3.5 KiB
[BST] Rational fiction about the US president?
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Author: u/None *
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URL:
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Score: 1
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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.