The Chinese government has enforced the Hong Kong National Security Law. At the end of June 2020, after the law came into force, the British government decided to issue a special visa. British decided to issue a special visa to the holders of the UK Overseas Citizenship Passport to obtain British citizenship. About 5,000 people applied for this new visa system for Hong Kong residents in two weeks. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens will apply in the next few years. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not silent either. In this issue, Chinese took countermeasures to consider the UK Overseas Citizen's Passport as invalid. Looking at this exchange, I could see what Germany was like in 1990. Germany was divided into "West Germany" and "East Germany" until the unification in 1990. The asylum from East Germany to West Germany was routinely news. East German soldiers were working hard to prevent this, even after firing. What caught my eye was that the escape of the elderly was overlooked. At that time, I thought it was a humane treatment. But, in reality, there was another aim. There was a reason in East Germany that over-the-top people over the age of 60 had tolerated fleeing to West Germany. The more elderly people fled to West Germany, the less social security costs would be needed, which would be financially advantageous. But as time went on, the eastern people, longing for the freedom and charm of Western society, began to dismantle the Berlin Wall from the inside out.
There are experts who divide the world into three parts: free countries, partially free countries, and non-free countries. There are now 90 free countries, 55 partially free and 45 non-free. In the 20th century, there were 60 great famines in the world. It is said that 86 million people died in the famine. With just under 80 million deaths in World War II, you can see how many people died from famine. Most of the great famine that killed 86 million people is in a dictatorship. It is worth noting that the deadly famine has not occurred in countries where freedom is guaranteed. A country of freedom will be a country of democracy. On the other hand, a country like North Korea will be a country without freedom. In a country without freedom, there is a tendency to argue that violent destruction and ideological control are necessary to realize an ideal world. They tend not to tolerate criticism of the so-called political center.
Soviet communism, which was influential in the second half of the 20th century, had a two-step scheme. The "ultimate future" of a communist society will be a utopian society where everyone is equal, enjoyable and unrepressed. But there are many real obstacles to reaching that utopia. At present, we develop the logic that power control by the "Communist Party" is required to overcome this realistic obstacle. In order to overcome realistic obstacles, it is necessary to control ideological speech. And, whether you are poor or inconvenient, you should endure and exert your strength in the coming future. However, the economically prosperous, equal and democratic society that this socialism aimed at is almost realized in the Nordic countries today. The Nordic countries at the end of the 20th century have proved a "socialist" idea in the realm of the economy. In these countries, economic socialization is practiced on the premise of freedom of thought and speech and political democracy. It seems that a model is being created in which a "socialist" idea can be realized without the control of ideas or the dictatorship of the leading political party. Looking at China's Hong Kong policy, it seems to go against history.
In February 2020, Chinese tourists fought and brought back Japanese masks as souvenirs. It turned out to be effective against new coronavirus infections. Meanwhile, for some time Japan suffered from a shortage of masks. Since then, China's movements have been agile. China's mask production increased more than 20 times in 2020 compared to 2019. It is said that the production volume of masks has increased to more than 700 billion yuan, which is 26 times the size of the domestic market of the previous year. In 2021, the production of medium masks is expected to be almost halved to 370 billion yuan. Production has become saturated. When this happens, an interesting phenomenon appears. When the production capacity becomes excessive, it becomes necessary to devise ways to improve quality and brand value. Chinese masks have become fashionable. Masks have become a fashion item for young people, from mere epidemic prevention supplies to daily necessities. Young women began to buy masks with designs such as "Hello Kitty." It seems that more than 100 types of colorful masks, each of which is individually wrapped, are on display. Such a scene was also seen in the American automobile industry 100 years ago.
It is common for the supply side to differentiate itself when the production capacity of a certain product becomes excessive. In classical antiquity, capitalism was dominated by production to meet consumer market demand. Ford, the king of the famous production system, mass-produced standardized cars. Ford itself had a history of saturating the market with the spread of robust mass-produced, low-priced mass-produced cars. General Motors (GM) has led to the liquidation of this saturated market. GM reversed the idea and entered the market with the belief that "cars sell by appearance." This comany made full use of the informatization techniques of "design, advertising, and credit." GM has built a mechanism to turn cars into fashion products and develop replacement demand. It can be said that the fashion of cars has made the market "infinite". As for masks, not only functionalization and fashion, but also the introduction of subscriptions and family services will be adopted.
Mankind has moved with a vector of wealth, while putting life first. Looking at the big flow, until the Industrial Revolution, it was all could do to live. However, machines have replaced human work, and more and more people are enjoying the abundance. And now, people in so-called developed countries are becoming more and more unhappy with wealth alone, even if they have wealth. Some experts call this condition the "plateau period." At the end of the 20th century, the Nordic countries entered the plateau period, which succeeded in ensuring basic living conditions for almost the majority of people. Of course, developing countries need economic development for basic living. The contradiction of modern society seems to be in the competition between the vector of high growth and the vector of soft landing during the stable period. For example, the "very happy" youth of highland France give a low rating for their financial wealth.
The present age can be seen as a transitional period from the high growth of modern times to the stable period of the future. Even in the rich developed countries, there are people who are hungry. This issue is not a matter of economic growth, but a matter of distribution. It is a problem that can be solved by aiming for a welfare society like Northern Europe. In the Nordic countries at the end of the 20th century, a system of redistribution has been established. If we do not put in place a distribution system, the problem of rich and poor will arise no matter how long we continue to grow. The tide of the times seems to change when people who demand the distribution of wealth more than necessary are despised. If the pursuit of only one's own interests is despised, there seems to be a sign of entering the "plateau period." What many plateau countries have in common is the value of "tolerance and respect for others." In these countries, we have a mechanism around us to enjoy happiness and a sense of accomplishment for individuals. If it's your favorite job, it's more fun than playing.