Could you live with yourself????

[ABNRanger]

I saw the preview for that new movie "The Box" and it got me thinking about just what choice would some of you make if in the same situation. Basically "The Box" is about a couple that is presented with the option of getting a million dollars if they push a red button in a box. The twist, by pushing the button, somone will die somewhere. So, I ask, if you knew that pushing this button will get you a million dollars even it means the lost of someone else's life, would you do it? Me, while not a saint, could not live with a clean or clear conscience knowing my "good" fortune is as a result of someone else's death. Could you?

 

[redline2101]

I think I read a similar short story where it ended up the wife clicks some button and the person that dies is her husband or something. But yea if it was someone I didn't know then sure i'd do that, I want a GT-R.

 

[ABNRanger]

The thing is, you never who is the person that may die. What if it was someone very close to you? Could you still enjoy driving your GT-R? But, I do respect your answer.

 

[TexasLifter89]

no, I have no need for 1 million and would much rather make someones day and enjoy my life without a potential burden such as that. Notice most people that make loads of money have torn family/personal life. I would rather have the decent personal life/family than money.

 

[ABNRanger]

no, I have no need for 1 million and would much rather make someones day and enjoy my life without a potential burden such as that.

I hear yuh lifter. BTW, how is life going for you? You still at College Station? Go Aggies, lol.

 

[redline2101]

Well in the story I read which the movie is probably based off of, it says its someone you don't know, but in the end she just didn't know her husband as well as she thought she did. Anyways tho there are few people that I honestly value that much. I can count then on 2 hands. Chances are i'd press that button.

 

[TexasLifter89]

I hear yuh lifter. BTW, how is life going for you? You still at College Station? Go Aggies, lol.

Well it has been good. Very stressful between school and personal life, but other than that I am making the best. I am constantly exahusted and studying/coordinating some event. Gig'em!

 

[ABNRanger]

Well in the story I read which the movie is probably based off of, it says its someone you don't know, but in the end she just didn't know her husband as well as she thought she did. Anyways tho there are few people that I honestly value that much. I can count then on 2 hands. Chances are i'd press that button.

wow, that is like saying that you only value the life of people you know. But, once again, can't fault you for your honesty.

 

[TexasLifter89]

Well in the story I read which the movie is probably based off of, it says its someone you don't know, but in the end she just didn't know her husband as well as she thought she did. Anyways tho there are few people that I honestly value that much. I can count then on 2 hands. Chances are i'd press that button.

so you only feel the need to save a person you value? Man, If I ever see someone in trouble I try to help. I try to do as I would pray most people do for me (although it is not so these days, Hell a recent census said that there is not even a true "american family" anymore).

 

[ABNRanger]

Hang in there Lifter, your hard work will pay off.

 

[Bionic]

I guess those of you that wouldn't press the button could never be world leaders...That's a GOOD thing! Just imagine what kind of a psychopath someone like **** Cheney really is.
He's not the only one, just the one that springs to mind.

 

[TexasLifter89]

I guess those of you that wouldn't press the button could never be world leaders...That's a GOOD thing! Just imagine what kind of a psychopath someone like **** Cheney really is.
He's not the only one, just the one that springs to mind.

I'm not interested in being a world leader. An entrepreneur...yes, world leader... nah. It is understood that people's feet have to get stepped on to get somewhere, but to take a life is a bit different.

 

[DerickVonD]

I'd press the button, if it would and I knew it would, kill all the rich bankers that run and control the country. Hell, I'd press the button for free if that was the case.

 

[Bionic]

I'd press the button, if it would and I knew it would, kill all the rich bankers that run and control the WORLD. Hell, I'd press the button for free if that was the case.

Fixed

 

[EasyEJL]

I'd press the button, because we all die someday regardless.

 

[dpfisher]

1 million isn't really that much money. It's not enough to be set for life unless you already have significant assets. Can I push it like 10 times?

 

[nemo]

I'm a firm believer that things move in circles. For every action, there is a reaction. Plain and simple, I wouldn't do it.

 

[DerickVonD]

I'm a firm believer that things move in circles. For every action, there is a reaction. Plain and simple, I wouldn't do it.

You mean like karma?

 

[poison]

No, never, for no sum. There are people I'd happily kill for free, given the chance and a 'get out of jail free card', but to kill some random person? Could be a kid who grows up to be a genius, could be a Mother Teresa, could be someone caring for their dying father. Hell no.

I'd pull the trigger on someone about to push the button.

 

[Vance]

Just to make this a little more relevant, I'd argue the point that normal, every day people do this each and every single day already.

For example;

Plenty of people own shares in companies which design, manufacture and sell arms all over the world. They profit directly by the proliferation of arms.

Plenty of people own shares in private security firms which conduct clandestine operations for different regimes all over the world - same story.

And so it goes on.

Arguably to push a button to kill someone and get paid is a more moral and honest approach from an individual stand-point. Merely because the individual has to own the outcome, which isn't the case in my above examples.

That's my two cents.

 

[Vance]

No, never, for no sum. There are people I'd happily kill for free, given the chance and a 'get out of jail free card', but to kill some random person? Could be a kid who grows up to be a genius, could be a Mother Teresa, could be someone caring for their dying father. Hell no.

I'd pull the trigger on someone about to push the button.

Now there is a morally bankrupt statement if ever I read one.

The child of a person who you would kill before said child was conceived could grow up to be a genius, Mother Teresa etc. They would never have the opportunity though because you killed their would-be parent due to some disagreement you had with their actions.

If I jump back 15 years plenty of people would've lined up to take a chunk out of Bill Gates for arguements sakes - look at all the charitable work he's done since.

Tall poppy syndrome is no more reason to kill anyone than is the repression of the under-classes. You are still offing someone for your own purposes/ ends whatever those ends may be. Look at the bloodshed that happened in the French revolution and tell me that was any better - particularly when they ended up merely having a totalitarian 'emporer' rather than a 'king'.

 

[poison]

Now there is a morally bankrupt statement if ever I read one.

The child of a person who you would kill before said child was conceived could grow up to be a genius, Mother Teresa etc. They would never have the opportunity though because you killed their would-be parent due to some disagreement you had with their actions.

If I jump back 15 years plenty of people would've lined up to take a chunk out of Bill Gates for arguements sakes - look at all the charitable work he's done since.

Tall poppy syndrome is no more reason to kill anyone than is the repression of the under-classes. You are still offing someone for your own purposes/ ends whatever those ends may be. Look at the bloodshed that happened in the French revolution and tell me that was any better - particularly when they ended up merely having a totalitarian 'emporer' rather than a 'king'.

You're jumping to conclusions. I wouldn't kill Bill Gates, or someone who annoyed me. I'm thinking more along the lines of, say, Omar Bashir, this ladies killer, or Richard Heene. OK, I'm kidding about the last one. But you see my point. Killing Omar Bashir could save many, many lives. Now, not in the future.

 

[hardknock]

I look at it like this...

Someone has to die for the million/button tap, correct?

What If i push the button and get the million

I am taking a jet flight to my secluded fantasy island...all the trimmings to go with the trip....about to live it up for a few days!

Oh damn, the person that randomly dies is my freaking pilot (heart attack, kaaaaaboooom), in route to my fantasy island...with me on the plane

Crash, ocean, casket substance

In reality, indirectly, I just killed myself for a measly million bucks....wtf?

 

[roids1]

I have a conscience. So, no way I'd do it unless they could guarantee me that it would be someone I do not know.

 

[Vance]

You're jumping to conclusions. I wouldn't kill Bill Gates, or someone who annoyed me. I'm thinking more along the lines of, say, Omar Bashir, this ladies killer, or Richard Heene. OK, I'm kidding about the last one. But you see my point. Killing Omar Bashir could save many, many lives. Now, not in the future.

I know what you're saying bud, so please don't see what I've said as a personal attack, it's not. What I'm saying is that killing someone for your own ends, whatever those ends may be, is the same thing. There are plenty of people I'd happily be a trigger man on, but I accept that ultimately it's a morally corrupt stand-point.

Arguably a lot less people would've died in World War 2 if we'd all just sided with the facists instead of fighting with them (And a lot of people got very, very rich from that war). Remember at the time the equation didn't involved holocausts & what not - that was one way in which the nazi's funded their ongoing war-effort after all. Therefore arguably the holocaust may have never eventuated. Then remember that out of the ashes of WW2 the Cold War started a lots more people died - does this mean we shouldn't have fought the Nazis? Not IMHO, but it doesn't change the fact that a ****ton of people died (Arguably unecessarily) as a result of the decision to fight them.

The trick is, where do you draw the line? Who decides which reasons are 'justified'? In some cultures it's acceptable to stone people to death for a plethora of reasons, in my eyes and your eyes, these things could be absolutely unjustified. Hell in India women get acid chucked in their faces for things as trivial as another man looking twice at them.

I think if most people were honest they'd happily clip some random person on the other side of the world if it made them a million bucks and would go through the rest of their lives blissfully ignorant of the destruction they caused to serve their own ends. That's why drug lords exist. I'm sure none of them have to strap too many detoxing heroin addicts to a bed in their lives.

My point boils down to; it's all relative to circumstance.

If you had a hundred million in the bank methinks you would quite readily go, "**** your stupid button, I would never do such a thing."

If you were homeless and unemployed though...

All 'civilised' society is only ever three meals away from anarchy as they say.

 

[roids1]

Omar is a bad dude. But, I kind of like this Heene guy! :cheers: He kind of reminds me of my bipolar aunt. You never knew what that broad was gonna say or do for attention next!

 

[Vance]

Glenn Beck!

 

[roids1]

Glenn Beck!

I love watching him cry! :I'm sorry! I just love my country and I'm scared!" :crying:

 

[Vance]

I love watching him cry! :I'm sorry! I just love my country and I'm scared!" :crying:

The government should water-board him on pay per view. It would help them payback a ****load of the debt they owe to China!

 

[toughedup]

a million dollar is not worth ANYone's life, a closed one or a stranger!!

I'd never have pressed that button!!

 

[roids1]

Personally, I'd rather see Keith Olberman waterboarded. He comes on MSNBC, so you may not know who he is.

 

[jakellpet]

$1m is so 1970s. WTF? Peanuts. $1b . . lets get with the programme.

. . and just on the off-chance that person would be Tom Cruise, I would push the MFer!

 

[roids1]

Good point. That settles it then. $1B and just knowing that there's a .00000000000009% chance that it might be Sean Penn will do it 4me.

 

[hardknock]

I know what you're saying bud, so please don't see what I've said as a personal attack, it's not. What I'm saying is that killing someone for your own ends, whatever those ends may be, is the same thing. There are plenty of people I'd happily be a trigger man on, but I accept that ultimately it's a morally corrupt stand-point.

Arguably a lot less people would've died in World War 2 if we'd all just sided with the facists instead of fighting with them (And a lot of people got very, very rich from that war). Remember at the time the equation didn't involved holocausts & what not - that was one way in which the nazi's funded their ongoing war-effort after all. Therefore arguably the holocaust may have never eventuated. Then remember that out of the ashes of WW2 the Cold War started a lots more people died - does this mean we shouldn't have fought the Nazis? Not IMHO, but it doesn't change the fact that a ****ton of people died (Arguably unecessarily) as a result of the decision to fight them.

The trick is, where do you draw the line? Who decides which reasons are 'justified'? In some cultures it's acceptable to stone people to death for a plethora of reasons, in my eyes and your eyes, these things could be absolutely unjustified. Hell in India women get acid chucked in their faces for things as trivial as another man looking twice at them.

I think if most people were honest they'd happily clip some random person on the other side of the world if it made them a million bucks and would go through the rest of their lives blissfully ignorant of the destruction they caused to serve their own ends. That's why drug lords exist. I'm sure none of them have to strap too many detoxing heroin addicts to a bed in their lives.

My point boils down to; it's all relative to circumstance.

If you had a hundred million in the bank methinks you would quite readily go, "**** your stupid button, I would never do such a thing."

If you were homeless and unemployed though...

All 'civilised' society is only ever three meals away from anarchy as they say.

Bold portion...

All of the other is quite possibly true, however, tis not the subject at hand. How many people would do it if it were no promise to whom? This is the premises of the q and the movie. There is NO TELLING whom, just someone that you do not know...there is no telling when, just occurs.

As i said...it's to risky. We have two serious issues.

First, it's a random person so it could happen at any moment

Second, it's a random person that I DO NOT KNOW.

In my scenario, it would put things into perspective that it could very well be my pilot or bus driver taking me over the edge of a bridge because he just "died" on the spot. I value my own life to much to risk killing some random joe who could be the same person that prevented me from dying. Whether that prevention be direct or indirect.


Now, take that scenario and place the story line as some guy breaks into my house and is standing over my daughter with a knife, he's toilet substance, easy choice. In this case, the value of my own life is GREATLY outweighed by the value of my daughter's life, period....no amount of money can equal that...

 

[hardknock]

Personally, I'd rather see Keith Olberman waterboarded. He comes on MSNBC, so you may not know who he is.

Yes, he is that lame as guy that they have on NBC sunday night football....horrible...why is he on there? He brings NOTHING to the commentary except lame, pathetic attempts to be funny during the highlights of earlier games...

He is, dare I say, worse than Bob Costas

 

[Australian made]

Suprised know one has brought this up....

How many people in Africa die everyday? is it something like 40,000 people? You think their life is worth less the some middle income earning suburban American housewife with 3 kids for example?? Absolutely not but your so concerned with one single life being taken?? Im guessing all of you have been to Africa or India or Eastern europe and volunteered at the charities and donated money out of your own pocket to build schools and medical centres and orphaneges for the homeless kids etc? Yeah right.

You are all very hypocritical, why? Because there is no way in hell any of you do what you could do to save peoples lives around the world. Why is pushing a button to make it one more person any different?

Would I push it? No, for me my conscience would kill me, i know what I'm like when it comes to a cheeky kiss outside a relationship, let alone taking someones life caused by something i did directly. Plus theres the fact that a million bucks isn't really that much money anyway, I wouldnt even be able to buy my parents little 80yr old beach shack in Sydney with that. Im also very confident in the not too distant future I will have made a milion bucks on my own anyway.

Im not trying to make personal attacks here, just show this option in a different perspective. Save one you gotta save em all right?

 

[Vance]

In my scenario, it would put things into perspective that it could very well be my pilot or bus driver taking me over the edge of a bridge because he just "died" on the spot. I value my own life to much to risk killing some random joe who could be the same person that prevented me from dying. Whether that prevention be direct or indirect.

Plus theres the fact that a million bucks isn't really that much money anyway, I wouldnt even be able to buy my parents little 80yr old beach shack in Sydney with that. Im also very confident in the not too distant future I will have made a milion bucks on my own anyway.

Thanks for proving my point fellas. All about circumstance. You wouldn't do it for reasons which are ultimately selfish in nature, while being based on personal circumstance.

Like the lads above said, what about if it was a hundred million? How about a billion?

People die every day for less than price of a bullet.

 

[Australian made]

The amount makes no difference. Like i said, i couldnt justify someone dying directly cos of me. My conscience would send me insane.

 

[hardknock]

I have homeless people that die DAILY right here in my own city...these people, I have done quite a bit for but that's just my small effort vs others. I need not look anywhere else for death and despair for my cup is full

 

[poison]

Suprised know one has brought this up....

How many people in Africa die everyday? is it something like 40,000 people? You think their life is worth less the some middle income earning suburban American housewife with 3 kids for example?? Absolutely not but your so concerned with one single life being taken?? Im guessing all of you have been to Africa or India or Eastern europe and volunteered at the charities and donated money out of your own pocket to build schools and medical centres and orphaneges for the homeless kids etc? Yeah right.

You are all very hypocritical, why? Because there is no way in hell any of you do what you could do to save peoples lives around the world. Why is pushing a button to make it one more person any different?

I wouldn't assume to know what people do and don't do. Americans give more charity than any other nation on earth, and there's a whole bunch of americans in here. I donate a portion of the proceeds of my coffee business to the imc relif efforts in the sudan, for example.

Would I push it? No, for me my conscience would kill me, i know what I'm like when it comes to a cheeky kiss outside a relationship, let alone taking someones life caused by something i did directly. Plus theres the fact that a million bucks isn't really that much money anyway, I wouldnt even be able to buy my parents little 80yr old beach shack in Sydney with that. Im also very confident in the not too distant future I will have made a milion bucks on my own anyway.

Im not trying to make personal attacks here, just show this option in a different perspective. Save one you gotta save em all right?

I am highly against the 'all or nothing' perspective on this (and in general, it's way to ****ing cynical). I'm jewish, and jews have a saying: save one life, its as if you saved an entire world. Jews have a ton of laws and rules to live by, 618 to be exact, and you can break all of them but 2 to save a life (the two being to blaspheme or worship another God, and to kill an innocent to save a life, iirc). I am not religious in any way, but I subscribe to that line of thinking, it's a human way to see things.

 

[Australian made]

I wouldn't assume to know what people do and don't do. Americans give more charity than any other nation on earth, and there's a whole bunch of americans in here. I donate a portion of the proceeds of my coffee business to the imc relif efforts in the sudan, for example.



I am highly against the 'all or nothing' perspective on this (and in general, it's way to ****ing cynical). I'm jewish, and jews have a saying: save one life, its as if you saved an entire world. Jews have a ton of laws and rules to live by, 618 to be exact, and you can break all of them but 2 to save a life (the two being to blaspheme or worship another God, and to kill an innocent to save a life, iirc). I am not religious in any way, but I subscribe to that line of thinking, it's a human way to see things.

Americans give more to charity then any other country on earth?? You are joking right? How much money did America donate to the Sunami victims a few years back compared to say, Australia? Sweet f*ck all.

As i said in my original post, it wasn't a personal attack on anyone or any nation but people in general turn a blind eye every single day so why all of a sudden the change of heart in regards to pushing a button to kill one single person.

 

[joeymutz]

I would push the button only if the choice was i would be killing someone who deserved to die(rappist, murders, etc). yes we all die someday but what if you push the button and you kill a 4 year old kid. A million isn't all that much these days anyway. what happened to hard work? sure play the lotto that's different but for you guys to say you would push the button as long as you did not know the person aren't thinking clearly. This world is made of children also what if someone pushed the button and your kid dropped dead. Too many people effected all for a measly million. I'm actually a little saddened to see so many people say they would push it. Greed bears an ugly face.

 

[AntonG42O]

what a $hitty idea to make a movie/book from. those of you who would push that button, you really think that you are entitled to take away someone's life to be rewarded with a stack of printed green paper that The Man gave some value to? The most precious and beautiful thing we can ever own is the life itself, a chance to breathe and feel. To say that you would take away someone's chance to experience life just so you can drive a nice looking metal box on wheels (car), well no offense but you sir are a piece of $hit. A typical believer in the uttermost materialistic American dream, a chance to financially succeed at the expense of another. People like this make the world a miserable place to live, stepping on each other and always looking out for "number 1". It makes me sick that some of you people would take someone's life in exchange for money.
The red button is even worse. What a coward you are that you wouldnt walk up to the man/woman/child and kill them with your hands, but rather hit a lil red button. All for a bunch of paper that wouldnt even make you happy. how pathetic is your grimy desire to obtain material goods?

 

[poison]

Americans give more to charity then any other country on earth?? You are joking right? How much money did America donate to the Sunami victims a few years back compared to say, Australia? Sweet f*ck all.

Yup, americans. I know its en vogue to hate on us around the world right now, but that's a fact, bank on it. As for the tsunami, who said I have to donate to that, that's your ****ing backyard, you should be all over that. I may see better places to donate my money. That I, or americans, didn't donate to YOUR cause says nothing about the amount being donated. And i'd be very interested in how much we did donate to the tsunami. More than '**** all'.

As i said in my original post, it wasn't a personal attack on anyone or any nation but people in general turn a blind eye every single day so why all of a sudden the change of heart in regards to pushing a button to kill one single person.

 

[poison]

I'm sick of the ****ing trend, so let's set the mother****ing record straight:

Americans donated $295B, that's large B as in billion, in 2006. 75% off that was from individuals, not corporations, and 65% from families making under $100k a year. The US gave twice as much as the next most charitable country, and twice as much as any other country when taken as a percentage of the gnp.

it tells you something about american culture that is unlike any other country. < Claire Gaudiani, professor at nyu's Heyman center for philanthropy, and author of "a greater good: how philanthropy drives the american economy and can save capitalism"

slap that of your barbie and smoke it. And keep up the good work sending all the sri lankans back where they came, fantastic policy.

 

[poison]

I just had to look it up. The US donated $2.8B to the tsunami efforts alone, $1.9B of which was from private individuals to NGO's. $2.8B is fully 1/4 the total amount pledged WORLDWIDE. And I personally recall being told by the imc, and hearing on the news, that the NGO's were telling people they had enough for the tsunami, and to please keep donating, but that they would put it toward other uses, like africa.

**** all, huh? ****tard.

 

[toughchick401]

Americans give more to charity then any other country on earth?? You are joking right? How much money did America donate to the Sunami victims a few years back compared to say, Australia? Sweet f*ck all.

As i said in my original post, it wasn't a personal attack on anyone or any nation but people in general turn a blind eye every single day so why all of a sudden the change of heart in regards to pushing a button to kill one single person.

I agree with a small part of what you said, most people do turn a blind eye but and I stress BUT there are some good people out there, I happen to consider myself one, I always try to do some good for people, helping a lady who cant walk, open doors, donate to charity, volunteer my time to events, run road races to help, find answers for autisum, or cancer, read to kids who are dying, so I agree with some of that, but for all the bad things in the world there has to be some good, karma, balance of good and evil .................

I myself could never do it, I can't even imagine the guilt, everyone is someone to somebody, wife, mother, brother, father, the guilt would eat me up..................

TC

 

[Australian made]

Yup, americans. I know its en vogue to hate on us around the world right now, but that's a fact, bank on it. As for the tsunami, who said I have to donate to that, that's your ****ing backyard, you should be all over that. I may see better places to donate my money. That I, or americans, didn't donate to YOUR cause says nothing about the amount being donated. And i'd be very interested in how much we did donate to the tsunami. More than '**** all'.

Out of sight out of mind huh? thanks for proving my point.And listen up retard the Tsunami was in Asia, not in Australia you typical ignorant yank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_the_2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

You made this US vs Aus.......and you lost.

 

[hardknock]

Out of sight out of mind huh? thanks for proving my point.And listen up retard the Tsunami was in Asia, not in Australia you typical ignorant yank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_the_2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

You made this US vs Aus.......and you lost.

It's not a contest my man. Why does it matter if I donate 10 million and the next man donates 10,000? How does the amount that someone donates make another country or person better on that particular?

 

[poison]

Out of sight out of mind huh? thanks for proving my point.And listen up retard the Tsunami was in Asia, not in Australia you typical ignorant yank.

So much out of sight and mind that we donated fully 1/4 the amount raised worldwide. The tsunami was local to australia, as opposed to the us. And am I a yank, or am I israeli? Dual passports confuse the issue.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_the_2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

You made this US vs Aus.......and you lost.

You came off saying that 'you all' (in reference to this forum) turn a blind eye to deaths around the world and don't do **** about it; YOU came off smug and superior, not to mention judgemental. I take issue with your generalizations about people you've never met, a majority of whom are american. Since americans are the most charitable folks on the planet, I took the time to prove it. And I did it without saying a whole lot negative about australia, aside from the Ceylon dig.

Oh, hell, why bother, I'm headed over to flame thrower for an appropriate response, you provincial maggot.