Elites' Dual Strategy: Profiting through Intoxication for Social Contr

History offers us a fascinating and instructive insight into the mechanisms of societal governance. As early as the late eighteenth century, prominent elites—in the form of the English royal house and the future financial oligarchy—turned their attention to the opium trade, not only as a means for rapid enrichment but also as an effective way to divert the energy of society. At that time, the consumption of this narcotic was initially reserved for privileged classes. However, the authorities soon realized that if they could steer young people towards seeking out cheap drugs, the energy of uprisings and protests would lose its focus, giving way to apathy and dependent behavior.

Modern research confirms that the influence of any psychoactive substance, whether opium or alcohol, has a dual effect. On one hand, these substances serve as a significant source of revenue; on the other, they contribute to a diminished capacity for critical thinking. When the mind is under the influence of addiction or intoxication, the ability to analyze and make independent decisions is undermined, significantly easing the task for ruling elites. The noticeable change in behavioral patterns makes people less responsive to calls for change, as the objective assessment of consequences vanishes.

Thus, historical practice demonstrates that manipulating consciousness through the widespread use of narcotic and intoxicated states is an effective tool for maintaining power. The contemporary view on this issue not only reveals the dual approach of the elites to earn profits and stabilize the public order but also urges a deeper reflection on how control over consciousness can influence the resilience and development of society.

Why do the elites promote the intoxication of the population, and how does it affect societal control?

According to one source, the elites realized that promoting control through substances could serve a double purpose. On one hand, it is a considerable source of revenue, and on the other, it diverts the population’s protest energy. For example, one historical overview notes:

"Toward the end of the eighteenth century, the English royal house and what later became the financial oligarchy discovered a new source of rapid enrichment. This source turned out to be the opium trade. Initially, opium consumption was a privilege of the elite. But gradually, those in power realized that narcotics not only brought in a fair amount of capital, but also allowed them not to worry about its preservation. Thanks to these drugs, the protest energy of the youth (indeed, revolutions are often carried out by young people) could be neutralized by redirecting it: instead of thinking about a just world order, the young would focus on where and how to obtain cheaper drugs. In addition, the psyche of a drug addict quickly deteriorates: the person begins to feel indifferent to the surrounding reality and becomes completely dependent on the availability of the drug, making them easy to control." (source: link txt)

Thus, the elites use narcotics (and, by analogy, other psychoactive substances) to suppress the critical activity of citizens. When a person is in an intoxicated state, their ability to rationally assess situations and make independent decisions is greatly diminished. As noted in another source, alcohol, for example, affects the brain so that "an intoxicated person does not think about the consequences of his words and actions and treats them with extreme carelessness" (source: link txt). This allows those in power to manage society more effectively, as people deprived of critical thinking are more susceptible to external control and manipulation.

In summary, by promoting widespread intoxication, the elites achieve a dual effect: on one hand, they gain additional material profit, and on the other, they create a social environment in which the population is less capable of active resistance and demanding change, being in a state of apathy and loss of self-control.