Witch and Wizard/Headscratchers

• Biggest thing that jumped out at me when I started to read this: How in the hell did The One Who Is The One managed to subvert/overthrow one of the most powerful and centralized governments on the planet with a totalitarian police state that makes Stalin, Mugabe and al-Gaddafi look like tame Pacifists by comparison? He's outlawed most if not all forms of creativity, be it the Arts, Writing, probably the Sciences as well; practicing any form is a capital offense. He's accomplished the feat of outlawing Religion in a country that's predominantly Christian or religious in some form, all while acting and behaving exceedingly like a certain Herald of a certain Big Bad in the Christian Mythos. He hosts public executions in stadiums, employs a KGB-esqe secret police, and regularly "disappears" hundreds of thousands of people on the odd suspicion they might be a witch or wizard. Despite all that he's somehow loved by the people that he's violently suppressing. Am I the only one who's running into a brick wall trying to wrap his head around this glaring impossibility? Or is it Refuge in Audacity taken to Beyond the Impossible levels?
  • It's clearly shown that The One Who Is The One has magic. It's very possible that he's using some sort of mind control on the government.
  • Plus he's very politically savvy, uniting the people with fear, hatred, and someone to blame.