Interesting take on Sanjuro's Assassination Market

[Patrick Chkoreff]

Lodewijk andré de la porte wrote, On 11/29/2013 10:38 AM:

>     That doesn't matter.  All that matters is that the benefit of solving
>     the crime exceeds the cost of solving it.

> I think we disagree here. Game theory doesn't support this standpoint.

Chuck game theory.  I'm not talking about an intricate prisoner's
dilemma with layers of feedback here, just a simple matter of benefit
versus cost.


> ... it's good for society if everyone just pays their taxes ...

I disagree, but it's irrelevant anyway.  I'm not talking about big chewy
abstractions like "society", just individual interest.


>     Forget retribution.  The primary benefit of an investigation is the
>     insight which enables you to prevent future crimes.  That can be
>     enormously valuable in terms of life and property.
> 
> 
> Then why didn't you spend 10% of your wealth/income last year on
> investigating crime prevention?

Because the benefit to me did not exceed that particular cost.  I did
however spend some amount of money and time on computer and physical
security.  Some of the benefits of my efforts are shared by others.


> I truly think a community cannot be expected to behave in a way good for
> the community but bad for the individual.

Thank goodness.  I can't imagine what such a horror could even mean in
the first place.


>     The advantage is the same when your problems are the same, which is
>     often the case.
> 
> I don't quite see this argument. A murderer and a police officer have
> opposing motives. A person in the street will back away from both to
> prevent getting hurt, even if he might help either achieve his/her goal.

It is generally wise for that person to back away, though in specific
instances people do find it mutually advantageous to look out for each
other.  As a small example, people in my neighborhood have alerted each
other to the presence of suspicious characters.

It amazes me that some glibly assert that people will voluntarily fund
the assassination of a politician, but would not voluntarily fund the
investigation of a string of crimes which cost money and lives. --
especially given that "crowdfunding" is all the rage these days.  The
view strikes me as excessively dismal and eeyorish.


-- Patrick