I've been consistently saying that it's possible to act in a selfish manner and still come out on top for what feels like the past one trillion posts.
It's such a relief that, in a grudging and roundabout sort of way, you've finally admitted the starkly bleedin' obvious fact that I'm right.
No-one denies that it sometimes works - thanks for pointing out that it occasionally happens. The entire point is that it doesn't pay off in the long run, especially if people follow the strategy that both a) makes it not pay off, and b) ensures the best situation for everyone involved. That strategy being reciprocity. How difficult is it to understand that a single counterexample is
not relevant, especially when it's not even a counterexample because you haven't shown that the rest of the EEA capitulated with no concessions.
Jesus effing Christ. How many times?
The Strasbourg shuffle is a real-world example of the French acting in a selfish manner, getting the best outcome for themselves and the worst for everybody else.
It demonstrates that people sometimes do act in a selfish manner and that sometimes selfish countries come out on top.
Seeing as you have finally capitulated to logic and reason, and you now agree with me, I see little benefit to either of us in continuing this conversation.
See above.
What you're saying is not "logic and reason" - it's sophistry, and you're refusing to admit that it's neither usual nor relevant. The fact that you think it supports you at all is, yet again, confirmation bias.
If you can produce evidence that it
tends to lead to someone being better off then you might have a point. But you haven't. Indeed - you've repeatedly danced around and ignored that point again and again and again because it doesn't support your preconceived opinion.
When I make a point about reciprocity theory tending to cooperation, turning around with a single counterexample does not show it's wrong. Especially when you project your own black-and-white misunderstanding of "always leads to cooperation" or "never leads to cooperation" onto matters, which I never claimed. When the empirical evidence shows a trend, we should acknowledge that trend - your single example against is simply irrelevant, when you're advocating we follow a less than optimal strategy in our future dealings with Europe.
