"Hegemony of Great Powers"
Historically, no matter how powerful and powerful your empire is, no matter how powerful and powerful the dynasty is, it cannot escape the fate of prosperity and decline, without exception, the difference is only sooner or later, fast or slow. Mr. Xu Zhuoyun's book "The Rise and Fall of the Hegemony of Great Powers" explores how these huge political and economic communities have turned from prosperity to decline, from prosperity to ruin.
Some historians like to give people some laws that they think are very useful, thinking that these laws are a master key, with which all historical mysteries can be solved, in fact, the rise and fall of empires, both commonality and individuality, both inevitability and contingency. When Mr. Xu talks about the rise and fall of empires, he does not emphasize the so-called universal laws, but proposes several conditions that may lead to the rise and fall of empires, and when he briefly describes the history of the rise and fall of the Qin and Han Empires, the Tang Empire, and even the Ming and Qing Empires in China, as well as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, Spain, and the British Empire in the West, these conditions may exist at the same time, or there may be one or two.
The conditions he valued included, first, the metabolism of the national organism, and the function of the new body. Second, whether the talent selection mechanism is reasonable and whether the phenomenon of selecting inferior and ranking the superior can be avoided, resulting in weasels under the rats, and a nest is not as good as a nest. Third, whether the state power and social forces can communicate effectively, and the dredging channels will not be blocked by bureaucracy. Fourth, the core of the regime must have an open mind, and must not be short-sighted and small-minded. Fifth, be wary of strongman politics. These five points are the conditions that affect the stability of the empire and lead to the decline and collapse of the empire, and each of them deserves our deep consideration, which is also the most beneficial enlightenment given to us by Mr. Xu's pamphlet.
The articles in the book are from the records of his conversations with friends, and after the book is written, it retains the colloquial character, and it is easy and kind to read.
