The only path that makes me hopeful involves a combination of 1. FOSS software (ie forkabke when the warlord misbehaves) 2. user owned / governed networks, so the warlord can't easily get extractive against their users.
You are forgetting the importance of open hardware, in ideal world we shouldn't need to install Libreboot to fight proprietary drivers and firmware that can be turned against you any second.