Their only economic importance is their vote. Now that they've voted they will be neglected, not directly abused. Kinda like a pimp leading his hoes to think he cares about them.
Interesting perspective on Epicticus, (Stoic philosopher) here seen as a selfish rich man's philosopher, the dichotomy of control a way to calm someone upset because their entitlements are not arriving as they prefer.
It does seem they'll try to use his case as a deterrent to anyone thinking about following in his footsteps. I think they will be harsh and he'll be made into a martyr. The religious imagery of Saint Luigi may be apt and more than just a meme.
There are many influences. One is pure resentment of elites as know-it-alls which propagandists amplify. A bit of Dunning–Kruger effect at the same time as people without specialized training can't even comprehend what they don't know. Another is how difficult it is to think probabilistically so that people can't easily appreciate risk. And as more and more people proclaim conspiracy theories as truth there is peer pressure to confirm.
The story is commonly recognized as a fable concerning the danger of greed causing human destruction of the natural environment, using the literary element of personification to create relatable characters for industry (the Once-ler), the environment (the Truffula trees) and environmental activism (the Lorax). The story encourages activism and involvement in making the situation better: a quote from the Lorax states, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not".
Dr. Seuss singled out The Lorax as his personal favorite of his books – in it, he managed to create an engaging story highlighting how economic growth is often prioritised over environmental issues. Dr. Seuss stated: "The Lorax came out of me being angry. The ecology books I'd read were dull...In The Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might".
Really sorry 😔