[MD] BBC documentary 'the trap'

[Ian Glendinning]

Yeah Craig,

They "mention" the prisoners dilemma, but go straight into the example
where both parties have something worth keeping as well as something
worth avoiding, and where there is a asymmetry in ownership to start
with - variations on the base theme. But as you say, the point is
given that we are not actually prisoners, the message is that it is
better to collaborate IF you are given the opportunity to create
trust. (Not many of us are often in the position of being isolated
prisoners in the treal world - the age old problem of mixing up the
model with reality - Bo if you're listening.)

My message is that people are wrong to choose to be prisoners of the
SOMist model of objective "value" - just cos some "scientific"
sounding geek with a computer told em so. Computer sez "No".

Regards
Ian

On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 10:55 PM, <craigerb at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> [Arlo]
>> Where does the documentary get [the "Prisoner's Dilemma"] wrong, and what is its significance
>> that you feel they miss?
>
> Glad you asked.  What the "documentary" mistakenly calls the "Prisoner's Dilemma" is an example of an exchange where one party reneges.  Only t aken in isolation is this in that party's
> interest & has been known  since at least the time of the VIIIth Commandment as THEFT.
> The real Prisoner's Dilemma, on the other hand,  argu es against a particular notion of rationality (as did Pirsig  in his own way ).
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma
> The significance is this:  Even though 1) A is better off doing X whether B does X or not-X
> & 2) B is better off doing X whether A does X or not-X, none-the-less 3) A & B can be better off by both doing not-X.  In short, co-operation between A & B can lead to a better result than A & B
> both pursuing what they judge as their separate best interest.
> Craig
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