The people get who the people deserve. The bulk of the population wants a police state, they just want the police state which panders to their views of what is right, hence the heavy right vs left views. Democracy requires diversity of idea to work.
Some people think they want a police state. But they won't like it once implemented.
Nah, it just will not be the police state they wanted.
No they will like it. A great book on the topic is “Hitlers Beneficiaries”. Most people like the idea of punishing their out group.
If I didn't believe this ten years ago, I certainly believe it after seeing people's behavior during the pandemic. Personally that's when I considered the social contract to be null and void. I'm no longer interested.