[justinclift]

> Second, if you do intervene ...

Bear in mind that intervention doesn't have to be obvious. In our current networked world, there's a lot which a more-advanced-than-us group or civilisation could do without needing to reveal themselves as such. ;)

[gremlinsinc]

how many of us have met a congressmen, senator, media personality in person?

How hard would it be for a super advanced society to insert a media network that's all basically ai-generated people? We already have deep fakes, imagine the tech they might have that's deep fakes after 50 generations...

They could control us from a small satellite without needing to come anywhere near us,just by controlling what we see, think, or hear on the television.

[mmcconnell1618]

If you live in the greater Washington DC area it is very easy to bump into political figures in real life. It has happened to me several times on flights too.

I like the idea of some super advanced society trying to manipulate our political process but all they need is the ability to wire transfer some cash to actual humans.

[jolincost]

Holy shit, that's mind-blowing. as a humorous aside I'm sure that sort of total information control program (but run by a terrestrial government siding another territory) has been specked up in some elaborate document in a think tank or intelligence agency somewhere, as an alternative to "world of atoms" occupation.

[justinclift]

> ... just by controlling what we see, think, or hear on the television.

Even that's pretty overt. It should be entirely possible to change the course of political events by leaking damaging info at appropriate times.

... and good luck with the various governments who'd want to extradite and throw them in jail. ;)