Dilemma 20: Mutual Profit

Mutual Profit

The “Dilemma Wagers” chapter shows how basic economic interactions involve dilemmas. This has profound implications, both academic and political; for no existing economic ideology has a rational dilemma strategy. All existing economic ideologies center upon money; and money is the one Market element which is necessarily peripheral to dilemma economics.

The Price Parley makes money part of a dilemma wager; but though dilemma economics can involve money, it cannot be based upon money. One cannot parley money for money; for the truce in a money parley would mean an exchange of dollars; but my dollar is worth the same as yours. This is the “fungibility of money”; by definition it precludes mutual gain.

Money is inherently zero-sum, and dilemma is inherently non-zero-sum; so money economics and dilemma economics are mutually exclusive. Dilemma economics is Economics Without Money; a dilemma with which many of us are all too familiar.

Neither Capitalism nor Socialism can account for dilemma. Capitalism assumes, a priori, that any economic interaction under capitalism is zero-sum by nature; this covers the win-lose axis in dilemma. Socialism assumes, a priori, that any economic interaction under socialism is zero-difference by nature; this covers the truce-draw axis in dilemma. Thus both ideologies cover precisely one-half of the puzzle, and between them lose sight of the real question.

Capitalism and Socialism correspond, respectively, to the Iron and Gold rules. (Mixed Government tends to resemble the Random strategy.) The Gold rule would truce with itself; but it is vulnerable to invasion and defeat by the Iron rule; and the former strategy draws against itself. Thus Capitalism describes a world that should not endure; and Socialism describes a world that cannot endure. Neither one is the world which does endure; for both strategies are dead! What endures is what lives, and is thus a conundrum, a mystery, a dilemma.

We should accept such dilemmas, even embrace them; for dilemma makes free-enterprise democracy possible. If there is to be free enterprise, then there must be profit; but if there is to be democracy, then that profit must go to the people. Therefore democratic free-enterprise requires mutual profit; where the people profit from each other!

Mutual profit is, by definition, non-zero-sum. It implies the possibility of mutual loss, along with the win/loss struggle of Capitalist competition; thus full dilemma emerges.

Mutual profit is the Market’s truce. It is economic peace, attained via justice tempered by mercy. Mutual profit flourishes best in communities of mutual aid. It lives by the Silver Rule; value for value.

Mutual profit transcends both Capitalism and Socialism; the first because it is mutual, the second because it is profit. Mutual profit creates social order spontaneously, without coercion; therefore mutual profit is inherently Anarchist. Mutual profit subverts the State.

ALL PROFIT TO THE PEOPLE!