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        riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> Take over the world
        
(Message started by: mfirmata on Sep 17^th, 2008, 8:50am)

Title: Take over the world
Post by mfirmata on Sep 17^th, 2008, 8:50am

I want to take over the world. I'm not really sure why, or even what taking over the world really means.

Do you have any ideas on where or how I should start?

There are some caveats; I don't necessarily want more responsibility for myself, or for people to die, or even be any less happy than they are right now.

The only thing I know for sure is that I want a palace somewhere nice.

Thanks.

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by towr on Sep 17^th, 2008, 9:41am

An economic takeover is probably the safest and most feasible approach. Earn so much money you can buy everyone out. Of course, once you have a few hundred million, you can already buy yourself a palace; you don't need to take over the world for that.

Another idea is a cultural takeover, but usually you need a country for that (it's what the US does, and what the Roman Empire did.) But perhaps if you can raise yourself to a cultural icon and have a long enough stream of new ideas that take hold, you might pull it off. As side effect you would get enough money to buy that palace, at least.

I wouldn't try religious takeover, because that almost never ends well. You'd almost certainly need to kill a lot of people to achieve total dominance (because the hard core of other religions won't convert). But, granted, you'll have that palace soon enough, you need only a few million followers if they're devoted enough (but it's not exactly taking over the world at that stage). It's also difficult to keep control over a religion, even if you start it yourself. And it requires an extraordinary amount of charisma.

A military takeover, while it might seem an obvious choice, is only slightly better than a religious takeover. People don't take kindly to invasion. And chances are you don't have the production capacity to overwhelm opponents such as the US (let alone the combined world). Building a secret army may give you the element of surprise, and the initial advantage in numbers. But if you don't win quickly, you'll be outproduced and driven back. And even if you do win, you will have to deal with subversive elements for years if not decades.

I suppose you could try to form a world government and get elected supreme leader; but now we're talking complete fantasy ;)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Grimbal on Sep 17^th, 2008, 1:36pm

There is a simple trick.

Democracy.

Let's say you are part of a group of 9 people where every decision in taken democratically by the rule of majority.

You can form a group of 5 people (unknown to the 4 others) to take over the power: The day before every vote, the 5 of you meet secretly and decide on the issue of the vote democratically. Whatever the majority decides will be voted the next day.

Sometimes some in the group will vote against their opinion, but on the average, their decision power is increased to 1 voice out of 5 instead of 1 out of 9. This arrangement is in the interest of every member of the group.

Then, within the group of 5, you form a smaller group of 3, unknown to the 2 others of the 5-group. The 3-group meets secretly 2 days before the vote and decide democratically on the issue of the vote and that decision will be voted by all 3 during the meeting of the 5-group. Now, your voice weights 1 in 3 instead of 1 in 5, but 1 in 5.

Now assuming you have a partner who agrees with you (maybe your wife or twin brother), the 2 of you can decide on the issue of the vote in the 3-group. That result decides on the vote in the 5-group, which in turn decides the vote of the 9-group.

As you can see, the 2 of you can decide unilaterally AND democratically on every matter.

If you do this on 33 levels instead of just 3, you can control the decisions of about 8 billion people. The decision being, for instance, whether all your needs should be taken care of like you are a living god.

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by towr on Sep 17^th, 2008, 2:02pm

Doesn't work well with secret-ballot voting though.

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Grimbal on Sep 17^th, 2008, 2:21pm

Well, yes, it needs a bit of fair-play ::)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Grimbal on Sep 17^th, 2008, 2:26pm

Or you can marry Bill Gates. And divorce afterward.

Of course, the question of whether you would be ready to marry Bill Gates for half of his fortune is probably a bit more difficult if you are a man. And straight.

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by towr on Sep 17^th, 2008, 2:35pm

on 09/17/08 at 14:26:02, Grimbal wrote:

Also, it bears consideration that he's already married; and disregarding that, he would probably have his lawyers draw up a prenup, meaning you'd get next to nothing at divorce.

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by rmsgrey on Sep 18^th, 2008, 8:18am

on 09/17/08 at 13:36:07, Grimbal wrote:

There is a simple trick.

Democracy.

[...]

If you do this on 33 levels instead of just 3, you can control the decisions of about 8 billion people. The decision being, for instance, whether all your needs should be taken care of like you are a living god.

The big catch is that it only takes one inconveniently smart person to realise that their vote as part of the clique is actually worthless because the inner-clique always votes in lockstep, so, rather than trading a 1-in-9 vote for a 1-in-5 or 1-in-3, they're actually trading a 1-in-9 vote for complete disenfranchisement and suddenly the motivation for voting with the clique evaporates...

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by towr on Sep 18^th, 2008, 8:21am

And that why the first step in world domination is eliminating inconveniently smart people. ;)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Roy on Sep 18^th, 2008, 7:47pm

Great, now we're all screwed, thanks a lot, rsmgrey! >:(

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by ThudanBlunder on Sep 18^th, 2008, 10:35pm

on 03/17/08 at 15:26:41, rmsgrey wrote:

I'm also highly intelligent.

Wanna be in my gang? ::)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Roy on Sep 28^th, 2008, 7:55pm

I do,

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by iono on Sep 30^th, 2008, 7:30pm

it is destiny thst all the nations of earth become united. just watch sci-fi movies, you'll see.

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by ThudanBlunder on Sep 30^th, 2008, 11:05pm

on 09/28/08 at 19:55:30, Roy wrote:

I do,

Sorry, I never take people who do not refuse to join a gang that will accept them as a member. :P

(Hey, I've just realized where the Groucho Club in London takes its name from.)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Roy on Oct 5^th, 2008, 4:51pm

Very clever ;) >:( ::)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by Qaster Qof Qeverything Q42 on Oct 18^th, 2008, 8:13pm

I Know how to hold the world

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(book)

Title: Re: Take over the world
Post by wade32 on Apr 16^th, 2012, 7:26am

Try a hostile takeover of Larry Page's toupee!! I'm sure Google would pay a nice sum to have that back!