Thugs of the Think Kind

In days of old,

When knights were bold

And violence was respected.

Nobles hired some thugs

Beat up some pugs,

And revolutions were prevented.

We live of course, in more sophisticated times. Raw violence is no longer acceptable as a means of keeping the lower classes in their places.

What is a nobleman to do then?

Why but of course. Hire Thugs of the Think Tank type.
If you can't beat them physically into submission,
then brow beat them into a catatonic state with all means of mental thuggery.

Who are the Thugs of Think in our modern times?

Winning for Winning's Sake

There are many ways to tackle the title topic.

Maybe, just maybe, it could be directed to performance enhancing drugging or other cheats?

Example: Tampering with the skates of a fellow speed skate competitor.

But no.

Today's thought bomb is directed to the subtopics of:
(1) The habit of winning
(2) Evolutionary pressures to keep on winning

Why do politicians (for example) want to keep on winning?

Even if it means constantly flip flopping on one's position?

Republicans and Democrats want to win for winning's sake.

Even if it means taking the country down in the process.

What formed habits or evolutionary processes drive these leadership class lemmings to leading their flock toward cliff's edge?

He plans to kill Big Bird

He's got no love lost for Jim Leherer or the rest of PBS either

His 5 sons constantly lie to him ... or as they say, the acorns don't fall far from the daddy tree

One of these is different ... Can you tell which one?