NationStates

Please consider the following hypothetical:

The Joker Experiment from the Dark Knight happens except instead of having a boat filled with civilians and a boat filled with criminals, you have a boat filled with hardcore Democrats and a boat filled hardcore Republicans.

In the waters, you have two ferries moving around. Inside one ferry you have 100 avowed Democrats. In the other boat you have 100 hardcore Republicans.

Suddenly, both boats are hacked and stop moving and loses contact other the outside world. Both boats find that their engine rooms have been rigged to kingdom come with barrels of explosives. Both boats find a present box containing an active remote detonator. A saw-like announcement is then made stating:

1. The two boats have been rigged with explosives
2. If anyone attempts to leave a boat, he will use a master control and detonate that boat
3. After 1 hour, both boats will be simultaneously detonated by the master control unless one boat is exploded first.
4. The remote control each boat has detonates the other boat. They have 1 hour to press the button before the other boat does. The boat that goes for the button first will live.

The passengers realize they are in big trouble because months ago in another US state this same “Joker” ran a similar gig with two other boats. In that situation one boat did press the button and blow up the other boat in 25 mins, the surviving passengers WERE allowed to leave.

What happens next? Will one boat press the button (especially seeing as they know the other boat is filled with their political opposites)? Or will both boats decide “Nope. We’re all going to die then so be it. We’re not going to murder the other boat’s passengers; at the end of the day we’re all Americans.”

Or will the experiment be “ruined” when one side tries to escape instead?

If one boat does go for the bomb first, what method (voting, lottery, will of the strongest etc) will they use to decide who presses the button?

Well, we live in a society. I say that society should volunteer

There’s no advantage to cooperation so press the button. Defecting first is always the best strategy anyway. The only question is whether or not you can press it quickly enough.

Bonus points for deciding to jump overboard to make sure everyone dies though.

Kerwa wrote:There’s no advantage to cooperation so press the button. Defecting first is always the best strategy anyway. The only question is whether or not you can press it quickly enough.

Bonus points for deciding to jump overboard to make sure everyone dies though.

And how would they decide who presses the button?

I press both buttons.

Infected Mushroom wrote:

Kerwa wrote:There’s no advantage to cooperation so press the button. Defecting first is always the best strategy anyway. The only question is whether or not you can press it quickly enough.

Bonus points for deciding to jump overboard to make sure everyone dies though.

And how would they decide who presses the button?

Russian Roulette.

Both boats choose to sacrifice themselves to re-affirm the US system: eternal deadlock.

Democrats wouldn't even have started organising a debate before the Republicans blow them up.

They both blow up. Republicans and Democrats hate each other to the spine so I’d say they blow the other up for political reasons other than survival.

So, when you take the "if neither side defects, both gain, though less than they would if only they defect" and the "if both sides defect, both sides lose" out of the Prisoner's Dilemma, it stops being a dilemma. The only question left is whether you can defect faster than the other boat.

The Republicans would hit the button before even being told they must do it to win.

Infected Mushroom wrote:

Kerwa wrote:There’s no advantage to cooperation so press the button. Defecting first is always the best strategy anyway. The only question is whether or not you can press it quickly enough.

Bonus points for deciding to jump overboard to make sure everyone dies though.

And how would they decide who presses the button?

I’d just press it. Not waste time.

If anyone asks I’d blame Russia,

Or maybe I’d blame China. Which boat am I on anyway?

Kerwa wrote:Or maybe I’d blame China. Which boat am I on anyway?

Hmmm this was written as a Look In hypothetical (where you are an outside analyst) but it could be interesting to speculate on what you would do if onboard

A few endings.
The Republicans do nothing and Assume the Democrats won't kill them, Everyone dies.
The Republicans do a quick vote by voice and blow up the Democrat boat that would be debating blowing up the other boat.
A Republican/Democrat boat strongman seizes the detonator and destroys the other.

Infected Mushroom wrote:

Kerwa wrote:Or maybe I’d blame China. Which boat am I on anyway?

Hmmm this was written as a Look In hypothetical (where you are an outside analyst) but it could be interesting to speculate on what you would do if onboard

Blow up the Commie boat Without a thought.

Eahland wrote:So, when you take the "if neither side defects, both gain, though less than they would if only they defect" and the "if both sides defect, both sides lose" out of the Prisoner's Dilemma, it stops being a dilemma. The only question left is whether you can defect faster than the other boat.

Well, supposedly most of the US still subscribes to Christianity so if they actually believed what they said they believed, not committing a sin and showing that humanity can be better should at least be considered if ultimately not done (just saying). Or do God’s commands only apply when it’s convenient? Is it all just lip service?

Infected Mushroom wrote:

Eahland wrote:So, when you take the "if neither side defects, both gain, though less than they would if only they defect" and the "if both sides defect, both sides lose" out of the Prisoner's Dilemma, it stops being a dilemma. The only question left is whether you can defect faster than the other boat.

Well, supposedly most of the US still subscribes to Christianity so if they actually believed what they said they believed, not committing a sin and showing that humanity can be better should at least be considered if ultimately not done (just saying). Or do God’s commands only apply when it’s convenient? Is it all just lip service?

Ask the guy who claims to be a Christian and just announced that he'll murder a boat full of people "Without a thought".

Eternal gridlock.

trick question

the first to the button wins

They will detonate it after about one second

Heloin wrote:I press both buttons.

This

Heloin wrote:I press both buttons.

Twice

Heloin wrote:I press both buttons.

At same time?

Free Ravensburg wrote:

Heloin wrote:I press both buttons.

At same time?

As at the same time as can ever be accomplished thanks to special relativity.