Inside The Blob: Soros, NGOs, and the Secret Engine of Foreign Policy Mike Benz Pt 2

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Sep 24, 2025

Mike Benz, an independent researcher focused on influence operations, joins to unravel the complex world of modern censorship and information warfare. He discusses how the censorship-industrial complex formed and the impact of AI and social media on narrative control. Benz explores the role of NGOs in shaping global populist movements and how geopolitical interests drive these interventions. He advocates for radical transparency as a solution to soft power abuse, emphasizing that the ability to influence thought isn't just political—it's a battleground for power itself.

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INSIGHT

Elon Broke The Censorship Feed

Elon Musk's purchase of X disrupted the real-time data feed NGOs and state actors used for AI-based censorship.
That disruption loosened centralized narrative control and enabled rapid, decentralized uprisings globally.

ANECDOTE

70 NGOs Gave Zelensky '20 Red Lines'

Mike Benz recounts the '20 red lines' letter to Zelensky by 70 NGOs threatening instability if he deviated from their demands.
The letter exemplifies how NGOs, funded by state actors, pressure foreign leaders to adopt preferred policies.

INSIGHT

NATO Expansion Serves Resource Access

NATO expansion and associated reforms function as mechanisms to fold countries into Western economic and resource access.
Joining the security order often requires adopting institutions and procurement that favor allied contractors and investors.

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Picking up right where Part 1 left off, Tom Bilyeu and Mike Benz dive even deeper into the shadowy world of influence operations, modern censorship, and information warfare. In this second half, Benz unravels how the censorship-industrial complex formed, the role of AI and social media in real-time narrative control, and the profound consequences of Elon Musk's purchase of X (Twitter) on global discourse and populist uprisings. Tom presses Mike on the “why” behind the intense manipulation of platforms, revealing that the ability to shape language and thought at scale isn’t a partisan game—it's about preserving the interests of entrenched stakeholders across the globe.

As global populist movements surge and increasingly polarized narratives grip the world—from America to Germany, the UK, and beyond—Tom and Mike scrutinize the connective tissue animating these phenomena. They explore how radical activists are intentionally seeded and activated by NGOs for regime change; what happens when the playbook is turned inward; and how collateral damage is created when hearts and minds are exploited with little regard for social unity. Mike makes the case for radical transparency as the antidote to soft power abuse, arguing that America can remain formidable on the world stage without turning its own institutions into black boxes. If you want to understand why our world feels so unstable—and what it might take to reform it—this is the conversation you cannot miss.

SHOWNOTES
00:00 How Censorship and Narrative Control Work in Practice
10:51 AI, Social Media, and the Evolution of Influence Operations
17:19 The Weaponization of “Russian Disinformation”
21:53 Is This About Ideology or Economics? (Deep State/Blob)
29:59 How the Censorship Playbook Is Used Against Both Sides
32:55 BlackRock, Hedge Funds, and Statecraft Collusion
39:31 The EU, International Law, and Global Free Speech
44:55 What’s Driving Today’s Populist Uprisings?
52:37 Radicalization, Culture Wars, and Collateral Damage
01:02:22 Sunshine as Disinfectant: How to Reform the System
01:09:01 Where to Follow Mike Benz

FOLLOW MIKE BENZ:
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/mikebenzcyber
YouTube: Mike Benz Cyber
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebenzcyber/

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