Damned if they do and damned if they don't

Political systems are in a position not unlike
that of a motorist driving on a major highway in
a blinding blizzard, being unable to either stop
or proceed without great danger. If the state
fights the technological changes, its society
will be unable to sustain itself in a dynamically
changing world. Such undesirable consequences led
to the collapse of the highly-structured Soviet
Union. On the other hand, to the degree the state
tolerates such transforming influences, it
renders its own systems increasingly irrelevant,
as power becomes more and more decentralized into
the hands of individuals and autonomous groups.

Full essay.