What would Bean do as Hegemon?

[The Puppetmaster]

Just throwing it out there...

[Tcashon]

Not a real good way to start a thread, why not tell us what you think and then pose the question.

Me personally, I think he would suck at it, He is a military genius, I doubt he would have much clout as a political figure.

[The Puppetmaster]

Sorry im new.
I think he wouldn't do much because he doesn't like people much and he has almost no empathy.

[human.]

I don't think Bean would do much either.. it always seemed like Bean worked for himself and those things he thought worthwhile. I don't think he'd want to have to worry about other's problems because what good would solving someone else's problem do him?

[luminousnerd]

Bean isn't a leader. No one would follow him. He could never become hegemon in the firstplace.

[Tcashon]

Bean isn't a leader. No one would follow him. He could never become hegemon in the firstplace.

I agree with you that he never could have become hegemon, but Bean is a leader. Not a political one mind you, but a military one. We saw in SP how good of a leader Bean was with the men he was given to train. The might not have loved him, but they damn well respected him.

[eriador]

If he were put in the place of Hegemon, he would do terribly. He's a friend, not a leader.

[wigginboy]

Bean is a leader, but not the type of leader that should rule the world. However, should he ever have risen to power, he would likely be an efficient leader. He is the smartest person in the world at that time, and leagues more intelligent than the next person down. There is no way he would not know how to effectively bring the world under his command, but I have much doubt that he would choose to do this in the way that Peter does. Maybe similar as Bean does not like to hurt people for no reason. But I am quite sure that Bean would have no qualms crushing anyone who got in his way, any nations' armies that he came up against would surrender or perish. But it was never Bean's wish to be hegemon. It was Bean's prerogative to help Peter actually rise to that position through Bean's own military prowess and Peter's political genius.

[PhanaticEnder.Reader]

I think he wouldn't do much because he doesn't like people much and he has almost no empathy.

He doesnt like people much because of Antons Key, and the way he thinks of himself as inhuman.

If he didnt think he was human, i dont think that even if he was offered a place as hegemon, he would take it because who is a non-human (as he thinks) to lead the human race?

Also he wouldnt be able to get into power because people wouldnt vote for someone who is different to them, even if it for their own good

[Janus%TheDoorman]

Hegemon before, during, or after Peter's time as Hegemon? I expect it would have gone similar to the Shadow series, but with differences.

Before, if he was aimed at uniting the world under his rule, I expect that with limited resources, and no respect abroad, Bean would've turned to an old standby - hacking the IF computers to bring what he could under his control, more likely than not striking with the kind of overwhelming force he would have learned from Mazer and Ender to disable the "unstable" elements of Earth, and forced Peter to use his network of contacts to spread propaganda about who was attacking who while the IF was forced to deny any involvement. During the ensuing WWIII, it would be easy for Bean to seize power by offering his services as the world's best military commander to either a coalition of weak-governmented nations, or more messily, a single strong nation whose government he could usurp through martial law declarations, etc.

During, with the fledgling FPE and it's small force under his control, assassinations would have likely been the order of the day against political and military (Battle School children, likely Ender's Jeesh if they weren't willing to negotiate) leaders. With Peter this was impossible because of the need to save face and defend the nations allied to him, and I expect Bean would have been less of a concern.

After, at this point Bean's either dead or likely seeking to remove himself from international affairs, and raise his family.

[BonitoDeMadrid]

IMO, if he were to become Hegemon instead of Peter, he would do better than him, because he won't make the many mistakes Peter did. His personality does not matter here, in my opinion; any personality mistakes may be corrected by some acting (like Achilles did).

However, he would still have to go through all the things Peter has gone through (such as another world war)- maybe even over a longer timespan, as Bean had no background in the eyes of the people: where Peter had Locke (and possibly Demosthenes as well), Bean had nothing, he was pretty anonymous. And without use of aggression (which I think Bean would be completely against), going from anonymous to someone in the public eye takes time and talent.

[Janus%TheDoorman]

Bean had no background in the eyes of the people: where Peter had Locke (and possibly Demosthenes as well), Bean had nothing, he was pretty anonymous.

Bean was a member of Ender's Jeesh, a worldwide hero, and in the eyes of those at the reigns of the world's active militaries (i.e. Mostly Battle Schoolers) the best of them still on Earth. With Bean as Hegemon, you can bet Han Tzu, and everyone else in a similar position would have been, or put their government on notice that Bean was force to be reckoned with.

It's somewhat of a poor comparison, but think of the public perception of Al Gore right now. He was the second to a leader upon whom history, or at least public opinion, has looked upon favorably. Or look at Marc Antony or Augustus Caesar in his youth both seconds to Caesar, but both powerful and respected in their own right, and indeed because of their affiliation with him.

[greenbeans16]

he wouldn't do a very good job. It's not that he couldn't, he just wouldn't want to. Bean doesn't have a lust for power. Hegemon's just not his thing.