An "individual whacko" wouldn't have to do all the work it self, he could simple fool a country into doing it..

Just look at how advanced technology is becoming, even the stuff they let us know about!, look at how households are being intergrated into the internet (ie air conditioning, fridges, washers , don't laugh LG make them), how soon before whole factories are intergrated, then the millitary could decide to let computers do all their things for them, and imagine if that super entity called the net, somehow became self aware?? whould it decide we were no longer needed, or that our body could be used as a battery, scientists in japan are already experimenting with implants that use the bloods bio-electric energy, pretty freaky stuff, but i doubt if the machines would give us the luxury of a "matrix" for minds to reside in..