The educated man pictures a horde of submen, wanting only a day's liberty to loot his house, burn his books, and set him to work minding a machine or sweeping out a lavatory. 'Anything,' he thinks, 'any injustice, sooner than let that mob loose.' He does not see that since there is no difference between the mass of rich and poor, there is no question of setting the mob loose. The mob is in fact loose now, and--in the shape of rich men--is using its power to set up enormous treadmills of boredom, such as 'smart' hotels.

Summary

This quote suggests that the educated man fears and envisions a lower class uprising against the wealthy, with the potential for chaos and destruction. However, the author argues that this fear is unfounded, as there is no real difference between the masses of rich and poor. In reality, the wealthy individuals are already exploiting their power to create mundane and monotonous lifestyles, symbolized by the example of "smart" hotels. The quote implies that the dread of unleashing a destructive mob is misplaced, as the real struggle lies in the oppressive systems perpetuated by the wealthier segment of society.

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