Minor Simulation Reflection

If there is one major concept that I learned from the simulation this week it's that in world politics there is never one clear answer. It is never black and white, and making decisions is pretty darn tough. The domestic content rules simulation made this especially clear for me because, at first, I vehemently opposed the position I was forced to research, defend, and present. Throughout my academic career, simulations and debates similar to the one we engaged in were set up a little differently; almost always, the students could choose themselves which side/group they wanted to follow. At first, I was less than ecstatic, to say the least, about my "GM" appointment. I knew that as GM we would obviously not be supporting the tariff, something that I, personally, supported. Throughout the research however, I was actually swayed by a couple anti-tariff points. Especially after seeing the entire class's presentations, I was thoroughly conflicted about my new opinions about the domestic content rules. I am actually really thankful I was assigned the position I didn't want to take, because in the process my mind, though quite forcibly, was opened to so many differing viewpoints on the matter.

This simulation helped me realize that issues, especially in world politics, that I thought I had such a firm understanding of are so much more complex. For example, during the simulation there was one concept that I thought I had a set position on: "outsourcing." For as long as I can remember, I always thought "outsourcing = bad". What some groups called "outsourcing" was to others a "global exchange of ideas". I used to think, as many Americans did, that outsourcing was purely awful for the country and lead to job loss and economic problems. In reality, economic interdependence and trade are in fact mutually beneficial exchanges (thanks Prof Broder!). Also, the groups that were anti-tariff made valid points about the efficiency that a global exchange of resources allowed. While it is often so easy to brand a world politics concern as immediately good or bad, it is almost always so much more complex than what can be seen from the surface level, as proved by the minor simulation.