He waged war against his own subjects in order to protect his self-interest. Herod's successor came to share the same terror. In time, the people themselves turned against this messiah who seemed to threaten life as they knew it. Satan was a mild enemy compared with panicked people. If the people around us lose control, no amount of stockpiled water or bullets will make us safe.
People wage war first against their neighbors and against the helpless.
Herod's slaughter of innocent children has been repeated in every era. Common folks are also capable of great nobility. They wade into floods to rescue children, they resist tyranny, they protect the defenseless, they invent penicillin and vaccines, they heal the sick, they proclaim hope to the sorrowful, they sit with the dying, they coach children's soccer. We can go either way. We can panic and destroy, or we can be brave and charitable.