Thanks for the Hegemony

Thursday night at Keegan's Pub is the occasion of their trivia challenge, undoubtedly the toughest in the city. And last night the Fraters Libertas produced another victory. A crushing one at that, 25 questions asked, 22 correct. The closet competitors (four scrappy teams all tying for second place) managed only 18 correct.

The victory was especially noteworthy given the high caliber of talent on hand. Because Keegan's was a stop on some free form jazz odyssey tour going on in Minneapolis last night, the bar was stocked with sophisticated, advanced degreed urban professionals (SAD-UPs). It was so sophisticated, a guy sitting at the table right next to us looked just like Mark Dayton (without the facial tics).

Perhaps the biggest challenge of all came from Mitch Berg who recruited a team composed of the finest intellects in the greater Midway area to challenge us. (Their team, named the Minnehaha All Stars, was comprised of Berg, Anoka Flash from Centristy, PJZ from Tacitus, and an unnamed gentleman introduced to me as only "a doctor" who I assume was Mitch Berg's psychiatrist).

They fought valiantly, but despite their efforts and pre-game bravado they too felt the wrath of the brains of the Fraters Libertarians. I trust there's no hard feelings and hope they show up again for the game. But from the looks on their faces after the results were revealed, I suspect they may be wearied by the enormity of the task they face. Which is of course understandable. In fact, I fear all bar patrons on Thursday may be losing their desire to continue the struggle. And some of them, including the plucky bar manager and trivia master Marty, may be wishing that the Fraters Libertas team would fall from the heights of victory, and recede back into the mob, just another team scratching and clawing for survival.

My advice to those who yearn for such a day: Watch what you wish for.

Earlier this week Opinion Journal published a brilliant essay by the historian Niall Ferguson. (Note, according to his CSPAN interview of a few weeks ago , his first name is pronounced "Neal", not "Nile". It's a Scottish thing, you wouldn't understand). In it he speculates on what the world might look like if the USA does not fulfill its responsibilities in being the (relatively) benevolent global hegemon. In summary: it's not pretty. (As good as my summary is, I encourage you to read all of Ferguson's piece. He fleshes out the argument a little more fully).

And I think his scenario exactly parallels the absence of Fraters Libertas hegemony at Keegan's. Below the words of Ferguson, with a few strategic word replacements.

What if KEEGAN'S is heading for a period when there is no hegemon? What if, instead of a balance of power, there is an absence of power?

Unfortunately, the experience of TRIVIA CONTESTS with power vacuums is hardly encouraging. Anyone who dislikes FRATERS LIBERTAS hegemony should bear in mind that, instead of a multipolar GAME of competing great TEAMS, a TRIVIA CONTEST with no hegemon at all may be the real alternative to it. This could turn out to mean a new Dark Age of waning empires and religious fanaticism; of endemic rapine in the BAR'S no-go zones; of economic stagnation and a retreat by BAR MANAGEMENT into a few fortified enclaves.

These are the Dark Age experiences that a TRIVIA CONTEST without a hyperpower might find itself reliving.

Religious fanaticism, endemic rapine, and economic stagnation? That kind of sounds like the atmosphere at Keegan's Tuesday night trivia contest. But the ownership of Keegan's can breathe easy. We have no plans at this time to shirk our responsibilities in dominating Thursday night trivia.

That is, if we can finally come to an agreement on the size of our appearance fee. Two free beers a piece ought to do it. A small price to pay for avoiding rapine.

THE ELDER ADDS: Savvy bookmakers had installed the Fraters Foursome as three and a half question favorites heading into last night's competition. So now only did we win, we also covered.