Mercy.

They are effectively in a power-bubble for a litany of reasons. It's not really different then their attempts at printing money. They promise more money, print out tons of it, expand the money supply in utterly irrational efforts, and de-legitimize it with every step until the whole thing collapses in on itself. People who are outside of their system are "hording" money and need to 'get on board with the system'. That's why they start confiscating. A parallel system is intolerable. The more they seize, the more they promise, and the more they have to seize to keep the system running. Every step it gets more and more frantic.

They do the same thing with power. The more they promise, the more the bureaucracy grows, the more power is devalued because it is worthless and effects no change on the bloated institution. They expand more and more aggressively to sustain more promises for power to keep the support they have. When people refuse and form parallel systems of power, it threatens the stability of their system because theirs requires a monopoly. Everything must be seized. Everyone who isn't part of the system must either be purged or forced in. They will tolerate dissent less and less, and become more hysterical with each passing day, and every passing slight until...

pop

We dig in. We bury ourselves deep. The forest fire pass over us. Like the fire, it will not show mercy, but we will not need it's mercy. It will burn, it will flame, it will scorch, it will hiss, it will roar, it will howl, and then it will die quietly in a crackle, a sizzle, and a whimper. Then, we shall grow in the ash like the mighty pine.

Be The Pinecone