Chapter 2353 Argument (Ⅲ)

"this……"

Allen looked embarrassed and was speechless.

Should it be "the party directs the gun" or "the gun directs the party"?

Joan was lost in thought.

Ideally, of course, politics should be insulated from the military, and all partisan consciousness should be removed from the soldiers' minds, turning them into complete "tool people."

However, as Edward said, past history has proved countless times that this is impossible to achieve, at least it is impossible to maintain it for a long time.

This is indeed a headache.

Qiao An couldn't think of a proper solution for a while, but fortunately, it wasn't his turn to worry about it.

The debate between Edward and Allen had not reached a conclusion, and then Rebecca broke the silence for the whole night, and everyone including Joan was shocked by her remarks.

Rebecca's views are fundamentally different from those present here. She also supports the people of Alfheim in resisting the new tax law promulgated by the Imperial Cabinet, but the reason is completely different from that of the "Sons of Liberty".

As for the "Summary of the Rights of the Empire's Overseas Colonies", which was regarded by everyone as a masterpiece and even a "programme of action", Rebecca sneered even more, and criticized all the assertions put forward by Mr. Jefferson in this pamphlet one by one.

The "free immigration theory" put forward by Jefferson was regarded by the "separatists" in Alfheim as the theoretical basis for advocating colonial independence, but Rebecca pointed out bluntly that this argument was simply untenable.

"First of all, it should be admitted that most immigrants did come to the New World spontaneously to seek life, but this does not mean that the colonists never received support from their mother countries."

"From Alfheim to Midgard, the establishment, maintenance and development of every colony cannot do without the most basic security."

"The threats faced by immigrants in the process of pioneering and reclamation are not only wild animals and aborigines, but also colonists from other civilized countries."

"The colonists of Alfheim, in order to compete for the land south of the Brass Pass, have repeatedly broken out conflicts with the sea blue colonists of Muspelheim in history. The latest war took place three years ago, dating back to Six years ago, the offensive and defensive battle around the 'Nisesi Fortress' is also an example."

"In the north, the relationship between the Midgardians and the Fizen colonists further north is tense. In order to compete for the magic crystal mines, the two colonies fought three years ago."

"During the wars with the Hailan people and the Feiren people, the imperial government sent troops across the ocean more than once to fight bloody battles to safeguard the interests of the colonial people. It has shown that the mother country government has effectively maintained the security of the colonies. Mr. Jefferson said in his The pamphlet says nothing of the above facts, and it would be unfair to claim that the colonists received no assistance from the mother country."

Rebecca still had more to say, and pointed to Jefferson's discourse on "individual liberty" and "government power" to make more severe criticisms.

"Mr. Jefferson reveals in his politics a naive and dangerous tendency, as if human beings were a piece of sand, and that human society as a whole would naturally become free and rich if each pursued liberty and wealth according to his own preferences."

"If this argument is true, any form of 'state' and 'government' institutions should not exist, any means of transfer payments aimed at balancing the gap between rich and poor is an infringement of personal property, all authority can be overturned, all laws can be trampled on.”

"Mr. Jefferson believes that the residents of the colonies do not need to pay taxes to the mother country, so according to his logic, it can be concluded that we do not need to pay taxes to the colonial government or even the government of the town and village where we live."

"If Mr. Jefferson's proposition is true, selfishness will replace all morality and law as the only truth for all mankind, and no community, no matter how small, can last for a long time."

"When a person tries to maximize his own freedom, if there is no government and law, why can't he put his own freedom above the freedom of others, why can't he kill and set fire for the purpose of pleasing himself? Rape and robbery?"

"By extension, the unlimited freedom of one person will inevitably bring unlimited unfreedom to others, and will inevitably lead to the oppression of the weak by the strong."

"Allowing one person to seek interests by any means will inevitably damage the interests of more people, and the whole society will become a barbaric Colosseum. If things go on like this, a war of all against all will break out until barbarism replaces civilization. Degenerate into a group of solitary beasts!"

"Mr. Jefferson is not only attacking the imperial government, but also all the organizations of human society. In fact, he is advocating the most extreme form of anarchism—this is obviously absurd!"

"I bet, Miss Rebecca must be a hardcore royalist." Allen muttered resentfully.

"If I'm really a royalist, are you going to throw gloves at me and propose a duel?" Rebecca asked back.

"It's not that...it's just a pity." Allen scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Fortunately, I'm not a royalist. In fact, I don't care if Alfheim continues to be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, or if he breaks away from the mother country as you expect, and establishes a republic that abolishes imperial power and aristocratic privileges." Rebecca said lightly. say.

"Are you telling the truth?" Edward looked at her suspiciously, "If the Alfheim Colony really becomes the Alfheim Republic in the future, you will no longer be a noble lady!"

"So what?" Rebecca smiled nonchalantly, "Whether in the empire or the republic, people agree that 'private property is sacred and inviolable'. Abolishing imperial power and noble privileges will only highlight the importance of property. In the "Republic" of the past, money will replace all the privileges and virtues of the past, and become the only criterion for measuring social status. As long as I am still a rich lady, even if I have no title of nobility, I will still be a celebrity, have power, and status. Even higher than now, do you believe it?"

Edward froze for a moment, shrugged noncommittally.

"Rebecca, you first criticized Mr. Principal's theory, but then claimed to support the anti-tax movement. I really can't figure it out. Since you don't agree with our reasons for resisting taxes, why do you have any reason to resist the imperial government's taxation of the colonies? What about land tax?"

Thomas asked in bewilderment.

"I object to the taxation of the colonies by the imperial government because we already pay enough of it."

Rebecca's answer was beyond everyone's expectations, and they couldn't help but look at each other.