"Safety" may be less of a concern to our leaders than continued personal standing. War is an excellent excuse for maintaining a grip on power that might otherwise be considered unreasonable. The kind of man who is most likely to achieve and hold power in a democracy is the one who can put on the best show. People want to hear about progress, they want to hear about big ideas and grand, utopian visions, what they don't want to hear about are the boring details, the caveats, the complications, the limitations, and the financing.

How can a democracy break out of the grip of demagogues? Good question. Education might help, but can it ever be sufficient? Who knows?