It's a competitive world full of highly ambitious people. As long as the only tool they have to create/expand/defend their empires is moat building that is all

It's a competitive world full of highly ambitious people. As long as the only tool they have to create/expand/defend their empires is moat building that is all they will robotically do irrespective of the cost. The pressure on them to do so is massive. And it's the easiest thing for them to do. So they do it. Ofcourse things constantly collapse. Ask Genghis Khan, the East India Company etc etc And after collapse everyone stands around like Alan Greenspan saying wtf happened?