Chapter 2398: The Turbulence in Jotunheim

There is another reason why the Jotunheims dislike the standing army stationed by the sovereign state.
With so many soldiers stationed in the Jotunheim colony all year round, how much did it cost to eat and drink Lazarus?
The Feizhen authorities tried to let the colonial residents share the cost of the garrison, but that was a miscalculation, and the locals would definitely not agree!
The three colonies on the east coast of the New World, from Alfheim to Midgard and then to Jotunheim. Although they belong to different suzerain states and have different cultures and customs, they almost resist national taxes. All colonists are in the same camp!
Anyway, I just don't pay taxes!
I don’t want money, I’m going to die!
It is a pity that the entire Fichen ruling class, from the king to the prime minister, cabinet ministers and members of the Senate and House of Representatives, few people have personally visited the New World and knew almost nothing about the customs and customs of the Jotunheim colony. He did not bother to understand, ignored the strong voices of the colonial people, and enacted legislation for more than four million Jotunheims with a arrogant attitude.
In January 1625, the Fijian Parliament passed the "Sugar Tax Act", stipulating that the sugar and sweet wine imported by Van Jotunheim must pay a tariff of 1 silver pound per gallon (about 3.785 liters).
In all fairness, this tax rate is not high.
The parliament kept the tax rate low because it was afraid of causing resistance from the colonial people, and the tax collected did not return to the home country, and was completely used for the expenditure of the colony's troops.
Although the "sugar tax" is not high, it stirred up waves like a single stone and immediately aroused the strong resentment of the Jotunheim people.
In the 1622 mineral vein war, the Jotunheims did not take advantage. Instead, they were beaten up by the Midgard. Since then, the economy of the Jotunheim colony has been sluggish, and everyone's life is tight. Not happy, now the home country has to increase the tax burden, can the people of Jotunheim not be annoyed?
What makes the colonial people more disturbed is the arrogant measures taken by the Fijian government to effectively implement this decree, and its symbolic trend: Parliament can impose a sugar tax on the colony today, and other taxes can be imposed tomorrow.
Once this case is opened, the troubles are endless!
The colonial newspapers under the control of the "Freedom Sons Association" took the opportunity to publish a strongly worded propaganda article, calling on all the Jotunheim colonists to stand up bravely to resist the "sugar tax" and use actual actions to say "no" to the home country government. ! Prevent the Feizhen Council from gaining an inch and levying wildly!
How did the colonial people specifically resist the sugar tax?
Refuse to buy sugar, desserts and rum?
The leaders of the anti-tax movement, including Adams, knew in their hearts that using this method of reducing their own quality of life to protest is like killing an enemy at a loss of one thousand, and it cannot be maintained for a long time. The better way is...smuggling.
The story that was staged in Alfheim not long ago, now the stage is changed to Jotunheim, touring, the behind-the-scenes director is the "Freedom Sons Association" and its sponsor, the smuggling merchant group of the New World.
The script of the story is also nothing new, it is nothing more than a group of extra actors who have been incited.
The people of Jotunheim achieve the purpose of fighting taxes by buying smuggled sugar and sweet wine, and their quality of life is basically not affected.
At the same time, the
sons of freedom
who instigated tax resistance and their funders in the smuggling and stolen industries took the opportunity to expand their market share, using political propaganda to encourage people to buy smuggled goods and make more profits.
The colonial people declared their political views through tax resistance and obtained spiritual satisfaction. The smuggling group earned more real money and material gains by inciting tax resistance. The only thing that was damaged during this period was the fiscal revenue and rule of the Kingdom of Feizhen. Foundation.
In today's world, the Feizhen Kingdom, which implements a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system, is often praised by intellectuals as a typical example of an advanced political system. However, facts prove that "constitutional" and "parliament" cannot be equated with "tolerance" and "prudence."
Also in the spring of 1625, the two major colonies in the north and south of the New World, Alfheim and Jotunheim, broke out in social movements against the increase in taxes in the home country.
The imperial authorities, ridiculed as "clay-footed giants," once tried to replace the governor of the Alfheim colony, dissolve the colonial parliament, and used high-handed methods to deal with the anti-tax trend. Instead, they aroused stronger resistance and eventually had to abandon tax increases and ended in embarrassment. .
The younger generation of colonial intellectuals, including Qiao An, had long seen through the dull, short-sighted, and perverse nature of the imperial bureaucracy, and they were not surprised by their clumsy methods of handling the colonial tax resistance movement.
Then, the Fijian ruling authority, who prides itself on civilization and advancement, advocates civil rights and freedom, is often used to reflect the degeneration of imperial power. In the face of the anti-tax trend that also occurred in overseas colonies, has it taken more clever measures?
Regrettably, the Feizhen authorities gave a disappointing answer.
Unlike the Holy Ashen Empire, which is an autocratic monarchy, the executive power of the Feizhen Kingdom is in the hands of the Parliament.
However, the colony is not a "constituency." There are no members of the Fichen Parliament who represent the interests of the colonists. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the Fichen Parliament handles the colonial tax resistance movement even more brutal than the imperial cabinet. overbearing!
Facing the enthusiastic Jortonheim people, Fei Zhen, the deputies of the upper and lower houses, first felt that their dignity was offended. Then they voted to increase their efforts to strictly enforce the "Sugar Tax Act" and to treat the colony Impose the strictest armed anti-smuggling policy!
This bill aimed at cracking down on smuggling and sale of stolen goods ordered the Jotunheim police and customs officers to strictly investigate individuals and institutions involved in smuggling. The Fichen warship cruising in Maple Bay was also ordered to ban smuggling cargo ships and anti-smuggling police officers with blank warrant , Has the right to search any premises where they think the suspect may be hiding.
All of a sudden, the entire Jotunheim colony was full of trouble!
The scene of the crackdown on smuggling and sale of stolen goods may seem scary, but in fact, the "sons of freedom" have seen a lot, and they have accumulated rich anti-smuggling experience in the southern colonies.
The smuggling group in Jotunheim, through the "Son of Freedom" Northern Branch under the leadership of Adams, united with the General Association in Midgard to carry out cross-border smuggling and stolen goods.
As long as the smuggling vessel escapes into the waters of Midgard, the anti-smuggling vessel of the Feizhen Customs has no choice but to return home for fear of causing international conflict.
The smugglers wanted by the Jotunheim colonial government, including Joseph Adams, the mastermind behind the scenes, have a hundred ways to easily escape to Midgard to avoid the limelight.
The Jotunheim authorities had negotiated with the Midgard colonial government and tried to cooperate in arresting the wanted criminals, but there was no progress. After working for more than half a year, the sugar tax was confiscated.
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