layout corrections

stateistheenemy/index.md

@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ happens everywhere. The only difference is how it's presented. Media in the
 West often paints Russia, China, and North Korea as the villains - but many
 other countries use similar tactics behind the scenes.
 
-You can refer to **"State Secrecy and the Control of Information"** by D. P. Fidler. 
-This book looks at how all states engage in secrecy and how this is a feature of government worldwide, even in democratic nations, as they protect sensitive information related to defense, intelligence, and state security.
+*You can refer to **"State Secrecy and the Control of Information"** by D. P. Fidler.* 
+*This book looks at how all states engage in secrecy and how this is a feature of government worldwide, even in democratic nations, as they protect sensitive information related to defense, intelligence, and state security.*
 
 Always remember: when you rely on the media, you only see what they choose to
 show you. Getting the full picture is a long and difficult journey - one that
@@ -150,8 +150,8 @@ it.
 So, while social media gives the appearance of freedom and connection, it's
 another tool in the state's arsenal to guide thought and reinforce obedience.
 
-An interesting reading you could have would be **"The Age of Surveillance Capitalism"** by Shoshana Zuboff
-Zuboff explores how companies, particularly social media platforms like Facebook and Google, exploit user data to manipulate behavior and control the flow of information. While this book primarily focuses on corporate surveillance, it also highlights how these platforms can be leveraged for political influence, particularly in authoritarian regimes.
+*An interesting reading you could have would be **"The Age of Surveillance Capitalism"** by Shoshana Zuboff*
+*Zuboff explores how companies, particularly social media platforms like Facebook and Google, exploit user data to manipulate behavior and control the flow of information. While this book primarily focuses on corporate surveillance, it also highlights how these platforms can be leveraged for political influence, particularly in authoritarian regimes.*
 
 #### **A case Study: the last US Presidential election**
 
@@ -209,8 +209,8 @@ platforms can shape political discourse and potentially push societies toward
 more polarized and extreme positions - all under the guise of free speech and
 open debate.
 
-To illustrate this example, you could be interested in **“Disinformation and Democracy: The Influence of Social Media in Politics”** by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking
-This book covers how disinformation spreads through social media platforms and how powerful individuals or groups manipulate these platforms to influence political outcomes. It discusses the broader impact of algorithmic manipulation, which is central to understanding the shifts Musk implemented on X.
+*To illustrate this example, you could be interested in **“Disinformation and Democracy: The Influence of Social Media in Politics”** by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking*
+*This book covers how disinformation spreads through social media platforms and how powerful individuals or groups manipulate these platforms to influence political outcomes. It discusses the broader impact of algorithmic manipulation, which is central to understanding the shifts Musk implemented on X.*
 
 ### Rights and Social Control
 
@@ -256,8 +256,8 @@ they create a need for "protection," which only they can provide. It's a
 carefully crafted narrative designed to make people feel powerless and
 dependent.
 
-If you want to go deeper in this topic, you could read **"The Social Contract"** by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
-Rousseau’s seminal work argues that governments, through the social contract, claim authority to grant and limit rights in exchange for protection. However, the very idea that a government can both grant and take away rights can be seen as an assertion of control, not an act of benevolence. This is central to the idea of why rights are not inherent to individuals, but often treated as "gifts" from the state.
+*If you want to go deeper in this topic, you could read **"The Social Contract"** by Jean-Jacques Rousseau*
+*Rousseau’s seminal work argues that governments, through the social contract, claim authority to grant and limit rights in exchange for protection. However, the very idea that a government can both grant and take away rights can be seen as an assertion of control, not an act of benevolence. This is central to the idea of why rights are not inherent to individuals, but often treated as "gifts" from the state.*
 
 ## **Examples from the past**
 
@@ -331,8 +331,8 @@ Every aspect of your life is designed to make you accept how the state
 functions. By the time you're faced with the state's concentration of power,
 you're already conditioned to accept it as normal.
 
-An interesting and complete work performed on this topic is **"Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison"** by Michel Foucault
-Foucault’s seminal work examines how modern institutions (such as schools, prisons, and military structures) have historically shaped individuals to accept hierarchical authority and unquestioned obedience. His theory of disciplinary power argues that the structures in society—from childhood to adulthood—train people to internalize authority and power dynamics. This forms a foundation for understanding how individuals are conditioned to accept concentrated power without resistance.
+*An interesting and complete work performed on this topic is **"Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison"** by Michel Foucault*
+*Foucault’s seminal work examines how modern institutions (such as schools, prisons, and military structures) have historically shaped individuals to accept hierarchical authority and unquestioned obedience. His theory of disciplinary power argues that the structures in society—from childhood to adulthood—train people to internalize authority and power dynamics. This forms a foundation for understanding how individuals are conditioned to accept concentrated power without resistance.*
 
 ![](power.png)
 
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ not just about money or assets; it extends to laws, regulations, and freedoms
 that impact every part of your existence. When a few people have this much
 control, it undermines the very concept of individual autonomy.
 
-**"The Road to Serfdom"** by Friedrich Hayek is an interesting book covering this subject. 
-Hayek argues that centralized planning and government control, where a small elite makes decisions for the larger population, inevitably leads to the erosion of personal freedoms and individual autonomy. His central thesis is that when the state is granted too much control over individuals' lives, it stifles personal choice and undermines the principles of a free society. The book discusses how the concentration of power, even in the form of good intentions, leads to a lack of accountability and fairness, particularly when it comes to economic decisions like taxation.
+*You could be interested in **"The Road to Serfdom"** by Friedrich Hayek that is an interesting book covering this subject.*
+*Hayek argues that centralized planning and government control, where a small elite makes decisions for the larger population, inevitably leads to the erosion of personal freedoms and individual autonomy. His central thesis is that when the state is granted too much control over individuals' lives, it stifles personal choice and undermines the principles of a free society. The book discusses how the concentration of power, even in the form of good intentions, leads to a lack of accountability and fairness, particularly when it comes to economic decisions like taxation.*
 
 ## **Corruption as an eventual norm instead of punctual anomaly**
 
@@ -423,8 +423,8 @@ society requires diverse, independent sources of power that can act as checks
 on each other. But in a system where a small group of people holds the reins,
 real counterpower becomes just a far-off ideal. ![](feelthepower.png)
 
-**"The Anatomy of Power"** by John Kenneth Galbraith covers corruption in small groups. 
-Galbraith, in this influential work, explores how the concentration of economic and political power leads to corruption. He argues that when a small group controls key resources, they can manipulate laws and regulations to benefit themselves and protect their power. The more concentrated the power, the easier it is for those in charge to exploit their position for personal gain.
+*The book **"The Anatomy of Power"** by John Kenneth Galbraith covers corruption in small groups.* 
+*Galbraith, in this influential work, explores how the concentration of economic and political power leads to corruption. He argues that when a small group controls key resources, they can manipulate laws and regulations to benefit themselves and protect their power. The more concentrated the power, the easier it is for those in charge to exploit their position for personal gain.*
 
 # **Democracy: a dictatorship in sheep's clothing**
 
@@ -506,8 +506,8 @@ trained to do.
 
 ![](aynrand.png)
 
- **"The Triumph of the Political Class"** by Angelo M. Codevilla shares my thoughts about it. 
-Codevilla explores how the rise of a political class in the United States has undermined true democratic representation. He argues that the political class is increasingly disconnected from the average citizen, creating a divide between the elites who hold power and the general population. The political class, according to Codevilla, is more interested in maintaining its own power than genuinely representing the interests of the people.
+*The book **"The Triumph of the Political Class"** by Angelo M. Codevilla shares my thoughts about it.* 
+*Codevilla explores how the rise of a political class in the United States has undermined true democratic representation. He argues that the political class is increasingly disconnected from the average citizen, creating a divide between the elites who hold power and the general population. The political class, according to Codevilla, is more interested in maintaining its own power than genuinely representing the interests of the people.*
 
 ## **An honest look at dictatorship**
 
@@ -548,5 +548,5 @@ democracy.
 
 ![](dictatorship.png)
 
-**"The Origins of Totalitarianism"** by Hannah Arendt describes this process.
-Arendt's seminal work discusses how totalitarian systems rise and how they can emerge even in societies that consider themselves democratic. She explores the dangers of concentration of power, mass surveillance, and the suppression of dissent, pointing out that many democracies have the same authoritarian tendencies that dictatorships do, especially when leaders use populist rhetoric and media manipulation to consolidate power.
+*The book **"The Origins of Totalitarianism"** by Hannah Arendt describes this process.*
+*Arendt's seminal work discusses how totalitarian systems rise and how they can emerge even in societies that consider themselves democratic. She explores the dangers of concentration of power, mass surveillance, and the suppression of dissent, pointing out that many democracies have the same authoritarian tendencies that dictatorships do, especially when leaders use populist rhetoric and media manipulation to consolidate power.*