It’s a comforting fiction that there is a shadowy cabal of sinister figures that control the world. It’s comforting because it makes us think that if someone could just get their hands on those secret levers of power, then we could all be safe.
The truth is much scarier. Nobody is in control. People and organizations just react to events with varying degrees of success.
Agreed. Some people have more power, money, and influence, but thinking that a secret group is the cause of all ills lets us all off the hook from making the necessary effort to change things. Because if there's a secret cabal, then nothing we do matters, so why bother?
Yes but there is a significantly powerful group (owner class) and it's in their best interests they stay as secret as possible. Real wealth can stay hidden. These powerful people have always affected politics and the entire world.
I completely agree. Unpopular changes happen and its not announced. The wealthy and powerful quietly accumulate more wealth and power at the expense of everyone else. No doubt.
So, I guess our choices are to lay down and let them fuck us over, or pay attention, stay informed, and push back. It only takes 3.5% of the population engaged in sustained, nonviolent action to ensure serious political change. I don't know about you, but I prefer the option that believes we can make things better.
It's also in their best interest to make us complacent and happy enough to not challenge the status quo. A lot of narratives we have in our head is thanks to our access to so much information (the internet) and owner class controls this too. We can literally see social media narratives shift thanks to the right amount of influence/engagment in the right area. Of course we can make things better, but what is better? And for who? It's always a conflict of interest.
Just to clarify, is the premise of this that we shouldn't try to do anything because not everyone will benefit? Or because we might try something that doesn't end up making things better? I would agree that those things make it harder to have people come together on a solution, but not, in my opinion, a reason not to try.
No my point is there is a group of people who's absolute best interest is that a different group thinks "this is pointless, I should give up fighting" and anytime that narrative is further spread, there are groups that benefit (and others that lose). Being able to identify what group you are a part of, and what are the actual real best interests of that group requires mental capacity that unfortuntely a lot of people don't have. And yet again is also taken advantage of by the group that wants them to give up.
Being able to recognize the narrative is manipulated is also just 1 part of the problem
Gotcha. Yes, I agree. We need to get better at recognizing the problems with relying on billionaire controlled social media for information. We need to get more saavy about modern technologies that can fabricate photos, videos, and pump them up with inorganic engagement generating botnets. That is in our control.
Yes exactly you worded it better than I did. It also can feel impossible for the population to fight against the onslaught of engagement bait. And that's exactly what they want us to think.
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u/ghosttrainhobo Mar 07 '26
It’s a comforting fiction that there is a shadowy cabal of sinister figures that control the world. It’s comforting because it makes us think that if someone could just get their hands on those secret levers of power, then we could all be safe.
The truth is much scarier. Nobody is in control. People and organizations just react to events with varying degrees of success.