Artificial Intelligence aside, that is non-human control (as the main political leader/dictator) aside, the great threat from, as Kraven puts it is from, "Two types of people", and I assume would either be defining them in terms of either of the following:
- Political
- Financial
- Intellectual
- Physical Strength
Or a combination of some of the above factors. I don't really know what two types of people Kraven is taking about but Stalin and Hitler achieved their control and reign using the Political. Without their "Storm Troopers" or Military to enforce rule and establish control they would have gotten no where. With Political control there has to be a way to instill fear into the people to achieve control and compliance and the Military or Political Police and their intimidation and control tactics allowed for the Political control of people. Sometimes willing compliance under the guise of intense Nationalism.
I could see where, in the future, it's possible for there to be a dividing of the people along Financial lines given the abject poverty that some have compared to the increasing wealth many are achieving, in this technologically challenged world, but as long as there is a large middle class that type of rule can be mitigated but then the middle class is disappearing and society is separating itself along social economic lines. You have an ever expanding poverty class of people that in a world requiring higher intelligence to achieve in a more highly technological world and this poverty class through lack of education or unwillingness to advance and re-education themselves, condemns them to exist and live off the backs and support of others making them a dependent population.
Whatever divides the people the only way that it could succeed is through military control/enforcement or control/enforcement by force and intimidation using technological means. The great difference between the past and the possible future is that the intimidation and forceful control/enforcement could be accomplished with "non-human" means, through technology and artificial intelligent robots and drones. Before that could not be a possibility and thus Political divisions were more logical and reasonable to assume the divisions to be along with political control and indoctrination of the masses. If there are enough "have-nots" and economically depressed people then often they will reach out and rebel and take from those they feel entitled to take from which also has the effect of isolating them what is thought of as civil society and they can be seen more in non-human terms and dehumanized in the eyes of those who once supported them. It is thought they have to be controlled and incarcerated or "maintained" in order to maintain order and economic stability.
Today, with technology, what and where it is, it is reasonable, logical, or possible, to conclude that the divisions could be along financial and/or Intellectual lines without the need for a large human controlling force, such as military or police, to control or enforce compliance among the masses. Then the question becomes just where are the dividing and demarcation lines drawn and who falls into what categories.
Hitler and/or Stalin were ruthless in their rule and control and very often achieved their success by wiping out those closest to them and even in their own party and inner circle but surely the competition was eliminated. Also in either case they only were successful and could achieve their ruthless actions because they had a every present and completely controlling/strong military and police that was 100% compliant with their wishes and their commands. There was no other choices or opinions but only that of the dictator or supreme leader. Today such exist and is present in North Korea where Kim jung-Un who, like Stalin and Hitler, eliminated any possible challenges to his authority from those within the political party closest to him who could possibly be chosen to lead if he was overthrown, and among his closest friends and family. Their control exist due to the fear and intimidation that they control and often is begun under the guise of intense Nationalism and against a "common enemy". For Hitler it was the Jew and Communist that was the "Common political enemy" and encouragement was for Nationalism of the "True German People". Stalin united the Workers against the common enemy, the elite ruling class. I know it's far more complicated than just that.
Today, with Jung-Un and as before with the likes of Hitler and Stalin many (people/followers/citizens) were controlled by many (large numbers of blindly devoted, non-challenging, military and political police). In doing this MILLIONS were slaughtered, killed, murdered, and incarcerated in order to achieve and maintain that level of control because in order for their reign to continue the intimidation had to remain intact and be valid as well as high propaganda to quell any dissent and counter information.
The danger and fearful (possible) future that we could face, could be one where the masses are controlled and maintained by a SMALL (or larger than ever) non-human force or method, using artificial intelligence or smart programs to determine and maintain compliance. Whereas with the Political (dictator) type leadership or control you have ONE overwhelming insane individual with total control, in the future, using technological, non-human means of control, it would be possible or feasible to conceive of a small number of the World's richest or most Intelligent to rule by committee or groups as long as they had ultimate control of the non-human method of intimidation and control. The STRONGEST or STRONG MAN was more viable in the Past whereas the individual may not have been the physically strongest but having a 100% devoted military and political police with strong arms and the weapons meant the weakling dictator was essentially the Strongest on the hill/mountain because of the 100% lock-step military control behind them. Their strength wasn't in their own control but what they controlled with their will or word. When this happened Millions and Millions of dissenters and those who objected died and were removed from society either buried or hid away in camps and political prisons. In a future world, if such comes to being, then I doubt there will be the political prison or political re-education facilities but rather mass extermination on an unbelievable, incomprehensible scale using weapons of mass destruction and more efficient killing. Control has to be achieved and maintained someway or somehow else there will aways be someone waiting in the population to overthrown or replace the existing leader whom naturally will be opposed by many simply because the nature of humanity is to desire and require change.
Oh yeah, one more thing. All the above (Control, dictatorship, etc .. ) is only achievable by eliminating the Constitutional rule that exist today in America so either it would have to be re-written, or eliminated to achieve a possible future as conceived above. The Greatest threat, as I believe it to be, today to our Constitutional rule is our own sharply divided politically incompatible, Government as we have seen it over the last 17 years. Compromise seems to be a foreign word in politics today and there is no give and take .... only take. The ratcheting up of the liberal left against the legally elected President only threatens our freedom and does not enhance it. We are, more than ever, in a land, politically, where certain viewpoints are being made taboo or eliminated., squelched or silenced, in the name of political correctness and not seeking to OFFEND anyone. Politically Correctness becomes a reasonable excuse for denial of First Amendment Rights and that is dangerous for our method of government where the Constitution is our governing document. When you start eliminating part of it and making part of it ineffectual then you set up a challenge to all other parts. in this case it's not starting small and working up but rather it's attacking the FIRST amendment and allowing it to succeed as with the shutting down of politically Conservative speakers at many college campuses in America. If people can accept it there then it can expand to all parts of our Nation.
Just some other things to think about, along this line of abstract thoughts.
