Rules by Which a Free Society May be Reduced to Petty Dictatorship

If you see rival Nations rejoicing at the Prospect of your Disunion with your Citizens, and endeavoring to promote it: If they translate, publish and applaud all the Complaints of your discontented Citizenry, at the same Time privately stimulating you to severer Measures; let not that alarm or offend you. Why should it? since you all mean the same Thing.

If any individual should at their own Charge secure the defense of their families or their Persons, be the danger Terrorists, or Criminals, or even (heavens forefend) the agents of Oppression, let them be arrested and charged with bearing Offensive Weapons and Suspicion of Terrorism. If they should prove innocent or to have just cause, let them anywise be charged for their own defence, for that will provoke like Ingratitude added to Robbery. One admirable Effect of these Operations will be, to discourage every other Citizen from acquiring such Defences, and so their and your Enemies may more easily subject them to Terror, to the great Disgrace of your Government, and of course the Furtherance of your Project.

Send armed police into their streets under Pretense of protecting the Inhabitants; instead of garrisoning the Installations on your borders with Troops, to prevent Incursions, order the Troops into the Heart of the Country, that the imagined enemy may be encouraged to attack the towns, and that the Troops may be protected by the Inhabitants: This will seem to proceed from your Ill will or your Ignorance, and contribute further to produce and strengthen an Opinion among the people that you are no longer fit to govern them.

Lastly, Invest the Commissioners of your police with great and unconstitutional Powers, and free them from the Control of even your own Civil Authorities. Let them have Troops enow under their Command, to quell all protest and opposition; and who knows but (like some provincial Generals in the Roman Empire, and encouraged by the universal Discontent you have produced) one Commissioner, or more, may take it into his Head to set up for himself. If he should, and you have carefully practiced these few excellent Rules of mine, take my Word for it, all the citizens will immediately join him, and you will that Day (if you have not done it sooner) get rid of the Trouble of governing them, and all the Plagues attending their Commerce and Connection from thenceforth and for ever.