Quote 1
"[Adolf Hitler] espoused the theory that the Jews were destroyers of civilization and that the Germans were a superior race. Today we know that Hitler was a paranoid, a psychopath, literally a madman. In 1932 he was thrown in jail for his political activities, but by 1934 he and his party had seized control of the German government." (2.3)
Sure, Hitler had some charisma (hard as this is for us to see), but as the above quote suggests, the people didn't <em>give</em> Hitler the power to lead them, he <em>took</em> it.
Quote 2
"When I talk about discipline. I'm talking about power. […] And I'm talking about success. Success through discipline. Is there anyone here who isn't interested in power and success?" (5.8)
It's pretty common for kids in school to feel powerless. Adults tell them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Ben knows all this and he pretty much abuses that knowledge by promising them the power he knows they couldn't otherwise have. Pretty sneaky, Teacher Ben.
Quote 3
"Ultimately discipline and community are meaningless without action. Discipline gives you the right to action. A disciplined group with a goal can take action to achieve it. They must take action to achieve it." (8.40)
This is probably true, right? But wait, what was the goal of The Wave?