Vertical vs. Horizontal transmission ideology

Slightly edited from an IRC discussion with fellow rationalists.

Now my mind is spinning, considering meta-arguments to Nth power for frivolous values of N, involving outcome-based complaints about resolution procedures.

If a world dictator receives a suggestion for something like Konkvistador's suggestion to split civilization into factions and see which does better isolated, there will be complaints "this test favors group X, it's unfair"

At the basic level, childbirth. At higher meta levels, things like horizontal v. vertical transmission of ideology.

• Vertical ideology group: "Your ideology is unsustainable! It relies on brainwashing other people's kids, is self-destructive, and even if it were to win, it would die out!"
• Horizontal ideology group: "Oh yeah? Well your ideology relies on brainwashing children! You can't win a reasoned debate!"

It seems as though groups with sufficient belief in their own righteousness will object to tests that would favor any other group. Or ideologies may include statements of the proper success metric, this makes it an ugly business to test multiple ideologies against a single success metric.

"Win"? Win at what?