"I would like to come back to the wealth tax. As I said, I had expected that you would want to introduce one. I actually shared this expectation with another person. Just two issues ago, we had an interview with Mr. Burghard Lichtfall. He had also speculated that you would want to introduce a wealth tax soon."

At the mention of the name, the assistant downstairs pulled a page from the pile on the table. After the man had finished his sentence, the assistant read the page aloud.

"I quote: 'If you ask me what the future holds, I can tell you. Have you heard about the right to housing? Recently, lazy people and alcoholics are being taken off the streets and being gifted houses. This woman is completely blinded by ideology. Merit doesn't matter to her. If you own a property, you'd better say goodbye to it, because the next thing that's coming will be a wealth tax. I can guarantee you that."

"Mr. Lichtfall talks about the right to housing, but he has got it wrong. We don't gift houses. We provide apartments that are in buildings that are called houses. That's probably where the confusion comes from. I'm ideologically blinded? I'm sure that's supposed to be an insult. Of course it's ideology, but it's always some kind of ideology. I have my own will, my own interests and my own view of the world and I do what I think is right from this perspective. Isn't that the case for everyone? Or does Mr. Lichtfall claim to be a neutral being with unlimited knowledge? Even for him, that would be a bit of a stretch... My interests are known. It's mainly horse riding and sport shooting. When I decide to do something that promotes these things, it's always because I personally want it to happen. I announced earlier that there will be free membership of a riding school with an own horse for children from poorer backgrounds. This will only be the case because I personally would like all children to have the opportunity to discover my passion. Politics is all about who you trust, ME or those who claim to have no interests of their own."

"It's apparent that you two don't like each other very much."

"His eldest son works for me, that's why he doesn't like me." Marah glanced casually at the SSW officer. "He'll get over it one day. Thanks to Mr. Lichtfall, I now at least have the opportunity to say something about the right to housing. We are currently sending social workers to homeless people on the street to help them improve their situation. But what exactly is there to improve? Nobody is going to employ someone who hasn't even had a shower. That's simply ineffective. In future, the social worker will come and show you a few apartments and you can choose one. You also get an account and support and, if you want, ongoing counseling and, if necessary, therapeutic treatment. In this way, you get up to the level of a normal jobseeker much more quickly. This is the right to housing. The apartments are not gifts. They are not even paid for out of social security payments. They are apartments owned by the state. When Bauen & Wohnen buys a residential building and renovates it or builds it itself, they always leave one or more of the apartments vacant. So these are not high costs. These are mainly just non-profits. There is more living space in the country than people need. If someone else were to move into a Bauen & Wohnen apartment, then a privately owned apartment would become empty again. I find it despicable that people are left sitting on the street while apartments are empty and all other residents pay more to help finance these empty apartments. Being homeless on the street under cardboard is no disgrace. Having to beg to buy alcohol is no disgrace. The fact that citizens are almost left alone in this situation is a disgrace, namely a disgrace for the government. If you don't even know how to make your country's workforce fully operational, then you are incompetent and should be replaced. There are 10 times as many homeless people in other countries as there are here. Does Mr. Lichtfall think there are simply 10 times as many genetic alcoholics? Have you ever slept outside? You don't notice the cold when you're drunk. If you drink all winter, you won't stop in the summer either. Alcohol is a gateway drug and harder ones follow. Some of these people have ended up on the street because they can't work due to physical or mental limitations, or simply because they've been kicked out by their parents or have fled. That is okay. None of my citizens have to freeze. Every one of my citizens has a right to food, health, education, work and housing, among other things. That is without compensation. So that even Mr. Lichtfall understands this, if a citizen of this country can no longer or no longer wants to, then we will not leave him lying around, but will reach out and carry him. This also applies to the Lichtfall family if business should take a turn for the worse."

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The man nodded with satisfaction and leaned back a little.

"That's it from our side."

"That's good, because I don't have any more time."

"Finally, can I ask you a question in my own interest?

"Please." Marah clasped her hands together expectantly.

"Aren't you worried that foreign countries will copy you in some ways?"

"For some things, I would even like it, but I doubt that I am the first to think of all these things, yet no one has implemented any of them yet. There is simply a lack of will. Nothing is being done. Instead, people explain why it can't work or why it can't be applied to their own situation. It doesn't really matter what I do. Nobody will copy most of it and that's a good thing. You won't print the part I'm going to tell you now." Marah looked at everyone once to see if she had understood. "I explained earlier that some districts suck the life out of their surrounding areas because they have such low rates of assessment. This also works internationally. In the future, we will have almost the lowest corporate taxes in the world, the domestic market is large, imports are heavy, but exports are rather loose. I want major foreign companies to relocate all or part of their headquarters and production to Baele because it is safer, because raw materials are cheaper, because taxes are lower here, because they can serve all markets from here. I want to attract talented people to Baele through the companies. They will bring their families and their wealth with them. Today, Baele is an important trading partner for many nations, but what I want is not an equal partnership, but medicine, pesticides, metal, weapons, wood, minerals, gems, jewelry, food, oil and gas. I want all of it. I want to control the prices of everything. I want to control global trade."

"Why?" the man asked nervously. The question almost stuck in his throat.

"Because I can. " Marah drank her cup empty and stood up. "I am a sovereign. I can't be promoted. I can only reign more. If the world can be subjugated, I will do it, whether it's through economics, religion or military."

"Why are you telling me this?"

~Good question.~

"Let's end the interview at this point. I've talked enough for one day."

Everyone stood up. Reyji took the handbag.

There was then a long farewell and a few words about the printing of the magazine. Some time later, Marah, Reyji and the officer left the building togehter.

"When the big investors leave the country... If he only knew..."

"Why did you say that at the end?"

"Mainly because he will spread it. A ruler needs ambition. Those who seek power always cling to someone else's power first, but when their power stops growing, their power stops growing too, but because everyone always wants more power, there's only one place left for them to go. I want the nobility to know that it is worth following me and that there are consequences for not doing so, and they will learn that."

The next week, Marah received the print version of the interview via a courier to approve it. It was somewhat different. It had been shortened and changed. Most of the changes were in the order and in the questions from the reporter. The important things had all remained the same. Marah signed the documents and the interview could be published.

The changes to the tax law were well received by the general public. But by no means by everyone. There was criticism from financial institutions, transport companies, food production companies, the hunters guild, hunters associations, animal protection associations, many other associations, the metal industry and the metal guild and many others.

The metal guild were the only ones whose criticism really made a difference. They were concerned with the planned combustibles tax, because its height made the recommendations for filter systems almost an obligation for companies. Depending on the scale, these filter systems were anything but cheap. Within the year, the metal guild was able to negotiate in parliament a proportional share of the costs for shipyards and a fundamental change in the write-off of such filter systems and components for all companies.

The last changes from the interview came into effect at the turn of the year. Baele was the country with the highest gross domestic product in its half of the world and the gap to other countries grew every year. This has always been the case and it remains so.

.../ End Part