Was Herbert Hoover America’s Most Misunderstood President?
Margaret Hoover on Herbert Hoover’s life, presidency, and legacy, and the renovation of his presidential library. Plus: Trump’s dropped Reflecting Pool indictment and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré
Welcome to The David Frum Show, where I'm David Frum, a staff writer at The Atlantic. Today, I'm joined by Margaret Hoover, host of PBS's Firing Line and the great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover. Our discussion begins with the recent decision by the Justice Department to drop its case against Olympian David Hearn, who was falsely accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial.
The Department of Justice claims they only discovered the flaw in their case after indicting Hearn on July 2, a month after the incident occurred.
This raises questions about the department's handling of the case and whether they acted with integrity in allowing Hearn to face a potential 10-year prison sentence. While Hearn may still face consequences through civil actions, this incident highlights an important issue: the need for accountability when abuses of power occur.
To explore this topic further, I'll draw parallels to the prisoner's dilemma, a concept in political science. Imagine two individuals accused of a crime, held separately without communication. They have two options: betray their partner or remain silent. If both betray, they both receive a moderate sentence. If both remain silent, they each get a light sentence.
If one betrays and the other remains silent, the betrayer goes free while the silent partner receives a heavy sentence. The dilemma lies in the fact that both individuals may choose to betray each other, resulting in a five-year sentence for both, instead of a lighter sentence if they had cooperated.
Robert Axelrod, a political scientist, sought solutions to this problem by inviting academics worldwide to propose strategies on a computer game. Anatol Rapoport, a Toronto political scientist, proposed a solution called tit-for-tat. This strategy involves cooperating on the first move and then mirroring the opponent's previous move. This approach has proven successful in creating incentives for cooperation and discouraging retaliation.
This principle can be applied to our current political climate. The Trump administration has broken numerous rules, most notably by prosecuting innocent individuals without substantial evidence. By adopting the tit-for-tat approach, we can encourage accountability for wrongdoings while promoting cooperation among parties. If those in power behave ethically, they will be rewarded with cooperation and support, while those who engage in misconduct will face consequences.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
