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Dr. Joseph Dillard is a psychotherapist with over forty year's clinical experience treating individual, couple, and family issues. Dr. Dillard also has extensive experience with pain management and meditation training. The creator of Integral Deep Listening (IDL), Dr. Dillard is the author of over ten books on IDL, dreaming, nightmares, and meditation. He lives in Berlin, Germany. See: integraldeeplistening.com and his YouTube channel. He can be contacted at: [email protected]

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Waking Up in a Dystopian World

Joseph Dillard / AI

While it is always possible to point to the sins of others, this only carries weight when it is clear that we are accepting responsibility for our own. Otherwise, calling out others easily looks like a dodging of responsibility and deflection by changing the subject from our behavior to that of the other.

It is also true that partisans of all sorts are immune to evidence or rational arguments. We can speculate as to the likely reasons. Cognitive dissonance is perceived as threat to identity, evoked when confronted with contrary perspectives. Economic incentives are also often very important. As Upton Sinclair famously pointed out, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Therefore, as the Romas said, “Qui Bono?” “Who benefits?” Or as Deep Throat said, “Follow the money.” (Mark Felt, FBI deputy director during the Watergate Scandal.)

With the above points in mind we can note that the US, EU, and UK often describe enemies as “authoritarian” or “having imperial ambitions.” Let us say for the cause of argument that both are true. Clearly, there exists evidence for both. Having cleared the air on that point, we can then ask, “Yes, and what evidence of authoritarianism and imperial ambitions do we find in our own house?” “To what extent might they be driven by economic considerations?”

Western Authoritarianism

In the US, the Patriot Act enables mass NSA spying on citizens' calls, emails, and data without warrants, echoing state control in authoritarian regimes. Post-9/11, FISA courts rubber-stamp secret approvals for bulk data collection, often bypassing Fourth Amendment protections.

Executive actions like Obama's drone strikes on US citizens abroad-without trial, based on secret kill lists-or Trump's Muslim travel ban show how presidents can wield unchecked power, sidelining checks and balances.

The Espionage Act's broad use, like prosecuting Julian Assange for publishing leaks, chills journalism and free speech, with over a century of jailing whistleblowers.

In Europe, the UK's Investigatory Powers Act allows bulk hacking and data retention, criticized as a snooper's charter. Germany's BND mass surveillance of allies, exposed by Snowden, raises similar concerns. Emergency laws, like France's state of emergency after 2015 attacks, expand police powers to raid homes without oversight, mirroring tactics in places like Turkey.

Media consolidation-six corporations owning 90% of US outlets-lets narratives get shaped by elite interests, limiting dissent.

Protest crackdowns, like excessive force at US Black Lives Matter rallies or French Yellow Vest marches, show intolerance for opposition.

Authoritarian vibes also pop up in election interference claims, like Democratic efforts to censor social media on misinformation during COVID or 2020 votes, framing critics as threats.

A study by Princeton and Northwestern Universities provided considerable evidence that U.S. voters have little impact on governmental decision making and that the U.S. is now effectively an oligarchy, not a democracy.

Western Imperialism

The US projects power globally, much like empires of old. For this reason, the US is often criticized for hypocrisy when calling others imperial.

Since 1945, the US has led or backed over 80 military interventions, from Korea to Iraq, reshaping governments to align with its interests. The CIA's coups-like 1953 in Iran, 1973 in Chile-overthrew democratically elected leaders for economic or anti-communist reasons, installing pro-US regimes. Regime change ops in Libya (2011) and Syria left power vacuums, fueling chaos, much like colonial meddling.

The US's 800-plus overseas bases in over 80 countries dwarf any other nation, creating a global military footprint to secure resources like Middle Eastern oil.

Drone wars in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, killing thousands (including civilians) without congressional approval, show unchecked extraterritorial authority.

Sanctions, illegal under international law, like those crippling Iran's economy or Venezuela's, act as economic warfare, punishing entire populations for defying US policy.

NATO's expansion eastward, despite Russian objections, is seen as encircling rivals, with the US footing 70% of its budget to maintain influence.

Backing coups, like Ukraine's 2014 Maidan protests with $5 billion in democracy aid, fuels perceptions of color revolutions as US-orchestrated.

The dollar's role as the world's reserve currency lets the US impose SWIFT banking sanctions, holding economies hostage-imperial leverage without tanks.

There have been several public statements from US officials explicitly describing the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war between the US (or the West) and Russia. For instance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a March 2025 Fox News interview that the war is “a proxy war between nuclear powers — the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia — and it needs to come to an end.” Rubio reiterated this view in other contexts, emphasizing it as a “proxy” conflict between the US and Russia that should conclude.

A “proxy” war implies that the real war is between Russia and the US/West and that Ukraine facilitates that conflict. There is considerable evidence that this is true.

US officials have acknowledged providing intelligence to guide Ukrainian strikes on Russian targets, including planning routes and selecting sites for drone attacks on energy infrastructure. For example, American intelligence has enabled long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries, as part of a coordinated effort to weaken Russia's economy. A senior US official also stated that the US message to Russia was to keep the war “fought inside Ukraine,” implying strategic direction to contain escalation.

Broader US involvement includes security cooperation, with $66.9 billion in military aid provided since 2022, enhancing Ukraine's defensive capabilities against Russia-backed forces. UK and NATO roles are noted in joint warnings and increased weapon deliveries, with UK commandos reportedly assisting in evacuations and operations. Reports from 2024 confirm CIA bases in Ukraine directing spy and military efforts against Russia, approved by multiple US presidents. UK officials have been involved in training, planning, and on-ground direction.

In the early 1990s, during German reunification talks, US Secretary of State James Baker and other Western leaders reportedly assured Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward” beyond a unified Germany. Declassified documents from the National Security Archive show Baker using this phrasing in 1990 conversations, though it was not formalized in any treaty. Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly cited this as a “betrayal,” arguing that NATO's enlargement to 14 new members since 1999 (including former Soviet states like the Baltics, Poland, and Romania) encircled Russia and heightened its insecurity.

At the 2008 Bucharest Summit, NATO declared that Ukraine and Georgia “will become members,” which critics say directly threatened Russia's sphere of influence. This, combined with joint US-Ukraine military exercises and arms shipments (totaling nearly $3 billion in US security assistance since 2014), is seen as escalating tensions. Putin explicitly referenced Ukraine's NATO aspirations as a casus belli in his pre-invasion speeches, viewing it as an existential threat.

Analysts like Jeffrey Sachs argue this created a “security dilemma,” where NATO's defensive moves were perceived as offensive by Russia, leading to the 2022 invasion as a preemptive act. A 2023 RUSI report and other studies note that NATO's Arctic expansions post-2022 further strained Russia-West relations, though this followed the invasion.

The 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests, which ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, are portrayed by some as a US-orchestrated “coup.” Evidence includes leaked phone calls, such as one between US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt discussing post-Yanukovych government formation, with Nuland saying “F— the EU” regarding European influence. The US provided about $5 billion in aid to Ukraine since 1991 for democracy-building, which critics like Putin claim funded regime change.

Far-right groups like Svoboda and Right Sector played visible roles in the protests, and some argue US support empowered them, leading to a government hostile to Russia. This allegedly prompted Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for Donbas separatists in 2014, setting the stage for 2022.

Western Financial Benefits of Authoritarianism and Imperialism

Financial institutions have profited through investments in defense stocks, trading related debt, and facilitating reconstruction funds. Some have also benefited indirectly via operations in Russia, though this often involves paying taxes that support the Russian war effort. On the Ukraine-support side:

• BlackRock: The asset manager has advised Ukraine on attracting investments for reconstruction, helping establish a development fund initially targeting $15 billion (though efforts were paused in mid-2025 due to geopolitical uncertainties). BlackRock's involvement includes managing potential $100 billion in growth for rebuilding efforts.

• JPMorgan Chase: Partnering with BlackRock, JPMorgan has worked on Ukraine's reconstruction bank and investment attraction, managing funds worth trillions and positioning itself for fees from post-war financing.

• Hedge Funds (various): Unspecified hedge funds have purchased Ukrainian bonds at discounts, positioning for billions in profits as the country restructures debt amid the war. Additionally, US hedge funds have traded Russian debt through loopholes, with firms like Goldman Sachs facilitating deals that cashed in on market volatility post-invasion.

Other banks like Citi, Raiffeisen (Austria), and UniCredit (Italy) have maintained large assets in Russia, generating profits there despite sanctions, with estimates of € 800 million in taxes paid to Russia in 2023 alone— partly funding the war. Western institutions have also been involved in loans to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets, such as a $20 billion US loan repaid via profits from immobilized funds.

Energy Companies

The war has disrupted Russian gas supplies to Europe, leading to a surge in US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and windfall profits for American energy firms. US exporters have captured market share, with spot prices soaring after the 2022 invasion. This has cost US consumers over $100 billion in higher prices over 16 months but enriched exporters. Key players include:

• Venture Global: Reaped massive profits from delayed contract fulfillments amid high global prices, facing arbitration but benefiting hugely from the LNG boom.

• Cheniere Energy: As a leading US LNG exporter, Cheniere has seen revenues spike from increased shipments to Europe, directly tied to the war's energy fallout.

• Broader Oil and Gas Majors (e.g., ExxonMobil, Chevron): These companies reported record profits of $209 billion in 2022-2023, with shareholders receiving $102 billion in distributions, fueled by global energy price hikes from the conflict.

Several US defense giants like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and RTX profit heavily from Israel's military operations in Gaza, supplying missiles, jets, and drones used in Gaza-stocks jumped twenty to thirty percent since October twenty twenty-three, with billions in new contracts tied to arms aid. European arms firms such as Germany's Rheinmetall and Italy's Leonardo also cash in, selling shells and systems that fuel the conflict, though they're smaller players. Tech-wise, Palantir, Google, and Amazon provide AI targeting tools and cloud tech to the IDF, boosting revenues amid Gaza ops. Financially, banks like BNP Paribas loaned five point seven billion euros to these arms makers since twenty twenty-one, while hedge funds trade Israeli bonds for gains from war bonds or reconstruction bets.

The UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry ruled on September sixteen, twenty twenty-five, that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, citing killings, serious harm, life-destroying conditions, and birth prevention-backed by evidence of intent from Israeli officials' statements. It's not the ICJ, though; that court's January twenty twenty-four provisional order just said genocide is plausible enough for Israel to prevent it, without confirming the act. Prominent ones condemning it outright? Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Commission itself-plus voices like UN human rights experts calling for action against what they see as clear annihilation. Israel rejects it all as biased, but bodies like the UN Human Rights Council are pushing accountability. The implication is that major interests in the West have large financial incentives to support genocide.

The U.S. has appropriated $21.7 billion in military aid appropriated for Israel since the war began. A broader estimate of $31.35 to $33.77 billion includes the cost of U.S. military operations in the wider region in support of Israel, such as actions in Yemen and Iran. The U.S. has also provided $9 billion in loan guarantees to Israel. This is money that is not being spent on US infrastructure or lowering health insurance costs for Americans. It is US taxpayer money, meaning that US citizens are indirectly complicit in an ongoing genocide.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has significantly boosted revenues for several US and Western defense companies, primarily through increased arms sales, military aid packages, and heightened global demand for weapons systems. Since the conflict began in 2022, the US has provided Ukraine with approximately $66.9 billion in military assistance, much of which flows to American contractors for producing and supplying equipment like missiles, drones, and artillery. This has led to record profits for the top US arms firms, with the sector claiming about 50% of global defense revenues amid the Ukraine and other conflicts. Key US companies include:

• Lockheed Martin: As a major supplier of systems like Javelin missiles and HIMARS rocket launchers used in Ukraine, the company has seen substantial revenue growth, with its stock and profits surging due to replenishment orders from the US and allies.

• RTX (formerly Raytheon): Producers of Stinger missiles and Patriot systems, RTX has benefited from billions in contracts tied to Ukraine aid, contributing to overall sector gains.

• Boeing: Involved in supplying precision-guided munitions and aircraft components, Boeing has reported increased earnings from defense exports spurred by the war.

• General Dynamics: Manufacturers of Abrams tanks and artillery shells, the company has seen profits rise from US aid packages and European restocking efforts.

• Northrop Grumman: Providers of advanced radar and drone systems, Northrop has capitalized on the demand for high-tech weaponry in the conflict.

In Europe, defense firms have also experienced growth, though at a slower pace, driven by NATO spending hikes and direct supplies to Ukraine. Forecasts suggest annual revenue growth of 10-11.5% for European arms companies over the next decade due to the war's ripple effects. Notable examples include:

• Rheinmetall (Germany): This company has seen its business “boom” with massive orders for tanks, ammunition, and vehicles, reporting record profits as Ukraine's needs fuel production ramps.

• BAE Systems (UK): As a supplier of artillery and armored vehicles, BAE has benefited from UK and EU aid commitments, with revenues up amid global arms demand.

Overall, the top 100 global arms producers saw a 4.2% revenue increase to $632 billion in 2023, largely attributed to conflicts like Ukraine.

Consequences

While many in the West still fight the overwhelming evidence of Western authoritarianism and imperialism, an increasing number of Westerners are waking up to the reality that they have not only been lied to all their lives regarding the democratic and humanistic exceptionalism of the West, but see the mask coming off, as complicity in genocide, in the terrorist assassinations and bombings by Israel of Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and Doha, and the public censoring of those who protest, becomes undeniable.

Where this will lead socially is unknown. Some predict the fate Aldous Huxley outlined in Brave New World: brainwashed, groupthink complacency aided by bread and circuses and UBI. Others predict George Orwell's “1984” dystopian nightmare. Still others predict AI brain hacking along the lines of The Terminator or The Matrix. Christian Zionists (there are some 40 million evangelical Christians in the US) openly advocate for genocide as necessary for the return of Christ.

Approaching our psychological, cultural, and social crisis in evolutionary terms, there is no doubt that humanity is being forced to adapt by evolving a greatly improved ability to question beliefs, scripting, and authority in ways and to an extent that has either been taboo or impossible, due to lack of skills and information in the past. However, today we have few legitimate excuses to avoid charges of complicity. Regarding the Holocaust, we can say we didn't know. Today, regarding the ongoing genocide, that excuse is no longer available.

We can't know how history will judge us, but we can take a guess, based on the way we view Germans of the 1930's and 1940's. Germany's reparations are ongoing. The Claims Conference negotiates annually with the German government to secure funds for the aging survivor population. Over 90 billion has been paid to Holocaust survivors by Germany since 1952, and those payments are ongoing. A significant outcome of the 2023 negotiations was the extension of one-time hardship payments for eligible survivors, of which there are currently some 250,000, through 2027. There is no sign of payment by Israel or the West to the survivors of the ongoing Palestinian holocaust on the horizon. It appears, for the most part, we continue to believe we will escape personal consequences for authoritarianism and imperialism done in our names as well as for the gutting of our countries by oligarchical elites. How realistic that belief is remains unknown.