The issue turns to one of "shame," i.e., reputation. The People's attempt to refuse tribute, which begins as shame for the Ruler, is turned around and cast back as shame for the People. Note that the shame consists in being "poor," as if not giving tribute is equivalent to not having it. The implication is that if the People do not produce for the Ruler, they have no productive force at all; i.e., they are no longer the People. Paquita invokes the crowd ("all these people"); by refusing tribute Nostromo has suddenly gone from being the leader of the crowd to being separate from it.