Tuesday, January 01, 2008

The Belmont Club: Saving your face, losing your pants

The Belmont Club: Saving your face, losing your pants

I have struggled with how to say this point for a long time. I would have to look as to whether I have blogged by attempts before. Here Wretched makes a great summary of my point.

I disagree vehemently that law exists outside of civilization. The battlefield is hardly civilized. While two civilizations can agree to put limits on the battle's methods, basic game theory would suggest that the advantage, all other things being equal, will go to the cheater.

How can there be law when the incentive to break the rules for the sake of mere survival is greater than the incentive to play within the rules?

Judges and courts are irrelevant to battle once this rule-breaking gives the advantage to the aggressor who flaunts the rules. History is not the only thing written by the victor.