Media Manipulation, Coup Playbooks, and Economic Warfare Unveiled by Mike Benz Part 1

Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

Impact Theory

Education, News, News Commentary, Philosophy, Technology, Society & Culture, Business, Self-improvement

4.7 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Part 1 Shownotes In this eye-opening first part of a special two-part episode of "Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu," Tom sits down with Mike Benz—former State Department official, executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, and a leading authority on the intersection of technology, media, and soft power. Benz unpacks the tangled web of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the shifting dynamics of global influence, and how soft power has supplanted traditional warfare in the modern era. Tom and Mike go deep into the true origins and motivations behind NGOs, illuminating how many of these organizations operate as statecraft tools, intelligence fronts, and economic levers for the world's elite. From the rise of philanthropic organizations as vehicles for influence to the coordinated manipulation of global media, Part 1 shines a light on the hidden infrastructure behind democracy building, narrative control, and regime change. Mike exposes the intricate interplay between hedge funds, government foreign policy, media, and activism—detailing how policy and profit become inextricably linked through a process he dubs "drafting off of policy." If you’ve ever questioned who really pulls the strings behind elections, color revolutions, and the headlines you read every day, this episode will give you a radical new lens through which to see the world. SHOWNOTES00:00 NGOs as Instruments of Power02:43 History of Elite Media Control05:12 Media Manipulation and American Influence Abroad10:44 Soft Power vs. Military Might12:07 Hedge Funds, Donors, and Policy Manipulation (Soros Example)14:35 The “Blob”: Inside the Foreign Policy Establishment20:31 How Economic Interests Drive Foreign Policy23:01 Color Revolutions: Playbooks and Statecraft29:26 Can These Playbooks Be Used Domestically? (Transition Integrity Project)32:24 The National Endowment for Democracy and Modern “Democracy Building”38:28 Media, Music, and Cultural Warfare44:39 Education, Language, and Censorship as Soft Power FOLLOW MIKE BENZ:X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/mikebenzcyberYouTube: Mike Benz CyberRumble: Mike Benz CyberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebenzcyber/ SleepMe: Visit https://sleep.me/impact to get your Chilipad and save 20% with code IMPACT. Try it risk-free with their 30-night sleep trial and free shipping. Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Hims: Start your free online visit today at https://hims.com/IMPACT. Linkedin: Post your job free at https://linkedin.com/impacttheory Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Tailor Brands: 35% off https://tailorbrands.com/podcast35 Found Banking: Try Found for FREE at https://found.com/impact What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu’s Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Having one person who's highly educated sat in a room with seven professors doesn't mean you're
0:07.3	really co-producing your research. We want to really get it in a meaningful way across health
0:12.8	research. Welcome to When Science Fines Away, a podcast about the science changing the world.
0:21.3	When Science Finds Away, listen to Season 3, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:29.4	From the 1940s through the Cold War, one third of the CIA's entire budget was devoted to media
0:35.9	manipulation. They do not want you thinking for yourself.
0:39.3	Today, the same tactics have gone digital and are far more ubiquitous.
0:43.3	Former State Department official Mike Benz joins me to expose what he calls the Censorship Industrial Complex,
0:50.3	a coordinated web of government agencies, NGOs, and hedge funds working together to shape narratives, silence dissent, and weaponized culture itself.
0:59.0	And it's not for your benefit, it's for theirs.
1:02.0	This interview is one of those rare occasions where someone fundamentally alters my mental map of how the world actually works.
1:08.0	So strap in because even if you already know Mike
1:11.7	Benz, this one is going to make your hair stand on end. About further ado, I bring you Mike
1:17.3	Benz.
1:20.6	I have always considered NGOs to be pro-humanity philanthropies, but in researching you,
1:26.9	you make them sound more like an extension
1:28.5	of the CIA and a way for global elites to control the power structures of the world,
1:34.2	essentially for maximum personal gain. Can you explain to me what NGOs are and how they
1:41.7	came to be in the way that we know them now.
1:48.7	NGOs are essentially the kind of stem cell of the influence world.
1:51.2	They can take any number of forms. They can play a wide role in organic and grassroots movements, in the play things of
1:59.8	billionaires as fronts for intelligence and statecraft operations.
	...

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