I was reading Ether 9 today and found a verse that I have been trying find for years. The verse reminds me of what politicians do to entice it's citizens to support them as rulers. The citizens can be entice if they value money over higher principles.
Here's verse 11:
Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for power; wherefore, the sons of Akish did offer them money, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them.
So, Akish and his boys give the people money to support them as the rulers. How did Akish get the money? It had to be either taxation, extortion or mining or precious ore. If it was through taxation or extortion, then they were applying a socialist principle of redistribution of wealth.
We read in verse 12 that ... there began to be a war between the sons of Akish and Akish, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer.
Apparently greed and power got the best of Akish and his sons. These summarized verses are very vague as what exactly happened. But, the end result was that the people apparently took sides and killed each other until their were only thirty souls left!
If a nation's primary focus in power and gain, the country won't last long.
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