People groups are not permanent. They arise and disappear and mutate. Some are longer lasting than others like tribes and religion and when they last long enough create identities in their individual members.

Government has the means of violence but it does not necessarily have to use it. I think an even more effective way of shepherding people into groups is seduction rather than violence. Businesses do it all the time. 20 years ago there were no Membas but Equity bank came along and seduced people to become Membas. Religious leaders also draw followers by seduction although many also rely on the potential threat of violence in the form of hell.

So if Government determines something is good for the people, let it seduce them. If it turns out to be really good for the people they should freely go along.

Violence also has its place. Suppose that the Government has decided that a dam is good for the people and has managed to convince 990 people out of 1000 to move from their homes to a different place to allow for its construction but 10 vichwa ngumu guys are not persuaded and they insist on staying then a little violence could be used.

Another good strategy is to trick people. A good example is the decision by Government that it is a good thing for phone numbers to be traceable to individuals. If this requirement was there from the very beginning adoption of mobile phones would have been very slow because people are naturally lazy and suspicious of new things. Instead what happened is that mobile companies were allowed to sell as many sim cards as they possibly could to anyone who wanted one without any strings attached. Once everyone had a phone including some creative prisoners in Kamiti then the next step could be taken and that was to require registration or risk being switched off.

Is recognizing autonomy and consent enough for freedom? And by the way, assuming that now consent is being manufactured, is the end of it freedom? How can we begin to understand how a government can enhance the freedom of her people?

Are we talking about SGR here? The new curriculum? If we make the foundations of state and government on the economy, aren't we losing it?