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Wen 丨Sun Hu's study
Editor丨Sun Hu's study
It is well known that in 1831 Belgium established a so-called "free" and "democratic" constitutional monarchy.
And for a certain period of time, this "monarchy" provided Belgium with a stable "father figure" and, at least in the early years of its independence, gave it an internationally decent appearance.
Before independence, Belgium was only a small, inconspicuous country that had long been ruled by aliens.
Due to the establishment of one of the few constitutional monarchies in Europe, it has become the object of the stars to a certain extent.
However, because the Belgian regime was run by a greedy bourgeoisie.
Therefore, soon after its independence, one after another extremely barbaric, absurd and shameful acts committed by the rentier bourgeois powers, gradually broke through the costume of its civilization system and were exposed to the world under the exposure of Marx and Engels.
At the same time, after the very decent costume of Belgium's "model country" was untied by Marx and Engels, the illusory nature of the so-called thriving national economy hidden under the costume and boasted by the bourgeoisie was also exposed by Marx and Engels with a large number of facts and figures.
1. "An excellent political system is nothing more than a gilded frame of the state of the economy"
After the rentier bourgeoisie came to power, all its policies and measures undoubtedly served the interests of its own class.
The Belgian clergy and bourgeoisie used lies to build a glorious image of a "model country".
Under the "civilized" system of this "model state" built with lies, not only is the political behavior inconsistent with the civilization preached, but the real state of economic development hidden under the "civilized system" is also shocking.
In addition to exposing and criticizing the political arrogance of Belgium, the civilized kingdom, Marx and Engels also exposed the real economic development of Belgium controlled by the bourgeoisie, and sharply criticized the clown face of the bourgeoisie who did anything to pursue profits.
In March 1848, Engels in his article "The Condition of Belgium" exposed the real economic situation under the independence and neutrality of Belgium, which the Belgian bourgeoisie greatly appreciated.
Engels pointed out: "In fact, the exchange in Brussels is almost completely numb. Many small and medium-sized merchants were destroyed by bankruptcy, securities could no longer find buyers, exchange rates were in vain, cash disappeared faster than in Paris, commerce came to a complete standstill, and most entrepreneurs were laying off workers. ”
The situation caused people in Belgium to panic.
However, this is not enough to explain the reality of Belgium's economic development beneath the illusory façade of economic prosperity.
In August 1848, Marx used detailed data in "Model State" Belgium to reveal the state of Belgium's foreign trade in the periods 1846, 1847 and the first half of 1848.
Marx pointed out: "With the exception of the gunsmiths and nail factories, which were in good condition during this period, the woolen factories, which maintained their former glory, and the zinc manufacturing industry, whose output was insignificant in relation to the total value of production, the entire industry of Belgium was in decline and stagnation. ”
Any exposition of Marx and Engels has never been subjective or speculative, but is in line with objective reality.
In order to confirm the decline or even stagnation of Belgium's other industries except for certain heavy industries.
Marx compared the output of coal products and metal products in Belgium in the first half of 1847 with the output in the first half of 1848.
During 1847, Belgium produced a total of 932718 tons of coal, pig iron, pig iron products, iron and rails, wrought iron products and nails.
However, by the second half of 1848, its total production had fallen to 588237 tons in just one year.
As you can imagine, the rate of this decline is quite amazing.
In addition, Marx also made a detailed comparative analysis of the situation of the textile industry in Belgium from the first half of 1846 to the first half of 1848.
In the first half of 1846, the total output of its textile industry was 2,500,000 kg, and in the first half of 1847, the total output of the textile industry fell to 1,853,000 kg, and by 1848, the total output was only 987,000 kg.
From the first half of 1846 to the first half of 1848, in just two years, the Belgian textile industry shrank by 64%.
In addition, the output of books, delicate glassware and window glass has been greatly reduced; The output of raw hemp and carded hemp, hemp shavings, bark and tobacco products has also been greatly reduced.
Judging from the actual economic development of Belgium exposed by Marx and Engels, the constitutional monarchy pursued by the Belgian clerical power and bourgeoisie did not allow them to obtain the benefits they imagined.
The real state of industrial development in Belgium is not what Berlin politicians and the Coron Zeitung touted as a "model state" should be.
In addition, in order to protect the interests of its own class, the government made the shocking decision of first levying two-thirds of the direct tax in advance, and then issuing 50 to 60 million compulsory public bonds.
It also exposes the essence of the bourgeoisie's pursuit of capital.
In short, the real economic situation of the imaginary golden state of Belgium, the constitutional "model state", a monarchy based on the broadest democracy, is not as fascinating as it seems.
In fact, its ostensibly superior political system is nothing more than a gold frame for the economic situation hidden beneath the political system.
2. Leopold's greatest companion was "the phenomenon of extreme poverty"
As we all know, the emergence of the independent State of Belgium can be said to be a long and very difficult process.
The throne rule of King Leopold after independence provided proper protection for the country, both materially and psychologically.
However, it was also under Leopold's glorious rule that serious problems in Belgium's economic development were obscured.
As mentioned above, beneath the political system of reliance lies a gradually festering economic shell.
In 1848, Belgium's official newspaper, the Belgian Gazette, published a material.
This material concerns the receipt of benefits by the inhabitants of Belgium in the provinces of Luxembourg, Namul, Antwerp, Liège, Lümborg, Heinau, East Frandria, Brabant and West Flandria.
On August 6, 1848, after a profound analysis of the materials published by the official Belgian newspaper, Marx profoundly pointed out: "Leopold's greatest companion was the phenomenon of abject poverty."
Marx exposed the severe destitution that had characterized extreme poverty under Leopold's glorious rule.
In addition, Marx made profound expositions and analyses on the heavy social problems brought about by the phenomenon of extreme poverty.
Marx pointed out: "The phenomenon of extreme poverty produces extreme poverty at an accelerated rate. Crime is also on the rise of extreme poverty, and the source of people's lives ---youth is increasingly degraded".
Marx cited the total number of men and women under the age of 18 who were legally interned in Belgium between 1845, 1846 and 1847.
Surprisingly, in just three years, 17,813 Belgian boys and women have been legally detained for crimes committed by extreme economic hardship.
Obviously, such a huge number of jails for crimes committed by economic hardship is extremely inconsistent with the illusion of the Golden State imagined by Berlin politicians and the "Coron Zeitung".
If the state of industry and the increase in youth crime resulting from extreme poverty are sufficient to confirm the phenomenon of extreme poverty, the greatest companion of King Leopold.
Then the financial situation of this "model" golden country will confirm this even more.
On October 21, 1848, Marx, with growing interest, once again focused on this "model constitutional state."
Marx begins with The Model Constitutional State with precise figures to reveal Belgium's financial situation in 1848.
Marx pointed out that under the manipulation of the Belgian bourgeois cabinet headed by Rozhère, the general budget of the Belgian government in 1848, together with the first compulsory public bond, the second compulsory public bond, the bank notes of compulsory comparison, and the bank bills guaranteed by the state, amounted to 208 million francs.
There is no doubt that it will be the Belgian taxpayers who will step in the realization of the interests of the Belgian bourgeois cabinet.
And these poor taxpayer civilians will eventually find that the deficit has increased by hundreds of thousands of francs.
Needless to say, under the growing phenomenon of extreme poverty and crime, as well as the depletion of the sources of income for Belgian industry, King Leopold's greatest courtier was undoubtedly "abject poverty".
3. It will be bankruptcy that will bring Belgium to its shameful demise
Needless to say, in the process of modernization in any country, there is a dialectical unity between political stability, economic stability and social stability.
First, political stability is central to economic and social stability;
Second, economic stability is the material basis for political stability and social stability;
Finally, social stability is a condition for political and economic stability.
In short, the three are interdependent and mutually restrictive.
After gaining independence, Belgium, due to its historical problems, has always been accompanied by language disputes, religious conflicts, partisan disputes and other problems.
However, on the whole, its political and social development has maintained relatively stable development.
Although there have been many strikes and riots in Belgium, none of their scale and frequency has pushed the country, one of the representatives of "civilization" in the European civilized world, to bankruptcy.
Even in extremely difficult living conditions, Belgium does not experience revolutionary turmoil like other European countries.
The reason for this is that the natural compromise and strong nationalism of the Belgians make most of them refrain from launching major riots, no matter how difficult the situation may be.
Therefore, neither political nor social factors jeopardize the stable and long-term development of Belgium.
So, what are the biggest constraints to the stable and long-term development of Belgium during the crisis? Marx and Engels had a profound exposition on this.
From 1845 to 1848, Marx and Engels paid close attention to the situation in Belgium, and frequently wrote articles to expose and analyze the actual situation in Belgium.
In 1848, in his essay "The Model Constitutional State," Marx, after examining the economic realities of Belgium with a large number of irrefutable data, sharply criticized Eldorado, a monarchy established on the basis of so-called broadest democracy.
(Note: Eldorado is a fictional golden country or golden city invented by the pioneers of South America) and profoundly pointed out: "It will not be the revolutionary movement that will bring about the demise of constitutional Belgium, but bankruptcy that will bring it to its shameful demise."
Needless to say, this statement of Marx and Engels about Belgium is similar to that of Frank. E. Haggert's point of view in Modern Belgium coincides.
Due to the innate national identity of Belgians, neither political nor social factors will push Belgium to bankruptcy.
What can push Belgium to the abyss, then, must be the economic factor that affects the development of modern countries.
Looking at the whole state of Belgian industry in the period 1845-1848, with the exception of the insignificant state of operation of individual factories, the entire industry of Belgium can be said to be generally in a state of decline and stagnation.
The sharp increase in youth crime due to extreme poverty has also led to the depletion of sources of industrial income.
In addition to serious problems in industry and commerce, Belgium is also in a difficult situation in agriculture.
From this specific and detailed historical material, it has self-evidently confirmed the thesis of Marx and Engels, and also revealed the falsehood of Belgium, a fictional "golden country".
Therefore, Marx once said: "Poverty in Belgium is not rather national poverty."
And it was concluded that "it will not be the revolutionary movement that will bring about the demise of constitutional Belgium, and it will be bankrupt that will bring it to shameful destruction."
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