We call that the epoch of Empire. Your planet is going through that stage right now, hopefully near the end of it. Empire rises and falls, creating itself from the ashes of a previous one only to destroy itself all over again. Empire creates a thriving economy, then through greed, runs it into the ground. As the economy crashes Empire then attacks its neighbors to harvest their resources, only to exploit those to extinction. It's a painful process, but a necessary lesson for those who survive. Helana speaks of what she has learned in her history class.