Absolutely, central planning can go on for a long time under the worst circumstances. Cultural differences may also play a role.

Tragically, China have a history of over 70 years of communism, that's over three generations who have been born into a dictatorship. Yet even Xi Jinping had to back off his most extreme policies last year in the face of mass demonstrations.

Communism in the West has been dramatically less successful and the countries of Eastern Europe are relatively inoculated against Marxism. It is not at all certain that we will have totalitarianism everywhere and at the same time.

As many of us have been saying for years, it is far easier to exit totalitarianism before its infrastructure is in place. However, I don't share your sense of impossibilities. Technology is still far away from being all-powerful.