To explain this, he invokes an idea that went out of fashion in the 1960s: group selection.

ECONOMIST: Human evolution: Moral thinking | The

The theory of the permanent campaign is an attempt to explain the politics of the world through one idea that more or less applies everywhere.

BBC: Philip Gould: What 'permanent campaign'?

Here's an idea: Instead of merely attacking and counter-attacking a merger, companies would do well to explain their proposals -- their costs, benefits, valuations and long term implications -- to the people who really matter, the shareholders.

CNN: Business: Failed Merger