Chapter 13 4. The air is filled with the excitement of the rise of great powers

One day in the 1990s, a friend from Guangzhou and a friend from Beijing got into an argument at my house. At that time, people all over the country were bidding to host the 2000 Olympic Games, and the air was filled with excitement about the rise of a great power. Friends in Guangzhou said that even if China's bid is successful, it should not be held in Beijing, but in Guangzhou.If the world really gives China a chance, China should also give Guangzhou a chance.It is only possible to make a lot of money if it is held in Guangzhou. A friend from Beijing said, you people from Guangzhou, why do you keep talking about nothing but money?Do you think that bidding for the Olympic Games is just a commercial act?

My friends from Guangzhou retorted. What I'm afraid of is that you Beijingers only talk about social benefits and spiritual satisfaction, and don't put economic benefits in the first place.Why do we Guangzhou people have to pay outside in order to satisfy the vanity of you Beijingers? The Beijing friend got angry and even patted the table, saying that the Guangzhou friend's words were slanderous.Since the reform and opening up, the preferential policies have been tilted enough to Guangzhou, and they dare to compete with Beijing for the opportunity to host the Olympics!It was held in Guangzhou, you are capable and made a lot of money, are you willing to share a little bit with other brother provinces and cities across the country?

My friend from Guangzhou became furious and patted the table.If you do it in Beijing, if you do it and lose money, all brothers, provinces and cities across the country will lose money! Friends from Beijing said that as long as it is established in Beijing, the influence will be worldwide, and it will become a topic that spans the century, and it is worth the loss!The massive impact that is created cannot be bought with money. Friends from Guangzhou shouted, what era is it, you Beijingers haven’t learned how to calculate economic accounts!China should really consider moving the capital to Guangzhou!Then China will take off even higher!

"You Guangzhou people are all guys who are looking for money!" "You Beijingers envy the people of Guangzhou getting richer than you!" They fought so hard that their faces were red. I had to drive them all out of the house and think alone—obviously, it is becoming more and more difficult for Beijingers and people from all over the country to find a common language.Beijingers despise Guangzhou people, just like those old western empires despise the Japanese as economic animals.Beijingers look down on Shanghainese, thinking that Shanghainese are too shrewd, too slippery, too selfish, and too gambler in their lives.People from Beijing and people from Tianjin can't get along very well, and I feel that people from Tianjin seem to be born with a "big two" spirit.Beijingers seem to be fond of people from the Northeast. From the Beijing population, you can often hear good things about the honesty and loyalty of the people in the Northeast.But in the past one or two years, I have often heard complaints from Northeast people about Beijingers, saying that Beijingers have also begun to become treacherous, cunning, and become more and more annoying from the bottom of their hearts.In the past, Northeast people respected Beijingers very much, and felt that they generally had "political awareness"; later, they felt that their "political awareness" was not necessarily high, but they still generally had "political savvy"; In fact, there is no such thing as a "political mind", but a "political complex" or "political sense"; now I finally feel that what I can ask for advice from Beijingers is nothing more than fragmentary "political information". , and only a very small number of people who still have to continue to eat "political meals" in the commercial era are interested, so they don't respect Beijingers as much as before.Many times when I was present, the Beijingers were very "boss" and just started to talk about topics such as "the current political situation is like this", but they would be interrupted rudely by the Northeast people: "Ai ai Hey, don’t sell dog-skin plasters, you want to be a member of the Politburo? Can you talk about something else?”——under such circumstances, the embarrassment of Beijingers makes people laugh secretly!This is like what is told in a certain fairy tale - a dog's creed is "a dog chews a bone", so it will always hold a bone in its mouth to prove that it is the most dog.Later, it was surprised to find that there are fewer and fewer dogs in the world.In fact, it's not that there are fewer dogs, but that there are fewer dogs like it that always hold a bone in its mouth.The ordinary dogs finally understand that they don't have to have a bone in their mouths to still be dogs, and it is easier to find meat to eat with their mouths free.So it also abandoned the bone in its mouth.It's just that at first there was a ray of sadness in my heart-there is no dog like me in this world anymore.But when it competes with other dogs for meat, it is no more benevolent than other dogs.

The "transformation" of the minds of Beijingers shows the rapid "transformation" of our country.When politics is more a matter between politicians, the long-term stability of a country is expected. Among all the slogans and slogans flying over Beijing that Chinese people look forward to the Olympics, the one that arouses my rebellious psychology is the one "give China a chance".When it is not combined with other slogans, but forms a sentence by itself, there is an extra word "please" in front and an extra word "bar" in the back. "Please give China a chance!" - I believe that every Chinese, looking at such a slogan, will definitely feel a feeling of shame in his heart to varying degrees.

It clearly means that more than one billion Chinese people are bending over and stretching out their hands, begging for a gift from the Olympic Games bid committee. We don't owe them anything, so why should we? It was really nothing more than an international tender.The bid is set by the International Olympic Bidding Committee, and our participation is only a bidding competition.It is our right to participate as a competitive bidder.When we exercise our rights, there is no need to sacrifice one iota of our dignity.We have expressed our desire—believe in our national strength and ability, and vote for us if we think we are the most qualified to undertake it; if we think we are not good enough, we will never beg.

Later, as a Chinese, I felt that we were "showing our loyalty" to the Olympic Bidding Committee! If our excessive enthusiasm has played a beneficial role in our competition to some extent, it is likely to have a negative effect on us at the same time. When desire is unnaturally strong, it is often scorned.This is in line with the law of the devil. For example, if a person comes to your house and shows an unusually strong desire to decorate your room-then the probability of trusting him because of this is probably proportional to the probability of rejecting him because of it. We didn't show a little restraint when we should be a little more reserved, but when our wishes failed, our reserve seemed to be commendable.

"Please give China a chance!" - Our wish has already been expressed to such an extent. As a Chinese, how can I impiously pray for the realization of China's wish? We were in the guest house analyzing the factors that are beneficial or unfavorable to China. A friend from Xi'an entered the room, interrupted us and said with a dejected look: "Don't be so sentimental, China is dead!" Everyone was stunned for a moment, looking at each other. I asked, "How dare you judge?" He said: "Just now I called and asked a master of 'Yi Xue'. He said that the Chinese delegation would leave happily and return disappointed."

So everyone taunted him with nonsense, saying let his "master" cool off and rest.There are no disciples of "Yixue" here, and no one believes in what the "Yixue" masters say.He made himself feel bored, sat for a while, and left sadly. Before he left, he made a bet with me that if China's bid was successful, he would invite us to the best restaurant in Xi'an for a dinner; if China's wish failed, I would give him 30 each of my four new books Ben, and sign it.Everyone urged me to agree, and I agreed.After he left, everyone discussed for a while where he should invite us to have a meal, and what high-end dishes to order, and some people took a piece of paper to write it down.

China is a huge country with a population of more than one billion.Its people have long been used to having a common goal.For example, the Anti-Japanese War is very specific.Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have won victory in eight years.For example, the War of Liberation was also very specific. It only took three years, and it was victoriously won.After the founding of New China, the "Great Leap Forward" and "People's Commune" were also targets. Although absurd, the common people threw pots into blast furnaces and took their children and wives to public cafeterias to drink wild vegetable porridge.In the past, it can also be said that Mao Zedong's own mind is the "save" of all goals.With a big wave of his hand, he pointed out a distant goal - communism!The common people believe it all.He put down a big pen again, and proposed a near-term goal, and the common people would do what the old man said, in order to save effort as a Chinese commoner.Although it's just a mind saver.Now it is very different, Chairman Mao is gone, and the thinking of ordinary people has begun to start.They no longer believe in distant goals.There is a saying that is said to be said by the leaders of our party and country, and it is widely spread among ordinary people-"I am old. I can't worry so much. Some things have to be left to the next generation!".Personally, I think this is obviously fabricated, but I don't have much basis to prove it to others, and I also think it is ridiculous that I have to undertake the obligation of explanation.Just as there were many fabricated "supreme instructions" circulated among the people back then, there are still many clearly fabricated conversations between the leaders of the party and the state that are circulated among the people today.This point alone is doubtful—how could the conversations between the leaders of the party and the state spread to the people?However, since the truth has been proven to be true, the common people would rather believe it to be true than the false one.The ordinary people who believed in it thought this way - leave the future China to the future Chinese to deal with, I can't take care of so much, let's focus on the present!

The problem is that, except for less than one percent of the Chinese people who got rich first, the vast majority of Chinese people are very confused and confused in the days ahead.They really need a close goal, a close goal that may be within reach by running a few steps and stretching their arms, and they need a trustworthy person who can responsibly tell them what will happen next year. How will the annual meeting be, what will happen in three to five years.For example, the prices of certain categories that they have been patiently bearing are ridiculously expensive. Will they continue to rise next year or remain at the current index?If prices continue to rise, will wages increase?Will factories continue to close?Is the fate waiting for them to pay 70%, 60%, 50% of the wages or simply lose their jobs?Surely the unemployed will receive social security and medical bills?How much would that be? ... But no one can answer their questions in such a specific and close-radius life content.No one dares to promise them anything and promise anything.Their fate seems to be determined by those who control their fate, and it seems that no one dares to say to them responsibly - believe me, I am fully capable of this.What is especially frustrating to them is that they clearly cannot determine their own destiny.Just as most Soviet people are still unable to decide their own destiny.In fact, it was not that they abandoned Gorbachev or chose Yeltsin, but that they fell into an unprecedented predicament at the mercy of fate, whether Gorbachev, Yeltsin, or anyone else, whatever!When Yeltsin ordered the capture of the parliament building by force, more Soviets neither supported the parliament nor sided with Yeltsin, which is a clear proof that they stood by and lost confidence and trust in both sides.I think, whether it was Yeltsin who captured the parliament building, or the parliamentarians and their followers who were captured and captured, they all felt the same loss in their hearts, right? Contrary to many countries, their politicians are used to talking about the present, while our politicians are used to talking about the future.