I don't see how you could blame people when no one will side with them or defend them if they fought back.

The process is the punishment; even if they win in court, they're broke. Their job is gone. They have a greater target on their back.

If war is to come -- and it still very well may -- it is probably more strategically sound to have people safe and able to be organized into a force, instead of interspersed and outnumbered in communities that wanted to kill them.

The middle east had a lot of support from noncombatants and that seriously helped guerilla warfare.