The economy is a weapon

1. Guan Zhong's Wisdom in Modern Applications

2. Influencer Economy

3. World Situation

1. Guan Zhong's Wisdom in Modern Applications

Guan Zhong's Economic Warfare https://whoareyao.blogspot.com/2016/10/httpctext.html 

A Comparative Analysis of "Hengshan State's Precision Industrial Warfare" and the Modern "Global Chip Warfare"

How has Guan Zhong's wisdom evolved in modern times?

Modern Version: The Survival Game of High Technology and Food

In Guan Zhong's scenario, this war is divided into three stages, which we can apply to a modern context:

Stage 1: Creating the Illusion of an "Order Boom" (Speculating on Demand)

Stage 2: Secretly Controlling "Sustainable Resources" (Hoarding Food)

Stage 3: Closing the Net and Imposing Sanctions (Cutting Off the Supply Chain)

Stage 1: Creating the Illusion of an "Order Boom" (Speculating on Demand)

Ancient Times: Qi State bought weapons from Hengshan State at high prices, attracting Qin, Zhao, and other states to join the buying spree.

Modern Phase: Imagine a powerful nation A (the State of Qi) suddenly announcing a large-scale purchase of high-end chips from a small state B (the State of Hengshan), without any price negotiation. This would lead to a rush of orders from global tech giants, causing chip prices to increase tenfold.

Result: Small state B, feeling rich, invests all its funds and talent into building chip factories,

even diverting funds originally intended for agriculture and oil production to technological research and development, causing an imbalance in its industrial structure.

Phase Two: Secretly Controlling "Life-Sustaining Resources" (Hoarding Food)

Ancient Phase: While placing orders, the State of Qi secretly sent people to various countries to purchase grain (rice).

Modern Phase: While speculating on chips, the powerful nation A quietly signed long-term contracts for most of the world's food and energy.

Result: The powerful nation A has grain in hand and is not worried; the small state B has chips but no grain.

Phase Three: Closing the Net and Sanctions (Cutting Off the Supply Chain)

Ancient Phase: The State of Qi suddenly closes its borders, stops trade, and cuts off food imports.

Modern scenario: A major power, A, suddenly announces export controls, prohibiting the shipment of food to a small country, B.

Result: While small country B is the world's leading producer of semiconductors, semiconductors cannot be eaten.

To survive, the people begin to rebel, and ultimately, small country B has no choice but to compromise completely at the negotiating table.

💡 Summary

This is called "industry diversification risk" in modern economics.

Don't be fooled by immediate profits:

When everyone is frantically buying your product, be wary of a trap.

Diversify risk: A country that only produces high technology (weapons/chips),

but cannot even be self-sufficient in food (food/energy), will always be at the mercy of others.

The economy is a weapon:

Sometimes, the numbers in a bank account are more lethal than artillery on the battlefield.

Sometimes, rice or wheat stocks are more lethal than airplanes on the battlefield.

Sometimes, the flow of daily necessities is more lethal than warships on the battlefield.

Who will Venezuela sell its oil to from 2014 to 2024?

2. The Influencer Economy

Guan Zhong's Economic Warfare:  https://whoareyao.blogspot.com/2016/10/httpctext.html 

This tactic is practically a textbook example of "traffic traps" and "brand myths" in modern times.

Which tactic?

Lu and Liang's "Textile Industry": The Textile Industry Trap

Lai and Ju's "Energy Industry": The Energy Monopoly War

Chu's "Grain Industry": The Deerhide Financial Crisis

Dai's "White Deer": The White Fox Fur Scam

Hengshan's "Precision Machinery Industry": The Military Precision Industry War

Modern Version: The Price of White Fox Fur and "Viral Influencers"

Guan Zhong's logic was: to make people abandon their "stable jobs" in pursuit of "vanity and high salaries."

1. Traffic Temptation (High-Priced Purchase of Fox Fur)

Ancient Times: Guan Zhong offered exorbitant prices for white fox fur, and the people of Dai believed that catching one would bring them great wealth. Modern Era: A major platform (or talent agency) suddenly releases massive subsidies,

offering astonishing dividends and traffic simply by creating funny, attention-grabbing short videos.

Result: Young people see others "earning a year's salary in a day through live streaming,"

so they quit their jobs, abandon their studies, and rush to become internet celebrities.

2. Industrial Hollowing Out (Daiguo people forgetting what is precious and abandoning its roots)

Ancient Era: Daiguo people stopped farming and building city walls,

all hiding in the mountains to catch foxes. But foxes weren't so easy to catch; they couldn't catch any for two years.

Modern Era: Everyone wants to be famous, not work in factories or do research and development.

As a result, the industries that truly support the functioning of society are neglected,

the nation has the "dream of becoming famous," but lacks the "capability to produce."

For example: What are the vocational high school enrollment rates and the percentage of dropouts trying to become YouTubers among recent junior high school graduates in each school district?

3. Opportunistic Invasion (Invasion by the State of Lizhi)

Ancient Times: While the State of Dai was undefended and lacked supplies, neighboring states launched direct attacks.

Modern Times: When a country's technological competitiveness declines,

brands from other countries (such as mobile phones or software) will quickly seize your market,

turning you from a "producer" into a consumer who can only "beg."

💡 Key Point

Guan Zhong indirectly used the victim.

This teaches us a very important concept: "Don't lose sight of the fundamentals of survival by chasing illusory profits."

For individuals: Following trends is good, but without a skill (your livelihood),

when the trend fades (the State of Qi stops buying), you'll find yourself with nothing.

For companies: If you only rely on spending money on advertising (buying fox fur) to achieve superficial prosperity,

without developing product technology, you will eventually be eliminated by the market. For a nation: If it relies solely on current resources (buying fox furs) to achieve superficial prosperity,

what is the extent of its comprehensive understanding of its industries and talent, including education, population, industry, resources, culture, prices, history, and spirit?

Finally?

Guan Zhong's Economic Warfare  https://whoareyao.blogspot.com/2016/10/httpctext.html 

"War is about burning money."

But Guan Zhong, the prime minister of Qi, was even more formidable.

He directly defeated the enemy state with "money," without even moving a single soldier.

This is the most powerful "economic psychological warfare" of ancient times.

Let's look at how he attacked these five states:

Let's examine the tragic experiences of the victims/victims:

Lu and Liang: Textile Industry; Lu and Liang: The Textile Industry Trap

Lai and Ju: Energy Industry; Lai and Ju: The Energy Monopoly War

Chu: Grain Industry; Chu: The Deer Skin Financial Crisis

Dai: White Deer; Dai: The White Fox Fur Scam

Hengshan: Precision Machinery Industry; Hengshan: Military Precision Industry War

Which tactic is most relevant to the current situation in Taiwan or the world?

These five states were all subjected to attacks by Guan Zhong, the prime minister of Qi, using "money," "grain," and "prices."

Which tactic is most relevant to the current situation in Taiwan or the world?

"Hengshan Kingdom: The Battle for Precision Industry and Food Security"

Why does the "Hengshan Kingdom" model most resemble contemporary Taiwan?

Taiwan's current situation is remarkably similar to that of the ancient Hengshan Kingdom: We possess the world's most advanced hardware (semiconductors/chips), and the entire world is vying to buy from us.

1. "World's Fierce Competition for Weapons": The Strategic Importance of Chips

Ancient Times: Hengshan Kingdom's weapons (precision weaponry) were unparalleled, with the states of Qi, Qin, and Zhao placing frantic orders.

Current Times: Taiwan supplies chips (semiconductors) globally, essential for everything from mobile phones and AI to military missiles. This makes Taiwan extremely important internationally, but it also leads to an over-concentration of resources in a single industry.

2. "Abandoning the Fundamentals for Ingenuity": Over-reliance on Resources

Ancient Times: The people of Hengshan Kingdom, finding weapon manufacturing too lucrative, abandoned farming (basic necessities).

Current Times: Taiwan faces a high concentration of talent, electricity, and land resources in the semiconductor industry. While this has brought enormous economic benefits, it has also led to increased energy pressure and a decline in other traditional industries.

3. "Qi's Trade Cuts and Closure": Potential Supply Disruption Risk

Ancient Times: The State of Qi outwardly purchased weapons but secretly stockpiled grain. When trade was suddenly cut off, the State of Hengshan, despite possessing the most advanced weaponry, lacked sufficient food.

Modern Times: This is the most important lesson—"Chips cannot be eaten."

If global turmoil leads to disruptions in energy (oil, natural gas) or food supplies,

even with the most advanced technology, we could fall into the trap set by Guan Zhong.

💡 Guan Zhong's Survival Guide for Modern Taiwan (and the World)

Guan Zhong's five economic strategies are actually reminding us of two things:

Key resources cannot be entirely dependent on others:

The State of Hengshan failed because they believed that as long as they had money and technology, they could always buy food from others.

But Guan Zhong teaches us that in critical moments, "food and energy" are more decisive than "gold and weapons."

Don't fall into the trap of "praise to death": When the whole world praises and depends on you, be careful that it doesn't cause you to neglect basic defenses (such as social resilience and energy self-sufficiency).

💡💡 Also be careful: over-translating this article; using criticism to disrupt the original production rhythm.

💡💡💡 Also be careful: over-interpreting this article; using inappropriate methods to disrupt the original production rhythm.

📊 Guan Zhong's Economic Warfare Logic Diagram

Guan Zhong wasn't telling us not to develop high technology, but rather reminding us that:

A healthy nation

must strike a balance between "high-profit precision industries" and "life-sustaining basic agriculture/energy."

Like in a game, maxing out attack power (technology) is certainly cool, but if defense and stamina (food/energy) are insufficient, the opponent can simply cut off your water and electricity and you're done for.

If Guan Zhong were to travel to the modern era and see current "oil price fluctuations" or "grain export bans," what advice would he give?

If Guan Zhong traveled to 2026, he probably wouldn't just focus on the stock market.

He would immediately rush to check "natural gas/oil reserves" and the "price index."

Because in his logic, these things are the modern version of "grain (millet)."

1. Oil: The Modern Version of "Qi's Millet Stockpiling"

When dealing with the states of Chu and Hengshan, Guan Zhong's most crucial step wasn't buying deer or machinery,

but rather "secretly buying up all the grain from neighboring countries."

Guan Zhong's Perspective: Modern oil is like ancient grain.

Without grain, people starve; without oil, all logistics, electricity, and factories shut down.

Warning: If a powerful state (like the ancient state of Qi) begins to stockpile energy or uses geopolitics to cut off oil routes,

this is a precursor to "closing the country to trade."

1. When you discover that oil reserves are dwindling, it means your "lifeline" has been seized by someone else.

2. Prices: Guan Zhong's "The Art of Light and Heavy"

Guan Zhong had a theory called "Theory of Light and Heavy," which, simply put, is about controlling inflation.

When prices skyrocket (buying at 100 coins per ton): This is like the situation faced by the states of Lu and Liang in the end.

When the whole country is busy weaving cloth and hunting deer, and no one is producing necessities, prices will spiral out of control.

Guan Zhong's ruthless tactic: He would deliberately inflate the price of certain goods in your country (making you feel wealthy),

while simultaneously depressing the prices of essential goods in his own country.

When you find that prices are so high that you can't afford food,

he would then use cheap rice (selling rice at 10 coins per ton) to lure your people into fleeing or surrendering.

💡 Guan Zhong's Survival Tips for Modern People

Faced with the current international situation,

if we want to avoid becoming the next "Hengshan State" or "Chu State,"

Guan Zhong might offer these three suggestions:

1. Safeguard the "Core Economy"

No matter how profitable AI chips are, a nation must maintain

a basic level of food self-sufficiency

and

stable energy reserves.

2. Be Wary of "Abnormally High Prices"

When an industry (like the white fox fur trade of yesteryear, or certain speculative markets today)

experiences unreasonably high profits, attracting everyone to quit their jobs and invest,

we must calmly consider: Could this be a "luring the enemy" tactic,

aiming to drain our fundamental industries?

3. Diversify Dependencies

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

If we rely solely on a single country for energy or critical resources,

once that country "closes its doors,"

we will have no choice but to "surrender" like the rulers of Lu and Liang.

Guan Zhong's wisdom tells us:

True strength isn't about how much money you win, but about how long you can survive when you're blockaded.

Which country's strategy today, do you think, most resembles the "State of Qi" of yesteryear, which secretly planned and stockpiled resources?