Showing posts with label game theory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game theory. Show all posts

28 August 2008

Conservative megalomania...

or are they all on some new form of mind-altering substance that is extremely potent but not yet illegal?

First, we have the provincial Conservatives spouting grand conspiracy theories.

Then, we hear that the federal Conservative leader is engaged in a long term political campaign not to introduce new ideas in politics and improve the country but to destroy a rival political party.  This according to Tom Flanagan, the former Harper chief of staff who has gone back to Calgary to teach political science..

These guys must be on something that makes crack cocaine feel like a pipeful of Cream of the West.

Stephen Harper is a superior campaigner, apparently.  Now that one has likely got people rolling on the floor from coast to coast, including people who aren't Liberal supporters.

Compared to who?

Ed Broadbent?

Jack Layton?

Kim Campbell?

John Turner?

Then there's this gem of a quote:

“You can fight a war with some objective less than total victory,” he [Flanagan] said of the coming campaign.

That sounds like the vintage game theorist horse hooey that guys like Bob MacNamara used In Vietnam to just overwhelming success.

Like your humble e-scribbler said three years ago, game theory is to strategy as Intelligent Design is to science.

Next thing ya know, someone will be telling us that Harper proved with geometric logic that there was a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox where the strawberries were kept.

You can hear the clacking of the ball bearings at 24 Sussex from here.

-srbp-