The Octopus

A lecture by Neema Parvini – 56 Questions & Answers

I’ve recently come across the work of Neema Parvini.

I hadn’t realised that he was behind the Demoralization video I highlighted earlier this year in:

The Frankfurt School

I watched this lecture from April this year and felt there is enough here to share and amplify.

He has introduced me to Elite Theory, I didn’t know there was such a thing and I appreciate his Seven Lessons from Elite Theory (minute 2.44).

I like his reference to The Regime, for in fact it is that.

I really like his Spectrum of Allowable Dissent (min. 24.40).

I appreciated his framing of The Associated Press and there function within The Regime.

I’m fascinated by his thesis of The Regime “putting the Woke Genie back in the bottle (min. 52.52).

His view on competing factions is worth understanding, it’s a view with some similarity to Peter Myers in his The Cosmopolitan Empire.

Parvani frames it as three (essentially two), competing and at times collaborating factions, while Myers frames it as four.

I don’t agree with everything, but then again I’m not looking for saints to worship, but for people honestly trying to figure out what’s what and then through comparison and triangulation try to arrive at the best working model of reality.

With thanks to Neema Parvini.

Let’s first start with an analogy born out of the thesis and moving parts of his lecture.

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Analogy

Imagine a massive puppet theater, but instead of a simple setup with one puppeteer controlling one puppet with strings, picture an octopus sitting in the projection booth of the theater. This octopus (the financial system) has extraordinary control not just over the puppets on stage, but over the entire theater operation.

Its main tentacles (BlackRock/Vanguard) don't just pull strings - they own shares in the theater building, control the ticket payment system, manage the theater's investment portfolio, and have installed a sophisticated computer system (Aladdin) that suggests which shows should be performed and how.

Below the projection booth is a network of stage managers (NGOs) who write the actual scripts and coordinate the performances. The visible puppet masters on stage (governments) appear to control the show, but they're really just following scripts handed down from above. The ushers and staff (civil service and law enforcement) implement the theater's rules, while the theater critics (media) review the shows - but only after the octopus and stage managers have decided what will be performed.

The audience sees the puppets dancing on stage (daily politics and culture wars) and might focus on the visible puppet masters, but the real power lies with the octopus in the projection booth, quietly managing the entire operation through financial control and its network of stage managers. Some audience members are allowed to complain about the puppet shows or the visible puppet masters, but questioning the octopus's existence or role remains strictly forbidden.

This theater has two competing assistant directors (neocons and technoglobalists) who sometimes fight over how the show should be run, but both ultimately depend on the octopus's financial backing to keep the theater operating.

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20-point summary

For those that don’t want the longer Q&A.

1.    Modern power concentrates in financial institutions, with BlackRock and Vanguard commanding $20 trillion in assets and maintaining strategic minority stakes across all major corporations. This represents not just wealth, but active control through sophisticated systems like Aladdin that shape global markets.

2.    The power structure operates like an octopus, with financial control at its head. Rather than direct ownership, it exercises control through institutional pressure, market manipulation, and payment system dominance. This creates a system where even powerful corporations must comply or face existential threats.

3.    Three elite factions compete within this structure: Neocons pursuing military-industrial dominance, Technoglobalists seeking corporate global governance, and Third-worldists advocating wealth redistribution. The primary struggle exists between the first two, with Third-worldists serving more as controlled opposition.

4.    Policy implementation follows a precise chain: Financial powers determine directions, NGOs develop detailed policies, governments adopt them wholesale, civil service implements them, and media manufactures public consent. This process demonstrates how democracy has become theater masking real power flows.

5.    NGOs serve as the critical bridge between financial power and government action. Organizations like the Tony Blair Institute exemplify how private money transforms into public policy through seemingly independent institutional frameworks.

6.    The legal system enforces power through selective application rather than consistent rules. Civil rights law shapes corporate behavior and cultural norms, demonstrating how culture flows downstream from law rather than emerging organically.

7.    Corporate compliance operates through multiple reinforcing mechanisms: ESG requirements, institutional investor pressure, HR departments, and diversity training create internal enforcement systems that ensure alignment with regime values.

8.    Religious institutions face systematic capture, forced to subordinate traditional doctrine to regime ideology. This demonstrates power's ability to eliminate rival value systems through institutional pressure rather than direct confrontation.

9.    Media functions as a sophisticated implementation tool rather than an independent force. Centralized messaging through systems like the Associated Press ensures coordinated narrative deployment across seemingly independent outlets.

10.  Academic research serves power through directed funding and pre-determined outcomes. The grant system ensures scholars produce justifications for already-decided policies rather than independent inquiry.

11.  Historical patterns reveal power's ability to redirect threatening movements. Occupy Wall Street's transformation from economic critique to racial discourse demonstrates sophisticated containment strategies.

12.  The regime maintains control through a careful spectrum of allowable dissent, permitting and even rewarding certain forms of opposition while completely forbidding others. This creates an illusion of freedom while containing genuine threats.

13.  Modern corporate power exceeds historical precedents. Unlike the East India Company, which submitted to state power, today's corporations may be too powerful for governments to control, potentially able to resist even military force.

14.  The payment system represents a critical control mechanism, with companies like Visa and Mastercard able to cut off individuals or entities from economic participation. This demonstrates how financial infrastructure enforces compliance.

15.  Resistance emerges primarily at national levels, with countries like Russia developing alternative financial systems and states like Texas challenging institutional investors. However, the integrated nature of global finance makes alternatives costly and difficult.

16.  Political parties across the spectrum show remarkable convergence toward regime values, demonstrated by Conservative leaders embracing Blair-style politics. This reveals how traditional political divisions mask underlying power unity.

17.  Internal corporate culture enforces compliance through professional consequences and self-censorship. Employees become unconscious regime enforcers, creating distributed control systems within organizations.

18.  Public displays of power, like the Whoopi Goldberg/ADL incident, serve to demonstrate hierarchy and reinforce compliance through visible examples of authority relationships.

19.  The Beyond Meat case study reveals how policy implementation begins years before public awareness, with coordinated deployment across corporate, media, and regulatory domains following pre-planned strategies.

20.  Future developments suggest potential regime adjustment through "woke" containment and faction conflicts, but the fundamental financial power structure remains unchallenged. True resistance would require alternative financial infrastructure and state capacity currently lacking in Western nations.

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56 Questions & Answers

Question 1: What is Mosca's Law and why is it considered a fundamental principle of power?

Mosca's Law states that the organized 100 will always defeat the disorganized 1,000. This principle demonstrates that bottom-up power is impossible and shows dissidents that greater organization than their rivals is essential. It can be applied broadly - for example, 100 organized dissidents should theoretically outmaneuver 1,000 disorganized journalists.

Question 2: How does the "Octopus" model conceptualize modern power structures?

The Octopus model consists of eight tentacles with the financial system (the chest) and NGO network at the top. The model places the media and academia lower in the hierarchy, contrary to other theories. The tentacles aren't equal, with the chest (financial system, central banks, investment banks, and asset management firms) representing the beating heart of power.

Question 3: Why is the distinction between "rule makers" and "rule takers" significant in power analysis?

Rule makers set the fundamental direction and incentive structures, while rule takers implement and enforce these decisions. The media, despite its apparent influence, is ultimately a rule taker rather than rule maker, receiving direction through centralized systems like the Associated Press and implementing narratives that have already been decided higher up in the power structure.

Question 4: What role do organized versus disorganized groups play in power dynamics?

Organized groups, even when smaller, consistently dominate larger disorganized groups. In practice, this manifests in how NGOs (organized) can effectively control government policy-making (disorganized), as politicians are too focused on short-term issues and media management to develop comprehensive policies themselves.

Question 5: How does the financial system, particularly BlackRock and Vanguard, sit at the apex of power?

BlackRock and Vanguard manage nearly $20 trillion in assets and are listed as 4-8% minority shareholders in virtually every major multinational corporation. Their position allows them to crash any publicly listed company's stock price and influence corporate behavior through ESG requirements and investment decisions.

Question 6: What is the significance of the $20 trillion managed by BlackRock and Vanguard?

The $20 trillion under management represents immense concentrated financial power, allowing these firms to effectively control the general flow of the market index itself. Their size means that even investors who might disagree with BlackRock must take notice of their moves, as their decisions affect the entire market.

Question 7: How does BlackRock's Aladdin software influence global markets?

Aladdin software controls the general flow of the index itself by making investment suggestions and incorporating ESG principles into its algorithm. It's not a neutral platform but actively shapes investment decisions, nudging investors toward certain types of investments and away from others based on criteria set by BlackRock.

Question 8: What are the three competing elite factions and their primary objectives?

The three factions are: Neocons (military-industrial complex) seeking to remake the world in America's image; Technoglobalists (World Economic Forum) focused on establishing global governance structures; and Third-Worldists (Soros) aiming to equalize relative standings between West and Third World. The main power struggle is between neocons and technoglobalists.

Question 9: How do neocons differ from technoglobalists in their approach to power?

Neocons use instruments of American power and seek to maintain American/Israeli hegemony, while technoglobalists use transnational power through institutions like the UN and WHO. Neocons operate through the state while technoglobalists typically exercise power through corporate compliance culture.

Question 10: Why are third-worldists considered less influential than the other two factions?

Third-worldists, represented by figures like George Soros, have a habit of not achieving their stated goals, unlike the other factions. While they can influence certain areas like refugee movements or local attorney appointments, they lack the fundamental power to achieve their broader aims of global wealth redistribution.

11: How do corporations become disciplined by institutional investors?

Corporations are disciplined through BlackRock and Vanguard's significant shareholdings and Larry Fink's quarterly letters to CEOs, which function like orders from a Soviet commissar. The threat of stock price manipulation and ESG scoring creates a compliance culture where corporations must align with institutional investor values or face consequences.

Question 12: What role does ESG compliance play in corporate control?

ESG compliance serves as a mechanism for institutional control over corporations, forcing them to adopt certain policies and behaviors regardless of profit considerations. Through BlackRock's Aladdin software and investment decisions, companies are pressured to conform to ESG principles even when it may be detrimental to their bottom line.

Question 13: How do NGOs serve as policy vehicles for the power structure?

NGOs function as organized policy development vehicles that can outmaneuver disorganized government structures. They prepare detailed policy proposals that lazy politicians, focused on short-term issues, readily adopt. The network of NGOs effectively outsources policy-making from elected officials to unelected organizations.

Question 14: Why is the Tony Blair Institute considered a model NGO?

The Tony Blair Institute demonstrates how NGOs can make their founders more powerful than current political leaders. Funded primarily by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation since Blair left office, it produces ready-made policies that governments adopt, showing how NGOs can effectively control policy-making without democratic accountability.

Question 15: How does the network of foundations and NGOs influence government policy?

Foundations fund NGOs to develop policies that align with their interests. These NGOs then produce detailed policy proposals that governments, lacking the time or inclination to develop their own policies, adopt wholesale. This creates a direct line from private money to public policy through NGO intermediaries.

Question 16: Why is democracy characterized as a "terrible system" for actual governance?

Democracy creates politicians with very short-term planning horizons who are constantly focused on polls and current news cycles. This makes them extremely lazy when it comes to actual policy development, leading them to outsource this work to NGOs and other unelected bodies.

Question 17: How does policy outsourcing work in modern governance?

When governments need a policy on issues like pandemics or climate change, NGOs already have detailed proposals ready. These proposals, often running hundreds of pages, are frequently adopted verbatim into government policy, with politicians sometimes not even reading them before implementation.

Question 18: What is the relationship between the US Treasury and BlackRock?

The relationship is essentially formalized, with BlackRock having significant influence over Federal Reserve asset purchases through the ETF market. This was demonstrated when Trump's Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin maintained daily contact with Larry Fink, and strengthened further under Biden's appointee Janet Yellen.

Question 19: How does the AP (Associated Press) function as a central messaging system?

The AP serves as a central messaging system that distributes approved narratives to journalists. Stories come through AP at 6 AM, editors select from these options, and journalists implement them. This creates uniform messaging across media outlets, as demonstrated by the recent redefinition of "recession."

Question 20: Why is the media considered a rule taker rather than a rule maker?

Media outlets receive their direction through centralized systems and only get the memo after decisions have been made at higher levels. They often cover issues as if they're still up for debate when in fact decisions have already been taken, demonstrating their role as implementers rather than decision-makers.

21: How does academic research funding shape policy narratives?

Academic research is actively incentivized through targeted funding from government and private foundations like the Grantham Foundation. Research themes are set top-down through specific calls for proposals, with millions in funding attached to preferred topics, making academics essentially paid shills generating arguments to justify pre-decided policies.

Question 22: What role do government grants play in directing research?

Governments issue specific calls for research on predetermined themes, offering substantial funding for studies that align with desired policy outcomes. This creates a system where academic work isn't organically produced but rather commissioned to support already-decided positions.

Question 23: How does the legal system enforce power structure decisions?

The legal system operates on decisionism rather than consistent rule of law, as demonstrated by selective enforcement. While law doesn't apply to the sovereign (who decides the exceptions), it strictly applies to the general population and underlies cultural changes.

Question 24: What is meant by "culture is downstream from law"?

Current cultural phenomena like "woke" ideology are simply the enforcement of civil rights law and similar legal frameworks. The law comes first, then culture catches up to match what's already codified, as demonstrated by cases like Starbucks being sued for calling police on non-paying customers.

Question 25: How does selective enforcement demonstrate power dynamics?

Selective enforcement is evident in cases like the FBI raiding Trump's home for minor infractions while ignoring alleged elite crimes. This demonstrates how power is always decisionist, with law enforcement acting based on power structures rather than consistent application of law.

Question 26: What are the key differences between this power model and Curtis Yarvin's Cathedral?

Unlike Yarvin's Cathedral model which places media and academia near the top, the Octopus model positions them lower in the hierarchy. The key difference is recognizing the supreme role of financial power (the chest) and NGO networks in directing both media and academic institutions.

Question 27: How does the "crown" (government) relate to the "network" in the power structure?

The crown (official government) sits below the chest and network in the hierarchy, receiving policy directives from NGOs and implementing them through law enforcement and civil service. The government's role is primarily implementation rather than policy creation.

Question 28: What role does the civil service play in implementing decisions?

The civil service, represented as "the chamber" in the model, receives decisions handed down through the crown and enacts them bureaucratically. They function as implementers rather than decision-makers in the power structure.

Question 29: How do different elite factions use media differently?

Neocons and technoglobalists utilize media in distinct ways to achieve their aims. While both can use media as a tool, they maintain separate red and blue media systems to advance their respective agendas while containing populist energy.

Question 30: What is the significance of BlackRock's quarterly CEO letters?

Larry Fink's quarterly letters to CEOs function as direct orders disguised as guidance, threatening consequences for non-compliance with initiatives like Net Zero goals. These letters demonstrate BlackRock's power to shape corporate behavior through institutional pressure.

31: How does the regime contain populist movements?

The regime contains populism through a spectrum of allowable dissent, with certain positions (like anti-trans or anti-CRT) permitted and even rewarded, while other forms of dissent are completely forbidden. This containment strategy allows controlled opposition while preventing genuine threats to power.

Question 32: What is the spectrum of allowable dissent?

A sliding scale exists where certain forms of dissent (anti-trans, anti-CRT, anti-abortion) come with financial and professional rewards within the regime, while other topics are absolute "no-go zones." This scale indicates what the regime considers truly sacred versus what it can safely contain.

Question 33: Why might the regime need to "put the woke genie back in the bottle"?

The regime may need to contain "woke" ideology to cement control and dissipate genuine dissident energy. Signs of this include Blair ordering Starmer to "drop woke," Biden being considered "too woke" for Democrat voters, and Larry Fink denying being "woke," indicating it's becoming a toxic brand.

Question 34: How does the Russian financial alternative demonstrate potential resistance?

Russia's removal from SWIFT forced the development of alternative transaction systems, demonstrating how national governments might create alternatives to the power structure of the chest. This shows potential paths for breaking the monopoly of firms like Visa and Mastercard.

Question 35: What role do Visa and Mastercard play in the power structure?

These companies control virtually all global credit transactions in the cashless society, giving them significant power over individual access to the financial system. Their ability to cut off individuals or entities demonstrates the need for state-backed alternatives.

Question 36: How does the chest (financial system) use the network to exert power?

The financial system funds networks of foundations and NGOs who then develop and promote policies aligned with the chest's interests. This creates a direct line of influence from financial power to policy implementation through seemingly independent organizations.

Question 37: What is the significance of passive management in modern finance?

Passive management exemplifies Burnham's managerial thesis, where disorganized masses of shareholders are ruled by organized managerial elites. BlackRock and Vanguard's position as passive managers allows them to control vast assets without direct ownership.

Question 38: How do elite factions compete and cooperate in crisis situations?

During COVID, technoglobalists gained power, while the Russia-Ukraine conflict benefited neocons. Some elites like Tony Blair maintain positions in multiple factions, though eventually technoglobalists may need to view neocons as rival castles due to conflicting objectives.

Question 39: What role does military power play in the global system?

Military power is notably absent from the primary power structure, suggesting its diminished importance relative to financial and corporate power. However, questions remain about whether military force could effectively challenge corporate power if a government attempted to nationalize major corporations.

Question 40: How might future power dynamics shift according to the model?

The model suggests potential conflict between technoglobalists and neocons, with third-worldists potentially aligning with technoglobalists against American power. State attempts to create alternatives to financial systems could lead to significant power struggles, possibly including military confrontation.

Question 41: How does religious institutional capture serve the regime's purposes?

Religious institutions become "skin suits" for regime ideology, being forced to subordinate traditional doctrine to current ideological requirements. Churches must prioritize regime values (like Pride flags, Ukraine support, or George Floyd) over traditional religious teachings, demonstrating how power eliminates rival value systems through forced compliance rather than direct confrontation.

Question 42: What does the Whoopi Goldberg/ADL incident reveal about power dynamics?

The incident demonstrated a Machiavellian display of power, where ADL President Jonathan Greenblat publicly disciplined Goldberg on prime-time television. This showed how even a wealthy, high-status media figure must submit to regime authority, with the public nature of the display intentionally demonstrating hierarchy and power relationships.

Question 43: How was Occupy Wall Street redirected by the power structure?

Following the 2008 financial crisis, Occupy Wall Street's economic critique was effectively redirected into racial issues, as demonstrated by the dramatic increase in media coverage of race and racism. This shows how the regime can shift attention from financial power to social issues that don't threaten core power structures.

Question 44: What parallels exist between the East India Company and modern corporate power?

While the East India Company represented massive corporate power, it was ultimately nationalized by the British government. Today's corporate powers like Google might be too powerful for governments to nationalize, potentially even having the capability to resist with private military force, showing the evolution of corporate power beyond historical precedents.

Question 45: How does the Beyond Meat case study demonstrate policy implementation?

A paper published in October 2019 prefigured the push for plant-based meat alternatives by three years, with media coverage following the exact campaign outline specified in the document. This shows how policies are decided at higher levels before being implemented through coordinated media and corporate actions.

Question 46: What do recent Texas actions against BlackRock reveal about potential resistance?

Texas's ban on BlackRock from state investments, though officially about oil stocks, represents one of the first significant state-level challenges to financial power. This demonstrates potential pathways for state-level resistance to institutional investor control, even if initially justified on narrow grounds.

Question 47: How does the ETF market serve as a control mechanism?

The ETF market, contracted to BlackRock, gives the firm direct influence over Federal Reserve asset purchases. This creates a direct line between private financial power and government monetary policy, demonstrating the integration of corporate and state power.

Question 48: What does the Tony Blair influence reveal about British political dynamics?

Blair's influence extends through all major political parties, with Conservative leadership candidates either explicitly praising him or being dubbed his heir by media. This shows how regime control transcends traditional political divisions, with supposedly opposing parties all representing variations of the same power structure.

49: How does corporate HR function as an enforcement mechanism?

HR departments serve as internal enforcement mechanisms for regime values, creating a dialectical relationship where even CEOs must respond to pressure from their woke graduate HR teams. This internal pressure combines with external institutional pressure to ensure corporate compliance with regime objectives.

Question 50: What does the Starbucks discrimination case reveal about legal power?

The Starbucks case, where the company was sued for calling police on non-paying customers, demonstrates how civil rights law shapes corporate behavior. Frame Games Radio's analysis showed how legal frameworks force corporate compliance with regime values regardless of business considerations.

Question 51: How does debt forgiveness policy illustrate third-worldist limitations?

While Soros and third-worldists advocated for third world debt forgiveness, their limited success in implementing this policy demonstrates their relative weakness compared to other elite factions. This shows how even wealthy activists can fail to achieve objectives that conflict with core financial power structures.

Question 52: How do BlackRock and Vanguard's ownership positions create control?

The 4-8% minority shareholdings in major corporations create control through coordinated action rather than outright ownership. This demonstrates how modern power operates through influence and pressure rather than direct control, making resistance more difficult.

Question 53: What parallels exist between FDR's attempted Ford nationalization and modern corporate power?

FDR's era represented stronger state power relative to corporate power, making nationalization a credible threat. Today's reversed power relationship, where corporations might effectively resist state action, demonstrates the fundamental shift in state-corporate power dynamics.

Question 54: How does Conservative Party evolution demonstrate regime capture?

The Conservative Party's transformation, exemplified by leadership candidates quoting Tony Blair and adopting regime values, shows how opposition parties become captured and transformed into regime vehicles while maintaining the illusion of political choice.

Question 55: How do national alternatives to financial systems develop?

Russia's creation of alternative payment systems after SWIFT removal demonstrates how national governments might develop independent financial infrastructure. This shows potential paths for breaking free from regime financial control, though at significant cost.

Question 56: What role do diversity training and internal corporate culture play in power maintenance?

Corporate culture and diversity training function as internal enforcement mechanisms, creating self-censorship and compliance through fear of professional consequences. This creates a system where employees become enforcers of regime values within organizations.

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