Deep down, people are narcissists, and they will act in their own self-interest. Leaders throughout history have required something to keep their followers in line; the most successful has been religion. People can be motivated by many things: lust, avarice, anger; but all are topped by fear. Though the concept was cloaked in fealty. altruism & righteousness, at its essence, fear of an all-powerful god who would exact his vengeance if his commandments were not met, was used to control the populace.

In these secular times, without the presence of an all-powerful god, something needed to serve in God’s fear-mongering place, bigger than any one person or group, that leaders could use to force everyone to comply. Obviously, something that threatened the existence of everyone, so that leaders could claim their actions were for the best; hence came the existential alarmism cults like climate change, institutionally implemented as ESG; and social justice, enforced by DEI departments everywhere. not because God said so, but because the world will become Fascist if everybody doesn’t do as they say. A wise & benign god has been replaced by the cynicism & authoritarianism of democracy.