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Yeah, this is how institutions like the Sicilian mafia work. It’s framed as “organized crime” because we live in a state-oriented society where the state is act
by philwelch 2y ago
Yeah, this is how institutions like the Sicilian mafia work. It’s framed as “organized crime” because we live in a state-oriented society where the state is actively trying to supplant the non-state system and assert its monopoly on the legitimate use of force.
Of course, these institutions also change and adapt to competition with the state—for instance, when the state tries to break up the mafia using the literal prisoners dilemma, the mafia needs to invent and enforce the institution of “snitches get stitches”. More troubling is when pre-state mechanisms of dispute resolution can be end-run by disputants trying to enlist the state on their side. For instance, the notorious Hatfield/McCoy feud was exacerbated by various prominent members of one clan or the other getting themselves elected sheriff and abusing their power against the rival clan.
- fsckboy 2y ago>using the literal prisoners dilemma they're using game theoretic payouts, but it's not the literal "prisoner's dilemma" which has it in each prisoner's interest to rat no matter what the other prisoner does, and yet it's still net advantageous for neither to rat.
- philwelch 2y agoI think there are some situations where you can achieve that payout in real life, but admittedly by “literal prisoners dilemma” I was referring more to the fact that the mafiosi are literally held prisoner and induced to snitch on each other. And that introducing an extra negative payout for snitching is both the literal and the game-theoretic solution to the dilemma.
- 082349872349872 2y ago> More troubling is when pre-state mechanisms of dispute resolution can be end-run by disputants trying to enlist the state on their side. compare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_of_Survival#Description https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_of_Survival#Descriptio...