From a purely analytical perspective, the approach—“the trap laid for the resistance is to lure them into peaceful protest, which is then met with state violence, including agents provocateurs, triggering ‘martial law’”—is itself a kind of trap. A wannabe dictator will simply quietly (yet ruthlessly) seize power. The only difference here is that the power grab is relatively invisible compared to the other scenario. This leads to a smooth establishment of a “new normal” and mass complacency with the newly introduced rules.
From a purely analytical perspective, the approach—“the trap laid for the resistance is to lure them into peaceful protest, which is then met with state violence, including agents provocateurs, triggering ‘martial law’”—is itself a kind of trap. A wannabe dictator will simply quietly (yet ruthlessly) seize power. The only difference here is that the power grab is relatively invisible compared to the other scenario. This leads to a smooth establishment of a “new normal” and mass complacency with the newly introduced rules.