The country is in the first stages of ejecting a foreign pathogen…… fascism.

I like your optimism.

For many years I have pondered the future of humanity, assuming we don't wipe ourselves out. No matter how I think about it, my conclusion is always dystopian. With technology the way it is now, population control is fairly easy. China does it well. People always thought our Constitution would protect us. Even I did. But the realization that someone with enough sycophants in the halls of power could basically burn the Constitution was always in the back of my mind. If no one in power was willing to stop him/her, then there would be no stopping them.

We're seeing that play out now. It may or may not be endgame, but at the minimum it serves as a blueprint for a future populist. Without some major changes to the "guardrails", it's really inevitable. And once we've committed to that road, there will be no going back. The tech will cement the power of whomever takes it. Just like in 1984 (which relied on disinformation and technology), there's no dislodging that order once it is established. And humanity will thereafter live under oppressive authoritarianism.