I think the best way to protect against abuse from human nature is simply to acknowledge it. Many talk of unity nowadays and I think human nature is something that can be used to promote global tolerance and also to try and prevent bad stuff from happening in the future. I think anyone can possibly abuse power, but the best solution is to have the absolute best and brightest people at the helm. Just have to ask.... who can deliver positive things for humanity AND be at the top simultaneously? And who requires evil to remain at the top? It's like Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan or something. One had to knee cap the other to be the "best" and one didn't. Some have to resort to certain measures to make it to the top and some can be more honorable.

So we should shoot for the best to be our leaders and the best way to do that is to ask these people to present to us what their vision for the future actually is and a plan to get there. We always hear talk of budgets and taxes, and regulations, etc. and those are certainly valid, but they are almost always absent some context. If a person presented a vision for our future and then said we need these taxes, regulations, etc. to get there I think that would be refreshing for once instead of simply arguing about them in the abstract.

It seems to be a pure govt. vs. private sector struggle without any real direction other than who pulls the levers of power (private sector vs. govt.). But actually in practice it doesn't event matter because the elites are masters at using both govt. and corporations to advance their agenda. The only way we'll change the agenda and our future is by deciding what we want that future to be and then tailoring how our society works to achieve that. If we instead argue about tax rates and govt. size and such in the abstract, absent any real vision for the future then the agenda doesn't ever really change and we'll all probably lose out. The life extension tech and space ships, etc. will be only for the elite. If we address the agenda directly and ask for our future to look a certain way, that would be more useful.

Just think... If we vote for small govt. the elite will lever their corporate muscle. Vote for big govt., the elite will install their politicians to continue the agenda. If you want the agenda to change you have to confront it head on and install the best people who will be least likely to abuse power simply because they won't have to due to their skill set.

Having a vision for the future also helps us to ensure that power isn't abused. If a leader were to lay out a plan, then we could check the progress towards those goals from time to time and see whether or not they are being truthful to us about what they're trying to achieve. But now, we are meandering with no presented vision and so it is tough to gauge the intentions of our leaders because we can't check their actions with the world they say they want to create, because they don't tell us about that world. We need more meaningful leadership and more talented people at the helm and people who aren't afraid to set big goals and provide leadership. Yes, there will be some little people and morons who won't want it and will turn away, but they don't matter in the end, so we shouldn't feel compelled to sink to their level.

I think most will get it though. Everyone always says it's amazing how people will come together against a common enemy. But I think also for big goals you'd get the same thing. As long as the goals are real. Phony man made climate change or domestic extremism are the cynical power grab faux problems of the past. We need something real these days. It's at least worth a try. And then we wouldn't have to hear all about unity and such all the time absent any real meaningful thing to actually unite behind. Find some big goals, provide strong and transparent leadership and most people will come along. People need to be part of something greater than themselves. It's also a part of our human nature. The vision and the leadership are simply missing.