Too many people are losing their chains, the only thing they have to lose. Too many people are noticing their chains. That seems to happen when they move. So let’s make sure they can’t.
We’ll send in the army to keep them still, destroy their homes, so they can’t escape the chill and the sound of bombs falling in the cold night air.
We’re giving them freedom! But all those ungrateful barbarians do is despair.
We’ll impose sanctions to keep their food and medicine scant. We’ll enforce blockades, put the whole country on a diet.
The hungry stay quiet. The sick and dying are obedient.
The starving are easy to appease. The homeless are easy to please. They’ll buy whatever you want them to; they’ll do whatever you want them to do; when they’re dying and diseased.
Business lesson 101: Everyone’s a customer if you try hard enough. Make them need it. And they’ll buy your stuff.
You can make anyone a client if you sell it to ‘em right. The secret is to threaten them with violence. The best kind of “voluntary association” is the involuntary kind.
Force them into your economic empire. Remind them they’re choosing freedom! (Freedom to buy!) Empire guarantees customers. The imperial customer is the most obedient and devoted of them all.
We’re giving them freedom! But all those ungrateful barbarians do is despair.
Do they even care? Why aren’t they thanking us?
We’re giving them freedom. We’re selling them chains. The least they could do is thank us.