OBS Chapter 2340
Chapter 2340
Chapter 2340
From this perspective, Yongheng is still a good person; at least he didn't manipulate other people's lives according to his own preferences.
Such a compassionate deity is rare in the entire universe.
At least his siblings couldn't do that. For example, death. It's hard to say whether Thanos became the way he is now. Was there any preordained death involved? Honestly, what normal person would try to prevent a future catastrophe by shifting it to the present?
Thanos's ideas were flawed from the very beginning.
Thanos's idea was quite simple.
"The contradiction between the population explosion and the finite resources of the universe is unsolvable." That's why Thanos snapped his fingers. But that only applies to him; it doesn't mean others can't solve the problem. It's like someone telling you, "I thought cancer was a terminal illness, incurable. So we shouldn't research related treatments and drugs." Is what you think really what you think? That's ridiculous! He's just a purple sweet potato… a mutated Titan scientist, not omniscient or omnipotent.
I won't talk about the science and technology of alien civilizations like Xandar, the Kree, and the Skrulls; I'll just talk about those on Earth.
Have you ever wondered why Ant-Man wasn't in Avengers: Infinity War?
Reasons like "serving a home sentence" are nonsense. The reason is actually quite simple: if Ant-Man's technology appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, it would make Thanos's motivations seem utterly idiotic.
Imagine this: Thanos: The universe's resources are finite, so in order to ensure the quality of life for the other half of the population, I, Thanos, have decided...
Scott: Wait, wait, Mr. Destroyer, hello. My name is Scott, and this is my future father-in-law, Dr. Hank Pym. He has developed a technology that can enlarge and shrink matter. Yes, you heard right, the technology of enlarging and shrinking. This technology can fundamentally solve the problems of space resources and material resources.
Donnie: Then the Cosmic Cube isotopes I developed can solve the energy problem... By the way, Mr. Chin, uh no, Mr. Mie, what were you about to say?
Thanos: ...See you later.
If Ant-Man were to appear, it would turn out like this: viewers would definitely think, "Wouldn't Ant-Man's technology be perfect for solving Thanos's problem?" This would make the villain's motivation fundamentally untenable.
Thanos is a typical example of someone who works in isolation, believing he possesses absolute truths that are actually far behind the latest scientific advancements. He thinks the universe is dangerous, but in reality, the universe is perfectly fine and doesn't need him to save it at all.
Thanos's dream—universal balance—is an obsession and philosophy unique to him. If you simply look at his stated beliefs, they don't seem flawed at all—to maintain cosmic balance, randomly eliminate half of all life.
"The balance of the universe" is such a magnificent and noble ideal; and the word "random" represents being free from any selfishness, which means absolute fairness. A fair and sublime concept.
Thanos's logic is: The universe has finite resources, and life continues to multiply, eventually leading to overpopulation and extinction. Eliminating half of life would ensure the remaining life has enough resources to survive. The universe may have an end point where resources are depleted, and before that point, life forms will autonomously adjust their numbers to adapt to resource scarcity. For example, lemmings will voluntarily jump into the sea during famine years of overpopulation. In the context of intelligent life, this translates to war. Wars erupt over resources, causing the population to decrease to a level suitable for resource availability. Therefore, the universe will not perish due to overpopulation and resource depletion.
Will reducing the number of life forms ensure that every remaining life form has sufficient resources? No. For example, Earth currently has enough food to feed the entire world each year, yet people in Africa are still struggling on the brink of starvation, and others are dying of hunger. This is because most of the food is controlled by the four major grain companies in the United States; to maximize profits, some people must starve. Therefore, even with abundant resources, distribution will not be fair, and some will still perish due to lack of resources. How much impact would eliminating half of life have on the universe? my country had 500 million people at the founding of the People's Republic; by 1982, it had 1 billion. Even if Thanos's actions could prolong life in the universe, eliminating half of life would only extend it by about 30 years. It's utterly meaningless. Thanos went to great lengths, sacrificing a large number of loyal followers and even losing an arm, just to make such a foolish wish, and the world didn't change in the slightest. He's truly a pointless idiot. Leaving aside population growth, the first question is: how do you calculate how many years a resource can last? For example, if it only lasts for one day, wouldn't the population have already tried to leave? Take, for instance, a small kingdom in the Western Regions that gradually lost water resources. Did the entire population use water daily until the last drop was gone, and then die of thirst? Impossible. There would inevitably be not enough water, forcing those without water to leave their homes. Those with water would use it sparingly, and eventually, they too would have to leave, until the entire country disappeared. Resources and population are inherently linked. For example, consider the number of wolves and sheep on a grassland. If a large number of wolves are introduced, the sheep population will initially decrease. When it reaches a certain point, the wolves, lacking food, will leave in large numbers, reducing the survival pressure on the sheep and causing their population to increase again. This increase in sheep attracts wolves from other areas, increasing the wolf population and causing the sheep population to decrease again, and so on in a vicious cycle.
Thanos is undoubtedly an extremely intelligent person. Could he really not see these things?
If you say you can't see it clearly... then you're underestimating Thanos. A super terrorist who can leave the entire universe helpless is a fool.
Who were those people who were defeated by Thanos?
Not even as good as a fool?
What about those who are afraid of Thanos, so afraid that they tremble at the mere mention of his name?
So the question is, how exactly did Thanos become like this?
Thanos's transformation stemmed from the extinction of his race.
He sincerely hoped that the entire Titan race could continue, and he saw the simplest way... but also the most inhumane way.
Life was originally very good on his home planet Titan, but it didn't come without a price; resources on his home planet were becoming increasingly scarce.
Of course, the government did not stand idly by; on the contrary, their government was quite effective, offering all sorts of solutions, but without exception, they all failed.
The issue is complex.
It's not something the government can solve just because it wants to.
The solution has always been there, but it's simply impossible to implement.
The most typical examples in reality are those countries that collapsed because of excessive welfare.
In national development, a balanced budget is crucial, especially when it comes to a nation's fiscal situation. Modern theories of powerful nations emphasize this, stating that strong nations must maintain fiscal balance, or they will inevitably face crises. Debt default can lead to national bankruptcy, an unbearable blow. While nations can provide more welfare when wealth is abundant, prudent spending is necessary during times of hardship. In contrast to this theory, Western countries have surprisingly continued to provide high welfare benefits despite their less-than-optimistic economic situation. Western economies are in turmoil, with most failing to achieve healthy development, even the United States experiencing a continuous decline. This has directly led to reduced government revenues, forcing many countries to borrow heavily to stay afloat. Theoretically, when funds are scarce, spending should be reduced, especially for countries with previously high welfare levels. However, Western countries have taken the opposite approach, continuing to increase high welfare levels even in poverty and financial difficulties. This has burdened many Western countries with heavy debt and exposed them to potentially enormous dangers. Why do the West persist in providing high welfare benefits even in times of poverty? The answer can be traced back to two key factors.
Western politics is not driven by national interests, but by the pursuit of voter support. Politicians must cater to the needs of the people to secure election. Even when some realize the nation may be facing a crisis and want to cut spending and reduce welfare, they face public opposition. Because the public often focuses on short-term gains, they resent politicians who cut spending. In the context of partisan politics, other politicians always advocate for continuing high welfare, creating a vicious cycle. The people demand high welfare, and politicians, to win votes, can only continue to satisfy this demand, disregarding the nation's burden. This is the root cause of the US's $30 trillion debt.
From a Western cultural perspective, there exists a plundering mentality, which holds that a life of luxury is essential, and that any hardship is not due to one's own shortcomings but rather to other countries plundering resources. Therefore, the solution is to reclaim them. This leads to a lack of a concept of thrift in Western societies, with a greater inclination towards plunder. When nations face financial difficulties, they do not examine their own consumption but blame other countries, resorting to plunder to solve the problem. This pirate mentality has influenced Western societies, resulting in a lack of a concept of thrift.
Therefore, the current fiscal predicament in Western societies is both a result of political choices and influenced by the ideology of piracy. Electoral politics leads politicians to cater to short-term public demands rather than considering the nation's overall interests, creating a vicious cycle. Piracy, on the other hand, fosters a lack of thrift in Western societies, making them more inclined to solve problems through plunder. This combination allows Western countries to continue providing high welfare benefits despite their fiscal difficulties. However, such practices will ultimately lead to the accumulation of national debt, eventually resulting in bankruptcy and despair. Perhaps only when nations can no longer engage in plunder will Western societies begin to learn thrift.
In fact, the solutions to many problems are right there, but we just can't implement them!
First, the role of electoral politics in Western societies cannot be ignored. Politicians, in order to win voter support, often prioritize short-term gains over the long-term development of the nation. This leads to a vicious cycle where even those with insight who recognize the financial difficulties struggle to gain voter approval through spending cuts. This vote-driven political style severely neglects the nation's long-term interests.
Secondly, the pirate mentality mentioned in the text offered me new insights. The prevalent mentality of plunder in Western societies makes them more inclined to solve problems through external means when facing financial crises. This is reflected not only in international competition but also in the formulation of domestic fiscal policies. This cultural mentality may be an inherent reason why Western societies have maintained high welfare levels for a long time, but it is also a major root cause of their financial difficulties.
This was true not only in the West, but also in many ancient dynasties of China.
When a dynasty falls, the root of the problem is often something everyone knows perfectly well.
For example, why did the Ming Dynasty perish? In short, it was because it ran out of money!
The Ming Dynasty's financial problems were actually sown at its very beginning. Zhu Yuanzhang, born into poverty, had a natural distrust of the bureaucracy. He implemented a low-salary system and levied low taxes on commerce. While this might have initially curbed bureaucratic greed, it also limited national revenue. Zhu Yuanzhang attempted to create a "low-desire" society, but this contradicted the profit-seeking nature of humankind. Furthermore, the garrison system he established, while initially effective, gradually became corrupt and a burden on the national treasury. The tax exemption privileges of the imperial clan also became a major loophole as their numbers increased. Land annexation was a chronic problem in the Ming Dynasty. Powerful officials and landlords used their authority to aggressively acquire land, concentrating vast amounts in the hands of a few who were exempt from taxes. This led to a shrinking tax base, ultimately causing the court's finances to run into deficits. To compensate for the deficit, the court was forced to establish various taxes, further burdening the people. Local officials, driven by greed, intensified their exploitation of the people, further exacerbating social contradictions and ultimately triggering peasant uprisings. To salvage the Ming Dynasty's precarious situation, Zhang Juzheng implemented the Single Whip Tax Reform, attempting to simplify the tax system and increase national revenue. This reform achieved some short-term success, but it did not address the fundamental problem of land annexation, nor could it change the corrupt nature of the bureaucratic class. Therefore, after Zhang Juzheng's death, the Ming Dynasty's financial crisis erupted once again.
But to say they were poor was an understatement; those gentry, landlords, and high-ranking officials were all incredibly wealthy!
The Zhu imperial family monopolized almost all maritime trade through the maritime ban, which was beneficial to the empire's rule during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign.
However, at the same time, the policy of "not allowing a single plank to go to sea" also harmed the interests of the people in several coastal provinces. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, but Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di were too powerful, and their officials had the desire but not the courage. But after the death of these political strongmen, following the Tumu Crisis, the Zhu imperial power completely lost its decisive authority. From then on, whether it was the Zheng Zhilong family, the Liu Daxia family, or the Wang Zhi family at sea, or the Donglin Party representing the interests of the major southern landlord classes on land, which of them didn't try to devour the Ming Dynasty? The Ming Dynasty was wealthy, and extremely wealthy. But the Ming Dynasty's wealth "enriched the officials but impoverished the court." Even during the late Ming Dynasty's wars with Li Zicheng and Nurhaci, it couldn't stop powerful families from selling weapons and grain to the Ming Dynasty's enemies for their own benefit. Even after the Ming Dynasty fell, didn't these powerful families, who claimed they were "itching," "the water was too cold," and "I had no money," still enjoy wealth and prosperity? The only difference was that their superiors changed surnames. The king's flag changes on the city wall. Whoever comes must read the Four Books and Five Classics and pay homage to our Confucius, right?
In fact, people at the time knew this... but knowing it meant no one could solve it!
Zhang Juzheng struggled briefly, then suffered a complete loss of reputation, and the achievements of his reforms vanished.
The same is true of Thanos's home planet Titan; they know where the problem lies and how to solve it!
But the problem just wouldn't be solved, and the conflict got worse and worse, until everyone was doomed!
Is Thanos's solution a real solution?
Of course it is, and at least it sounds fair... but the problem is that no one on Titan, from top to bottom, would agree to this solution.
Because it goes against human nature!
Then Titan was destroyed, and then Thanos went mad!
Thanos, with his intelligence, couldn't possibly have missed the problem, yet he stubbornly chose to act... It just doesn't make sense if Death didn't do something behind it!