[Pearls Before Swine]

Mohammed started by urging peace and tolerance, but as his worldly power grew, he urged war and intolerance. It appears yet another example of the saying "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Mohammed started by urging peace and tolerance, but as his worldly power grew, he urged war and intolerance. It appears yet another example of the saying "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

I think it's more an example of saying "Nice doggie" while reaching for a stick. Not a decent man corrupted by power, but a shrewd man holding back until he was powerful enough.