Would you commit genocide to save your family?

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Let's say, in a purely, impossible, hypothetical situation, some alien says they can either kill every person in your family, or they can kill every man, woman, child, and elderly person in a given ethnic group, which would you choose?

Last edited by donnie_darko on 13 Dec 2011, 2:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

You should have made it a poll.

Killing millions of people to save your own family isn't worth it. But would you sacrifice yourself to save a stranger's family?

Good question. I'm not sure, if I was the only person who could save them, yes. Unless I turned out to be a coward.

I picked 'no,' but I'd probably have to kill myself afterward.

Agreed.

Yep, probably wouldn't even lose sleep over it. My family mean far more to me than bazillion strangers.

That depends. I could stand my parent's death if my grandmother would die too. But the chance of reducing Earth's population by such numbers is really tempting. I think I would genocide the hell out of them.

Other. Genocide the aliens, or die in the attempt.

In any real scenario I can imagine, I suspect this is always the correct answer. Why? An entity that would ask you to make such a decision has demonstrated both its irrationality and malevolence. There is no reason to trust that it will keep any of its promises even if you do play by its rules.

Besides that - a life with memories of caving to such a demand, for most people, is less desireable than death.

Being a Kali/Kuntao guy also informs my decision.

"Wait wait! Woah woah woah! We were kidding! You passed the test! We were hoping to find one morally outstanding and selfless human being and we found you!"

"Oh yeah? Cuz you failed my test." POPP!

I would kill to protect my family. I would be going after those who threaten my family. Genocide is rather indiscriminate and misdirected. Killing someone because his eyes are the "wrong" color has nothing to do with the safety of one's family.

However if there is a war, it should be directed at the "bad guys". Given the nature of war these days there will be much collateral damage. But that is just one of the misfortunes of war. If the only way to get the bad guys on the other side were to kill everyone on the other side I would just say c'est la guerre. Sh*t happens and bad luck comes to all of us at time. In any case my -target- would be the bad guys. The collaterals just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

ruveyn

I wouldn't have made a choice. I don't let aggressors dictate the situation anymore than they already have. Instead, I'd go after the alien's throat, thorax, gills, testes, eyes, soft spongy head, ship's self-destruction button, or any crack in their defense, even if was a suicide mission.

Without a second thought. If I didn't have kids, then I don't think I would do it. But I would do anything, kill anyone or anything, with my own hands if I had to, to prevent my kids deaths.

Is it selfish? Yes. Is it a natural instinct? Yes. I wouldn't do it to save my husband or mother, but to save my kids, I'd do anything that needed to be done.

You just reminded me of the biblical flood story. That is to say, I'd care more about my family than the rest of humanity.

A question comes to mind, what if someone of your family, a wife for example, belongs to that given ethinc group?

Last edited by blunnet on 13 Dec 2011, 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

Yes. It is selfish but I don't see how I'm more responsible for everyone else than I am for my family.