[He's almost cold, clinical with his answer. The tone of a native who's heard the reasoning and had to explain it too many times.]
Publically, to serve as a 'reminder' of the war that "tore the country apart" seventy five years ago and wiped out an entire district. The Capitol wanted us to remember that we had it good, that these 'tributes' as they were called, were a reminder of the payment made for our lasting peace.
Politically, it was a scare tactic. The Capitol held all the power and stepped on nine of the twelve districts to remind them they were lower than dirt. The Games were the method to show they held that power and could kill us all at any time. And they could. The Capitol had the man and firepower to wipe most of us out if they wanted to, but then who would get all their supplies and cripple themselves in unsafe working conditions to supply the good needed to keep the rich fat and happy? So they scared us instead.
Then...on the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games, one girl from the furthest flung district cheated the system and saved herself and the boy she'd been sent with. She was an icon and people began to whisper her name and mutter things about rebellion, so The Capitol got smart and built a machine that could pull people from other worlds and timelines and bring them to Panem to fight in the Hunger Games instead. The districts remembered the fear and had the threat looming over them that things could go back to the way they'd been, the Capitol had a never-ending supply of participants for Games that were held every few months, and the rich and happy stayed that way.
no subject
Publically, to serve as a 'reminder' of the war that "tore the country apart" seventy five years ago and wiped out an entire district. The Capitol wanted us to remember that we had it good, that these 'tributes' as they were called, were a reminder of the payment made for our lasting peace.
Politically, it was a scare tactic. The Capitol held all the power and stepped on nine of the twelve districts to remind them they were lower than dirt. The Games were the method to show they held that power and could kill us all at any time. And they could. The Capitol had the man and firepower to wipe most of us out if they wanted to, but then who would get all their supplies and cripple themselves in unsafe working conditions to supply the good needed to keep the rich fat and happy? So they scared us instead.
Then...on the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games, one girl from the furthest flung district cheated the system and saved herself and the boy she'd been sent with. She was an icon and people began to whisper her name and mutter things about rebellion, so The Capitol got smart and built a machine that could pull people from other worlds and timelines and bring them to Panem to fight in the Hunger Games instead. The districts remembered the fear and had the threat looming over them that things could go back to the way they'd been, the Capitol had a never-ending supply of participants for Games that were held every few months, and the rich and happy stayed that way.