Why do people fight for political power, you know genocide,ethnic cleansing,etc. is it to be able to play God?

That's a big question. Certainly many leaders in Africa have a record of using their office to build a nice palace and salt away millions.





Others I think are motivated by hate for another ethnic group - see Rwanda.





A great many are after a Utopian idea but fail completely to see that the steps they've taken to create that nullify the end result (see communism!).





In some cases people focus so much on minor flaws that they come to believe crazy things about their opponents, leading them to believe that anything and any action is preferable.





i.e. loosing perspective. Bush's opponents are a good example of that one.Why do people fight for political power, you know genocide,ethnic cleansing,etc. is it to be able to play God?
More about the baser instincts of humanity like greed, avarice, and lust for power.