Be my brother, or I will kill you.

The line crystallizes a cynical view of “fraternity” as coercion: the demand for brotherhood is paired with a threat, exposing how moral or political ideals can be weaponized. Read in a Chamfortian key, it satirizes the rhetoric of solidarity—especially when proclaimed by those with power—by showing that enforced unity is indistinguishable from domination. The quote’s sting lies in its paradox: brotherhood, which should be freely chosen, becomes an ultimatum. As an aphorism it also generalizes beyond politics to any relationship where affection, loyalty, or belonging is extracted through fear rather than earned through mutual respect.