Eventually we probably need to figure out how to make the content robust even under vote manipulation. We're still far from that but I think it's...at least not out of the question. We're still at the very early stage of learning what's possible through community and culture (online, I mean).
The reputation this place has is well deserved.
I think social media (sorry for calling this site that) vote manipulation detection will be one of the defining problems of the decade.