Only 32% of EU citizens trust their national governments. Only 36% trust political parties. Only 38% trust the media. (Eurobarometer 103, Spring 2025)
And yet—people keep voting, paying, complying. Not with conviction. With inertia.
This isn’t just a crisis of politics. It’s a crisis of belief.
The Obedient Disbeliever
We obey because we were trained to. Not by tyranny—but by trauma disguised as routine.
Two decades of economic collapse, viral panic, war footage, price shocks, migrant “waves,” algorithmic overload, and institutional gaslighting have rewired the average European. Not to think—but to flinch.
You were taught to “trust the process”—even when it forgets your name. To believe the system is broken, but still sacred. To fear chaos more than corruption.
This is not democracy. This is cognitive containment.
The Rise of the Expert God
The same Eurobarometer reveals something else. A new pantheon of trust:
This is not accidental. We now believe competence is safety. But representation is danger.
Governments speak. Experts solve. One performs. The other produces.
So we’ve begun migrating our trust—not upward to leaders, but inward to systems. Europe doesn’t crave vision anymore. It craves stability without ideology.
The result? A technocracy without consent. Power has slipped—not to the people, but to the calibrated.
Voting Inside a Loop
European Union EU Flag
“I vote, but nothing changes.” “I protest, and nothing moves.” “I know they’re lying. But I still do what I’m told.”
This isn’t apathy. It’s ritualized despair. You still vote—not because you believe. But because you fear what happens if you stop.
This year, 71% of Europeans say they intend to vote in the upcoming European Parliament elections. (Eurobarometer 103, T140)
But what are they voting for?
Rising cost of living is the #1 concern.
Migration, security, and inflation follow.
Climate change, once a priority, is fading from urgency in many nations.
In other words, people are not voting for the future. They’re voting against further collapse.
This is how obedience is maintained in exhausted empires.
The Philosophy of Submission
So here’s the raw riddle: What does it mean to obey a system you don’t believe in?
It means freedom has been reduced to a performance. A shape you wear. A checkbox you tick. You feel free because you can “choose”—but only from a menu designed by those you mistrust.
This is post-democracy. Where participation is mandatory. But transformation is off the table.
Where “truth” is not what you believe. It’s what you’re allowed to repeat.
Where trust isn’t earned. It’s managed, measured, manufactured.
The End of Trust, or Its Evolution?
Perhaps we’re not asleep. Perhaps we’re evolving past the need to believe in anyone. Past figureheads. Past slogans. Past salvation by system.
But evolution is not escape. Unless you name it, you’re still inside it.
So here’s the final incision:
If you no longer trust the system—then who are you still obeying?
In a world where automation, globalization, and pandemics rewrite the rules of work, this documentary follows the workers left fighting for survival. From gig workers delivering food to wind turbine technicians scaling new industries, individuals navigate an economy built to favor machines and corporate profits over people. Education no longer guarantees security, and stable careers are vanishing fast. As millions scramble to stay relevant, some find resilience in unexpected places — others are crushed by the relentless pace of change. This is not a prediction — it’s reality. The future of work has already arrived, and it’s brutal.
