Demagogues tend to get their way by inflaming others’ prejudices and hatred. Hitler had the Jews, whom he used as scapegoats for all of Germany’s ills. Lenin fired up the masses by railing against capitalists. Mao Zedong blamed China’s woes on imperialists and their “running dog compradors”. In all cases the demagogue uses popular desires and prejudices, rather than reason to achieve his ends.