Unfortunately, this seems to be the way of the world and is a part of our 'basic' animal instincts. We see this in play in places as Israel where the once oppressed have now become the oppressors. This tells me we need to force a system of checks and balances and a cooperative teamwork. Of course the basic instinct is still there and, again as we are experiencing, a need to overthrow the existing system and go to the more 'natural' one.
To me and what I have learned with 28+ years of study and being active, this planet has limited resources and we humans have extracted more than can be provided. Today I read China and the US are vying for dominance in space especially with setting up bases on the moon and maybe Mars in order to extract resources there. When people start doing without competition starts which turns int inter-tribal warfare. This is exactly what we are experiencing today. Technology only helps us squeeze more out of existing resources and, in the end, will make things worse. Our cornucopian economic method is doomed to failure when the basket of goodies run out so we need to focus on employing a new economic model and limit our numbers. Until then we are doomed to extinction. We either work with what nature gives us or she will exact her power of limiting life forms that go out of bounds she has set.

This is the most interesting thread I've read in a while.

I fail to see the connection between one being a conservative and one conservative politician/political party having an absolute political power. They are separate things to me.

By what measure do you consider yourself not a Conservative in the American sense?

That is a very dark (and in certain instances, accurate) view of idealism and values. Before I say more I would make a tiny modification to the thesis "values and ideals are tools to gain and to maintain power." In place of the word "tools," I would use the term "stepping stones." I make this modification because those who use ideals and values only to propel themselves upward into positions of power tread upon those values, sully them with their muddy feet, bastardize them, and pervert them. Power corrupts not only the powerful, but also everyone and everything it touches. I'm sure that George Washington appreciated this when he voluntarily relinquished power even though many of his admirers wished he would not. And in so doing, our first president vested power back in the ideals and values that birthed a nation. Washington led by example, and made it possible for a vast, interesting, and worthy experiment to be carried out, with no fixed end date. All we have to do to end the experiment is allow shallow, venal, self-interested, misanthropic, and mediocre people to distract us with fear and loathing of our fellows while they seize power for themselves. Or we can keep the experiment going by using the power of our values and ideals, and the institutions we have created to preserve them, to fight rot and corruption, and hold criminals accountable. It only takes a little faith. Well, maybe a lot. But it's not like we haven't been here before.

Of course, Matias. Whatever it’s called, antisocial personality disorder or something else, it won’t go away.

Instead of power’s being a tool for realizing lofty ideals and moral values, it’s a tool I can use to persuade others that I seek lofty ideals and moral values.

I too enjoy science. Spanish is pleasant, but spoken French is at war with written French.

The happiest may be those who don’t care if they die, even as they pursue power. They may get bridges named for them.

As we travel through life we find it is not anything with Democrats or Republicans. It all has to do with the haves or the have nots. This is it.

Stupid sick shit.

That is very true to a degree, but the reverse also applies. Of what use is power if you have nothing to do with it ?

( Certainly not hedonism, since that is easy to obtain with only moderate power, and the effort required to obtain power and hold it, only wastes time if you only want hedonism, while too much hedonism will only make you miserable anyway. )

Ultimately we are all under the control of our ideals, even the powerful have no freedom from their own thinking, and therefore, if the collective ideas are good the powerful will always be moderated.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely….not a new observation, I believe the original is attributed to William Pitt the Elder…British Prime Minister (1766-78) when he stated in U.K. Parliament - “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it”.

RAW Power. I figured that out already. But thanks Matias.