The Only Way for Survival
He was happy looking round the factory. He examined a switch that was being assembled and named it twin switch, saying that it might be useful in rural dwellings both for connection to an electric cooker and keeping boiled rice warm. Then he went over an electric cooker and praised that the Korean product was excellent and it was most suitable to the situation in the countryside and by no means inferior to a foreign cooker.
He told officials that such good things should be produced in large quantities and supplied to the people, stressing that he would have assistance rendered to the factory and it should turn out smart electric appliances with confidence.
He halted in front of the process for making electric control equipment and watched the employees at work.
After a while he turned round and told officials that the previous year he had tasked a machine factory with producing hundreds of machine tools and it completed the task because the workers of this factory overcame difficulties and manufactured necessary electric control appliances in sufficient numbers.
He praised the manager of the factory for maintaining regular production in such a difficult situation.
Then he asked him what the secret of regular production was.
The manager was perplexed and, after drawing breath, told him what had happened when he went abroad to purchase equipment. The foreign company he was dealing with offered exorbitant prices at the talks.
Enraged at this shameless behaviour, he stated that he would not buy them and his factory would manufacture such equipment at all costs.
The foreigners sneered at him, and he made up his mind to make the equipment so as to defend the national dignity.
The General agreed with the manager and told him that it is just the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance, and dependence on foreign forces will lead the nation to ruin.
Then he said to the officials, “A man without self-respect is as good as dead.”
