The Hierarchy in Action
The Game Model hierarchy for manhood is pretty much the same in both the narrow socio-sexual sphere as well as the broader human society. The model applies well in several contexts. However, the model is itself highly contextual. The descriptions of roles in the hierarchy is derived; it is specific to modern Western Civilization. The roles take their shape and delineation from the cultural context, even as they reflect something fundamental to human nature. Our modern Western world consigns men to identities as a range of reactions to the particular stresses of our society. What you have here is a snapshot in time, through the lens of a particular functional approach, printed on the paper of one man’s writing skills (such as they are). Hopefully the colors and forms of this image can reflect something more universally recognizable.
In broad terms, God’s justice requires humans organize socially in units of household, clan and tribe. Any effort to centralize control beyond that is risky at the very least, and typically evil in almost every case. Pulling diverse groups in under a single governing entity cannot avoid injustice to one or more groups. Somebody will be forced to sacrifice something essential in the process, and lose part of their identity. Anything which reduces human identity is by definition dehumanizing, and that is the fundamental sin of all human government. This is an essential element in Western Civilization, and this prophetic analysis expresses the deeper failure of Western Civilization. Here we see yet one more way in which humans defy God by rejecting His guidance, particularly in dealing with other humans. Part of this critique is reviewing what evil shapes government takes when various approaches are applied, and the shapes tend to match somewhat the characteristic roles within the Game Theory hierarchy.
In particular, our modern Western frame of reference is the background of how men have ruled each other, in the various historical forms of government which appeared in the West.
When Alpha rules, it’s monarchy, which lends itself to despotic tyranny. The genuine human need behind the rise of any monarch is the necessity of vesting someone as warlord. When things get dangerous, somebody has to be quick to respond and take command, because war by committee never succeeds. But too many good warlords enjoy too much the benefits of this power, and keep it after the battle is over. Rare indeed is the winning warrior who forgets his armor. Even more rare is the hero commander willing to take off his badge of rank. It’s his whole identity. The definition of Alpha is the self-confidence which manifests in battle as courage against the odds. The Alpha may be deluded or merely bluffing, but if his enemy flees, no one will ever know. Perception is reality, and the role of Alpha is entirely a matter of having a society which validates his self-confidence. A people ill-informed of God’s justice will be slaves to some Alpha.
Where Alpha rules, there will always be Betas, who represent the nobility. This symbiosis defines the two roles of the hierarchy. To be an Alpha is to be insulated from the herd, and without the Betas, there is no insulation. Betas derive their power and mission from this supporting role. Alpha gets nothing done without them. They willingly enter into his adventures, making them possible through their resources and encouragement. He, in turn, will make sure they lack for nothing from his excess supply.
Critical to their function is keeping an eye on what is possible in the context of the Alpha’s adventures. They protect him from failure in part by advising him, warning him if something is not possible, or unwise. He is wired to discount such things, but they are wired to counter that. Disagreements are taken for granted when everything works, because men by their nature don’t internalize such disagreements much. Still, we have ample precedent of partnership failures. Alpha can decide to destroy them all, but he must replace them with a more pleasing group. Or, they can confine him by reducing his prerogatives, even to the point of killing him. However, in a very real sense, they are the de facto owners of this system — the enforcers. The Alpha is simply the figurehead. Wise Alphas know this, playing it for all its worth, but many aren’t so wise. Without Betas, none of this is possible.
When they get too powerful, we have oligarchy in its various forms. It still amounts to tyranny and slavery for the rest. Even a faceless bureaucratic committee government is composed of real people with real privilege, but the Alpha-Beta symbiosis tends to force them out in the open. Again, where the people are ignorant of God’s justice, they will be slaves.
Deltas are the peasantry and middle class, as it were. It’s not as if they can’t usurp the system, but where they do, it’s more likely things are not what they seem. When Deltas rule, there is a pretense to democratic government. The flavor of such a government will depend on any number of factors, but it will be popular in theory. Sadly, Deltas seldom escape the real power structure because of characteristic delusions. Shortly after the plebes revolt, removing the Old Guard Alpha-Beta system, another Alpha-Beta symbiosis forms and seeks ways to reassert their advantage. As Deltas are deluded about game, they are equally deluded about most other things, and the real government will encourage and shape that delusion. Thus, people ill-informed about God’s justice will still be slaves to some Alpha-Beta system. However, the mass delusion effect is probably far worse, and the task of restoring God’s justice is much harder.
Gammas can rule, too. The effects are similar to Delta rule, because the characteristic delusions overlap. Indeed, it’s likely Delta government itself will bring the occasional Gamma into power. But it’s pernicious, in that Gammas are even more deluded, notwithstanding their higher IQ. Gamma talent tends to be more narrow, and their delusions will reflect their specialty. This gives us more extreme forms of government, reflecting an obsession with a strict orthodoxy. Gamma government is frequently insane and short-lived, terrorizing at least part of the population, if not most of it. At its best, Gamma rule is somewhat technocratic. It’s still slavery, but more insane, far less tolerant. It is particularly given to persecuting anyone attempting to promote God’s justice, as if the truth makes one a heretic from the official orthodoxy. The Alpha-Beta crew tends to be a secret conspiracy in this case, but they never go away.
Omegas typically don’t bother trying to rule. It never occurs to them. They tend to have such a poor grasp of reality, it’s all they can do to interact in any significant way with other people. When intelligent, they may try to manipulate the system for inscrutable ends, which is hard to distinguish from more mundane crime.
There are no characteristic examples of Lambda government, so far.
Sigmas are typically contemptuous of government. Should they actually get their hands on any levers of power, it’s likely to be libertarian non-government, aimed mostly at dismantling just about any system they encounter. Since history indicates humanity abhors this sort of thing, we may never see any libertarian government. Western culture in particular can’t bear the notion of decentralization, and Sigmas generally know this. They are typically critics of any existing government, with varying mixtures of purity versus pragmatism in their philosophical approach. This is why they game every social system, not just the socio-sexual. They are fully capable of arranging the destruction of any system, but they find almost every possible alternative system repugnant, particularly within the Western frame of reference, so they offer no viable solutions.
