In the long run, anyone who thinks for themselves will eventually be on the "wrong side" of an issue, and the people who copy the leaders, even when the leaders change, remain "right" through all of them. See also: the huge number of brilliant intellectuals burnt to death by the Church because they applied the principle of making up their own minds about stuff to religion. That means, if there is a policy of "burning" people who are "wrong," it will eventually catch every free thinker.