She chooses to learn swordplay. That a form of power. Granted, it has nowhere near the strength and utility of magic, but if Bern was of a mind to, she could certainly use her physical fitness and skill to tyrannize people.
That's not really a good example, if only because Bern's style of swordplay means she can't fight well unless she's attacked. However, even if she did fight in an offensive style, swordplay can only be used for three things: protecting, attacking, and competing. It can't be used to, say, kidnap a girl and experiment on her until she's a monster. It can't simulate horrible torture that will never kill you, infringe on people's personal privacy, or create monsters that eat and dissolve people. Swordplay is dangerous, but magic is just ridiculously abusable.
There are people in power who at least seem not to be corrupted though, which suggests that it's something about the person - whether they're nutters, seeking power for power's sake; easily corrupted - rather than the power itself.
People in power who seem to be good people may well be good people, and this is because power does not corrupt instantly; it's a gradual process. This is why most Presidencies and similar positions in democratic countries have limited terms. People can be trusted to have power over a country for a few years, but the longer they have it the more likely they are to abuse it. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.
Since we haven't seen magic on the level of strategic weapons however I think the analogy would be closer to arming people with guns.
True enough. However, I'm not sure how much that helps your case. Giving everyone a gun might seem like a nice way to even the odds on paper, but the criminals pull their guns first. If you own a gun and it's in your pocket, and some guy pulls a gun on you and demands your money, are you going to reach for your gun? You could be shot dead if you do. In the USA most people are allowed to buy guns, but in the end it's still the criminals and the cops who end up using their guns the most.
The Thin Man is well hidden and avoids open confrontation. Someone who wants to rule or set laws would have to do that sooner or later.
I don't think it's safe to say what the Thin Man wants just yet. Regardless, we know he's very powerful and very criminal.
So to that effect, I think Bern's answer shows something that maybe she herself didn't even want to realize: she may not like what Maytag really does, but she doesn't want Maytag to change just for her, presumably because she loves her.
I like your sentiment, but I just don't see that being the case. If Bern broke up with her last girlfriend for cheating, there must be some kind of deeper reason she's relieved to hear the same thing from May.
charles' stuff
That's what I'm sayin'! Well, probably not about Maytag's suit, but yeah. The more power people have, the more they feel like they can get away with anything. Since the Xibulba collar offered physical enhancements rather than simply magical abilities, it probably made the wearer feel invincible, which would explain why it made the wearer much worse than sorcerers. Power corrupts.
Ok, then I take it back. Because of you, it'll be 2010. Happy, now?
*glares at Admiral*
There is at least one strategically logical reason to make an item like the Xibulba collar.
True, but we don't know about any wars that have ever taken place. At this point, your theory is speculation about speculation. I think a simpler answer would be that whoever made it is just a dick, or that the corrupting nature of the collar is just a side-effect of a normal person becoming so powerful.