Who Really Runs the World? | Simon Dixon

The Financial-Industrial Complex and the Global Power Paradigm

This transcript features a deep-dive conversation between Simon Dixon and Peter McCormack regarding the invisible power structures governing the modern world, specifically examining the transition from a Western-centric debt model to a multi-polar global order. Dixon provides a high-level analysis of how finance, corporate interests, and intelligence agencies collaborate to maintain a "debt-based Ponzi scheme" that subordinates sovereign nations to the interests of a global financial-industrial complex.

The Core Argument Simon Dixon’s central thesis posits that the world is not run by an organized cabal of "lizard people" or a single centralized conspiracy, but rather by a ruthless, fluid game of capital allocation and betrayal. He argues that governments have been reduced to mere "battering rams" or "piggy banks" designed to take the blame for systemic failures while redistributing wealth to corporate lobbies. This "financial-industrial complex" functions by making the state subordinate to the needs of capital. Through the privatization of resources and the installation of Western-style central banks, countries are transformed into "asset management portfolios" for major corporations and investment firms. Dixon suggests that most political leaders are "compromised" by intelligence networks to ensure they remain on track with the interests of their corporate sponsors, effectively ending true democratic sovereignty in the West.

The Debt-Based Ponzi Scheme Dixon describes the current monetary system as a structural Ponzi scheme that originated with the Bank of England in 1694 and was later exported globally.

• 💰 How money is created as debt: Every pound or dollar in circulation is created as a loan with interest attached. Because the money to pay the interest is never created at the outset, the system requires a perpetual cycle of new debt to pay off old interest.
• 🏦 The role of central banks and private corporations: Central banks grant private banks the monopoly to create currency. This structure ensures that the "corporate class" gains access to capital at 0% or near-zero rates, while small businesses and individuals pay the highest interest, effectively subsidizing the system.
• 🔄 How debt is rolled over and its consequences: To prevent the scheme from collapsing, debt must be continually rolled over. When individuals or corporations fail, their debt is socialized onto the government’s balance sheet, leading to systemic inflation that acts as a hidden tax on the poor.
• ⚖️ The K-shaped economy and wealth inequality: This structure creates a "K-shaped" reality where asset owners (the rich) see their wealth multiply through inflation and cheap credit, while those without assets (the working and middle classes) become "the assets" themselves, trapped in a cycle of debt and decreasing standards of living.

Power Dynamics and Corporate Subordination The current power dynamic is characterized by the total subordination of Western governments—including the UK, EU, and Canada—to US corporate interests. Dixon identifies massive asset managers like BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street as the primary nodes of this power. BlackRock, managing roughly $12 trillion in assets, serves as a "technology partner" to central banks and treasuries, effectively dictating capital allocation. Through proxy voting rights and 20,000 board seats across public companies, these managers enforce agendas like ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) to control the flow of capital. Dixon emphasizes that even "celebrity billionaires" like Elon Musk are subordinate to this complex, as their wealth is leveraged against the system's willingness to provide liquidity. The "deep state"—comprised of intelligence agencies like the CIA and Mossad—acts as the enforcement arm, using blackmail (compromat) and "genocide-as-a-service" technologies to maintain the status quo.

Geopolitical Implications: The Ukraine-Russia Conflict Dixon views the Ukraine-Russia war not as a defense of democracy, but as a strategic operation by the US financial-industrial complex. In this lens, the war serves multiple corporate goals: it acts as a "tide loan" for the military-industrial complex (Raytheon, Lockheed Martin), forces Europe into total subordination to US energy and finance, and allows asset managers to acquire Ukrainian resources on the cheap through reconstruction deals. Dixon describes the conflict as a "win-win" for the power players; whether a country is destroyed or rebuilt, the corporate entities manage the volatility and the debt. He characterizes leaders like Zelenskyy and Starmer as "aligned factions" whose primary job is to manufacture a narrative that justifies the extraction of taxpayer money to pump the US stock market and military contracts.

Solutions and Boycotts Dixon suggests that while the system is too large to defeat through traditional revolution, individuals can maintain autonomy by "opting out" through a series of intentional boycotts.

• 🚫 Boycotting the financial system: Shift focus away from global debt-based consumption toward local, self-sufficient, and sustainable living.
• 🏘️ Invest in local communities: Support local farmers, butchers, and privately owned businesses to bypass the "corporate moat" created by multinationals.
• 🔑 Own hard assets: Emphasize the ownership of hard assets—like Bitcoin or gold—held in self-custody to avoid being exploited by the "margin call" and "re-hypothecation" tactics of the banking system.
• 🧠 Develop an understanding of the powers at play: Recognize that "money is your real vote." Stop looking at politicians for solutions and focus on where you allocate your time and capital.

Bitcoin's Role as a Boycott Tool Dixon views Bitcoin as the ultimate tool for boycotting the Federal Reserve and the global banking network, provided it is used correctly. He warns that the financial-industrial complex is currently in an "asset stripping phase" where they are attempting to centralize Bitcoin through ETFs and custodial services (like BlackRock and MicroStrategy). By moving Bitcoin into "institutional" hands, the system seeks to create "two-tiered Bitcoin" where the majority of people only own a derivative. Dixon urges proponents to maintain "self-custody" and "run their own nodes," as this is the only way to remain outside the control grid. He cautions that while Bitcoin is an "infinite game" for those who hold it long-term, the complex tries to turn it into a "finite game" of speculation and debt to trap the unwary.

The Multi-Polar World Order Dixon concludes by outlining the inevitable shift toward a multi-polar world. He suggests that the "American Empire" is currently in decline, moving into a "regional power" status as the financial-industrial complex relocates its focus to the East.

• Influence moving to Asia and Africa: The global South, particularly Africa and the Middle East, are set to see massive growth as they de-colonize from the British-American debt model. These regions hold the world’s remaining high birth rates and essential resources.
• The Significance of the Shift: While the "West" faces a "Hollow Men" collapse of shrinking homes, longer hours, and digital distractions, the East is building "infinite games" through sovereign wealth funds that aren't privatized for corporate gain.
• The Nature of Power: Dixon notes that while the new powers may still be "ruthless," the shift allows for regional stability—such as the emerging "Peace in the Middle East" driven by Chinese manufacturing and Gulf capital—which serves as an alternative to the "forever war" model of the declining Western empire.

Final Takeaway The ultimate conclusion of Dixon’s analysis is that the chase for extreme wealth within a corrupt system is a "myth" that leads to misery. Whether one believes in the "coordinated cabal" or simply sees the reality of "profit maximization without ethics," the solution remains the same: stop consenting to the "rat race." A successful life is achieved by securing one's time—the only truly scarce resource—minimizing debt, holding hard assets in self-custody, and fostering local community resilience. By understanding the rules of the "ruthless game," individuals can stop being "assets" for the financial-industrial complex and instead build a life of genuine autonomy and altruism.