politics and evil

Politics is messed up, not because we are a messed up species, but because we have created messed up incentive structures. I sincerely believe that no one is born evil, it is the systems that make people behave in evil ways.

When the economy is doing well and increased prosperity is felt by everyone, it is very challenging for young and ambitious leaders to enter into politics. Even Adolph Hitler would not have made it if it were not for the Great Depression. 

Opposition parties are incentivised to look out for problems and causes around which to mobilise people. Good ones make up imaginary, outside enemies from scratch. Bad ones hit the already existing, domestic societal fault lines by playing with religious, ethnic and cultural heterogeneities. Ugly ones create entirely new, domestic social fault lines through provocative activities.