Oppressors do not favor promoting the community as a whole, but rather selected leaders. To alienate humans from their own decision making is to change them into objects. If the structure does not permit dialogue the structure must be changed. Leaders who insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people—they manipulate them. They do not liberate, nor are they liberated: they oppress. Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.

— Paulo Freire