This needs to be said often! Great post.
All the tyrants had to do was go down their list of fear-mongering tactics until they found something that you are scared of, and then you would abandon any shred of principle you might have had, and cower in the corner like the wuss you are, begging big government to save your sorry ass.
And this is a perfect summary. Choosing fear over principles and morality is the difference between an individual and a slave. Slaves don't have morals, because they have masters who make their decisions for them.