Morton’s Fork And The TSA
In 15th century England, Lord Chancellor John Morton collected taxes for King Henry VII. Chancellor Morton’s approach was simple. If you were obviously wealthy, you had some extra scratch for the Crown. If you had no outward signs of wealth, it was assumed you had squirreled away your wealth, and could afford to part with some coin of the realm.
This dilemma is known to logicians and game theorists as Morton’s Fork. When you hear someone say, “Between a rock and a hard place,” and “Between the devil and the deep blue sea,” they are describing this type of situation. When it comes airline passengers, it becomes, “Damned if i do, damned if I don’t.”
Here’s why you’re damned if you do.
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