Letter: Letters : Born to battle

From Marcus Wilson

Bedford

Matt Ridley hits the nail on the head with the application of game theory to
society in “Born to trade” (26 October, p 34). But is the game of “prisoner’s
dilemma” a better description than he would like to admit?

The “tit-for-tat” strategy (“I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine”),
while good for a selfish individual, is dangerous for society. As well as being
responsible, through mutual cooperation, for many advances in society, is it not
also responsible, through mutual defection, for wars, the arms race and the
poverty trap?

Mr Homeless, by virtue of his position, is unable to scratch the back of Mr
Comfortably-well-off, and so Mr Comfortably-well-off has no reason to scratch
the back of Mr Homeless. Consequently, Mr Homeless will stay Mr Homeless, until
such time as this vicious circle is broken by the unilateral cooperation of
others.

Such “altruism” is rare, and should be encouraged. It is a sad fact that
present economic and political thinking suggests otherwise.