Who said "have to?"

Can.

We can just acquiesce. That's always an option.

As for coercion, it's a spectrum. Killing the bags of bones is only one small slice of that spectrum.

Regardless. Conflicts of interests exist. Coercion exists. We can just try to sleep through it all and hope for the best hopium. Or we can do the adult thing. Admit reality. Prosecute our interests vigorously and sophisticatedly.

We have some thinking to do. I prefer there aren't any simpleminded and naive folks around me. Being honest about what's happening is better than our usual game of hopium, copium, fig leaves, whitewashing, and sleeping.