Power trips are extremely interesting to study from a psychological perspective. When people are put into positions of authority, often the way in which they think changes entirely over time. Usually these are the same people who are obsessed with intangible notions of "right" and "wrong" instead of basing their decisions on correct vs. incorrect logic. Then they become increasingly dualistic, constantly seperating what is "good" from what is "righteous," placing both themselves and every one of their actions in the latter category, and refusing to even hear or consider the arguments of their opposition, no matter how logical those arguments may be. They fail to acknoledge any gray area or consider the individual. Everything is by the book and people are merely cases. They become obsessed with eliminating what they see as "wrong," with anything standing in their way becoming "wrong."

All of this, of course, is entirely justified in their minds, as they are the saviours of our country, protectors of our children, enforcers of moral dignity, blah, blah, blah...

And then they try to suck everyone else in to the same quasi-dream world of perverted vigilante and/or government sponsored persection and an attack on logic and reason, all in the name of "justice"