In recent years, discussions about censorship and influence in the U.S. political and technological spheres have taken on a new level of urgency, driven by revelations and claims from figures like Benz, who alleges the existence of a powerful, clandestine network he refers to as "The Blob." This so-called Blob, according to Benz, consists of influential individuals within U.S. government entities such as the State Department, Pentagon, CIA, and a cohort of financially powerful institutions. The organization is portrayed as a formidable group that uses its reach to manipulate global events to protect and extend its influence and assets, often in ways hidden from public view.
Benz argues that The Blob's influence extends into political events with major global implications, using examples like the 2020 U.S. presidential election, where censorship became a divisive topic as Big Tech platforms ramped up content moderation. This era marked a turning point, with allegations of partisan biases driving decisions on what information should be censored. High-profile incidents, including social media companies suppressing politically sensitive stories and removing accounts linked to foreign leaders, underscored the extent of influence wielded by tech giants. Benz suggests that these efforts are not random but part of a larger strategy, orchestrated by The Blob, to control narratives that could challenge its agenda.
Another international incident that Benz claims The Blob orchestrated was the ousting of Imran Khan as Pakistan’s Prime Minister. While the political upheaval was publicly justified as a response to domestic dissatisfaction with Khan's administration, Benz contends that Khan's independent foreign policy approach—especially his pivot toward closer relations with Russia and China—had threatened the geopolitical interests of The Blob. This shift, Benz argues, was unacceptable to American authorities concerned with maintaining influence in South Asia and countering China's Belt and Road Initiative, which Khan supported. The premise, as outlined by Benz, is that Khan's removal was not simply an internal Pakistani affair but rather a calculated action to secure U.S. strategic interests.
In a related context, Benz points to the treatment of Pavel Durov, the founder of the encrypted messaging platform Telegram. He suggests that Durov’s legal and logistical troubles in Russia, combined with pressure on Telegram’s operations abroad, stem from his resistance to demands for backdoor access by intelligence agencies. As Telegram became a widely used tool for privacy-conscious users and political dissidents, Benz argues that The Blob sought to pressure or neutralize Durov to prevent Telegram from becoming a significant platform for unmonitored communication. This underscores a broader theme in Benz’s view that The Blob does not tolerate independent systems that evade surveillance, especially when these platforms enable political mobilization beyond U.S. oversight.
Benz's overarching theory is that The Blob’s final goal is the control of strategic resources, particularly in Eurasia. To achieve this, he claims, The Blob employs a mix of covert operations, information warfare, and political engineering to sway events in its favor. The region's wealth in natural resources, especially in Russia, represents an enormous strategic prize for those who can access it. According to Benz, the network seeks to influence Russian policies and weaken its autonomy, primarily through a combination of economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and attempts to destabilize the political landscape in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
This portrayal of The Blob, if taken at face value, suggests a world where hidden networks exert profound influence over public policy, global economies, and the flow of information.
Shadow Networks: The Deep States's Influence on Politics, Censorship, and Global Power Dynamics