The issue I have with Ben is that we, as viewers, can never really be sure if the information he gives out is true or a complete lie.
With a show such as this, there's already enough loose ends without having to sift through Ben's BS to find nuggets of half-truth.
Also, I find a leader who manipulates his own people to be both despicable and IGNORANT.
Yes I say Ben is STUPID and this is why:
Any leader should look to engage and deflect conflict without alienating or aggravating his/her own followers. Ben does the opposite and rules by fear and the false hopes he gives people through lies. If he was really smart he could have helped the survivors all out a little bit in order to control them more easily.
Anyone can tell you it's easier to get what you want through evil means, but it's much harder to hold onto it without a little compassion. I say if he really thought "big picture" he wouldn't have ordered the kidnapping of people and babies, instead he would have just told everyone WHY he wanted to do research, maybe people would be more inclined to help out?