Takeover of society by stealth

Totalitarian tiptoe is edging us towards slavery

- DAVID CHARALAMBOUS

IMAGINE an old ship where every plank, nail, and sail is slowly replaced. It looks the same, but is it still the original?

This ancient puzzle – the Ship of Theseus – helps explain how societies can be secretly reshaped.

Society does not function to serve the public, but rather the people that design and implement the systems that the public uses to go about its daily life.

A major overhaul and decentralisation is likely needed if people are to have autonomy over their lives and futures, but I will put that debate to one side for now. What I have personally witnessed over the last forty or so years since I was able to think critically is a complete shift in society. This article will use a powerful metaphor to address this.

If unethical groups swapped parts of our schools, laws, or media with nearly identical versions that serve hidden agendas, would anyone notice?

If the change moved power from the public to a small group of people, acting as puppet masters, would it still look the same on the surface, but function to serve those people rather than the public?

How it works: slow, sneaky swaps.

This trick relies on three rules

1. Small changes over time: like replacing a pub’s beer taps one by one until it’s become a coffee shop, unethical shifts happen bit by bit. A tweak to school history lessons, a subtle law change – each seems harmless by itself.