Would you commit genocide to save your family?

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This reminds me in a way of a Se7en type scenario where the serial killer has a gun to a victim's head, is pushing to what seems to be involuntary agency, but often times - particularly in movies like Se7en, they are doing things that are far worse than if they had taken a risk at disarming the serial killer. Saw got more interesting in that the serial killer kept himself invulnerable most of the time and hence the victims didn't have the option to kill the perpetrator.

Lol, lets hope we don't get aliens meeting us who want to strap us down and take us apart piece by piece - and our families - if we aren't willing to push a button. If that day ever comes we should really make like WWII Japanese, do our best to make sure they take no survivors, and essentially run at em screaming with explosives.

Well either way I would probably have to off myself or go on a dangerous drug/alcohol binge, because that would be a really screwed up choice to have to make.

Problem with that equivalence is that Noah gave the people around him ample chance to join him on the ark. No one aside from his family believed him and when he closed up the ark and the flood started, people may have tried to get into the ark then, but trying to open the doors would have been equivalent to committing suicide cause it would have let water into the ark to sink it.

Generally I would say I would go after the aliens, because if I did what they asked, they would probably kill my family anyways.

What whacko would enact genocide to save his family?

I bet my wife would understand if I saved millions from annihilation. I wouldn't be able to live with it though. I'd probably go nuts

Damn, these questions wrack my brain

I selected "other" because if it was YOU that has to carry out the crime then surely by default you have the option of doing nothing! If the aliens are going to do it on your behalf then you can choose to save your family and live guilt-free of a crime you did not commit

A whacko who loves her kids more than total strangers, thats who.

I personally would really wonder about any parent who would allow their own children to die to save strangers. To me, that's some kind of sick parenting.

Both?

Better yet, Aliens then a certain number of either.

I like this answer. It might not always work - say, for example, a case where the aliens will kill your family in retaliation for your attempt, even after you're dead.

I'd rather commit genocide than see my little sister die because of a choice I myself had to make.

I can see how easy it is if your family was just you and your parents, though.

See, it's for situations like this that I keep weapons of mass destruction in the basement.

That is a very stupid question because that will never happen.
First of all I am not rich,powerful or important and will never have to make that decision.
If anyone would ever have to make that decision it would more than likely be a rich,powerful politician or a man that owns an oil company.

Why is your sister superior to your parents?

It's purely philosophical. It's asking people whether family ties or loyalty to the human race is ultimately more important.

I know that it was philosophical but some philosophy really makes no sense at all.
Other, I would panic and kill myself. I would not be capable of killing my own family or committing genocide.
If I killed myself I would not be responsible for what happened next.

It is a difficult question, yes. Doesn't even seem fair to ask. But I don't think any question is beyond asking, do you?

And yeah, I couldn't live with doing either.

No, I wouldn't.

I can't seem to justify the other option to myself in any way. The fact that I don't have and never want kids probably tips it.

Attempting to kills the aliens is the best choice in retrospect, though.

Last edited by puddingmouse on 15 Dec 2011, 3:12 pm, edited 5 times in total.