"If they can REGULATE the major industries (energy, transportation, food, communication, and currency) they effectively OWN and CONTROL everyone and everything."
I always include education in that list. Partly because of its use in corrupting young minds into favoring the leftists' reasoning. But also because of its costs. At the state level it is often the number one budget item. And the recent trend is toward federal mandates which even eliminate lower level freedoms to be both penny wise and intellectually honest.
I’d agree with that. Education is definitely an industry the Statists actively took over for their purposes.