Shawn did, giving up a privileged office life to work in the construction site for 17 years, just to contact the lowest level of people, a deeper understanding of society.

Earth Union State itself is a country

Yes, what Oliver chose, is the integration of multiple systems!

Not because his home country is a socialist country, and not because he was politically trained like Wade, but because he thought it through, comparing "capitalism", "nationalism", "socialism "He did believe that the "multiple systems" were the strongest, most combative, and most suitable for interstellar navigation.

According to Oliver's vision, in order to become a true interstellar civilization, the first thing is to achieve great material wealth, and the development of technology cannot be shackled by the economy.

Think about it, if a human government, want to build a very difficult, at least 100,000 times more difficult spacecraft aircraft carriers, but also because of money matters please worry, then, how can this ship be built?

It must be extremely rich in material, action organization ability is very high government, only have the possibility of building this ship.

The best way to achieve this, then, is multiple systems ...

Oliver knocked on the door of Professor Sean's room, which was just an ordinary tin room.

"Please come in!" A middle-aged male voice came from inside.

Oliver entered the door and sat down. The room was simple, just a bed, a few pieces of iron furniture, and a few books, very plain. He observed briefly and spoke out, "Hello, Professor Shawn!"

"Hello, Mr. Oliver."

This must be a gentleman. Professor Sean was about fifty years old, his cheeks were covered with deep and light wrinkles, and both eyes were shining, but full of vicissitudes. This must be a man of great faith and willpower.

"Professor Shawn, I have a question to ask, what is the fundamental driving force of civilization's progress?" Oliver was not ambiguous and asked directly.

Sean pondered for a while, he was also very interested in this young leader. This young man, bold, courageous, wisdom, as of now has been counted as the best to do. But in the end, I do not know where he will take human civilization.

Once Oliver's question came out, Sean basically understood what he was going to ask.

"To be precise, it is the basic social contradiction." Professor Sean said, "This is the standard answer in textbooks."

"Of course there are other answers, such as the progress of technology, the change of the fundamental system, the improvement of human quality, and so on."

"But there is another way of saying that it is desire, desire that advances civilization.

This may be better understood, desire is a biological instinct, something that is rooted in the deepest part of the genes.

And humans, as the spirit of all things, have an endless desire to know, to explore, to live in a better house, to wear better clothes, to enjoy good food, and so on.

These desires have continuously promoted the development of productivity, the integration of peoples, and the advancement of technology.

From the conquest of land to conquer the sea, conquer the sky, and even to conquer outer space, conquer the universe. So it is understandable that desire is the driving force of human development."

"As of now, this is all true. But I don't think that desire alone can take mankind to the deep space of the universe."

"Oh? How so?" Oliver said squarely.

Professor Shawn was silent for a moment and explained, "There is a country on Earth named Brazil."

"It has the fifth largest territory in the world, a population of more than 200 million, has escaped two world wars, and is uniquely located, yet it is still a developing country, and even has the possibility of economic regression, why?"

"If you have been to Brazil, you know God's preference for Brazil; there is a saying in Brazil that God created the world in six days and Rio on the seventh. This saying illustrates how abundant Brazil's natural resources are.

Brazil has 18% of the world's fresh water, produces 1/3 of the world's oxygen, a large amount of mineral resources, and an endless supply of tropical fruits. The abundance of resources allows Brazilians to live a rich life without much labor."

"This is such a natural resource is unique, more than twenty years ago is the economic power of the sub-developed countries, to the present is still this look, there is little progress, and even the possibility of economic regression."

"Earth Alliance countries, and Brazil's territory is similar in size, natural resources are far worse, gDP is five times that of Brazil. Do you know why this is?"

Oliver had a vague answer in his mind, but still listened to Professor Sean continued.

"The reason, Brazilians, there is no pressure to survive, too lazy ... how poor again, they will not starve to death, which has developed their lazy character. The market rose in price, they are rich, the market fell, they are poor, even the fruit are too lazy to pick.

Of course, poor government organization, poor action, and corruption are part of the reason."

"Human desires are endless, and a more affluent environment can only partially satisfy human desires. Laziness, greed and selfishness will instead breed in such an environment.

Brazil is a living example, where people do not have the pressure to survive, but instead they are not rich, because they are too lazy. And at this time, desire has no way to drive civilization forward."

Oliver nodded thoughtfully, "So, an environment of affluence is more likely to cause civilization to stop developing?"

"The wealth a person can control is directly proportional to his quality." Professor Sean pondered while saying, "The wealth of a civilization is directly proportional to the quality of all people."

"If the quality of a civilization is not high enough, extreme wealth does not drive people to the universe, but more easily leads to civilization stagnation. Why, because of laziness. Laziness is an instinct rooted in human genes, and it's not easy to overcome laziness."

"If a person wants to eat what he wants to eat and play what he wants to play, then why does he work? What is the purpose of his work? Why doesn't he eat, drink, and enjoy life?

So he gets lazy down, and if the whole civilization thinks that way, then the whole civilization gets so lazy down."

"So, civilization will lose the momentum of progress."

Oliver's heart was moved, it is indeed so ah, if all people's very rich, then why work? This is a very realistic problem, but also towards the most difficult problem of the universe.

"Professor Shawn, is there any solution?"

"If we want to transcend this stage and reach a higher level, people's ideology has to catch up. Everyone must have ideals, goals, and a lifetime of chasing a cause with no regrets."

"This is something that is very difficult." Professor Shawn said seriously.