The Big Point About The Prisoners Dilemma

[David Sklansky]

For those who don't know The PD or don't get what I am driving at when I bring it up, it is simply this:

There are situations, not that rare, where you would HOPE there was a BIG BROTHER FORCING YOU to make the opposite decision than what is in your best interest (your underboss tells you not to snitch). This occurs when the loss you incur is more than made up for by the fact that a Big Brother is forcing others as well. It would be nice if he forced only them and not you, but failing that, you would prefer that you are included rather than there be no Big Brother at all. And of course "Big Brother" can mean God, government, laws, a group of people, or whatever.

The above words are fact, not opinion. What isn't clear is whether the above words prove that pure capitalism, one that never includes a big brother, is flawed.

Some might say that there is no good way to invoke a Big Brother only when needed. A practical argument but not a theoretical refutation.