from: a player Subject: "All players" "elimination of all players is a possibility." If the golden rule should hold the masses accountable and not the individuals themselves. would this not contradict the rule itself? ------------------------ reply: no. or yes. i mean what individual is not responsible in some way for being part of the "mass" so maybe you can say the golden rule should hold the mass accountable for the mass... and not any single person and, this is true. in fact... this is one of the main points... or results... proven with the Golden Rule's Social Justification experiment. ----------------------------------------------------- to write it up a different way: the collection of masses that you have referred to... is called humankind all those who are humans... are individual game players thus, if you are a game player, and you don't like the strategy of the other game players... what are you going to do in this "non-cooperative game of life?" (remember Nash won his Nobel prize for work with non-cooperative game theory) hmmmm... what are you going to do... quit? if so, how does one quit being part of humankind... suicide... build a space ship and leave... or? and, if one should choose to quit ... will they be "doing unto others as....?" i mean... will they be doing what is "the best response for all players?" therefore... by definition... by lack of contradiction... the golden rule includes that: all parts of the mass are "accountable" for being part of the mass (as well as, the individual parts... the masses/or massee? ... themselves... being accountable for themselves.) that is why the rule says you can't quit... and still be a winner. if you quit life on Earth, you will not be helping those less fortunate... those parts of the mass that are already less fortunate than you... those yet to become more unfortunate than you... you would be leaving them behind. that certainly can't be the best response for all. so... like it or not... you are a player. you are one of the players. you are accountable for whether you play or quit... and how you play. you are also included in the team accountability. IF THE TEAM LOSES, YOU LOSE. "elimination of all players is a possibility." summary: 1. you can not find a player that is not part of the game (nor part of the team.) 2. therefore, every (wo)man will be part of the justification of humankind (because we are all parts of the team.) it is certainly possible that some of these players will not be eliminated. perhaps they will be on the winning team? ------------take home test-------------- but, just for kicks... 3. though it could be possible, I have not found one (1) player that is giving the best response for all players... have you? [that is to say -- you will have trouble finding parts that "are giving the best responses for all." and, even if you do find some ideal parts... ... you can not identify a single part... that is not part of the whole." IF THE WHOLE LOSES, THE PARTS LOSE.] try this fun survey at home: water: a) do you want other people to piss in your drinking water? b) where does your urine go? c) how are you going to pay for drinking water in the years to come? energy: a) do you want other people to poison the air you breath? b) do you use gas, oil, electricity made from coal? c) how are you going to pay for air to breath in the years to come? murder: a) do you use any goods or services (or own any assets) that contribute to tax revenues? b) do you want other governments bombing our cities and killing our children? c) how are you going to pay back the victim's families from the countless civilian casualties we have caused? --------------------snip------------------- right. after taking a survey like this, it becomes obvious that it is unlikely that there will be a winning team. in fact, it looks like all humans are on the same team. and, instead of working together like teammates... that stand a chance of winning... well... look out your window... or turn on the tv... or ask a scientist about the reversibility of global warming all this leading me to believe that although it is "certainly possible that some of these players will not be eliminated," it is likely that all players on the losing team will be eliminated the usual thought process from here is... dag nab it... looks like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place -- i am a living earthling! i am stuck on a losing team! and, from there many, many say... if I must play, I shall defeat evil... but, please... that won't work... don't try n' put out the fire with gasoline?