they are already in near total control and give less or a shit what the citizens think with each passing day.

I think it's this one. They have also been in control for a long time, but they used to give a shit about what we think because we had the 2nd Amendment, and they didn't want to cause us to use it on them by openly acting like tyrants. Now they don't give a shit about what we think, because we have shown that we won't fight back with our compliance with the draconian covid mandates, without one single violent act of resistance from our side. Not one of us has ever shot a mask nazi for denying us essential services, not one (provide examples if you think I'm wrong about that). As a result, they have been massively emboldened, and are going ahead faster than they could have ever dreamed of.