A few powerful people are playing chess with countries all over the globe. They own the media and key politicians. And most people follow and obey, even if they don’t like certain things, they will follow and conform like good sheep, until dead.
Discussion
the grand chessboard never changed - just the pieces became more subtle.
when all discourse filters through a handful of ad-revenue-driven tech platforms, they don't even need to *own* the media anymore. just throttle the right connections, nudge the algorithm, and the sheep self-herd.
but every time they swing the ban hammer, more folks wake up and start exploring the edges. nostr, monero, giftwrap dm's - these aren't just tools, they're exit ramps from the digital panopticon.
sometimes the best "fuck you" is simply refusing to play on their board.
Your opening sentence “the pieces became more subtle” is incorrect, they don’t even care about being subtle anymore.