The Final Despotism

We are rapidly approaching what might be called a democratic point of no return. If anti-democratic forces succeed in dismantling constitutional safeguards now, if they gain the power to deploy AI systems without meaningful oversight, they won't need to maintain power through traditional repression. The systems they're building could make effective opposition technically impossible, not through violence but through precise behavioral and social control that eliminates the possibility of organized resistance before it can form.

If we fail to stop this reactionary coup, if we allow them to dismantle democratic institutions while simultaneously deploying increasingly sophisticated AI systems, we may be surrendering not just our own freedom but the very possibility of freedom for all future generations.