Truely A Zero-Sum Game

Currently I am working on my undergrad thesis (abstract should be up shortly) regarding the Sino-American relations under the Nixon Administration. Subsequently this leads to how the Nixon White House initiated diplomacy with China, whom at the time, was considered by some to be a potential rogue state. After completing a historical analysis, I can then hopefully draw generalizations on how the Obama Administration can carry out diplomacy with current day rogue states. But this brings up another point which can be contemplated. We can hypothetically view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a two player, zero-sum situation, contending that both players can take three possible actions, A, B, or C. Yet, due in part to us not knowing the exact intentions of these two states (one possibility being Israel's usage of it's nuclear weapon capabilities), we can further contend that these two state would operate as rogue states. Needless to say, if we were to run this scenerio utilizing a zero-sum model, the winning of one player would in turn, come as a loss to the other (Pareto efficiency/optimality).

But in reality, I think an option these two countries have at their disposal is one that won't attain Pareto optimality; that option is dialogue. Avi Shlaim, an Israeli historian, has recently claimed in an interview over at the Economist.com, that Israel is the "stumbling block to peace." This point has been reiterated countless times by countless scholars, yet conflict still exists. But I believe the best answer is diplomacy. Not back-door diplomacy, but a combination of numerous diplomatic initiatives - economic, formal, even global. As media has drawn international attention to this conflict, global diplomacy has already been accomplished. The politcal leaders of these two countries should then initiate open, formal diplomacy. And free trade would, in turn, force a policy of détente. Not Israel establishing security forces across the West Bank, or Hamas increasing it's attacks on Israeli forces, just plain old school diplomacy (with a modern twist).

man it is late (or early depending on your locale)... Adios