"When I am weaker than you, I ask you for freedom because that is according to your principles; when I am stronger than you, I take away your freedom because that is according to my principles." -- Frank Herbert, Children of Dune
Why shouldn't they feel invincible?
They know how to acquire and use power to get what they want.
That does indeed take "nerve".
That is why they have gotten as far as they have.
That is why they will go even further.
That is, in short, why they are winning.
By contrast, their opponents have (so far) been pretty spineless.
Even when those (so-called) "opponents" are in power, they often turn out just to be chickenshit appeasers.
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