## [BST] Rational fiction about the US president? * Author: u/None * * URL: * Score: 1 * Created: 2015-07-26T12:29:31 ### Post: [deleted] ### Comments: > **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (50 minutes later) > > > A problem might be that the president and his team is already quite instrumentally rational, > > Are they? Even if, as individuals, they happen to be rational (and that's not even a given) they're beholden by bonds of gold to groups that impose irrational constraints on their actions. > > Imagine a president who decides they're not going to worry about re-election, or even party loyalties, and decides to simply do the most good. >> **u/PeridexisErrant** [+1] *put aside fear for courage, and death for life* (an hour later) >> >> > Imagine a president who decides they're not going to worry about re-election, or even party loyalties, and decides to simply do the most good. >> >> It's not clear to me that this would be an advantage - with the various checks and balances, the President has little power if not supported by his or her party. Revealing secrets can only get you so far, after all... >> >> How's this for an idea: >> >> > After the annual Intelligence Community dinner, the president discover's s/he's been poisoned and only has a year to live. Four months to prepare, and leave office with a legacy to be proud of. Four months in retirement, digging for the truth and preparing. And four months between the faked and real death, to get revenge... >> >> Featuring complex goals, many many layers of secrets and intrigue, and it can come in basically whatever flavour you want - Doctrow, Clancy, Rand... >>> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (an hour later) >>> >>> > Revealing secrets can only get you so far, after all... >>> >>> Depends on what the secrets are. This is fiction, after all. >>> >>> "Here we go again, another president, another mouth we have to keep shut." >>> >>> "Don't worry about this one, he's a solid part of the machine." >>> >>> "I know, but..." >>>> **u/PeridexisErrant** [+1] *put aside fear for courage, and death for life* (2 hours later) >>>> >>>> Formula: Take two parts *West Wing*, one part conspiracy, and as many of the following as you feel like: >>>> >>>> * Snowden >>>> * Buffy >>>> * NASA on Mars >>>> * Stargate >>>> * Zombies >>>> * Laundry Files >>>> * Shadowrun >>>> * Yes Minister >>>> * A pandemic >>>> * Harry Potter >>>> * The Occupy movement >>>> * Illuminati >>>> * Soviets >>>> * >>>> >>>> Stir well, think carefully, and serve cool with a murder on the side. >> **u/narfanator** [+1] (an hour later) >> >> > Imagine a president who decides they're not going to worry about re-election, or even party loyalties, and decides to simply do the most good. >> >> I think this is generally what happens in years 6-8 of a president's tenure. >>> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (an hour later) >>> >>> Re-election, no. Party loyalties, yes. And of course by then they're a lame duck. >> **u/None** [+1] (2 hours later) >> >> [deleted] >>> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (3 hours later) >>> >>> > there are no irrational goals in instrumental rationality >>> >>> That's why I wrote "irrational constraints on their actions". If you're part of a group that (for an absurd example) abominates the color green, you won't be able to cast _Avadra Kadavra_ even when that would rationally advance your goals. ---