To act, man must secure his means. Therefore, the less secure a ruler, the more he will employ resources to secure them. A secure dictator has no need of killing political competition. Quite the contrary, he will try to increase his capacity to act by providing a good State. If his control over the country is threatened, however, he will try to secure it by any means before investing in it.

Civil war is symptomatic of a weak government, not a strong one. Therefore, the less secure a ruler, the more he will displace resources to secure it.

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