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The Athenian General Phocion, who lived roughly four centuries before Christ, was always in attendance at the monthly meetings of the Athenian Assembly and he always cast his vote against the majority. Phocion was convinced the Many are stupid, and in this, he was not wrong. Plutarch reported that on one occasion when the General deigned to speak to the Assembly (mob, really) he told them he was going to cut down a huge fig tree on his property to make room for a small house. He then invited them, his fellow citizens, to go hang themselves from it before he cut it down. He urged them on, as he believed it was the best thing for most of them to do. Of course, flying in the face of the Mob is not a wise thing to do if you value your physical safety and Phocion was hanged himself. You see, he had merely questioned their decency all along, and he got his answer. They had none. In recent times only has Saddam Hussein comported himself as well.