A lot of people look at history and assume modern authoritarianism has to look like a dictator in a uniform giving speeches. But real power today doesn’t work that way.

The new version isn’t about a single ruler. It’s an oligarchy of corporations and policymakers working together to extract as much wealth as possible from the average person while making sure they can’t escape the cycle.

It’s not about controlling people through violence. It’s about making sure they have no financial choices except the ones that keep the wealthy in power. And the worst part? Most people don’t even notice it’s happening because the tactics are completely different from the past.

Here’s how it works and how you can recognize the tricks before they hit you.

Step 1: Use a Crisis as an Excuse to Take More Control

Every power grab needs a justification. In the past, leaders staged coups by blaming political enemies or external threats. Today, economic elites manufacture or exploit crises to justify policies that only benefit them.

Example: Forced Return to Office (RTO)
We were told remote work was fine for three years, but suddenly they need everyone back in the office. They say it’s about “collaboration” and “productivity,” but that’s a lie.

The real reason? Cities, commercial landlords, and industries that rely on office worker spending were losing money. They need you paying for gas, transit, overpriced lunches, and everything else that keeps their profit margins up.

This isn’t about work. It’s about making sure you keep feeding the system even if it costs you more and gives you nothing in return.

Step 2: Force People Into Economic Dependence So They Can’t Resist

A dictatorship forces people to obey by using military power. An economic oligarchy does it by making sure you can never afford to say no.

The biggest trick they use is removing alternative choices so the only path forward is the one that benefits them.

Examples of forced economic dependence:

• Making remote work unviable by pushing false narratives about “productivity.”
• Killing public transit funding so people are forced to drive, making them dependent on oil and car loans.
• Eliminating union protections so workers can be fired instantly for demanding better conditions.
• Normalizing gig work instead of full-time employment so workers have no stability and can be easily replaced.

This isn’t random. It’s a strategy. The fewer options people have, the easier they are to control.

Step 3: Use Media to Shame, Divide, and Distract

If a system is obviously unfair, people will rise up against it. That’s why the people in charge work so hard to make sure the blame never lands on them.

They use media, politicians, and influencers to push narratives that keep people fighting each other instead of seeing who is really pulling the strings.

Some classic tricks:

• Blaming inflation on workers instead of corporate price gouging.
  • Reality: Corporate profits hit record highs while telling you "costs are rising."
• Framing layoffs as necessary for economic survival.
  • Reality: Companies fire thousands while executives collect multimillion-dollar bonuses.
• Convincing workers that unionizing is “selfish” and “bad for business.”
  • Reality: Unions are the only thing stopping them from driving wages into the ground.

Their goal is to make sure the average person doesn’t even realize who the real enemy is.

Step 4: Lock in Their Power Through Laws and Policies

Once they’ve built up control over the economy and media, they cement their power legally so it’s almost impossible to fight back.

Modern examples of legalizing economic oppression:

• Bailing out corporations but refusing to cancel student debt.
• Passing laws that make it harder for workers to strike.
• Giving massive tax breaks to the rich while cutting social programs.
• Weakening consumer protections so banks and landlords can extract more fees.

The same way dictators change laws to eliminate opposition, corporations and the wealthy change economic policies to make sure the cycle of wealth extraction never ends.

How to Fight Back Against This Without Falling Into Their Traps

The biggest trick they use is making people feel powerless. They want you to think the system is too big to change. But power only works if people comply with it. The moment enough people refuse to play along, the system starts cracking.

Here are some small but effective ways to fight back:

• Refuse to accept their narratives. Call out the lies when you see them. If a company is making record profits while raising prices, tell people the truth.
• Support policies that benefit workers, not corporations. The people in charge want you to think every economic issue is complicated. It’s not. Follow the money and see who benefits.
• Push back against forced spending. If they are trying to force you into an unnecessary financial burden (like commuting), resist in whatever way is possible for your situation.
• Support alternative economies. Unions, worker-owned businesses, and local economies disrupt the wealth funnel that keeps everything concentrated at the top.
• Vote with your wallet. If a company is blatantly exploiting workers and there are alternatives, don’t support them.
• Remember that collective action works. The biggest wins in history weren’t from waiting for the system to change on its own. They happened because enough people pushed back at the same time.

The worst thing you can do is accept the lie that this is just how things are. That’s exactly what they want you to think.

Final Thoughts

The way economic control works today is different from the past, but the end goal is the same, to create a system where the wealthy and powerful take as much as possible from the average person while making sure they can’t escape the cycle.

The more people recognize these tricks as they happen, the harder it becomes for those in power to keep using them.

The rich don’t need more money. They just need you to have less. If you can understand that, you can start seeing through the game they’re playing.