"What Makes People Snap"

Tyler Cowen, re: the Greek economic/political mess, offers a more general observation:

Many deconversions from religion, or from fandom, or even from marriage, work the same way. Big lies are told and those lies inflict some damage. The institution in question soldiers on. A bit later, an apparently smaller slight or problem brings the whole thing crashing to the ground, precisely when things appeared to be getting better.

That seems right to me. I mean, not always. But often.

The straw that breaks the camel's back
may not occur with its heaviest pack.