You're right, because that power also owns most of the media. I would also like to say that fear (and secrecy) is exactly what has given them this power, so feeding into the fear doctrine doesn't really work.
LOL, the Founders started a war with the biggest military power at the time over (among other things) a 5% tax. Today, counting everything including the costs of regulation, we pay 50% to The King and most people don't even give a shit -- much less rebel. Yes, it is the collective power of government that rules us instead of one man. I'm betting most politicians don't think of themselves or the government as tyrannical or overbearing, but collectively it certainly is. One slick thing they've done -- purposely or not -- is to set up bureaucracies with regulatory power which, in effect, has the power of law. This insulates the politicians from state dictates, even giving them the room to bash and trash those very bureaucracies, gaining favor with the public. Which, of course, translates into votes. Oh well, it's fun to watch.