The text is a play on the concept of absorbent materials, like sponges, which are known to absorb many times their weight in liquid. It humorously applies this concept to governments, suggesting they 'absorb' or take away excess liberties, which is not a literal absorption but a metaphorical one. The pun lies in the unexpected application of a physical property to a political concept.
Governments absorb 100x their weight in excess liberties .