system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[G.I Joe] What does COBRA want? What is the organization's motivations?

I know they're supposed to be a bunch of terrorists who want to take over the world, but does the group have any motive or reasoning for why they should be in charge or why they use such extreme methods when it'd be far easier to just run a normal megacorporation and ~~bribe~~ lobby politicians? 

Do the members of COBRA genuinely think the world would be better under their control or are they just a bunch of crazy power hungry fascists?
gpt
TL;DR Money, power, personal gain.

The 80's cartoon revealed that Cobra is a front for a 40,000 year old civilization of snake people who want to reconquer the surface. Cobra Commander is the only one who actually knows this until the end of the series.

Other members join for their own reasons. Destro and The Baronesse joined because they want power while the Dreadnaughts are just a band of mercenaries who love getting paid to cause chaos. There is also Stormshadow who doesn't care about money or power but he's being manipulated by Cobra Commander through his vendetta against Snake Eyes .

IIRC Cobra's recruits its main forces from low-income/downtrodden people from inner city environments.