On Foundation by Isaac Asimov: Why did Gorov go to Askone to trade?

[onish]

In the part of '' The traders '', Gorov says to Ponyet about his wanting to trade with Askonians, '' The only way we can increase the security of the Foundation
here in the Periphery is to form a religion-controlled commercial empire. We're still too weak to
be able to force political control. It's all we can do to hold the Four Kingdoms. ''

How is a religion-controlled commerce supposed to work, and how can it secure the position of the Foundation in the Periphery, and how does having a religion-controlled commerce help the Foundation be stronger to force political control in the Periphery ?

 

[onish]

PS: I mean there is nothing to be afraid of Askonian people as they don't possess high-tech stuff. Askone in no way threaten the security of the Foundation. So why is it so important to trade with them or to force political control over Askone?

 

[chornedsnorkack]

Like Gorov claims, a world that refuses to trade would be somehow a source of hostility to Foundation.
That presupposition is pretty much inconsistent with the exposition of Merchant Princes.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

religion-controlled commerce supposed to work

We have a culture and religion dominated by big business Nation today that gets very upset by low tech small countries that don't like them and they try to destabilise the other three major powers. They are trying to control the world using culture and economics.

I think it's pretty reasonable. Most of the original Foundation series is based on history, maybe influenced a bit by Gibbons. The later books get too sidetracked with AI, Daneel and Zeroth law. I found them progressively more disappointing. Now I only re-read the original series.