And the inverse also applies. People (groups and individuals) want to be able to throw their power around and leave people they don't like at "sucks to be you". This behavior has been the status quo for millennia.
Eh, dictatorships and oppressive systems still work hard to appear fair and even-handed. That's why they have such elaborate propaganda machines.
Anyone who wants to maintain power in virtually any setting (communal, corporate, governmental) must create an impression of fairness and equity, at least to the extent that a good portion of the people are not willing to risk their [reputations/jobs/lives] to throw off the "oppressors".
It's not an accident that virtually all powerful corporate bosses and politicians are so image-conscious and superficial; it's a matter of survival for powerful people.
