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既然基础工业这么重要，直接向基础工业投资，拉动经济不就行了么？为何非要耗资巨大地搞军备，绕个大圈子来搞基础工业？
这是因为在金融业的视角看来，基础工业有重要的“先天不足”。
基础工业的进步和一般工业企业不同。一般的工业企业，尤其是轻工业的进步往往是基于现有的各种工业技术，重新排列组合，改进修补，创造出新的生产方式，或是新的消费品。这样的进步虽然是渐变积累，虽然没有本质上的突破，但好处是很直观。只要技术改造真的有效果，发明者（机构）就可以申请个专利，带着样品或图纸去找投资者，展示新产品，或者说明如何压低成本。投资者就算自己看不明白，请个技术顾问也可以分析一下。有效就可以投资，就可以开工。要是企业自己做出的技术改造，也可以请银行来评估一下资产，融资开工。总之，基于现有技术基础，重新组合出来的技术进步很容易预估利润，因此能够被金融企业理解，可以获得信用货币支持。作为第二次工业革命时代最著名的一个创意班子带头人，爱迪生就是这样和摩根财团勾搭上的。
基础工业就不太一样。尽管基础工业也存在许多渐进式的进步。但归根结底，在现有的各种方案中排列组合，技术储备总有吃光的那一天，而且指望不上别人来提供新方案。只有不断地向未知领域探索，制造此前从未尝试过的机器，才能持续地提高效率，向整个工业体系提供新技术。为了建造新一代的机器，大型的重工业企业甚至要深入到科学的前沿，支持基础科学研究，把最新的科学成果转化为工程成果。比如这意味着经常性地承受失败，以及利润前景的不明朗——这正是金融资本最厌恶的东西：风险和未知的风险。
简单地说，就是金融资本的判断，最终必然体现为银行工作人员的判断。作为外行的工作人员，对于基于现有技术的开发可以预估盈利能力，对于向未知领域的技术探索很难估算盈利能力和风险，所以本性上厌恶向基础工业进步投资。如果让金融行业自主地决定投资方向，这个趋势显然会拖慢基础工业的进步，最终导致经济停滞。
实际上，这正是欧美200年来的现实，而且随着技术开发成本不断增加而越来越严重。能扭转这个现实的因素只有军备竞赛。
军事投资有个很大的特性——最大的风险来自于敌人。军队虽然不喜欢浪费钱，但更不希望看到敌人拿到比自己先进的武器。所以，在财政允许的范围内，军队愿意承担一部分失败风险，乐于向基础研究投资，拉动基础工业的进步，在武器订单内开销巨大的研发费用。而且现代军队作为一个国家机构，本身也拥有足够的技术专家，拥有自己的理工科大学、研究院。他们能够对某些风险研发做出比金融界更正确的判断。
所以，虽然军备耗资巨大，虽然坦克飞机不能吃不能穿，但往往越是增加军费（航天拨款），制造武器，基础科技进步和基础工业发展就越快。从军事角度说，这些研发或成功或失败，但这些技术进步“溢出”到民用工业，会迅速地转化为看得见、摸得着的财富，让所有人更有钱。微波炉的发明就是个典型的例子——雷达研究中一个工程师发现磁控管融化了他口袋里的巧克力，他说服军方基于这种热现象研发一种新武器，新武器没出来，但微波炉上市了。冷战中这种故事千千万万。看似浪费的军事订单成了美国经济实际上的发动机，看似政绩工程的阿波罗计划换回了百倍的收益，美国（以及享受美国技术溢出的盟友）因此保持了几十年的世界老大地位。这正是孙子兵法上说的“以迂为直以患为利”。
冷战不止美国一方，苏联也在搞军备竞赛，也因此占住了世界一级的地位，70年代前增长速度还远高于美国，从不到美国3成的实力逐步上升到美国7成的水平。但80年代后的苏联并没有因此欣欣向荣，反而逐渐停滞，最终解体。这除了文化上的因素外，很重要的一个原因是苏联并没有正确理解自己的优势所在，没有理解强大军工——重工业本身就意味着无限的财富。
80年代的苏联和美国一样，大部分精华人力投入到以军事为中心的高科技工业，剩余人力已经不足以去转化军工业的技术进步，生产足够的消费品。面对这个问题，美国把工业向海外转移，通过金融优势回收产品解决问题。苏联却反过来开始怀疑自己的优势所在，转向市场化路线，放弃工业规划、减少军费、降低军重工投资以解决暂时的经济困难。这就是戈尔巴乔夫的“新思维”。结果自然是越改问题越大，最后一跨了之。
不过，既然军备竞赛成了经济增长的发动机，冷战结束对于金融集团本来就异常强大的美国来说不是个好消息。随着刀枪入库马放南山，美国的基础研究也越来越少，实体经济进步越来越依赖于冷战期间的技术储备。等到互联网-集成电路代表的这一轮经济高潮过去，美国最大的依仗已经是通过金融向全世界吸血，制造投资泡沫。军费中用来养人、维持运转的费用越来越高，用来搞研发的比例越来越低。等到吸血也填不满美国金融泡沫的时候，2008金融海啸就来了——距苏联解体不过17年。
吸取美苏经验教训并不等于重演历史。既然军备竞赛拉动经济只是一个间接路线，中国不一定非得发起一场新冷战才能拉动经济，毕竟冷战是世界随时距毁灭只有半个钟头的时代。中国并不缺把新科技成果转化成消费品的人力，只要中国能避免被眼前的经济波动牵着鼻子走，坚持落实产业升级规划。中国不需要像美国那样消耗世界一半的军费，也能保障经济的稳步发展，也能让“钱”越来越多。
为了达成这一目标，最终中国必然需要一个“工业总参谋部”。从短期来看，中国至少要避免让银行主导产业政策，让银行在工业经济方面更专业化，更“懂行”。像精细化工等短板领域需要专门的融资机构和融资政策。眼下建交农工、国开行、农发行的业务高度同质化，在房地产热潮中一拥而上的局面必须被扭转。
对于银行来说，一块钱和另一块钱之间可能没有什么区别，但对于全社会来说，投向基础工业升级和研发的一块钱，和投向一般消费品领域的一块钱、投向房产泡沫的一块钱大不相同，区别就像给孩子交学费和买玩具那样大。把决定投资的权力交给银行，就像把家庭财政交给小学生来管一样，后果不堪设想。
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About the game:
USA as a world power? In E-Sim it is possible!
In E-Sim we have a huge, living world, which is a mirror copy of the Earth. Well, maybe not completely mirrored, because the balance of power in this virtual world looks a bit different than in real life. In E-Sim, USA does not have to be a world superpower, It can be efficiently managed as a much smaller country that has entrepreneurial citizens that support it's foundation. Everything depends on the players themselves and how they decide to shape the political map of the game.
Work for the good of your country and see it rise to an empire.
Activities in this game are divided into several modules. First is the economy as a citizen in a country of your choice you must work to earn money, which you will get to spend for example, on food or purchase of weapons which are critical for your progress as a fighter. You will work in either private companies which are owned by players or government companies which are owned by the state. After progressing in the game you will finally get the opportunity to set up your own business and hire other players. If it prospers, we can even change it into a joint-stock company and enter the stock market and get even more money in this way.
In E-Sim, international wars are nothing out of the ordinary.
Become an influential politician.
The second module is a politics. Just like in real life politics in E-Sim are an extremely powerful tool that can be used for your own purposes. From time to time there are elections in the game in which you will not only vote, but also have the ability to run for the head of the party you're in. You can also apply for congress, where once elected you will be given the right to vote on laws proposed by your fellow congress members or your president and propose laws yourself. Voting on laws is important for your country as it can shape the lives of those around you. You can also try to become the head of a given party, and even take part in presidential elections and decide on the shape of the foreign policy of a given state (for example, who to declare war on). Career in politics is obviously not easy and in order to succeed in it, you have to have a good plan and compete for the votes of voters.
You can go bankrupt or become a rich man while playing the stock market.
The international war.
The last and probably the most important module is military. In E-Sim, countries are constantly fighting each other for control over territories which in return grant them access to more valuable raw materials. For this purpose, they form alliances, they fight international wars, but they also have to deal with, for example, uprisings in conquered countries or civil wars, which may explode on their territory. You can also take part in these clashes, although you are also given the opportunity to lead a life as a pacifist who focuses on other activities in the game (for example, running a successful newspaper or selling products).
At the auction you can sell or buy your dream inventory.
E-Sim is a unique browser game. It's creators ensured realistic representation of the mechanisms present in the real world and gave all power to the players who shape the image of the virtual Earth according to their own. So come and join them and help your country achieve its full potential.
Invest, produce and sell - be an entrepreneur in E-Sim.
Take part in numerous events for the E-Sim community.
