Chapter 724: Abundance Agenda

Chapter 724: Chapter 337: Abundance Agenda

“Mr. President,” Leo began, speaking within his consciousness. “Since you brought up the island of abundance, does this mean that the Eastern Power across the Pacific Ocean has already achieved the kind of abundance we’re now envisioning? With all these policies we’re pushing with such great fanfare, are we just copying their playbook?”

Roosevelt’s voice held a hint of admiration.

“Your instincts are sharp, Leo. From the perspectives of industrial capacity, infrastructure, and resource security, they have indeed largely achieved the material form of what we’ve outlined in our Abundance Agenda ahead of time.”

“They have already established many advantages in the physical domain.” Roosevelt began to break it down. “They possess the world’s largest and cheapest power system, an ultra-high-voltage transmission network, and a terrifying installed capacity for solar and wind power.”

“On a physical level, they have achieved a massive supply of energy. This is precisely the goal that Washington currently dreams of, yet struggles to achieve, bogged down by endless approvals and conflicts of interest.”

“Their high-speed rail network, 5G base stations, and port throughput are, in essence, a form of abundance born from overbuilding. This abundance has drastically reduced the costs of logistics and information flow for their entire society.”

“While we’re still on Capitol Hill arguing endlessly about reshoring manufacturing, they have already become the only country in the world to possess every industrial category defined by the United Nations. The ability to make anything, and cheaply—that is a classic example of supply-side abundance.”

Leo’s brow furrowed. “If they’ve already achieved all this, does that mean they’ve completed a closed loop? If everyone just fends for themselves, is there any need for globalization anymore?”

“They are approaching a closed loop, or rather, one that relies primarily on internal circulation, but they haven’t completely achieved it yet,” Roosevelt corrected. “When it comes to daily necessities, low-to-mid-range industrial goods, and infrastructure, they have achieved an extremely high degree of self-sufficiency. The resilience of this physical economy is the source of their confidence when facing external sanctions.”

“But they still have weak spots. They remain deeply embedded in the global system due to their dependence on foreign sources for foundational core technologies, such as high-end chips and advanced manufacturing equipment, as well as for primary resources like oil, soybeans, and iron ore.”

“What they have achieved is a self-sufficient loop in productivity. However, for resource inputs and top-tier technology, they still need to trade with the world.”

“So, does this count as a reversal that will end globalization?” Leo pressed.

“It is indeed a reversal of the old-school globalization of the past,” Roosevelt analyzed. “That globalization was efficiency-oriented, emphasizing zero inventory and sourcing from the lowest-cost producer globally.”

“But the current Abundance Agenda, both in their implementation and our conception, is all about security and redundancy. For the sake of security, you must generate more power than you can use, build more high-speed rail than you can fill, and stockpile more food than you can eat.”

“Globalization used to be complementary: we provided the technology, they provided the labor, and Russia provided the energy.”

“The current trend is convergence. We also want to get into manufacturing, they also want to get into R&D, and everyone is pursuing energy self-sufficiency.”

“When major powers all try to complete their own closed loops of abundance within their borders, the necessity of global trade inevitably declines. Globalization is shifting from mutual dependence to each nation fending for itself, and even to mutual confrontation.”

Leo sighed. “So we really are learning from their playbook. The American political establishment has finally woken up.”

“It’s a collective awakening born of necessity.” Roosevelt’s tone turned cold. “For the past thirty years, Washington was obsessed with finance and the internet, viewing physical production as a low-end industry.”

“But after seeing the resilience they demonstrated during crises, thanks to their formidable physical production capacity and complete industrial chains, the elite finally realized that without abundance in the physical domain, financial hegemony is just a castle in the air, ready to collapse at any moment.”

“They were able to achieve abundance because of their strong state coordination. Therefore, the current Abundance Agenda is essentially the United States attempting an American-style national mobilization, using executive power to forcibly bypass environmental reviews, cut through bureaucratic red tape, and subsidize domestic manufacturing.”

“And what about the future?” Leo asked. “If everyone achieves abundance, will nations no longer need to compete globally? Is a completely closed internal loop viable?”

“Competition will still exist; only the battlefield has changed,” Roosevelt said, cutting straight to the point. “The battlefield has shifted from simple exchange to standards and spillover.”

“If you are not only self-sufficient but can also produce at a lower cost than the rest of the world, like with their current electric vehicles and solar panels, then your abundance becomes an offensive weapon.”

“You don’t need to steal anyone’s market; your very existence deconstructs other nations’ industries.”

“Moreover, no country can achieve a 100% physically closed loop. To acquire rare resources, you still need to engage in global power plays.”

“As for a completely closed internal loop,” Roosevelt paused. “Theoretically, a great power on the scale of the United States or the Eastern Power could sustain a high-level society on a survival basis purely through internal circulation.”

“The essence of an internal loop is self-preservation—ensuring society doesn’t collapse under an extreme blockade. But it’s very difficult to maintain an evolutionary lead with it.”

“The essence of globalization is evolution. The essence of innovation is the collision of ideas.”

“If a country completely shuts its doors, it might enter a very long period of affluent but stagnant involution, rich but lacking breakthroughs.”

“So the endgame is the fragmentation of globalization,” Leo summarized.

“Yes. Globalization becomes a game played between several large ‘fortresses of abundance.’ Inside these fortresses, they rely on internal circulation. Between them, they weaponize physical goods. The strategy becomes, ‘I’ll overproduce something that you don’t necessarily need but can’t live without,’ or ‘I’ll crush your industries with my excess capacity.'”