Aesop Rock creates a cold, predatory world where personal gain is valued over human life. He then describes how capitalism, military culture, propaganda, hive mentality, and belief in survival of the fittest all contribute to make our own world just as violent.

The title is a reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. In the story, Baba finds a magical store of treasure, but suffers great losses (such as the murder of his brother) as he becomes tangled up with the thieves who found it. This ties into Aesop’s message that money motivates conflict.