Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

297: MacArthur resigns and joins SAARC; Zheng Yi makes laws to promote globalization
"Congratulations, Mr. Martin. The election is over, and you are still the Speaker of the House of Representatives."

In Washington, D.C., in a private room of a tavern not far from the White House, Zheng Yi entertained House Speaker Martin with a smile.

"Mr. Zheng, please stop making fun of me. I know in my heart that if it weren't for you, I would definitely lose my position as Speaker and would just be... an opposition leader? Haha."

Martin stood up and poured Zheng Yi a glass of wine. He continued, "I never thought President Du would put all the responsibility for economic development on me. I never thought the voters...ah~ American politics now, there are so many people involved."

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "After all, the laws and rules established by the founding fathers only applied to the United States two hundred years ago. Things are inherently evolving. Moreover, the last two hundred years have been a period of technological explosion, and life and the world have undergone earth-shaking changes."

"And in the future, this change is likely to be even greater, and voter turnout is likely to be even higher. We have no way to control this change, we can only adapt and accept it. In my opinion, the Democratic Party has done a much better job of adapting to new trends than the Republican Party."

Martin smiled and said, "Yeah, they're young. I'm also very pleased that we have young rising stars like Mr. Zheng in our Republican Party. Otherwise... ah~, maybe I'm really old and can't keep up with the times."

Zheng Yi also smiled when he heard this, but didn't say much.

He has been traveling around the United States non-stop during this period, and has met many Democratic and Republican congressmen. After all, the hatred between the two parties at that time was indeed far less than that of later generations. No one would distance themselves from him just because he was a Republican, especially the Democrats in big cities.

After more interactions, he really feels that Democrats are generally far superior to Republicans in terms of adaptability. He even feels that it is more comfortable to interact with Democrats than with Republicans.

To put it bluntly, the Republican Party is a party of bigwigs after all. Most Republicans are spokespersons for the interests of the bigwigs and need to and have to serve the bigwigs. Zheng Yi joined the Republican Party because he is also a bigwig, and that is the only way.

Most Democrats are still young, or at least most of them are not spokespeople for any big boss. They will be more flexible in the process of exchanging interests. If the interests are sufficient, it is not a problem for them to betray their core voters.

Martin: "I know, Mr. Zheng, you saved me this time. I still remember the bet we made at the party. I can promise you that for at least the next two years, I will unconditionally support any bill related to you, Mr. Zheng, and do my best to see it passed. What is it that has you urgently looking for me? Is there anything I can do?"

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "What do you think of the Federal Lobbying Regulation Act passed in 1938?"

"How do you view it? How else can you view it? It's just a law that legalizes corruption. Why, Mr. Zheng, are you interested in this?"

Zheng Yi: "Do you think lobbying is part of corruption?"

Martin frowned and said, "I'm afraid it's hard for me to answer you if you ask me that. My position means I'm involved in this almost every day. I'm well aware that lobbying has become an important part of American politics."

"We are all trying our best to standardize this behavior through laws, but...it is indeed difficult. However, there is one thing I am very sure of, and that is that our Republican members of Congress are definitely more honest than their Democratic counterparts."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi did not object, but nodded in approval.

The Democrats are indeed more greedy for money than the Republicans.

Of course, this is not to say that the Republicans are not corrupt. There are very few American politicians who are not greedy for money, unless they are people like Nelson Rockefeller. Apart from such people, if anyone else dares to say that he is honest, that is pure nonsense. Even his own voters will not believe it. On the contrary, he may lose votes because he is too fake and evil.

The American political system is bound to become corrupt at the bottom. He is not deliberately rationalizing corruption, but if corruption is not legal, the country's political system will not be able to function at all.

Because the term of office of a member of the House of Representatives is only two years.

After all, most people can't go far in the political arena, and their term as a member of parliament ends there, especially for members of the House of Representatives. Many of them can only serve one term, and it is hard to say whether they can serve for the second term, and they are not eligible to run for senator.

In two years, how big can the so-called political influence be and how far can it go?
It's only two years in total, and he will most likely step down after two years. Therefore, at the level of congressmen, the Democrats are often more greedy and easier to bribe.

After all, being a small member of parliament doesn't really give you that much power. It's better to seize the time to cash in on that power, or curry favor with some big companies, so that you can step into the revolving door after retirement.

On the contrary, if you are a member of parliament without seeking money.

First of all, they will inevitably be excluded and isolated. After all, legislators are not civil servants. If they are excluded and isolated, they may not be able to do anything.

Secondly, there is no guarantee, that is, you cannot guarantee that you will be elected as a member of parliament next year.

It is normal for members of the House of Representatives to change from time to time. Although there are some high-end members who have their own solid vote base, most people are not that stable in their constituencies, especially members of the House of Representatives.

Integrity brings prestige, and fairness brings clarity. This is indeed true, but being impartial and just may also offend people. The term of office is two years. What if you are voted out in the next term and no longer have the protection of an official?
The best outcome is that you can't step into the revolving door and become an ordinary citizen again, working as a screwdriver.

What is the picture?
Are you just seeking the glory of human nature?
Furthermore, the election for a U.S. congressman cannot be said to be an absolute money game, but at least without money you will definitely not be able to move forward. A congressman who has no financial backers and is truly dedicated to the people will be the one who suffers during the election.

A very cruel problem is: the votes are in the hands of the people, and most people really cannot distinguish between hard work and showmanship, nor can they tell who is a good legislator and who is a bad legislator. Even if they know that you are a good legislator, they may not vote for you.

Because elections for members of the House of Representatives are indeed more susceptible to substantive vote-buying.

This political system determines that it is almost impossible for a U.S. congressman to be an honest official who is not greedy for money, unless you are someone like Nelson Rockefeller. Nelson dared to pat his chest and guarantee that he had not embezzled a penny in his 30 years in politics. Others probably do not have such confidence.

The situation of senators will undoubtedly be much better than that of representatives, because senators have longer terms and it is easy for political groups to emerge. To put it bluntly, senators always have a longer-term vision than representatives, and money is relatively less important.

But the problem is that most senators were originally members of the House of Representatives.

We all came out of the mud, why are you pretending to be a white lotus?
If senators and representatives are already like this, can we still expect the officials who are supervised by members of both houses to be honest and upright?

The reason why the Republican Party appears to be more honest than the Democratic Party is that the Republican Party is also known as the party of bigwigs, and it is filled with a large number of bigwig agents. This is equivalent to being kept by a patron and having a fixed financial backer, so it is naturally difficult for them to collect too much money from others.

Moreover, Republicans are indeed more likely to be re-elected. There is relatively little internal party struggle and they are not easily replaced. It is also easier for them to step into the revolving door after retirement.

The Democrats are different. Most of them have no sponsors, so they can only eat whatever they can get. Naturally, they can only have their red lips tasted by thousands of people.

So in fact, American politicians' attitude towards corruption is almost always ambiguous, and political cash has long been legalized.

To put it nicely, someone would say that corruption is the lubricant of politics, but this is already misleading the public.

To be more realistic, for example, what's happening between Martin and Zheng Yi right now is not lubricant, it's fuel.

There is no way. People say that Singapore is clean in later generations, but Singapore has an almost lifelong ministerial system. They do not need to be elected and can continue to serve. Naturally, they will control their subordinates from corrupting money. The so-called high salaries to maintain integrity also support this class of senior officials.

As for whether those ministers are corrupt, let's be honest, if the position of prime minister is lifelong, corruption is not that important. At least there are conditions for high-pressure anti-corruption efforts.

Zheng Yi: "I understand this aspect, and honestly, it's necessary. But what I don't quite understand is... the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Isn't this law unfair to all U.S. government officials who work with foreign countries?"

Martin was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "Mr. Zheng, aren't you an American citizen now? This bill... doesn't apply to you."

Zheng Yi: "It's not a question of whether or not it affects me. The fact is that this bill itself has seriously affected the United States's internationalization as a world hegemon and its ability to reap global benefits."

Simply put, it has been legal to accept bribes since 1938, but accepting money from foreigners must be strictly scrutinized.

Why? Isn't this discrimination?
"The United States, as the world's hegemon, should its officials and congressmen serve only the United States? They should serve the people of the world. If congressmen cannot legally accept political cash from abroad, and lobbying groups cannot openly serve foreign political interests, how can this be fair to American officials involved in international affairs?"

Martin: “…………”

How can you say such shameless words so righteously?

Ultimately, this is a question of whether it is America for Americans or America for the world. Zheng Yi believes that only by abolishing the Foreign Agents Registration Act will the United States have the motivation to be the world's policeman.

Otherwise, what do the affairs of Asia, Africa and Latin America have to do with Americans?
Only by abolishing this bill can people all over the world openly bribe members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, or rather, donate political cash to help them acquire assets around the world.

Only when the United States becomes a globalized country, that is, when foreign affairs are more important than domestic affairs for most American lawmakers, and international affairs are more important than domestic affairs, will those multinational corporations in the United States feel more comfortable.

The Southern Alliance will be more comfortable.

You will also feel more comfortable.

This is not just his own problem. Even if he is willing to spend more money, he is still in the same dilemma as the Rockefeller faction. He relies on his circle of friends to build relationships, and he can only build relationships with 200 people. It is impossible for him to really control the United States.

Zheng Yi doesn't think he can do better than the Rockefeller family.

But if everyone does this, and the United States becomes a completely globalized America like the United States in later generations, and becomes an America where no one pays attention to domestic affairs except for votes, but only to foreign affairs, then Zheng Yi, as the de facto leader of the American international faction and the big boss behind the scenes.

He doesn't have to do anything, and everything will go smoothly for him in the United States.

Apart from anything else, the lobbying funds from Saudi Arabia and Israel alone are enough to feed them.

After all, for American congressmen, accepting money from abroad is much easier than accepting money from domestic sources, and it is not very sensitive. They don’t have to worry about being criticized by their opponents, and helping foreigners does not offend voters, at least not directly.

All that is needed is to repeal the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Hearing this, Martin was silent for a long time, and was really stunned by Zheng Yi for a moment.

As an old politician who came from that special period before the golden age, I have witnessed and even participated in how the United States has come this far and how difficult it has been.

He truly loves America.

Once this policy is abolished... the United States will be ruined.

Is the United States still a normal country if it focuses on international interests even more than its own domestic interests?

But he had promised Zheng Yi, and the most important thing was that he was not sure whether he could stop this if he refused Zheng Yi.

Just as I was thinking this, I heard a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Pushing the door open, the man outside came in, and Martin was stunned: "Marshal Mai? You, you, why are you back? Shouldn't you be in Japan?"

"Well, come back and resign."

As he spoke, Marshal Mai sat down next to Zheng Yi, took out his signature big pipe and started smoking.

Zheng Yi: "Mr. Martin, let me tell you. I plan to establish a comprehensive business company in Washington, D.C., which will include lobbying and consulting services. We will specifically help American companies expand abroad and internationalize their operations, and foreign companies expand into the United States."

"Mai Shuai is the current chairman of this company."

"Of course, I'm not the only one who has invested in this company. Mr. John Rockefeller is also a major shareholder of this company."

Martin: "Why don't you just say this is the Washington branch of the Southern Alliance?"

"They are different. SAARC focuses on international affairs, while the Marshal's consulting company focuses on domestic consulting services in the United States."

Martin: “…………”

"Master Mai, are you really going to resign?"

General MacArthur: "I had already retired, but I had to put on my uniform again to fight the Japanese during World War II. Now Japan has surrendered long ago, and I am almost 70 years old."

"There's an old Chinese saying that goes, 'It's rare for a person to reach seventy.' At my age, how many years do I have left? I've dedicated my entire life to my country. After retirement, I even helped it win the World War. Now I want to retire, rest, and spend more time with my family and friends. Isn't that the right thing to do?"

"Of course, I'll make a lot of money as their chairman. Mr. Zheng and Mr. John Jr. offered me an annual salary of $12 million, not including dividends and bonuses. But at my age, after I retire from government, it's not too much to earn a little extra money for my children."

Martin: “…………”

A lobbying and consulting firm.

Annual salary of 12 million US dollars?

Martin was overwhelmed when he heard this, but he knew that it would be difficult for him to stop this.

Zheng Yi really invested a lot of money!

"I understand, Mr. Zheng, are there any other bills you would like to pass or repeal?"

Zheng Yi smiled and pulled out a document, saying, "Within a month, California Senator Nick K. Song will introduce these two bills. I hope they can pass smoothly in both houses. Don't worry, even President Du won't be too opposed to these two proposals. They also overlap greatly with what the Democratic Party wants to do."

Martin frowned slightly. "Ni Ksong? I heard you've been to Los Angeles quite a bit this past year. So, are you interested in this guy? Planning on having him as your agent?"

Zheng Yi didn't deny it and said, "Indeed, I'm quite optimistic about this guy. He's the only one in the Republican Party who can become a senator and is about the same age as me and can talk to me."

"Ah."

Martin didn't say much. The Republican Party is a party of bigwigs, and Mr. Zheng was supposed to select agents from both houses of Congress.

Logically speaking, he should be selected from New York State legislators, but it is also normal to select from California. After all, New York has long been run by the Rockefeller family, and Zheng Yi has a good relationship with the Rockefeller family, so there is no need to make duplicate investments.

Martin opened the two proposals and began to read them.

Foreign Assistance Act, Trade Expansion Act, Point Four Plan, Tax Reform Act

The core of the Foreign Assistance Act is the establishment of the United States Agency for International Development to create stable conditions for American capital investment. It was originally issued in 1961.

The Trade Expansion Act, an effort to promote a global multilateral trading system, was originally enacted in 962.

The "Fourth Point Plan" was to provide technical assistance to the third world in Asia, Africa and Latin America, based on American technical standards, to establish unified global technical standards. It was originally published in 1950.

The Tax Reform Act, which adjusts the rules for taxing overseas profits, allows for the deferral of some taxes, and reduces the costs of overseas investment for multinational corporations, was originally issued in 1962.

It's all American law.

All Zheng Yi had to do was speed them up.

"Can you get these bills passed smoothly within two years, Mr. Martin? If there are any difficulties along the way, General MacArthur will be responsible for lobbying."

Martin: "Hmm... I see. This is also... for the United States to become the builder of world order."

(End of this chapter)