Life-Lesson #2:

What do men with power want?  More power.

Power is like an addictive drug.  When people get a taste of power, they often enjoy the feeling of control and importance so much that they seek even more power.

This is especially true of state leaders.  There’s a famous saying by John Acton (1834–1902), historian and moralist: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Men like Vladimir Putin, Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein all craved power to the point where they used intimidation, force and violence to ensure they kept their power, to the great pain and detriment of the people whom they are supposed to serve.

Quote by The Oracle to Neo in the movie, The Matrix Reloaded