Why do powerful men keep fantasizing about public punishment?Lloyd Dobler riffs on “The Guillotine” by The Coup, written by Boots Riley, using the song’s provocation to examine how structural violence gets normalized under capitalism.In Chapter 18 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu suggests that when a society forgets the Great Tao, fear hardens into spectacle—and power starts mistaking cruelty for strength.This episode was sparked by comments from Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir, who recently fantasized publicly about executions—revealing how surveillance culture, masculinity, and insecurity collapse into performance.This isn’t about public safety. It’s about dominance. About billionaires debating punishment while profiting from systems that make fear scalable.A guided meditation for men unlearning escalation.A Taoist reminder that real power doesn’t need an audience.From the edge of empire and the center of self—this is The Tao of Lloyd.Support The Tao of Lloyd on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/taooflloyd/membershipSend a text. Ask a question & I will answer, maybe in a episodeSupport the showABOUT / The Tao of Lloyd is a Zen-punk mixtape for late-stage everything—blending Tao Te Ching meditations, Gen-X philosophy, and anti-fascist satire from Lloyd Dobler, your reluctant middle-aged dissident. No ads. No paywalls. Just clarity, chaos, and sacred refusal. Support the show & get bonus episodes: patreon.com/taooflloyd. link tree: https://linktr.ee/TaoofLloyd