If I were to enslave mankind, I’d remove any sense of community.
I’d remove peoples connections, belongings and identity. I’d remove association, shared beliefs and religion. I’d make everyone strangers, going about their lives. Nothing in common. I’d flood their homelands with every race, every color, every belief. Shared values would be muddy, confused, disparate. I would encourage hate between the various groups as a distraction. If the distraction ever stopped, they would be too dissimilar to ever muster enough consensus to challenge my rule. No powerful groups could be formed due to the fragmentation of peoples.
If I were to enslave mankind, I’d stop their ability to flee to a better place.
I’d make a one-world-government where there was no escape. No passport, just a Digital Citizen ID. Nothing to compare your situation to. One efficient system for pooling human capital and extracting that productivity. No competition.
If I were to enslave mankind, I’d use crises to bring in Emergency Powers.
Fear makes people compliant. These Emergency powers would be under the guise of short term implementation. In reality they would be here to stay. Emergency powers would give me the power to do whatever I want. Take away personal liberties, impose strict rules, jail my enemies.
If I were to enslave mankind, I’d make them insensitive to having their resources taken from them.
I would use a Boiling Frog approach to consistently keep taking more and more without having any reaction. I would take from them when they earned, when they spent, I would take when they paid for items to keep them alive - food, heating, water. I would especially target the more affluent ones, the ones that could afford housing. They cannot flee with their accommodation bolted to the ground, which makes them especially easy to target. I would take from them when they died. I would use a Debt Based system - one where I gave out credits and they took on Debts. Their debt might be 25 years of their life force to pay back. The cost of the Credit I made? Nothing. Zip. Nada. I would print money for them to spend so they could buy the things they wanted. If I print more money, I could steal anything they had left over.
If I were to enslave mankind, I’d get rid of Cash and make everything Digital.
Using a Central Bank Digital Currency, I would do away with Cash. All cash in hand mom-and-pop shops, small business taking money outside of my knowledge would be stopped. I could take more from them. If I decided that you were buying things that I don’t want you buying like Beef or donating to causes that I dislike, I’ll freeze your money or take a fine out of your wallet. Id track every asset such as houses, gold on a digital ledger. Maybe they will be my assets in the future.
If I were to enslave mankind, I would weaponize news and media to brainwash the masses.
I would invert truth, spin a narrative and guide people to do what I want. I would convince them that anyone challenging me were subhuman. I would encourage moral superiority to make them feel that they are doing good and are on the right side.
If I were to enslave mankind, I would push my agendas under the guise of good causes.
I would sugar coat my agenda to get popular buy in. Who would argue with good causes? Once the trojan horse has entered, it will unpack to do my bidding. Climate, nature, safety, protection.
If I were to enslave mankind, I’d give them just enough not to rebel.
I would give them enough sustenance and entertainment to keep them productive and so that they would feel a sense of control.
If I were to enslave mankind, I’d use layers of complexity to obfuscate reality.
I would hide the ugly truth behind layers and complexity. The usual joe wouldn’t have enough drive, energy or resources to find the truth. Legalese, law, government departments - all tools at my disposal. Complex banking systems that are rigged against the individual. Socialized losses, private gains.
If I were to enslave mankind, I would hide knowledge of how to escape enslavement.
I would teach people how to be a good worker. I would want them to do as they are told and to be a good low cost cog in a machine. I’d avoid teaching them how to be an entrepreneur or a strong small business owner. They may grow to challenge me.
Good read
Well written but I see a major flaw in your plan.
There is always the 1 person, perhaps in 100, 1000, or 1,000,000 who can see the truth and possesses either the courage or innocence to speak it.
That's the morale of the story of the Emperor's New Clothes.