Check out the real situation:
Nation war against nation.
Where did it all begin?
When will it end?
Well, it seems like: total destruction the only solution,
And there ain't no use: no one can stop them now.
Ain't no use: nobody can stop them now. [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bob_marley/real_situation.html ]
Give them an inch, they take a yard;
Give them a yard, they take a mile (ooh);
Once a man and twice a child
And everything is just for a while.
It seems like: total destruction the only solution,
And there ain't no use: no one can stop them now.
There ain't no use: no one can stop them now;
Ain't no use: no one can stop them now;
There ain't no use: no one can stop them now.
Check in the real situation (check it out, check it out):
Nation fight against nation
Where did it all begin? Wo-oo-o-o-oh!
Where will it end?
Well, it seems like: total destruction the only solution.
Mmm, no use: can't stop them;
W'ain't no use: ya can't stop them;
Ain't no use: no one can't stop them now;
Can't stop them now (no one can't stop them now).
There ain't no use: no one can't stop them now.
Everybody strugglin': ain't no use - ain't no use -
Ain't no use you even try;
Ain't no use: got to say 'bye-'bye!
Ain't no use! Ain't no - ain't no use: no one can stop them now
(No one can stop them now) /fadeout/
It seems he's talking about imperialism and how it still continues today .
"give them an inch, they take a yard; give them a yard, they take a mile"
This suggests the idea that when you sit back and allow wrong doing say submitting to a national identity card the result is that the financiers will run with that and push even greater levels of exploitation with say a forced identity chip.
Another example is if you buy a shirt that was made through slave labour in china expect the financiers to exploit your children in the same way in the future.
Unlike most of marley's song which embody a strong sense of hope and a willingness to fight back this song is a hopeless cry.