I think that's reductionist. People also want reasons for things. They don't want complex reasons for high rent, terrorism, racial injustice, mass murder, low

I think that's reductionist. People also want reasons for things. They don't want complex reasons for high rent, terrorism, racial injustice, mass murder, low employment, stagnant wages, the lack of community support, etc. They want clarity. And "it's complicated" doesn't satisfy emotionally. So we take a half truth (to be generous) and make it the whole truth. Someone is to blame. Therefore they must be powerful enough to be to blame. Therefore they must be dangerous. And dangerous now, not later. Otherwise we won't do anything about it. So we can blame boredom or chemical responses for the desire for fear, but there are higher brain functions mixed up in this as well.