It seems to me that both parties to the Cold War favored the defect-defect outcome (launch all the nukes) over the cooperate-defect outcome (we die, they don’t). It’s hard to tell, though, because both sides had an incentive to signal that preference regardless of the truth.
But that’s an extreme case. Any war you choose will have each side choosing between continuing to fight and surrendering. The cooperate-cooperate outcome (making peace in a way that approximates the likely outcome of a war) is probably best for all, but it’s hard to achieve in practice. And it seems to me that at least part of the problem is that, if one side chooses to cooperate (sue for peace and refrain from maximally fighting), they run the risk that the other side will continue to defect (fight) and seize an advantage.
It seems to me that both parties to the Cold War favored the defect-defect outcome (launch all the nukes) over the cooperate-defect outcome (we die, they don’t). It’s hard to tell, though, because both sides had an incentive to signal that preference regardless of the truth.
But that’s an extreme case. Any war you choose will have each side choosing between continuing to fight and surrendering. The cooperate-cooperate outcome (making peace in a way that approximates the likely outcome of a war) is probably best for all, but it’s hard to achieve in practice. And it seems to me that at least part of the problem is that, if one side chooses to cooperate (sue for peace and refrain from maximally fighting), they run the risk that the other side will continue to defect (fight) and seize an advantage.