While I intuitively agree with the first takeaway (that moving Schelling points is usually expensive), I think that politics do not have to be a zero sum game. Look at EU or at coalitions creating governments within one country (you US citizens do not have that, I realize). Anyhow, I think that logical resolution would be to punish the cheating family with war as in reiterated prisoners dilemma.
While I intuitively agree with the first takeaway (that moving Schelling points is usually expensive), I think that politics do not have to be a zero sum game. Look at EU or at coalitions creating governments within one country (you US citizens do not have that, I realize). Anyhow, I think that logical resolution would be to punish the cheating family with war as in reiterated prisoners dilemma.