[net.politics] A Mathematical Model for Radical Centrism

baba@spar.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS) (02/14/85)

        ^
        |
        |.
      f | .
      r |  .
      e |   .
      e |    .
      d |     .
      o |      .
      m |       .
        |        .
        ---------------------->
              security

      Given that the length of the dotted line is bounded by the wealth of
      a society, maximize the area under the line.

							Baba

olsen@wxlvax.UUCP (Neil Olsen) (02/28/85)

> 
>         ^
>         |
>         |.
>       f | .
>       r |  .
>       e |   .
>       e |    .
>       d |     .
>       o |      .
>       m |       .
>         |        .
>         ---------------------->
>               security
> 
>       Given that the length of the dotted line is bounded by the wealth of
>       a society, maximize the area under the line.
> 
> 							Baba


The model could be refined as follows :
First, the line should be replaced by a convex curve. 
         ^
         |.
         |   . 
       f |      . LEFT
       r |        .
       e |          .*******
       e |           .
       d |            .
       o |             . RIGHT
       m |              .
         |               .
         ---------------------->
               security

1) "DEMOCRATIC FREE" governments are defined by points on the curve;
   They optimize the tradoff freedom/liberty. Most western
   and "free world" governments are on the curve, or very close to it! 
   They can be subdivided into two classes : 
   
   1.1) The Leftist Democratic governments are on the upper half of
        the curve; they favor freedom to security.
   
   1.2) The rightist Democratic governments are on the lower half of
        the curve; they favor security to freedom.

2) NON-DEMOCRATIC forms of governments are defined by points under
   the curve, but not on the the axis (ie. points inside the area)
   These are non optimal forms of governments. They can
   increase their level of freedom without compromising or decreasing
   their security level. 

3) DICTATORships are defined by points on the security axis,
   or very close to it.

4) LIBERTANIANships are defined by points on the freedom axis,
   or very close to it.

Of course, a government of a given society is not a static point
in time. It is a dynamic point which traces very curious trajectories 
inside the area delimited by the two axis and the convex curve.
The form of the trajectory is shaped by various internal and
external forces and events.
For example, it is well known that in war situations, most societies
tend to shift closer to the security axis.

baba@spar.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS) (03/01/85)

I want to thank Neil Olsen for fleshing out something I dashed off on
the spur of the moment.  It works better than I had hoped.  My original
thought was that one measure of the desirability of a society was the
size of the "satisfaction space" bounded by the degrees of freedom and
security that it affords.  Overoptimizing for either freedom or security 
results in a smaller, distorted region along the favored axis.

        ^
        |
      f |
      r |.   .        <- Libertaria
      e |!!!     .
      e |!!!       . 
      d |###++++++++ .    <- The evasive optimum
      o |###++++++++  .
      m |@@@%%%%%%%%===.
        |@@@%%%%%%%%===.        <- The "iron rice bowl"
        --------------------->
               security


					Baba