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90 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
90 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
## [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
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### Post:
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[deleted]
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### Comments:
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> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (50 minutes later)
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>
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> > A problem might be that the president and his team is already quite instrumentally rational,
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>
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> 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.
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>
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> 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.
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>> **u/PeridexisErrant** [+1] *put aside fear for courage, and death for life* (an hour later)
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>>
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>> > 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.
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>>
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>> 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...
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>>
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>> How's this for an idea:
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>>
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>> > 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...
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>>
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>> Featuring complex goals, many many layers of secrets and intrigue, and it can come in basically whatever flavour you want - Doctrow, Clancy, Rand...
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>>> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (an hour later)
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>>>
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>>> > Revealing secrets can only get you so far, after all...
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>>>
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>>> Depends on what the secrets are. This is fiction, after all.
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>>>
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>>> "Here we go again, another president, another mouth we have to keep shut."
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>>>
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>>> "Don't worry about this one, he's a solid part of the machine."
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>>>
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>>> "I know, but..."
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>>>> **u/PeridexisErrant** [+1] *put aside fear for courage, and death for life* (2 hours later)
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>>>>
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>>>> Formula: Take two parts *West Wing*, one part conspiracy, and as many of the following as you feel like:
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>>>>
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>>>> * Snowden
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>>>> * Buffy
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>>>> * NASA on Mars
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>>>> * Stargate
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>>>> * Zombies
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>>>> * Laundry Files
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>>>> * Shadowrun
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>>>> * Yes Minister
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>>>> * A pandemic
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>>>> * Harry Potter
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>>>> * The Occupy movement
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>>>> * Illuminati
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>>>> * Soviets
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>>>> * <write-in options>
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>>>>
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>>>> Stir well, think carefully, and serve cool with a murder on the side.
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>> **u/narfanator** [+1] (an hour later)
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>>
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>> > 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.
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>>
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>> I think this is generally what happens in years 6-8 of a president's tenure.
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>>> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (an hour later)
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>>>
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>>> Re-election, no. Party loyalties, yes. And of course by then they're a lame duck.
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>> **u/None** [+1] (2 hours later)
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>>
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>> [deleted]
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>>> **u/ArgentStonecutter** [+1] *Emergency Mustelid Hologram* (3 hours later)
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>>>
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>>> > there are no irrational goals in instrumental rationality
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>>>
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>>> 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.
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---
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