The harsh truth is that people with that kind of power can rarely be uprooted and kept at bay for long unless you have sufficient power to stop them.

Or, are clever and devious enough at least to distract or otherwise deter them through trickery. Though this has its obvious limits.

The harsh truth is that people with that kind of power can rarely be uprooted and kept at bay for long unless you have sufficient power to stop them.

Or, are clever and devious enough at least to distract, trick, or otherwise deter them through trickery. Though this has its obvious limits.