I've heard people say, as you do, that "the masses" will never do such and such, and I agree. But in the past, I haven't really been willing to separate "the masses" into their own group. Instead, I've considered myself, and you, and others on HN, as part of "the masses".
Anyway, I wonder now if I'm wrong. Maybe we should think of the masses as if they are proles (85% of the population in 1984)? Are "the masses" actually just a large group of people who are—literally—no help whatsoever is securing and protecting a just and free society for themselves and others? And worse, completely unaware that they are no help?
Perhaps the masses should be ignored, since their opinions—when they have any—are politically powerless.
In my ideal society the majority has more respect for education and rationality and ergo they would have thought, "hm, maybe this PATRIOT Act and increased surveillance is exactly in line with the goals expressed by the terrorists."
Or they'd at least think, "what's going on with these congressional districts, some sort of Uzumaki?"
But what seems to be happening is that nobody is angry enough to even vote differently. So I'll probably move to Canada or something.