The “Gilgamesh Solution”
The oldest surviving tablets of written text are from the Sumerian civilization. They date back 4,200 years and tell the story of King Gilgamesh of Uruk. Gilgamesh was a tyrant who brutalised his subjects. The people were unhappy and appealed to the pantheon of Sumerian deities. In response, the Gods created an exact double of Gilgamesh called Enkidu with comparable power and authority. The result was the creation of a “narrow corridor” in which both checked and balanced each other into cooperating rather than competing. Uruk returned to peace. The “Gilgamesh solution” is to create a space in which conflictual forces can work together to generate a positive sum outcome.
Why Nations Fail
– Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson.