"The effects of human wickedness are written on the page of history in characters of blood: but the impression soon fades away; so more blood must be shed to renew it." ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827
These days, I tend to start with Heinlein to understand the political world around me:
"Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria.
The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
Fortunately or unfortunately, we have almost arrived at our curtain call, just as the divide and conquer progressives planned:
"Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either [aristocracy or monarchy]. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide."
~ John Adams
Exactly why democracy has so many advocates in the Third World and on the Left. They don't actually want it - they want first dibs on control of the authoritarian system that will inevitably supplant it.