Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in Athens with his wife and three sons. He devoted his life to philosophy, but he authored no texts; his contributions to philosophy are known only through the posthumous accounts of his students (e.g., Plato). His main contribution is the Socratic method, which is a form of argumentative dialogue based on asking and answering questions. He practiced what he preached by engaging in these dialogues with many Athenians. Consequently, he was arrested for supposedly corrupting the Athenian youth. After a one-day trial, he was sentenced to death. While in prison, he was visited by his friend Crito, who offered him a way to escape. Specifically, Crito made arrangements for him to flee Athens and go into exile in a neighboring city-state, which would allow him to philosophize. However, Socrates believed - and previously publicly argued - that living in a city-state yields very strong reciprocal obligations to obey its laws.

The World Bank is an organization affiliated with the United Nations that provides loans and development assistance to developing countries. Typically, World Bank loans need to be paid back in USD, and if a country defaults on one of their loans, they will be forced to take austerity measures (cut government spending) in order to pay it back. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a development program run by the government of China. It offers low or interest-free loans to finance the construction of infrastructure such as ports and railroads. BRI loans typically come with fewer strings attached than World Bank loans, but if a country defaults, China can seize the infrastructure built as security.