This story is a dark but painfully accurate allegory for the way in which the State (in the person of the Lion)—driven by legitimate intentions for “control and optimization”—suffocates Free Initiative (the Ant) through an avalanche of administration and regulations. Initially, the Little Ant was an example of private initiative and an unencumbered producer. She arrived early, worked diligently, and created real value for the community. Her output was high, and her work was clean and simple. She represented the engine of the economy, operating without subsidies or government orders, motivated solely by the desire to produce. The ruler—the Lion (the State Apparatus)—noticed her uncontrollable but impressive productivity and thought, "If this entity (the Ant) creates so much wealth unencumbered by public standards and oversight, how much more could be squeezed out... if we imposed controls and regulated the process?" In the name of “greater transparency and security,” the Lion...
Human thoughts out loud