*Agree* in spades, Aethelric.

I took the time to look up Thucydides (thanks, Lighter), and the expression "fear and self-interest" jumped out at me. It then occurred to me that the ultimate con is to stampede victims into doing things which are against their self-interest, traditionally by pushing the Fear button hard and often enough. This thread and its predecessors are awash with examples. The counter-spell of course is knowledge, and guess what the first action of a budding dictator will be --- ?

.... Methinks the arrival of the Grim Squeaker at (the rubble of) the White House is well overdue.