Corporate Greed: The New Ruling Class
10 Things Killing America | Part 1
The American Dream is dead, and I’m not sorry to say it. The truth is, this country’s been bleeding out for years, and we’ve been too busy scrolling and shopping to notice. But I’m not letting it slide. Welcome to my Special Investigation—a 10-part series where we break down the 10 things killing this country, one truth at a time. Buckle up.
Welcome to the Corporate Plantation
“You were born free. Now you’re a debt slave with a Fitbit. You think that’s progress?”
You clock in, you log on, you answer emails during dinner. You’ve got back pain, brain fog, and a caffeine dependency, but hey—you’re “crushing it,” right?
You were promised liberty. You got LinkedIn.
You were told you’d rise with hard work. But you’re drowning in student loans, rent hikes, and medical bills while billionaires debate whether to buy another yacht or a social media platform.
This isn’t capitalism.
This is a casino.
And the house always wins.
GDP Is the New God
Corporate America isn’t just a business anymore—it’s a state religion.
Your body, your time, your mental bandwidth—they don’t belong to you. They belong to the Church of GDP, and you’d better tithe with a smile.
Work is no longer a means to a life.
It is your life.
And if you dare to question that—if you burn out, break down, or just want a damn weekend without Slack notifications—you’re branded as lazy, ungrateful, or "not a team player."
Don’t want to hustle 24/7?
Must be a loser.
Can’t survive on your paycheck?
Must be bad with money.
Want affordable healthcare?
Must be a socialist.
The genius of modern corporate tyranny is how well it convinces you it’s your fault.
Like being chewed up by a meat grinder is a personal growth opportunity.
The Numbers Game That’s Killing Us
Let’s talk facts.
In 1978, CEOs made 30 times what the average worker made.
Today? Over 400 times.
And no, your productivity didn’t get 400x worse.70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
Medical debt is the #1 cause of bankruptcy.
Wages? Stagnant since the '70s, adjusted for inflation.
But corporate profits? Record highs.
And stock buybacks? A $1 trillion industry—money that could’ve gone to workers, innovation, or not charging $800 for an EpiPen.
Meanwhile, they slap a pride flag on a cereal box and call it progress.
Work Hard, Die Faster
They sold you “work hard, play hard.”
But the only people playing are flying private.
You grind yourself into dust. You stay late. You answer emails on vacation.
And what do you get? A pizza party, a branded water bottle, and a pat on the head during "Employee Appreciation Week."
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is measuring his rocket.
Let’s get brutally honest here:
You’re not a valued member of the team. You’re overhead.
The minute you're too sick, too tired, or too expensive? You're out.
There’s a fresh grad or a robot waiting to replace you.
But don’t worry—your LinkedIn contacts will “like” your “open to work” post.
Control the Narrative, Control the Herd
If this feels like dystopia—it is. But you’re not supposed to notice.
You’re supposed to keep scrolling, keep swiping, keep consuming.
Modern corporate power doesn’t just own the factories. It owns the narrative.
Big Tech controls your information.
Big Pharma controls your body.
Big Food makes you sick.
Big Insurance profits when you are.
This isn’t conspiracy. This is quarterly earnings season.
They don’t need to build prisons when they can build algorithms.
Why use shackles when you’ll pay $1,000 for the newest phone to keep track of yourself?
Welcome to Serfdom 2.0
We’ve traded in the whip for “wellness perks.”
The plantation for the open office.
The slave master for your friendly local HR rep.
You’re expected to be available at all hours, answer to three bosses, hit moving targets, and do it all with a smile so tight it cracks your soul.
You don’t live to work.
You exist to produce.
The dream?
Own nothing. Be grateful. Keep scrolling. Shut up.
But Here’s the Twist: You’re Not Powerless
They want you numb. Numb is profitable. Numb is easy to control.
But numb is not your natural state.
Anger is human.
Despair is human.
The urge to scream into the night sky is human.
So scream.
Not because it changes everything immediately—but because silence is how they win.
Because pretending this is normal is the real sickness.
Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Lies
“They don’t want citizens. They want products. And you signed the terms of service without even blinking.”
Let’s start with a pill and end with an algorithm.
Because that’s how it works now—you're diagnosed, dosed, tracked, sold, and sedated before you even hit snooze on your morning alarm.
This is the new cartel.
No guns. No ski masks.
Just patents, privacy policies, and “healthcare plans” that only work if you’re healthy and never need care.
Big Pharma: Treat the Symptoms, Not the System
America isn’t just sick—it’s been monetized in its sickness.
We are the only developed country where insulin prices can bankrupt you and a broken bone costs more than a used car.
Why? Because illness is a business model.
And wellness? A threat to the bottom line.
They don’t want you cured. They want you stable enough to keep working, spending, and swallowing whatever they’re selling this fiscal quarter.
Let’s talk numbers:
The U.S. makes up 4% of the global population, but we consume over 40% of the world’s prescription drugs.
The average American fills over 12 prescriptions per year.
Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is banned almost everywhere on earth… except here.
So your doctor isn’t the one diagnosing you anymore—it’s the ad during Monday Night Football.
Got nerves? Take this.
Can’t sleep? Try this.
Side effects may include: bankruptcy, dependency, and a general sense that maybe the system is rigged.
And let’s not forget the opioid crisis—manufactured by the same people who now want to “solve” it with another pill.
They lit the fire, then showed up in a lab coat holding a bucket of gasoline.
Big Tech: We Came for Connection. We Got Surveillance.
Once upon a time, the internet promised freedom.
Now? It’s a brightly-colored, dopamine-dripping surveillance trap.
A Truman Show you volunteered for—face filters and all.
You’re not the customer.
You’re the product.
Your data is their goldmine. Your emotions, habits, fears—they’re harvested, quantified, and weaponized. Not to help you, but to better sell you crap you didn’t know you needed until your phone whispered it in your ear.
Every click, scroll, swipe—it all gets logged.
They know when you’re sad.
They know when you’re horny.
They know you Googled “how to break free from modern corporate hell” at 2:13 a.m.
And they’ll serve you a productivity app and a discount on CBD gummies before you finish the sentence.
Let’s not kid ourselves:
Facebook tracks you even when you’re not on Facebook.
Google knows more about you than your mother.
Amazon knows when you run out of toilet paper.
And Apple will sell you a $1,500 phone in the name of “privacy.”
Big Tech doesn’t want you to disconnect.
They want you hypnotized. Addicted. Dependent.
Because a free-thinking human is bad for ad revenue.
And When Pharma Meets Tech? Say Hello to the Bio-Industrial Complex
You thought Orwell was just being dramatic?
What happens when the people who track your heartbeat also sell your medication?
What happens when your mental health crisis becomes content?
When your trauma gets analyzed by an algorithm, repackaged, and sold to advertisers?
You become a data point with a pulse.
This is the merger of flesh and profit.
Your health, your identity, your thoughts—nothing is sacred when it can be monetized.
And you clicked “I Agree” like it was a joke.
Like it didn’t mean anything.
Big Lies: The Illusion of Progress
They sold us on the idea that this is progress.
That we’re more advanced now. More informed. More connected.
But look around.
Depression rates are up.
Suicide rates are up.
Attention spans are down.
Real connection is disappearing.
People don’t talk anymore. They post.
They don’t learn. They consume content.
They don’t rebel. They cope.
Tech gave us infinite knowledge, and we used it to argue in the comments section.
Pharma gave us a pill for everything, and we still can’t sleep at night.
That’s not progress.
That’s sedation.
The Punchline? It’s All by Design
This isn’t a glitch.
This is the business model.
They don’t want you well.
They don’t want you awake.
They want you just functional enough to keep the machine running—quiet, compliant, and clicking.
And the worst part?
You pay for the privilege.
You buy the devices.
You beg for the prescriptions.
You submit your data.
You do the work.
They reap the profit.
But You Can Still Remember Who You Are
This system banks on your forgetfulness.
On your exhaustion.
On your willingness to say, “well, that’s just how it is.”
But you’re more than a QR code.
You’re more than a prescription refill.
You’re more than your search history.
The first rebellion isn’t with a megaphone—it’s with awareness.
With noticing the manipulation.
With asking questions they don’t want you to ask.
So keep asking.
Because nothing terrifies this machine more than a human who refuses to be a cog.
The Death of the Middle Class
“The American Dream is just a marketing gimmick sold by billionaires who want you to stay in your place while they steal your future.”
Once upon a time, there was a promise.
If you worked hard, paid your dues, stayed out of trouble—you’d have a house, two kids, maybe a car that didn’t squeal when you hit the brakes.
You didn’t have to be rich. You just had to be steady.
That was the middle class: not glamorous, but dignified.
Fast-forward to now, and that same dream is a punchline.
You work more. You own less.
You're exhausted, in debt, and still wondering why it feels like you're sprinting on a treadmill straight into a wall.
Spoiler: that’s not failure. That’s design.
The Disappearing Act
In 1971, 61% of Americans were considered “middle class.”
As of today? Barely 40%—and falling.
Wages haven’t kept up with inflation since the ‘70s.
Healthcare costs? Skyrocketed.
Housing? A cruel joke.
College? A debt sentence disguised as “opportunity.”
Childcare? Might as well be a second mortgage.
You’re told, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps.”
But no one mentions that the boots were outsourced to Bangladesh and your job was turned into a gig that doesn’t come with health insurance or a future.
The House You’ll Never Own
Homeownership—once the crown jewel of the American Dream—is now a myth whispered between exhausted millennials at overpriced brunch.
The average home price in the U.S. has ballooned over 500% since 1980, while wages have barely doubled.
Starter homes? Bought up by private equity firms and turned into rentals you’ll never stop paying for.
You’re not building equity.
You’re funding someone else’s yacht.
And if you think it’s just a “coastal city” problem, think again—small towns are being gutted too, turned into Airbnbs and hollowed-out shells of what they used to be.
College: The New Scam
Go to school, they said.
Get a degree.
You’ll be set.
Now you’ve got a $70,000 piece of paper and a job that asks if you’re “okay working weekends for exposure.”
Since 2000, student loan debt has grown 700%, while the average starting salary for a college graduate has barely budged.
Education is no longer a path to freedom—it’s a business, and you are the product.
They don’t want thinkers. They want debtors.
The longer you’re in the hole, the harder it is to rise.
That’s not a bug in the system.
That is the system.
The Great Shrinking Paycheck
Here’s the quiet part they don’t say out loud:
You’re working more hours than your parents. For less money. With no safety net.
Wages are stagnant, jobs are unstable, and everything from gas to groceries is rising like a fever no one wants to cure.
And if you do manage to make ends meet, you’re praised for your “grind” like a goddamn gladiator—bleeding behind the eyes, still smiling for tips.
We celebrate burnout like it’s a badge of honor.
Overtime as if it’s a virtue.
“Side hustle” culture as if being exhausted is aspirational.
News flash: having to work 3 jobs to survive isn't ambition. It's economic abuse.
Who Benefits?
Let’s follow the money.
While you’re skipping vacations and living off clearance chicken thighs,
the billionaire class increased their wealth by over $1.5 trillion during the pandemic alone.
CEOs make, on average, 400 times more than their median employee.
You can’t afford a dentist.
They’re buying their third property in the south of France.
And when the economy crashes—like it always does—they don’t lose.
You do.
Your job, your house, your savings.
They get bailed out.
You get blamed.
But Wait—Aren’t We Lucky?
You’re told you’re “lucky” to have a job.
That you’re “privileged” to make ends meet.
That you should “just work harder.”
But this isn’t about effort.
It’s about rigged rules and a narrative designed to keep you compliant.
The middle class wasn’t lost.
It was dismantled.
Stripped for parts.
Sold off.
Then buried under a mountain of branding slogans and bootstrap bullshit.
The Gut-Punch
This isn’t a sob story.
It’s a heist story.
You were promised something.
And they stole it while you were busy paying interest on your dreams.
They handed you a broken system with a smile and said, “If you’re failing, it’s your fault.”
But no—
It’s not your fault that the ladder got pulled up.
It’s not your fault that the rules changed mid-game.
It’s not your fault that the same corporations who lobbied to outsource your job are now telling you to “learn to code.”
You’ve been gaslit by prosperity propaganda.
They told you the Dream was still alive while they sold it off to the highest bidder.
It’s Time to Wake Up
The middle class wasn’t supposed to die this way.
Not with a bang, but with a quiet, exhausted sigh.
Bills unpaid. Dreams postponed. Joy deferred.
But here’s the thing:
The truth hurts—but it also liberates.
Because once you see the game for what it is,
you don’t have to play by their rules anymore.
You can build something real.
You can fight smarter.
You can demand better.
The first step?
Call the lie what it is.
And never, ever apologize for wanting more.
Distract, Divide, Destroy
“Rebellion got branded. Dissent got shadowbanned. And you’re still arguing with your cousin over masks.”
The game is rigged.
But you’re too busy scrolling through your TikTok feed to notice.
And that’s exactly how they want it.
You see, this isn’t about making your life better. Hell, it’s not even about making you happy.
It’s about keeping you distracted.
Divided.
And consuming.
While you’re glued to your phone, they’re stealing your future, your peace of mind, and your very sense of self.
The Illusion of Connection
You’re more connected than ever, right? You’ve got Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok—the list goes on.
But what are you really connected to?
A curated, algorithmic version of reality.
You’re not engaging with your community or fostering real human connections. No, you’re glued to a screen that’s designed to keep you scrolling, distracted, and addicted.
It’s dopamine hits every few seconds. That like, that comment, that share—all designed to keep you hooked. But does it bring you closer to the real people around you?
Does it make you feel better, more alive?
Or does it just make you feel empty inside, craving more but never quite satisfied?
And the worst part? They’ve figured out exactly how to keep you scrolling, clicking, arguing.
Because the longer you stay distracted, the less you notice what they’re doing behind your back.
The New Bread and Circuses
Remember the Romans? They used to throw bread and circuses to keep the masses distracted while they looted the empire.
Well, welcome to 2025. Same story, different century.
Now, it’s all about bread and circuses on your screen.
While you’re arguing over the latest celebrity drama, you’re not noticing the bigger picture: Your wages are stagnant. The economy’s in the toilet. The climate’s changing and you can’t even afford to go to the doctor.
But hey, who cares when you’re binge-watching a show about people getting famous for doing nothing?
We don’t need real solutions anymore. We’ve got TikTok trends to keep us entertained.
The real circus is happening behind the scenes, where corporate giants and politicians are ripping off the system, squeezing the last bit of life out of you while you’re too busy making memes and arguing about political hashtags.
Outrage: The New Currency
Outrage is the new gold.
You’re being monetized on your anger. Your opinion? Worthless. But your outrage? That’s what they want.
Your rage keeps you hooked. It’s your emotional junk food—quick, easy, and totally unhealthy.
Every time you hit “share” on some post that gets you fired up, they win.
They don’t care if you’re upset about fake news or real injustice. They just care that you’re reacting. They don’t need you to think critically; they need you to get riled up and start arguments that go nowhere.
Why? Because outrage fuels the machine. It keeps you distracted, it keeps you divided, and it keeps you from ever looking up and seeing the chains that are wrapped around your neck.
We’re addicted to outrage now. The louder, the angrier, the more controversial, the better.
But ask yourself: Who’s profiting from your rage?
It’s not you.
Divide and Conquer
Nothing gets done when you’re too busy fighting over nonsense.
And that’s exactly the point.
They don’t want us united.
They want us divided, bickering over every stupid issue while the real issues get swept under the rug.
Mask debates? Vaccine mandates? Immigration policies? These things are diversions.
You’re fighting with your neighbor about whose rights are more important while the rich and powerful keep doing what they’ve been doing for decades: Filling their pockets while you’re too distracted to notice.
And don’t even get me started on the fake news.
It’s all noise. It’s all designed to make sure you stay busy, angry, and divided—so you never see what’s really happening.
It’s about keeping you occupied with the circus while they rob you blind.
Dissent Is the New Crime
Rebellion used to be celebrated.
You used to be able to protest.
You used to be able to voice your opinion without getting shut down, shadowbanned, or erased from the internet entirely.
But now? Now, you’re not a dissenter.
You’re a target.
Free speech? Doesn’t exist in a world where algorithms decide who gets to be heard and who gets to be erased.
Your views don’t matter unless they fit the narrative.
And if you dare question the narrative?
You get canceled. Banned. Forgotten.
Rebellion got branded. Dissent got shadowbanned.
Now, if you disagree, you’re not a revolutionary—you’re just a hashtag on a list.
The powers that be don’t want us to rise up. They want us to stay quiet—too busy fighting with each other to do anything meaningful. They want you to stay in your lane and keep consuming.
The Bottom Line: Keep Quiet, Keep Divided, Keep Consuming
It’s all about control.
They want you distracted. They want you divided.
And, most of all, they want you consuming.
While you’re sitting there, glued to your screen, arguing over someone else’s fake life, they’re taking everything you’ve worked for.
They’re writing the rules, and you’re too busy to care.
But it’s not too late.
You can wake up, stop arguing over the bullshit, and start looking at what really matters.
Or you can stay distracted.
Your choice.
What Now? (And What’s Next)
“This isn’t just capitalism—it’s controlled collapse.”
Welcome to the end of the road.
You’ve seen the game. You’ve seen the players.
But now, you have a choice: Keep playing or get the hell out of the circus.
The Collapse Is Already Happening
Let’s get something straight—this isn’t a system in crisis.
This is the system doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: collapsing under its own weight.
But don’t be fooled—it’s not a collapse caused by poor leadership or bad luck. No, this is a controlled demolition. The people in power aren’t losing control—they’re directing the crash. It’s all planned, all calculated, and you’re supposed to be the one left picking up the pieces.
The billionaires don’t care about your financial future. The tech giants don’t give a damn if your data’s getting sold to the highest bidder. The pharmaceutical companies are laughing all the way to the bank as you choke on your prescriptions.
This isn’t capitalism gone wrong—it’s capitalism working perfectly.
And you’re the sucker who’s getting squeezed from all sides.
So, what now?
Do you keep pretending that the American Dream is real?
Do you keep hoping that one day, maybe, you’ll catch a break?
Or do you finally wake up and realize that your whole life has been sold to the highest bidder?
Awareness: The First Step Toward Real Freedom
We’ve all been kept in the dark for too damn long.
We were raised to think this was the greatest country in the world. We were told that hard work would get us somewhere. That if you played by the rules, you’d be rewarded.
But the truth is, they’ve been lying to you the whole time.
You were born into a system rigged against you.
Your dreams were never yours to begin with.
And the system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly the way it was designed.
But here’s the thing: Awareness is the first step to freedom.
The moment you realize that the game is rigged, the moment you stop playing by their rules, is the moment you start taking your power back.
It’s time to wake up.
Stop pretending like the deck isn’t stacked. Stop waiting for permission to live your life.
Start questioning everything. Everything.
Because the revolution starts with knowledge, and right now, you’re armed with the most powerful weapon in existence: the truth.
The End of the Old World
You’ve seen it—the death of the middle class, the rise of corporate greed, the exploitation of the working masses. The institutions have all crumbled under their own weight.
But there’s something beautiful about this collapse.
It’s the death of a world that never worked for you.
This system, these lies, are on their last legs.
It’s like a slow-motion trainwreck, but guess what?
You get to decide whether you get on that train or walk the hell away.
This isn’t just the death of the middle class.
It’s the death of the illusion.
And when that illusion dies, something else is born.
Something real.
Seeds of Rebellion: Plant Them Now
Now, here’s where the fun begins.
Because you’re not powerless. You’ve just been conditioned to think you are.
You’ve been sold the lie that you have no choice, that there’s nothing you can do to change the system.
But that’s where they’re wrong.
The moment you stop believing that lie, the moment you realize that everything is up for grabs, is the moment you reclaim your power.
So, what now?
Start with awareness. Start by questioning everything they’ve told you.
Rebel against the system. You don’t need to burn down the government (though that might not be a bad idea).
You need to stop complying with a system that’s been feeding you lies.
You need to refuse to be part of the machine that’s grinding everyone to dust.
What’s Next?
You might be wondering, “Okay, Ivana, I’m awake now. What do I do with this information?”
Great question.
The answer? You take action.
Start small. Start with your daily choices. Stop feeding into the cycle.
But most importantly, start talking.
Talk about this. Talk about the lies. Talk about the collapse. Talk about the real revolution that’s waiting to happen.
Because it’s coming.
And the more you speak up, the more people will wake up, too.
Final Words: The Revolution Won’t Be Hashtagged
You’ve just read about the problem.
Now you’ve got to be part of the solution.
Don’t let them steal your future.
Don’t let them distract you with nonsense.
Don’t let them make you think you’re powerless.
The revolution won’t be tweeted. It won’t be hashtagged. It won’t be broadcasted on CNN.
But it is coming, and it’s coming from you.
You’re the one who’s going to light the match and set this system on fire.
So get ready.
Get loud.
And get to work.
🔥 Up Next: The Education System: Indoctrination, Not Education
We’ve all been sold a lie. The “education” system? It’s not about learning—it’s about shaping obedient little algorithms who know how to repeat what they’re told, but can’t balance a checkbook or think for themselves.
In the next post, we’ll break down how the system turned your kids into data points instead of human beings.
We’ll uncover how critical thinking was replaced by conformity, and how we’ve been training our youth to be good little workers in the corporate plantation.Next Tuesday. Don’t miss it.
Love this! And I’d be willing to bet if I post it on my LinkedIn account, it will be flagged for “misinformation” (they just did that with a Coffee & Covid post I put up about a week ago - I’m going to appeal). 😡
Learn to be self-sufficient. Research historical writings to see how our predecessors lived with low-tech solutions to life's challenges. Learn how our economy really works at all levels; national, regional and local. Find ways to pay off debt and grow wealth. Start living a healthy lifestyle; forgo processed foods for home cooked, grow a garden, raise some livestock (if you can). Engage in low cost outdoor activities that allow you (and family) to learn skills that will serve your survival objectives in the coming collapse.