evidence: John Adams: Enslave With Debt on Sunday, May 17, 2020John Adams Money Quote saying you can threaten someone with death or simply offer them credit to put them into debt. [...] This quote from John Adams suggests that a nation can be subjugated through either military force or excessive debt accumulation. Some key points in interpreting his perspective: [...] - He portrays debt as a potential tool for indirect control and influence over a nation’s policies to the benefit of its creditors that is as potent as outright military conquest.