Obedience is not demanded overnight.  It is cultivated.  Step by step, it infiltrates every corner of life, tightening its grip.  No regime would dare impose its full will at once—such a move would spark resistance too fierce to suppress.  Instead, the chains are fastened incrementally, each link forged quietly to avoid awakening the masses.  This gradual encroachment is a modern form of tyranny cloaked in civility.  History offers countless examples of totalitarianism, each adapting to the era while maintaining the same brutal machinery under a polished exterior.

The failures of statism are undeniable.  Even its defenders, the court intellectuals, struggle to mask the glaring inefficiencies.  They retreat to abstract claims, suggesting that under statist rule, people are somehow “happier.” This is nonsense.  Happiness is subjective, immeasurable across individuals or time.  The claim is as absurd as suggesting that more oppression leads to more joy.  Yet, the lie persists, sold to those unaccustomed to questioning authority.

War is the ultimate expression of statism.  When the violence it perpetuates domestically becomes intolerable, it seeks an external outlet.  Promises of peace and prosperity are made to justify aggression beyond borders.  Statism is inherently violent and treacherous, masquerading as a protector while eroding freedom.  It assumes the role of a deity, demanding worship and punishing dissent.  Those who refuse to kneel are denied favor, their independence painted as rebellion against the common good.

At its core, the state’s power is rooted in coercion.  It holds no legitimate ownership, its wealth and authority come from plunder and force.  Statism undermines voluntary exchange, the foundation of civilization, replacing it with compulsory transactions.  Under capitalism, conflicts over ownership may arise, but they are resolved without the large-scale violence that statism breeds.  War is the byproduct of a system built on coercion, not one rooted in voluntary cooperation.

The consequences of statism are catastrophic.  It corrodes the minds of its subjects, eroding their ability to critically evaluate ideas.  Public education becomes a tool for indoctrination, teaching obedience over reason.  The masses are manipulated into believing that subjugation will bring them happiness, accepting their own oppression under the guise of collective welfare.  In this system, violence is sanctified, and the state is worshipped as a false god.

Statism thrives on deception, exploiting ignorance and fear to expand its reach.  Yet, its promises are hollow, and its foundation is brittle.  The machinery of obedience may seem unbreakable, but its greatest weakness lies in the truth it seeks to suppress.  Recognizing this truth is the first step in dismantling the lies and reclaiming the freedom that statism seeks to destroy.

Reference

Ludwig von Mises; Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis