The option we don’t have, however, is to limit the decision-making power of technocrats and leaders in government as all levels. In the wake of 9/11 and again in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, driven by fear and uncertainty, the public was quick to forfeit rights and responsibility to those same technocrats, who never appear to squirm under the apparent discomfort of choosing for others in response to different sorts of trolley problems. Indeed, our recent history shows that no crisis goes to waste as an opportunity for those in power to consolidate their power further. The Patriot Act and National Defense Authorization Act formalized that very consolidation, and some of their provisions have already been invoked in response to our current crisis to enable continuity of infrastructure and supplies. We’re also on path to establish martial law, meaning suspension of a variety of rights and freedoms normally held by the citizenry. How much self-determination we lose as conditions deteriorate is impossible to predict, and rebellions may develop if governments overstep. On the short-term (or as always), we the people are effectively closed out of those locked rooms you mention, instead being essentially locked into our own homes and told what to do. Good luck having any influence at all over decisions made on our behalves.