Chapter 890: A Big Pot Today's meeting became quite famous in later years, often associated with plans for human elimination

[Chapter 890: A Big Pot Today's meeting became quite famous in later years, often associated with plans for human elimination]

William White's words might have tempered some of the extremism around the topic. Academic discussions were acceptable, but turning them into conspiracy theories crossed a line.

Sometimes, the experts from America could be particularly annoying. Was it necessary to show off every little bit of knowledge they had?

Regardless of the secrecy of the gathering, with five or six hundred elites, one could only think that keeping things under wraps would be difficult.

Zbigniew Brzezinski compared the entertainment industry to a pacifier, implying it served as a high-grade placebo. If there were more distractions like that, the society would be a bit less tense.

From this perspective, maybe his intentions were good. After all, nobody forced anyone to like things. A positive attitude towards life shouldn't need such pacifiers.

Having observed, William noted that American kids typically didn't use pacifiers; they either had bottles or no comfort items at all. Unlike others, when American kids cried, parents would just stick something in their mouths.

It seemed that was the basis for Brzezinski's point. Not to mention, the old man had a peculiar fixation on kids at mealtime. Who knew what he was really watching?

"William, what do you think of today's meeting?"

"What's there to think? A bunch of gluttons worried about the poor snatching their jobs. If the poor take some meat, who cares? But if they accidentally break the pot, they'd really be in trouble," William responded, sarcasm lacing his tone.

Hearing such banter lightened things up for little Bush. Honestly, the atmosphere was relatively oppressive during the meeting. Besides, due to his political involvement, he had to feign an air of sophistication.

"You seem unconcerned?"

"What's there to worry about? Frugality is good, and being environmentally conscious is good too. Reducing societal tensions is a right idea. But their motivations are flawed. If a rigid class structure really formed, well, we should just let the Indians manage the country!"

Little Bush fell silent. Yes, maybe for the next few years or even decades, it wouldn't be a real issue. But then?

Poor kids would always be poor kids. Not even a hundred years from now, there would be a certain level of unrest.

By restricting the common people's advancement opportunities, trouble was inevitable. Didn't the Yuan Dynasty do it just that way, categorizing people and letting shepherd boys take charge?

What did that lead to? What did Zhu Yuanzhang have to win?

Knowing there was never a chance to rise up, they decided to join forces with those shepherds. Without scholars supporting them, they could only remain a loose tribal coalition.

Of course, India was different; they happily accepted their fate.

"In short, William, the wealth gap is glaringly obvious. That's an undeniable truth. If this continues, it will undoubtedly become a major problem."

"Sigh, whoever came up with this idea surely had evil intentions. There's a saying about drinking poison to quench thirst; what we're doing now is merely a form of slow suicide.

But they can do as they please; I won't see it through. It's a very slow kind of suicide. It might take a hundred years, or even longer.

Right now, I'm a beneficiary of the system, quite well off, so I have no position to oppose it. What can I say? Why advocate for antitrust? Isn't it just to share the wealth?"

Little Bush finally understood. Previously, he thought William White had gone off the rails. Today's speech seemed completely off-topic to him.

What he didn't know was that if he'd had a clue this was the meeting, William White would have never shown up. When Bill Gates faced backlash, attending this meeting became one of his scandals.

Yes, a bunch of bored tycoons were indeed discussing the world's dwindling resources. The prevailing viewpoint at the time was that if population control wasn't managed properly, resources on Earth simply wouldn't suffice.

Only 20% of the world's population were the wealthy ones. They consumed 80% of the planet's resources. If everyone wasted as much as Americans did, this world wouldn't last much longer.

The agenda covered a wide range of topics, touching on genetically modified foods and vaccines. Misunderstandings led to increasingly absurd rumors afterward.

In William's view, if Bill Gates had any sense, he'd never have claimed vaccines were used for population control. If he truly said that, he'd be as notorious as that little dictator.

Was there a conspiracy involved? Certainly, the introduction of GMO products and pesticides could reduce human fertility. Just look at Americans selling these products while being cautious themselves.

What? They consume them?

Cough. Of course, they do--unless you're one of the elite 20%. Just like William White, the foods he regularly consumed had strict requirements. Even if they weren't homegrown, he ensured those origins were safe.

Since they claimed GMOs were so harmful, wouldn't banning them be a straightforward solution?

Cough. If that were the case, agricultural exporting countries would be thrilled. Just wait and see; prices would soar exponentially. I mean, without these things, tens of thousands could end up starving each year.

"Ha ha ha, Shirley, what does William White's statement even mean? I never expected him to have such a saintly heart," Lei Shidong laughed, skeptically. He didn't believe for a second that William White had altruistic intentions. It was a classic case of dining with upper-class and then criticizing them afterward.

"Cough, no, boss, your perspective is mistaken. The media industry is about to become even more crucial; that won't change. And William White, he is an influential public figure," Shirley explained.

"Hmm, go on, Shirley."

"Sir, even if he fully agrees, he won't officially endorse it. Brzezinski is a scholar and expert; he can speak from an academic angle, but William White can't."

"Right, it has to be that way. Good grief, this pit is huge. If it weren't for today's statement..."

"Damn, what is Brzezinski thinking? Is this something you can openly discuss in public?"

Almost all media giants, including Murdoch, sensed something amiss. They all said the media was the fourth estate; once you started collaborating with politicians, how could you talk about oversight? Wasn't that just a joke?

What did they want? Just the benefits, leaving the blame for others. Yeah, Brzezinski, we're doing just fine without your praise.

By coincidence or plot, starting in '95, from America to Europe and then from Europe to Asia, the world entered an era where entertainment ruled.

India could be considered unique. They even created a Bollywood! You wouldn't believe it; their status in film history isn't ordinary.

"Heh, son, he's right. There are some things you can do but absolutely shouldn't say.

The civil examination system William spoke of, I learned about it while in China; it was a brilliant invention."

Little Bush froze, thinking William was just rambling. He never expected it to be based on truth.

"Dad, the system from thousands of years ago has little relevance now, right?"

"Ha, silly talk. Do you know what adapting to changing times means? The college entrance examination today is basically an upgraded version.

Do you know how the nation balances the quotas in different regions?"

Little Bush was taken aback. Balance? To put it bluntly, if your dad went to Harvard, you would probably go to Harvard too; alumni children received preferential treatment. If that wasn't feasible, donations worked wonders, too!

*****

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