Yep, and if that really is the case, and if they really do intend on 'preserving knowledge' in their own inner circles and special getaways, then they will be setting themselves up for a dark age. A popular backlash against all elite things will always be bad, but throwing in knowledge, liberty, and freedom into that mix will guarantee something even more terrible.

my thought on that is a lot of these folks are in for a rude awakening if they think their positions will be preserved in a society that transitions to an illiberal autocratic society. I flat do not believe they have what it takes to hang with eg the russian mafia, the saudi royal family.