You tell them a lie, and then when you don’t need it any more you tell them another lie and tell them they’re progressing along the road to wisdom. Then instead of laughing they follow you even more, hoping that at the heart of all the lies they’ll find the truth. And bit by bit they accept the unacceptable.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
(In the original context this was about pseudo-mysticism, but it sure works well for current politics too.)
Meg's Mumbles 