4min chapter

WHAT IS POLITICS? cover image

6. Political Anthropology: When Communism Works

WHAT IS POLITICS?

CHAPTER

Why Bullies Don't Dominate Their Bandmates

Bully hunters don't join in coalition with others like themselves to tyrannize their bandmates. Big chad silver backed guerillas and alpha chimpanzees dominate their bandmates by terrorizing them until they accept their alpha status. High ranking banobo females rule by coalition. If an annoyed chimpanzee or banobo goes off to join another band, they'll just find a different bully or coalition dominating them over there. And they'll also find themselves at the bottom rung of a new hierarchy. So why doesn't this happen with human hunter gather bands? Part of the answer is the cultural levelling mechanisms that we looked at and other cultural practices and values. But another key part of the answer

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