Quote from morganist:
This is something I have always wondered. Is it worse that people are prepared to let bad things happen because they don't care about any one else and want power. Or is it worse that people do bad things because of an ideology such as Nazi's and Soviet's.
The ideology group usually go further but they could always argue that they were doing wrong because of an belief, which separates it from themselves. No matter how wrong their actions are they could always argue that they are doing it for none selfish reasons and for what they consider the greater good of society or that they were somehow brainwashed.
The selfish I'm in it for myself so I don't care what happens to other people group on the other hand don't usually go as far but is this because there is no reason to because it causes more problems and prevents them from getting what they want. Thus is it worse to do bad things because of a belief system which is wrong or is it worse to do something wrong to meet a personal agenda.