From Crisis to Control: How the Cloward-Piven Strategy Undermines Free Societies

History is replete with examples of governing classes seeking to expand their power by creating and exploiting crises. Whether through economic collapse, mass migration, or engineered social discord, the pattern remains consistent, overwhelm the system, declare an emergency, and impose sweeping interventions that erode individual freedoms while consolidating state control. This is not a new strategy, but its modern incarnation has been refined, institutionalised, and weaponised by bureaucrats, international NGOs, and ideologically driven oligarchs who operate above national sovereignty.

The Cloward-Piven Strategy, originally conceived to trigger economic crises and usher in sweeping government control, has become the favoured playbook for global elites who seek to reshape societies in their own image. By systematically overwhelming public services, destabilizing economies, and fostering social unrest, these forces manipulate the public into demanding state intervention, ultimately leading to a power structure where bureaucratic elites, globalist non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and unaccountable oligarchs dictate policy, often at the expense of national sovereignty and democratic accountability.

Bureaucracies have long been the perfect tool for authoritarians. Unlike elected officials, bureaucrats face no term limits and are rarely held accountable for failures. Instead, crises provide them with an excuse to expand their reach. The more systems they can overload, welfare, law enforcement, healthcare, immigration, the more they justify their own existence.

This is not a matter of mere incompetence, it is a strategy. A free society operates on limited government, personal responsibility, and market-driven solutions. The bureaucratic state, in contrast, thrives on dependency. By overloading welfare systems and law enforcement with unsustainable demands, bureaucrats manufacture emergencies that can only be "solved" through increased taxation, expanded regulation, and greater state control.

This is why homelessness, violent crime, and economic despair persist in cities governed by interventionist policies. The ruling class does not seek to solve these problems, rather, they perpetuate them as leverage to justify more government intervention.  Regardless of which “side” of politics a voter is on, without political will and leadership the rampant nepotism, and corruption is seldom abated.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are often presented as benevolent entities, acting as intermediaries between governments and the people. Many of these organisation’s function as ideological enforcement arms of the global elite, funded by oligarchs who seek to bypass democratic governance and impose their agendas through subversive means. In Australia the recent rise of the Teals an example of how foreign intervention can even remove a sitting Prime Minister.

NGOs do not answer to voters. They operate under the guise of humanitarianism while executing policies that weaken national sovereignty and local governance. Whether by encouraging unchecked migration, manipulating economic policies, promoting unreliable energy resources or funding radical activist movements, they serve as a bridge between crisis and government overreach.

It is no coincidence that many of these NGOs are backed by individuals who profit from economic destabilization and social chaos. Wealthy oligarchs, some of whom made their fortunes in software monopolies and hedge fund speculation, fund ideological projects designed to reshape societies in ways that benefit their own long-term influence.

Wealthy elites have always sought power, but in modern times, their ambitions extend far beyond mere financial dominance. Many of today’s billionaire oligarchs see themselves as social engineers, using their vast resources to push radical policies that would never pass democratic scrutiny. Often their continued financial existence directly tied to taxation policies of the state.

By funding activist organisations, media conglomerates, and globalist policy initiatives, they create the illusion of grassroots support for extreme policies. Immigration policies, climate mandates, and wealth redistribution schemes are presented as moral imperatives, while dissent is crushed under accusations of bigotry or backwardness.

The irony is that these oligarchs, while posing as champions of the downtrodden, profit immensely from the chaos they unleash. Mass migration provides a cheap labour pool that depresses wages for the working class. Green energy mandates gut domestic industries while driving investment into monopolistic ventures controlled by the very same elites. The more the average citizen is burdened by taxation, inflation, and job insecurity, the more control these elites have over their choices and behaviour.

National sovereignty is a direct obstacle to globalist ambitions. A nation with secure borders, a stable economy, and a strong cultural identity cannot be easily manipulated. Therefore, those who seek to dissolve national boundaries often do so under the pretence of humanitarianism. Their influence in the public education system has created two generations of Australians that detest the country they were born in.

By overloading immigration systems with unvetted asylum seekers, in some cases foreign students, governments create an immediate crisis that demands intervention. Public services collapse under the strain, crime rates surge, and native populations feel increasingly alienated from their own cultures. Meanwhile, anyone who dares to question the wisdom of these policies is branded as a xenophobe or extremist.

The long-term goal is clear, replace national governance with supranational control. Once national identity is eroded, economic policy and law enforcement can be dictated by unelected global bodies, free from democratic pushback.

No authoritarian system can function without control over information. The Australian taxpayer funded national broadcaster leading the corporate media, funded and directed by the very elites who profit from crisis and intervention, plays a crucial role in manufacturing consent for these policies.

By selectively amplifying certain narratives while suppressing dissenting voices, they create a distorted reality in which government expansion is the only logical response to crises. Several attempts by the journalists at the ABC to use sensationalism to promote violence in the NT have only failed due to active alternative media sources and social media. Economic collapses are blamed on market failures rather than government intervention. Crime waves are attributed to systemic oppression rather than failed policing policies. Inflation is framed as an unavoidable necessity rather than the result of reckless monetary policy.

Public perception is manipulated not through outright censorship, although they have tried that as well, however, through carefully curated outrage. The public is kept in a state of emotional agitation, distracted by social conflicts while real power is consolidated behind closed doors.

The solution to the current crisis is not more government intervention but a return to the principles that made free societies successful. This includes reining in bureaucratic power, reducing taxation and regulation, ensuring law and order, securing borders, and promoting national sovereignty. Additionally, strengthening alternative media sources to challenge corporate narratives and provide truthful reporting is crucial. This approach will help individuals prosper without reliance on the state and promote a functioning society.

The greatest weapon against authoritarian overreach is an informed and self-reliant citizenry. As long as people depend on the state for survival, they will remain susceptible to the whims of bureaucrats and oligarchs who profit from their dependency. By reasserting personal responsibility, local governance, and economic freedom, free societies can reclaim the power that has been systematically stripped from them.

Crisis is the preferred tool of those who seek control. The solution is not submission but resistance, through knowledge, self-reliance, and the unwavering defence of liberty. From the author.

The opinions and statements are those of Sam Wilks and do not necessarily represent whom Sam Consults or contracts to. Sam Wilks is a skilled and experienced Security Consultant with almost 3 decades of expertise in the fields of Real estate, Security, and the hospitality/gaming industry. His knowledge and practical experience have made him a valuable asset to many organizations looking to enhance their security measures and provide a safe and secure environment for their clients and staff.