You need someone who is an easy and obvious target for blame, because without that you have to look for where things are really going wrong, which is hard, and sometimes when you find it, you even have to address your own failings.

Such is the very eloquent apologetic for prejudice and bigotry, evil with a small e, sadism with a beaming smile, cruelty with a sympathetic shrug, the Christian patriot so enjoys.
The same sort of power hungry relishing nastiness of times past when school teachers would sneer "Believe me this is going to hurt me much more than it does you."
Knowing it to be untrue but secure in their place and position of power that it matters not at all, except when it comes to the matter of pleasure derived from the infliction of pain.