Three

After my recent reference to the Beggar Party (see http://ccszeto.blogspot.com/2010/12/beggar.html), there was much unexpected development.

I shall not elaborate on the happenings. The event, however, could be considered as an excellent illustration of game theory (or corporate political strategy, if you prefer to call it that way). Specifically, the scenario is: How to seize the power as the fourth man when there are already three figureheads in the party ?

Let me tell you a story of the modern China:

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After Sun Yat-Sen (孫中山) died in March 1925, there were three figureheads of the Chinese Nationalist Party (國民黨): Liao Zhongkai (廖仲愷), Hu Hanmin (胡漢民), and Wang Jingwei (汪精衛).

In a game of four, how to gain control and eliminate the dominant three ?

Well, in this case, the procedure was ingeniously planned and masterly executed: Liao was assassinated before the Party's Executive Committee meeting in August 1925. Rumour was spread so that Hu was generally considered the suspect (and, in fact, arrested for a brief period). Wang, whose determination and calculation was considered the weakest amongst the dominant three, was taken as an ally throughout this process.

You see, in no time, it became a game of two.

And the rest is history.