Being doped is a pleasure you pay for. There was always opium there for the people — in the end it tainted their whole faith. If the Church had not always stood so watchfully behind the ruling powers, there would not have been such attacks against everything it stood for — although of course it may have been competing with them for the first place among the rulers, as in the Middle Ages. Whenever it was a question of keeping the serfs, and then the paid slaves down, the dope-dealers came unfailingly to the help of the oppressors.
This quote offers a profound critique of societal oppression and the role of substances like opium in maintaining power structures. It suggests that substances providing pleasure, such as drugs, have historically served as tools for control, pacifying populations and undermining their faith in institutions. The reference to the Church’s support for ruling powers highlights how religion and authority often colluded to suppress dissent and reinforce social hierarchies. The comparison to the Middle Ages underscores that this is not a new phenomenon; throughout history, those in power have leveraged various means—whether religion, economic influence, or substances—to sustain their dominance. The mention of “dopesters” and “dope-dealers” as helpers of oppressors frames drug distribution as an active component in social control rather than simply individual choice. It raises awareness of how pleasure and comfort can be exploited tactically by ruling classes to keep marginalized groups subdued. Ultimately, the quote beckons reflection on the ongoing mechanisms of oppression, revealing that resistance requires awareness of how sedatives—whether literal or metaphorical—are used to dull masses from their pursuit of truth and justice. It invites us to analyze contemporary structures of control and question whether similar patterns persist today, making us mindful of the often overlooked ways in which societal consent and complacency are manufactured.
