[MD] BBC documentary 'the trap'

[plattholden at gmail.com]

All:

Adam Curtis and his fellow-traveler socialists might learn something if 
they read Lila about the value of the free market and the role of DQ in 
the evolution of life.

Platt  



On 16 Aug 2009 at 10:04, david buchanan wrote:

> 
> Ian said to dmb and Khaled:
> In defence of game theory - Nash's ideas were that most complex socio-intellectual actions are a game - moves that anticipate the moves of others - where we players are rational agents. This provided a way of modelling and predicting outcomes to help decision-making. The problems arise when people using such models take too narrow a "selfish" view of the agents "interests" and too crude a view of "rationality". Then we get self-serving "autistic" & "neurotic" economics - the kind that has been dragging us down since Friedman, Thatcher and Reagan.
> 
> dmb says:
> Well, if you watch the documentary you'll learn that Nash isn't even willing to defend game theory anymore. As a matter of fact, we're talking about a model of human behavior that was invented during the cold war by a paranoid schizophrenic. The whole thing is based on selfishness, suspicion, paranoia and a little game that Nash called "Fuck you, buddy". This theory says that love, trust, altruism and the public good are sheer fantasies. I mean, the narrow, crude view of humanity is built right into it and so your defense of it is indefensible. On top of that, this way of looking at things is very, very different from the MOQ. 
> I mean, game theory strikes me as the epitome of the amoral rationality that Pirsig is working against. This is the theory that has us all chasing that mechanical rabbit, that turns us all into strange, alienated, isolated creatures. This is the theory that says the meaning of life is to go shopping. 
> In the film, you'll also learn that this is the model used by Dick Dawkins' genetic theories, Hayek's economics, Lainge's psychology of the family (which brings with psychopathic view of humanity into our most intimate human relations). It also describes the politics of Ayn Rand, the Rand corporation and all those randy Republicans in Washington. This is the theory that gave us the Bush doctrine and is presently behind the fanatical opposition to health care reform. I mean, dude, if you're willing to defend this poison, you are drinking some pretty toxic kool-aid. It's morally outrageous and just plain wrong. 
> Funny thing is, I've heard the phrase "game theory" many times before but never heard an explanation until I watched that documentary. I had assumed it was a theory about games and so it just didn't interest me. I was quite surprised to learn that it is essentially a model of human behavior invented by a man who was terrified by humans because of his mental illness. That's why nobody except economists and psychopaths still believe in it. Nash doesn't even believe it anymore. That should give you pause, no?
> The summary below can be located, of course, by searching some uncommon phrase of sentence from the quoted passage. But I'm sure you already knew that. I saved a chunk to make that search easy for you....  
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