I've gotta say this about Invictus:
1. His alliance have been sabotaged three times, but he's still working hard to improve it.
2. He's already been conquered on Chi, but he's doing his best to fight his way back, and is keeping a solid and steady pace building again.
3. He doesn't lie about his experience, and is open to advice, and actually takes the time to filter it and implement it.
4. I've spoken to him a number of times privately, and he has yet to complain or say anything negative.
These traits are not found often in new players, especially younger ones. I have a lot of personal respect for him.
I'll tie in that last sentence to the topic here. Aside from cases of large wars, infiltrating alliances is a short-cut to power. It's a way to feel clever and elite, and to get off on manipulation and mind-games. Some players clearly enjoy having a show-and-tell on this in the externals, and I'm sure that's why many of them sabotage to begin with.
Maybe one day they'll earn the in-game respect they so clearly crave, yet have no idea how to go about getting. Although I doubt many of them are skilled or mentally tough enough to do that.