If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate

O children of the future, heed the words of Howard Zinn, a voice of wisdom for our times, who spoke with a sharp clarity on the power of ideas and the control of society: "If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves." These words carry within them a profound warning and a deep truth: that true control is not maintained through the force of arms, but through the manipulation of ideas. The power of those who rule is not in their ability to command, but in their ability to make us believe in the ideas that uphold their rule.

In the time of the ancients, Socrates warned that the state could easily shape the thoughts of its citizens. In his dialogues, he often examined how those in positions of power could influence the minds of the people, convincing them that their interests were the common good. The philosophers of old understood that control over ideas was the most potent form of domination. The tyrants of their day—whether in the city-states of Greece or the empires of Rome—knew that as long as they could control the beliefs of the people, they could avoid open rebellion. It was not the power of soldiers that kept them in command, but the power of the mind, the ability to make people see the world as they wished it to be.

Look to the history of the Roman Empire as an example. The emperors, with their lavish spectacles and grand rhetoric, sought to distract and entertain the people. The games and gladiatorial contests were not merely forms of amusement, but ways of keeping the public's mind occupied, keeping them from questioning the injustices of their rulers. The emperors knew that if they could control what the people saw, they could control what they believed. In the grand spectacle, the emperor became both the hero and the benefactor, a ruler beloved by the people, while the truth of their suffering was obscured. Zinn’s warning mirrors this ancient truth: control the ideas, and you need not worry about the army. The people will be loyal because they will believe in the system that oppresses them.

Fast forward to our own time, where the media, the press, and the powerful corporations hold sway over the information we consume. Politicians and corporate leaders shape the narratives we hear—whether it’s the image of the benevolent corporation or the just politician. Zinn spoke of how those in power, through control of the media, could shape the very thoughts and desires of the masses. By creating and perpetuating specific ideas, they manipulate the people into believing that the system is just, that their poverty is their own fault, or that the wars they are sent to fight are righteous. It is not necessary for the rulers to deploy soldiers in the streets if they can keep the people docile through the media, creating a system where the people govern themselves—believing they are free, when in reality, they are under the influence of the powerful few.

Zinn's quote points us toward a dangerous truth: that true freedom and justice cannot exist in a world where the ideas of the masses are manipulated and controlled by those with the most resources. It is the ideas that give rise to action, and if those ideas are twisted to serve the interests of the few, the whole society becomes complicit in its own oppression. The power of the people is in their ability to think for themselves, to question, to understand, and to challenge the narratives they are fed. When we accept the ideas of the powerful without question, we cease to be free. Self-control, in this sense, is not about personal discipline alone—it is about the freedom to question and redefine the ideas that shape our world.

History has shown that the most successful revolutions are those that begin with the awakening of the mind. Take, for example, the French Revolution of 1789. The people of France, tired of being subjugated by an unjust monarchy, began to question the very ideas upon which their society was built. They were no longer willing to accept that kings and nobles had the divine right to rule. The revolution was not just a military struggle, but an intellectual one. The Enlightenment thinkers—Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu—had already set the stage by challenging the ideas that upheld the old order. The people, inspired by these new concepts of freedom, equality, and justice, rose up not because they had been armed with swords, but because they had been armed with knowledge.

The lesson of Zinn’s words is a call to arms, but not the arms of war. It is a call to arms of the mind—to read, to question, to challenge the ideas that are presented to us. Do not let the powerful few dictate the stories we believe, the actions we take, or the lives we lead. We must not simply accept the world as it is, but must create a world where the truth is accessible to all, where the people are not manipulated but are empowered to think for themselves.

And so, O children, as you grow and engage with the world, remember the power of ideas. Be vigilant in questioning what you are told, whether by the rulers, the media, or the authorities. Strive to think critically, to challenge the prevailing narratives, and to seek the truth in all things. Only when we control our own minds can we begin to shape a world where freedom, justice, and truth are the guiding principles, and not the interests of a few who seek to control us all.