Relationships of expediency and dominance

Relationships of political/economic expediency, hierarchies of power and dominance define international relationships. Tensions exist because injustice, imbalance, and unfair advantage are the natural outcome of such relationships. Conflict occurs when players in this game seek to strengthen their positions and undermine others - expansion and gain for one often spells loss and reduced autonomy for others. There are many levers/tools/weapons in this game - economics/politics/military power/media/religion. Machiavellean politics pushes limits to achieve the desired end - a player seeks a particular goal and musters available resources to achieve this end and manage it's populations perceptions along the way. Everything becomes a resource to utilize - everything is a commodity or tool to be managed or used. The profound danger is that truth, compassion, justice - religion itself, become distorted, having been manipulated and spun out as simply another tool used to achieve a questionable end.