] Those with money and power are approaching Hari
] Seldonesque abilities, gradually steering public opinion
] using knowledge of how groups think, and I only see that
] trend increasing as basic human instincts are
] incorporated into more realistic game theory models.
] Individuals, on the other hand, often don't have the time
] and/or inclination to dig into any particular issue for
] themselves - meaning that many people will tend to
] make decisions using the very instincts that are most
] easily manipulated.

John Shirley asks several scifi authors about the future.

Locus Online: John Shirley: Global to Local