They Want You Confused. Here’s What’s Real.

Hi, I'm Mike Brock. I spent my career in Silicon Valley, most recently as an executive at Block (formerly Square). But I'm not here to talk about my resume. I'm here because I see our democracy being taken from us—not in secret, but in plain sight.

I know things feel overwhelming right now. Every day brings new crises, new controversies, new reasons to feel confused and cynical. It's exhausting trying to figure out what's real, what matters, who to trust. Maybe you've started to tune it all out. Maybe you're thinking none of it matters—that it's all corrupt, all broken, all just powerful people doing whatever they want.

I understand that feeling completely. But I need you to stay with me, because there's something happening that you need to understand. Not because I say so, but because it's as real as the ground beneath your feet.

Let me start with something simple: Two plus two equals four. I know that sounds strange to bring up, but stay with me. This isn't just about math—it's about how some things are true regardless of who says otherwise. No amount of money, power, or technology can make two plus two equal five. That's not an opinion or a perspective—it's reality.

Just as math has immutable truths, so does our system of governance. Congress passes laws that create government agencies. Presidents have to follow these laws. Private citizens can't access government systems without proper authorization. These aren't complex legal theories or partisan opinions—they're basic facts about how our democracy works.

Right now, these simple truths are being violated in plain sight. Elon Musk's employees—private citizens with no legal authority—have seized control of Treasury payment systems. Career security officials are being removed simply for following classification laws that protect our national security. Federal agencies that Congress created through proper legal process are being illegally shut down. This isn't hidden or complicated—it's happening right in front of us.

The same people who claimed shadowy forces were plotting to seize control of government institutions are now openly doing exactly that themselves. Just look at what's happening: Private citizens accessing Treasury systems. Security officials punished for following the law. Agencies shut down without legal authority. They're not hiding it—they're counting on us being too confused, too cynical, or too tired to see what's right in front of our eyes.

This isn't about left versus right anymore. It's not about whether you liked Trump or Biden, whether you think Musk is a genius or a menace. It's about whether we're going to let private citizens illegally seize control of our government's basic functions while pretending they're saving it.

Your cynicism—that sense that it's all corrupt anyway—is exactly what they're counting on. When you believe nothing matters, when you think it's all equally bad, you've given them exactly what they want: your resignation. Your quiet acceptance as they take what isn't theirs to take.

The choice between clarity and confusion is yours to make. And once you choose to see clearly, there's no going back to the comfortable fog of cynicism.

But here's the thing about democracy: it belongs to you. Not to billionaires, not to politicians, not to self-proclaimed saviors—to you. The Constitution wasn't written for the powerful; it was written to protect ordinary citizens from exactly this kind of power grab.

The fog you're feeling isn't natural—it's manufactured. Confusion, cynicism, and exhaustion are tools to keep you from seeing clearly. But clarity starts with simple truths: Two plus two equals four. Laws mean what they say. Private citizens can't legally seize control of government functions. When someone tells you to ignore these simple truths, they're not trying to help you see more clearly—they're trying to blind you to reality.

I'm not asking you to become an activist or devote your life to politics. I'm just asking you to pay attention to simple truths. To resist the temptation to tune it all out. To remember that cynicism—the belief that nothing matters—is just another form of surrender.

Democracy needs defenders right now. Not superheroes, not genius billionaires, just ordinary citizens who can see what's right in front of them and refuse to look away. The truth is clear. The choice is yours. Will you let confusion and cynicism blind you to simple truths? Or will you stand with those working to protect what belongs to all of us?

Remember: Two plus two equals four. Your country belongs to you. And no amount of money, power, or technological wizardry can change these simple truths unless we let them.

The fog isn't natural—it's manufactured. And the first step to finding your way out is remembering that some truths remain true no matter how thick the fog gets.

Are you ready to see clearly? To step out of the manufactured fog and stand for simple truths? Your democracy needs you now—not tomorrow, not after the next crisis, but today. Just as two plus two will always equal four, some choices are fundamentally clear: Will you defend what belongs to you, or let others take it while pretending you can't see what's happening?