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A Game-Theory Solution for A Fractured America

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-09-08/a-game-theory-solution-for-a-fractured-america

Recent intranational conflicts have led some innovative thinkers to approach the growing division in America from a theoretical standpoint. The author approaches this problem from the perspective of the prisoner’s dilemma. Framing his argument, he describes the background for current duress among the U.S. population. From varying perspectives, he describes how conflicting groups, from different races to different political ideologies are more permanent than temporary constructs. One example in particular he cites, the misconception that rumored “demographic eclipse” of white people, is false. This helps to further his argument and the solution which he puts forth.

The author characterizes the Prisoner’s Dilemma in two different ways. There is the finite version, where opposing sides fight and/or betray the other player, usually ending in a worst-case scenario. Next, he describes an indefinite version of the prisoner’s dilemma, one that without a certain future causes the two parties to work together and cooperate. He likens this to the current climate in the United States, one in which “poisonous short-term rhetoric” masks the true nature of our political atmosphere. One in which, we as a country works together not for the betterment of any one group or individual but for the betterment of the country as a whole. This plays into some interesting, underlying themes that exist in our modern day society. Like how the expansion of technology has yielded closer connections than ever before, yet, such instant gratification has mellowed our view on issues ranging wider than our immediate focus. It plays into the idea that, as a society, we must realize the longevity of varying viewpoints and how we can better compromise with all parties to create, not the perfect world, but one in which all people share equal respect and equal recognition regardless of their viewpoints.

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