I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 187

I Hate the Communist Party

It’s safe to say that virtually no young person from a 21st-century liberal country who has received a proper education actually likes communism.

Even without thought-policing that demands, ‘I hate the Communist Party’ through anachronistic education, it’s just the natural order of things.

Of course, the communism spoken of today is very different from early communism.

But it’s an undeniable fact that it was the catalyst for the ideology of today, so in some ways, it’s no exaggeration to say it’s the most dangerous ideology.

In the original history, only Russia was overturned to that extent, but who knows if it will end that way in this era.

If the winds of revolution that are about to blow are strongly flavored with communism, the Communist Party might be rampaging even faster than in the original history.

It’s a low probability, but the butterfly effect of history is originally how things turn out.

My existence alone has changed the diplomatic relations of Asia to the point where it’s hard to find even traces of the original history.

Right now, I seem to have influenced Engels and Marx without even realizing it, and the reality is that I can’t even predict how this will flow.

And I can’t be sure what kind of impact my talking with them here will have on the surroundings.

So, what should I do?

Having boldly agreed to answer questions, it’s impossible to suddenly act like, ‘Hey, foreigners, get out.’

More than anything, it was necessary to clearly confirm what thoughts these two people had.

I was just talking about raising workers’ rights, but who knows if these guys might suddenly awaken as even more powerful demonic figures of the Communist Party after hearing that.

So, I have to isolate them from the others here at all costs, and then keep them detained without anyone noticing.

“Ahem, I see. Engels and Marx. You came to London this time via Prussia and Paris?”

“Yes!”

“There have been many confusing things lately, so if you’ve been moving from country to country, you must have seen and heard a lot. That’s good. I also wanted to hear firsthand what young intellectuals from foreign countries are thinking, so instead of staying here, let’s move to another place.”

“Yes? Does that mean…”

“This isn’t a story that will end in an hour or two, so I’m saying let’s go to the palace and talk. If you don’t have time, I can’t help it.”

Perhaps because it was an unexpected proposal, not only Engels but also Marx next to him opened their eyes wide and gaped.

I could hear the intellectuals, who couldn’t possibly know my true intentions, exclaiming and talking among themselves.

“As expected, His Grace the Prince Consort has a different kind of boldness.”

“Where else in the world would you find a royal who personally takes young people from foreign countries to Buckingham to hear them out?”

“Since he’s so interested in society and so considerate, we don’t have to worry about our voices being ignored in the future.”

What is it? I think there’s an unintended effect happening.

It’s an excuse I made up on the spur of the moment, but it worked surprisingly well, and Engels stood up from his seat with an almost ecstatic expression and bowed.

Marx, who had been sitting blankly, also got up in a daze and bowed his head.

“I am grateful for His Grace the Prince Consort’s kindness. It’s the greatest honor.”

“It’s an unparalleled honor to be invited.”

I’m getting to receive thank-you greetings from Marx and Engels in my life, and I wonder what this is all about.

I got into the carriage, reviewing my speech and conversation from the beginning, wondering if I had said anything that could stimulate them.

But honestly, I’m a little curious.

If I isolate Marx and Engels from society here forever, will the ideology of communism fail to take root in this world?

Or will a completely different third person replace Marx or Engels from the original history?

If the birth of communism was an inevitability of the times, it would be the latter, and if Marx was a genius who would not appear twice in the world, it would be the former.

Only God knows for sure, but in my personal opinion, something similar to communism is likely to emerge.

Until the rise of the neoclassical school and Keynesianism [economic theories], early capitalism in the 19th century was simply a jungle where people were exploited to the fullest.

In this kind of irresponsible market-omnipotent situation, backlash was bound to erupt.

Marx felt disgusted with capitalism, predicted that capitalism would collapse due to the contradictions of the system, and it was only natural that more than one or two people were attracted to it because it was an era in which such a situation was created.

And the capitalist countries, startled by the tide of such ideologies and revolutions, hurriedly revised their systems in order to protect their systems.

Paradoxically, thanks to that, capitalism became more mature, and communism, which had begun to degenerate into a bizarre form, was defeated in the ideological competition.

In a way, communism became a catalyst for society to move forward, and at the same time, it became obsolete in the era without being able to do so.

The problem is that it’s after capitalism is mature enough.

The more you use workers, the stronger they become.

A factory that cannot run workers for 15 hours a day is a failed factory.

150 hours a week chimney cleaning Punko.

How can people not be dyed in red flavor in an era where such terrifying actions are openly taking place?

So, I have to deal with them somehow before they complete the Cheonma Divine Art [a powerful martial arts technique, metaphorically referring to communism] that will plunge all of Europe into demonic possession.

At first, I was worried about whether I could verbally defeat Marx, who had made tremendous achievements in almost all fields of modern academia, but when I thought about it, I thought it might be possible.

That’s because the current Marx is not a genius who has written ‘Das Kapital’ [Marx’s seminal work on political economy], political economy, the theory of surplus value, and completed historical materialism [a method of analyzing societal development].

He was still a white-faced, hairy-covered, hairy-dreaming tree whose forehead had not yet receded and whose hair was still abundant.

If I talk well here as much as possible, I might be able to slow down or change the course of history to some extent.

After organizing my thoughts, I called Marx and Engels to the drawing room as soon as I arrived at Buckingham Palace.

“How was the carriage? Was it uncomfortable?”

“No. As expected of a carriage used by the royal family, it was by far the best carriage I’ve ever ridden.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You are valuable guests who came all the way from Paris to London, so I can’t let you feel that the people of Great Britain are stingy. So, how is our Great Britain compared to Prussia or France?”

“I felt that industrialization was in progress to an extent that cannot be compared to the two countries, and there were so many workers flocking to the cities. I felt that the appearance of the Chartists [a working-class movement for political reform in Britain] was not a coincidence but an inevitability.”

I heard that these guys were also involved in the 1848 revolution, so were they also involved in the Chartist movement?

As if revolution wasn’t their forte, they stirred up a lot of trouble here and there.

“As it develops rapidly, side effects are bound to increase. But I’m trying to solve them in the most moderate way possible. But I’m also curious about the evaluation from an outsider’s point of view. How was today’s event in your opinion?”

“It was impressive. Above all, I felt that our opinions coincided in the part that pointed out the fundamental limitations of the Chartist.”

“…Hmm? You agree with me?”

That’s strange. That shouldn’t be the case.

“Yes. The Chartist movement ultimately has clear limitations in that they feel that the economic inequality they face is political inequality. So, they’re trying to solve a problem that needs to be solved economically in a political structure. They seem to believe that everything will change if they get the right to vote, but as Your Highness said, nothing will change. They will live their whole lives with the illusion that things have changed and will continue to be exploited by capitalists as they have been until now.”

“Exploitation… So, you think the economic structure of this society itself is fundamentally wrong?”

“Yes. That’s why I asked you earlier. How long do you think this structure of capitalists employing workers will last?”

This is very bad.

I was going to tear it up before the secret was completed, but it seems that the big picture has already been completed and only the details are empty?

Well, considering that the time for the Communist Manifesto to come out is almost here, it wouldn’t be strange if the ideological aspect was already complete.

Then, should I focus on the details and confuse them?

“If I were to tell you my thoughts, the current structure is never perfect. There can never be a perfect system in this world. Being perfect means that no further development or improvement can be made, and if that happens, it will be the time when human civilization stops.”

“So, in the end, Your Highness also believes that capitalists are exploiting workers.”

This guy keeps trying to gaslight me with exploitation?

If you’re going to spread gas, I won’t lose either. Should we have a competition to see who can spread gas better?

“Engels, was it? As you said, in some ways, it’s no exaggeration to say that capitalists are exploiting workers to accumulate wealth in this era. Until a few years ago, children had to spend 14 hours a day, 7 days a week in factories and chimneys. This is not normal by anyone’s standards. That’s why we improved the environment by law, and isn’t it because we are still correcting unreasonable realities?”

“But if there is a structural problem, wouldn’t it end up being like pouring water into a bottomless pot?”

“No, I don’t think so. Even compared to a few years ago, the overall wealth of Great Britain has increased, and the living standards of workers are also improving little by little, which can be confirmed by indicators. I can see that it’s clearly getting better, so how can this be like pouring water into a bottomless pot?”

When I showed them the data that I had kindly extracted in advance, Marx, who had been silent, opened his mouth instead.

“My friend and I have traveled around Europe and have bitterly seen and felt how much this society is being exploited by class. And I think that the future class will be largely divided into capitalists who have capital and workers who are subordinate to them, not just simple status. No matter how much the wealth of the whole society grows and the amount going to the workers increases, wouldn’t the amount that the capitalists take be incomparably larger?”

“The country’s job is to minimize social inequality in the process. To lay the groundwork for a fair competition process, to support those who fall behind. And I think it is the duty of the state to protect them so that they can receive fair compensation for their efforts.”

From the perspective of 19th-century society, it is an unbelievably radical idea, but the two people in front of me have even more extreme ideas.

So, how about injecting gas into them so that they can become practical revolutionaries who can realistically change this society for the better, rather than unrealistic communists?

If these two people, whose theories have not yet been perfectly systematized, it might be surprisingly effective.

But Marx nodded silently for a moment and then exchanged glances with Engels, who was sitting next to him.

Engels also nodded and looked me straight in the eye with a face that seemed moved by something.

“Your Highness is right. And here we have gained enlightenment once again.”

“Enlightenment?”

I don’t think I said anything that would be so touching, so why are you looking at me like that so uneasily?

If you understand, how about abandoning the absurd idea of turning the world upside down with communism and just switching to a social activist who cares about workers?

Get out of the evil path of the demonic way and come to the bright and beautiful path of the orthodox sect.

And as if my earnest wish had been fulfilled, Engels continued in a very excited tone.

“We had a conversation before, and after hearing Your Highness’s words, I think we are sure. We were definitely overlooking one important point.”

Yes, yes. You must have been thinking very wrong.

“In order to create a true communist paradise, capitalism must inevitably reach its end, and then a proletarian dictatorship must be formed. To do this, we need an ideal helmsman who can let go of all capital. In other words, we need a leader to lead everyone. A person who can complete capitalism and lead the perfect proletarian dictatorship in a new society. That is Your Highness.”

“…”

Ah, I roughly understand. You don’t understand a word I’m saying.

So, are you telling me to shout to all of Europe, ‘You are talking about a socialist paradise’?

As I feared, I seem to have had a very big impact on these guys.

The problem is that it’s completely the opposite of what I was thinking.

What should I do with these guys?