some insight into ability users and state issued business licenses in the bsd universe: ability users are sought out by governments in the bsd universe for the purposes of weaponisation. we already know characters such as ango, h.g. wells and chuuya (arahabaki) all had some connection to their respective governments as a result of their power. their instrumnetality becomes interesting to note, however, when the existence of ability related business licences (which can only be issued by the state) are taken into account. if the government wishes to have ability users work for them and them alone, what better way to do this than to disincentivise the creation of alternatives with regards to their employment? this little tidbit of political insight explains a number of aspects within the bsd universe namely:
why ability related business licenses are so difficult to acquire
why there seems to be a disproportionately large number of ability users who turn to a life of crime (the places where they can attain a sense of belonging such as the ada are strictly limited thanks to the licence system)
why dazai was so quick to recommend atsushi as a potential armed detective (he did not wish for another ability user to be affiliated with the state or end up with a criminal record)
why the ada prefers to operate in secrecy to the point where average citizens of yokohama consider their very existence to be mythical (partly to prevent the government from taking an interest in their ability users and partly to prevent other actors from taking an interest in their license)
why the port mafia so much as wished or even attempted to receive a license in dazai and the dark era after committing countless atrocities, on the other hand, will always remain a mystery. at the same time, if they were to succeed in this endeavour, it would solve a lot of the state’s problems with regards to ability related crime oddly enough. the only way the government would understand that though is if they starting seeing ability users as people rather than weapons to be exploited for the sake of securing their authority.
on the latest episode of kewl contemplates bsd yokohama's politics: there is also another factor to consider when licensing is concerned and that is government patronage. we know the port mafia is an extremely powerful underground organisation and the state might be in need of it's services one day. withholding a license that is coveted by it's leader could be seen as a potential bargaining chip the government could use if they ever require mori's assistance in the future.
