Chapter 121: Persistent Issues
Chapter 121: Persistent Issues
A long time ago, Qin Yu was very clear.
What he did in the Human Civilization was mainly to achieve his own goals step by step.
However, in the past many times, his goals overlapped with those of almost all people in Human Civilization.
But this overlap of goals could not be there forever.
Because the starting point and core were not exactly the same in the end.
Soon or late, a conflict and problem would come between what Qin Yu wanted and what almost all people wanted.
A situation would appear where the Human Civilization that Qin Yu desired went against how Human Civilization was growing.
Or,
Qin Yu’s main goal, wanting Human Civilization to last as long as possible,
might always match the big good of Human Civilization.
But the big needs of Human Civilization and the short-time needs of most people could sometimes clash.
Like now.
From the whole Human Civilization view, how Human Civilization was now needed fixing fast.
But for almost all people in Human Civilization, how it was now was very good.
Even though most people saw this was bad for the whole Human Civilization group,
how many could quit their easy, comfy lives for Human Civilization’s far-off future?
Human Civilization was a group of many people, not a bug race where the whole thing has one mind.
It could not be that everyone in Human Civilization acts like the whole is them, all for keeping the group alive first,
with group survival as the main reason for doing anything.
Not all, but for almost all, their main reason was still their own life.
…
“How about… cancel the basic social help for the poorest people. Let almost everyone feel the survival pressure again.”
A team leader from the Social Philosophy Department research group said this not-good idea.
The other meeting heads heard this and stayed quiet.
No one backed it, no one fought it.
But the quiet itself was like saying no,
because all these leaders knew this idea needed Academician Qin Yu’s okay.
Only if Academician Qin Yu pushed it with Strong Artificial Intelligence could it happen, so no one argued back.
Qin Yu did not back this idea.
A big thing of the Intelligent Era was that with plenty making power,
it freed all from survival pressure.
The Negentropy Research Institute could not turn back time now,
to before the Intelligent Era.
Also,
even with the laziness problem getting worse in Human Civilization,
Human Civilization’s rise was still faster than when people were stuck in survival pressure.
Billions of Researchers still did the study and work they liked.
If all worried about life again, this could not happen.
People’s worry for how Human Civilization was now,
came from wanting Human Civilization to be fresh and lively again,
not worse.
The Negentropy Research Institute, HCC, could not just solve the laziness by making Human Civilization fight hard again.
The main aim was to get the group moving forward, not to make living tiring again.
“We can’t expect a one-time fix for this. I think, maybe we just don’t have a root-fix way now.”
“This is almost from humans’ body plan, or how life changes naturally.”
“Natural change, life change itself is ‘fine as is’. After our group hit ‘fine’, slowing down was sure.”
“Unless one day we can put a ‘mind mark’ in every person, making group growth the top life aim, wanting to work for it and liking it.”
“If not, we can only stick with fighting our own laziness and group laziness.”
Qin Yu stopped a bit, then ended this Negentropy Research Institute meeting with a short wrap-up,
and a joke.
The group of heads laughed some, then quit laughing with sighs.
As Negentropy Research Institute heads, they were all sharp,
and saw the laziness problem had no solid fix.
If a ‘group filter’ thing was real for groups in space,
then tech like Controlled Nuclear Fusion could be bumps in group growth, blocking steps.
The laziness problem always troubled groups like Human Civilization,
like a river pushing back a boat going upstream.
It slowed group rise, and if a slip, the laziness whirlpool could drag the group down to mud and trap it.
“Easy to see, the laziness problem will get worse later.”
“Now we are a Type I Civilization. Our group land isn’t even over the Solar System, and in many spots, hard puzzles stay.”
“Our Electric Propulsion Spaceships aren’t quick enough, our talking speed is still stuck by light, and stuff we can use might run out some day.”
“But if we become Type II Civilization, Type III Civilization, with these fixed… our group might have less push.”
“Lucky, if one day way on, we see no threats for us… then we might face real tests from time and ourselves.”
“…So I think we must get ready to keep fighting group laziness.”
After finishing, Qin Yu stopped again and talked real stuff.
“…Try to keep the now-help for basic life needs, then add more fun and care people at each pay and gift level feel.”
“Make wider gaps in joy and goods between different social ranks.”
“Put more choices and types of joy and goods in the middle and top ranks…”
Qin Yu’s words were not a forever fix, just a quick trick.
Plainly,
while keeping no one in basic life worry,
make those helping the group get more and nicer joys.
And, grow the gap from bottom to middle, but the middle-top gap didn’t need more.
Because real life, joining the Negentropy Research Institute to be a Negentropy Research Institute Researcher takes top smarts and skill,
It wasn’t just something everyone could achieve by overcoming their own laziness.
Only a minority could ever join the Negentropy Research Institute.
What Qin Yu was laying out now were broad outlines for the entire strategy. Filling in the specific details would fall to the other researchers,
Meanwhile, both the Negentropy Research Institute and institutes outside it needed to develop new products and experiences aimed at the middle and upper levels of Human Civilization.
Make these things concrete.
For example, the Food Research Institute’s new delicacies could carry a higher price tag, affordable only to the middle tier.
Similarly, the dormancy fluid previously banned by the Social Philosophy Department—usable with the Virtual Reality Device—could be reintroduced. But its price should be set so the middle-tier could only afford it occasionally, while the top tier could use it frequently.
Of course,
The reason Human Civilization could attempt this now was purely because,
elements like Collective Social Rearing ensured the pathways for social advancement remained completely open.
The obstacle keeping people willingly stuck at the bottom was purely the individuals themselves.
The HCC never restricted the number of people in the middle tier.
The Negentropy Research Institute also never intended to cap its number of Researchers at a specific figure.
For Human Civilization at this point, there was never a problem of lacking the productivity to support everyone.
For Human Civilization, having fewer people at the very bottom of society was better.
Having more people in the middle tier and more Researchers within the Negentropy Research Institute was always preferred.
More meant faster development for Human Civilization.
However,
This particular strategy Qin Yu proposed,
was something only Qin Yu could propose.
It wasn’t that other researchers couldn’t think of it.
But as they said, this era lacked fools. Even those content to linger at the bottom of Human Civilization
had received the best education the HCC offered.
They naturally understood clearly,
that while Qin Yu’s strategy didn’t seem to touch the foundations of the Intelligent Era,
and wouldn’t reduce the basic welfare provided to everyone,
over the long term, it would indirectly lower the quality of life enjoyed by those unwilling to contribute, the ones happy to lie flat.
Alternatively, while the quality of life and benefits for the middle and top tiers rose, the basic societal welfare for the “lying flat” group remained unchanged,
widening the gap between the bottom and the middle/top tiers.
It was only Qin Yu, proposing such measures,
who could leverage his own authority and his absolute control over the Strong Artificial Intelligence pivotal to this Intelligent Era, along with the corresponding Smart Industrial Cluster,
to force these policies forward.
No one could effectively oppose them.
If Qin Yu were no longer at the Negentropy Research Institute,
the exact same measures might not be implementable successfully by someone else.
Now,
after Qin Yu finished speaking,
the gathered heads of institutes and research teams naturally raised no other objections.
Many institute heads actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the current degeneration within Human Civilization wouldn’t likely affect them personally during their lifetimes,
they still hoped that Human Civilization as a whole could endure long into the future, even after they were gone.
Perhaps everyone should be grateful that Academician Qin Yu was still here,
able to forcefully steer the course of Human Civilization’s history.
The assembled institute heads and research team leaders didn’t leave immediately.
Instead, they began discussing how to establish the specific measures aligned with Qin Yu’s broad direction.
Implementing these measures would require not only other institutes and Researchers across Human Civilization to contribute work,
but also that various departments within the Negentropy Research Institute divert some research resources and manpower to contribute as well.
Qin Yu watched the group of institute heads and research team leaders. He said nothing more.
If the gap between the welfare and experiences available to the bottom tier versus the middle tier widened considerably,
and some still felt “completely unmoved” and “content with their lot,” choosing to lie flat and settle for society’s basic benefits, rejecting any chance at a better life,
then neither Qin Yu nor the HCC could do anything.
Such people would always exist.
Qin Yu, the HCC, and the Negentropy Research Institute aimed only to reduce their numbers,
and minimize their influence on the overall societal atmosphere.
Simultaneously, as Qin Yu had mentioned earlier,
these measures were just a temporary solution.
Human Civilization could only repeatedly wrestle with its own inertia in various ways.
Strengthening education in this area was one approach;
elevating the status and benefits of the middle and upper tiers was another.
When new situations arose, the HCC would have to take targeted action once more.
Qin Yu lifted his head and looked towards the distance beyond the meeting room.
He made no secret of the fact this time, he was imposing his will
directly over the will of a large part of Human Civilization.
Had the series of measures he just proposed been put to a vote across Human Civilization, they likely wouldn’t have passed.
People understood the dangers of Human Civilization’s current trajectory,
but that was different from sacrificing their own ease of life and taking on more work for the sake of civilization’s greater good, even if beneficial.
Once again, Qin Yu was sculpting the whole of Human Civilization, pushing it towards his envisioned ideal state.
…
This time, the outcome of the Negentropy Research Institute meeting
was announced directly to the people of Human Civilization under the HCC banner.
Originally, some institute heads and research team leaders suggested
not directly revealing Qin Yu’s strategy to combat Human Civilization’s degeneration.
They thought simply implementing the specific measures based on the strategy was enough,
gradually, subtly increasing the social benefits for the middle and upper tiers and widening the gap with those lying flat.
But Qin Yu outright rejected such an “ostrich strategy”.
Keeping it secret was impossible in essence.
People would feel the changes anyway. More importantly, the measures themselves required people to perceive the changes.
Besides, neither the strategy nor the measures could bypass Qin Yu for implementation.
Therefore,
it was announced directly to the people of the HCC: This was Academician Qin Yu’s decision.
Perhaps due to Qin Yu’s personal authority,
or perhaps because the strategy itself was like a dull knife cutting flesh – it didn’t strip away anyone’s existing welfare.
It merely offered more tangible rewards to those contributing to society.
People genuinely couldn’t find much fault with it.
If they wanted these extra benefits and status, they just needed to get up from their “lying flat” position.
In this Intelligent Era, unlike any before, outside of their own will, there was no force or obstacle preventing them from doing so.
Because of all these reasons,
across the civilization’s networks at the time,
there were surprisingly few vocal opponents.
At most, some people chose to start putting in some effort now.
Others simply chose to keep lying flat, reasoning: “It doesn’t affect my current life anyway.
Not getting more, but not losing what I have – doesn’t this feel the same as before?”