The “Rock, Paper, Scissors” of Morality
AND TRUMP’S ATTEMP TO CHANGE US FROM BRONZE TO IRON RULE. We all know the “Golden Rule”, do unto others, the “Iron Rule” in which might is right, but do you know the “Bronze Rule” which is start with the Golden Rule, and if your opponent doesn’t respect that, you crush them? It turns out that these three “gaming strategies” have been at work throughout history, and constitute a kind of “Roshambo” of personal and national conduct.
Everyone knows the “rock, paper, scissors” game. In the college game theory course, there are the so called “metallic rules”, which are summarized as follows:
1) The Golden Rule-Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you
2) The Iron Rule-Do unto others, before they do unto you (jokingly, do unto others, then split)
3) The Bronze Rule-Do unto others, as they do unto you
There are several others, but you get the idea. In history, it is said that ancient tribes once knew only iron rule, but then golden rule came along around 500 BC (with Socrates, Confucius, Zoroaster, Buddha), and later Jesus, and cooperation was made popular. But then Iron Rule learned that it could simply ignore and crush cooperation (Mongols, Huns, Vandals) and ergo Bronze Rule was born (the Roman Empire, which defeated the ruthless heathens, but submitted to Christianity). It is thus implied that Iron Rule beats Golden Rule, Golden Rule beats Bronze Rule, and Bronze Rule beats Iron Rule, a “rock, paper, scissors” game, if you will.
There are many theories discussing how animals have evolved cooperation schemes. “Free-riding” (not cooperating but enjoying benefits) is akin to Iron Rule, while “Hidden Benefits” (cooperation which yields long-term, not immediate benefits) might describe Golden Rule. Most interesting is the “Prisoner’s Dilemma”, in which (for example) two separated prisoners will a) get a 2 year sentence if both betray each other b) A betrays B, B doesn’t betray A, in which A goes free, B gets a 4 yr sentence c) B betrays A, A doesn’t betray B, B goes free etc. and d) Both remain silent, in which both get 6-month sentences. Even though d) is the Golden Rule strategy with the least overall risk, and a) is the Iron Rule with most overall risk if they betray each other, each is tempted to use b) or c) (hoping to betray the other while the other doesn’t betray them) and get off free. If the game is played again and again, a kind of “tit-for-tat” strategy (essentially bronze-rule) works well. Thus if one starts with “don’t betray” (Golden) and is betrayed by the opponent, they may be well-advised to “betray” the next game (Bronze). Animal co-operation and game-theory are large and interesting fields, well beyond the scope of this article. (Gardner, Griffin, West, Clutton-Brock, Hamilton, et al),(Shirley, 2001), (Sagan, 1993)
20th Century metallic-rule examples might cast India’s Gandhi as an exponent of Golden Rule, Hitler’s Germany an Iron Rule example, and Britain/US the Bronze Rule powers. Britain was not going to submit to Gandhi’s peaceful protests, and Gandhi knew if he took a position against the Germans or Japanese, he’d lose (so he declared neutrality). Gandhi knew he’d laid a great guilt trip on the British, and that the English-speaking nations were Christian, yet had no reservations about liquidating German and Japanese soldiers. Essentially, he waited for the Bronze Rule nations to win WW II, and then used popular opinion (and Golden Rule Christianity and Hinduism) to determine that Britain let go of India, thus his Golden Rule couldn’t beat Iron Rule, but did beat Bronze Rule after it had vanquished Iron Rule, a clever Gandhi Roshambo. The first paragraph is substantiated by several game theory sources, but this paragraph is a Vern Scott original, and the premise for the rest of this article.
The Trump presidency, I submit, was a bid for a change of American Bronze Rule to Iron Rule. Like early Rome, which reluctantly put down the plow and picked up the sword, the US and Britain are classic Bronze-Rule Nations. Though typically slow to react and anger they fight with great resolve, which is typically inspired by their Golden-Rule religious and liberal Pacifist traditions. Like Davy Crockett, they “make sure they’re right, then go-ahead”, they fight to win and show mercy for the vanquished. In contrast, Iron-Rule employs warped Nationalism and racism, plus a conscription of the “phony Golden Rule” wings of their churches, to justify abuses of power. Like Mussolini, Trump is trying to create a machismo cult, in which power is taken and not earned. Fortunately, Bronze Rule beats Iron Rule, since it ultimately employs the strength of the free-thinking mind. Like the hero that faces down the bully, the Bronze Rule ideal is the Jimmy Stewart that thinks before he acts. Like the saying “You can’t cheat an honest man”, Bronze Rule is slow to anger but has the power of a righteous man, with the moral rage of one protecting what’s decent about family and country.
Trump has no moral underpinnings, so he easily feigns “Christianity” so as to conscript the weaker half of our religious community. Like Franco or Hitler, he will ride this religious train until it no longer serves him, then throw them under the bus. Meanwhile, Golden Rule (an alliance of intellectual Pacifists and true Religious leaders) will inspire Bronze Rule leaders (in the tradition of most former Presidents) will eventually defeat Trump, in a contest of wits, action, moral discourse, and attrition. In the end, Bronze Rule will show mercy to the vanquished Trumpites, in the same way Biden is currently trying to “heal the country” (Iron Rule would seek to bury the Trumpites, but the Bronze way usually works). What America doesn’t seem to realize is that “liberal” free-thinkers (often Pacifists in the tradition of Anti-War Hippies, Feminists, and authors) are aligned with many Religious organizations (especially Quakers, Anabaptists, and Catholic Pax Christis among others) in the Golden Rule tradition. Meanwhile Bronze Rule unites much of the political center (Republican and Democrat), along the lines of “speak softly and carry a big stick” (Teddy Roosevelt’s words) and “fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee” (Mohammed Ali’s expression). These philosophies are moderated by Golden Rule, and prove effective against boastful and brazen Iron Rule ruthlessness. After all, “make Liberals cry again”, “grab ’em by the pussy”, and “when you have ’em by the balls their hearts and minds will follow” don’t often stand up to “don’t fire ’til you see the whites of their eyes” and “don’t wake up a sleeping giant”.
