"Little brother, can you be more specific?"
The more Li Yong listened, the more he felt that Chen Yang's words would be of great help to him. Indeed, over the years, with the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Americans, especially after a trip to the United States.
Looking at the affluent life of the Americans, Li Yong increasingly felt that his country could not continue like this.
Economic development was essential, otherwise, the country would fall even further behind in the future.
Fighters and cannons all required money to build, let alone those submarines and aircraft carriers. Sudan Novel Network
This was only one aspect. Even American vagrants had televisions and cars in their homes. Although such vagrants might be staged by the Americans to show them off, to display their superiority as the world's boss.
But undeniably, most Americans had these things at home. But looking back at home, how many families had color televisions and cars?
Li Yong never belittled himself. The other side had developed a century earlier than China in the Industrial Revolution, and their homeland had not experienced war. It was normal to have a gap.
But he also wanted to pinpoint the gap and find ways to bridge it, at least not to let others fall too far behind!
Backwardness leads to subjugation. This bloody lesson was etched in the bones of people like Li Yong who had experienced those eras.
"Uncle, how to do it specifically is too big a question for me to explain clearly. I'll just talk about my own understanding."
"The first step is to liberate productivity. Let's not talk about anything else. In our rural areas, everyone works collectively for work points. Everyone is busy all year round, why are they still not getting enough to eat?
I wonder if there's laziness, how many people are lazy, and there's also the issue of responsibility. These problems might exist, or they might not.
But, if all this land is divided among the farmers, and everyone works for themselves, then it depends on their own efforts whether they can eat enough.
During the slack farming season, how will this labor force be resolved? Can they be provided with a job to earn extra income?
Our country has nearly a billion people, which is a huge resource. Our people are no worse than foreign workers. If everyone can have a job to earn money, won't life be better than it is now?"
Chen Yang paused. The matter of Xiaogang Village was not widely known throughout the country, but most well-informed people were aware of it.
Listening to Chen Yang, Li Yong's eyes lit up. He remembered hearing about a village in Anhui Province that had done just that. This poor village, which had owed the state grain for many years, after the implementation of the household contract responsibility system.
That year, every household had a bumper harvest. Not only did they reserve enough grain for their own consumption, but they also paid off the overdue public grain from previous years.
"The second step is to reform the economic system. Private economy should be allowed. For industries that are not related to the national economic lifeline, individual households and private enterprises should be encouraged to develop, so that the market can become active.
Some things, if produced by a large state-owned factory, would be a complete waste of productivity. For example, a few embroidery needles or a bit of thread. These things can be made by a small workshop. Why would a state-owned factory have to change its production line to produce them?
This would be a huge waste of our social resources. Let the right things be done by the right people. Our state-owned enterprises can concentrate their efforts on major tasks. Wouldn't that be better?"
Hearing Chen Yang's words, Li Yong's eyes shone even brighter. He had witnessed real events related to the example Chen Yang gave.
The steel plant in Shanghai had to stop its production lines every year to produce steel rings for bicycles. This small matter, in his opinion, did not require such a large factory to handle.
If there were a small processing plant, its capacity might not be enough, but it could work non-stop for the whole year. This could also drive employment for a group of people.
Li Yong kept Chen Yang's point in mind. Individual businesses and private enterprises. What is a private enterprise? It is an enterprise run by the common people, so it is called private. This term is good.
"The third step is to attach importance to science and technology. As the saying goes, sharpening the ax does not delay woodcutting. A machine in a factory can sometimes produce more in a day than a worker produces in a month."
"We should vigorously introduce advanced foreign equipment, and then study and learn how to build such equipment. With machine tools, we can produce machines for various factories. Then, in the future, will we still be afraid of not being able to produce things?"
"I heard that Americans can cultivate thousands of acres of land by themselves, using plows for plowing, seeders for sowing, and harvesters for reaping. We still have to wait in line for the production team's old yellow oxen. This is the gap."
"Also, our current yield of rice is only a few hundred catties per mu. If we develop high-yield rice seeds, and if one mu of rice can produce one or two thousand catties, are we still afraid that our people will not have enough to eat?"
"In my opinion, science and technology are the primary productive forces. With technological support, there will be great development in the future."
Chen Yang spoke very firmly. His attitude made Li Yong have to seriously consider what he said about science and technology.
Li Yong did not understand technology, but he knew that building fighter jets, cannons, and atomic bombs and missiles all required talent.
If you can't build them, you have to live in fear, always worried that one day, others might bomb your home.
He didn't understand science and technology, but he knew that talent must be cultivated!
This point must also be recorded in his notebook. When making suggestions, emphasis should be placed on it. Governing a country is not about looking at the present, but also at the future. Cultivating talent now may not yield immediate results, but in ten years, twenty years, or even thirty years, it will definitely be useful.
"Uncle Li, these are just my personal opinions. Also, I think we should set up some experimental fields. When doing things, no one can avoid making mistakes."
"The policies we enact affect not just one person, but our billions of people. Therefore, I fully understand the worries in the hearts of our leaders."
"Therefore, it is even more necessary to experiment. Designate some areas as reform zones and experimental fields, treat them specially with special policies, and see if these policies can indeed lead the common people to prosperity."
"See if these policies can drive economic development and social progress!"
"Good policies, after verification, will give us more confidence to promote them nationwide, benefiting more people. Bad policies, once problems are identified, can be corrected in time, so as not to affect too many people."
As soon as Chen Yang finished speaking, Li Yong excitedly slapped his thigh.
"Experimental fields, special policies implemented in special areas."
"Good, too good!"
Chen Yang's few words truly struck a chord with him. It was not easy for the leaders above to make a decision.
Because any decision they made would affect billions of people!
This idea of special areas implementing special policies to test them, even if the policies were wrong, would only affect a minority.
This idea must be remembered well, and it is a key point to report!