Do you value American lives over the lives of others? (1 Viewer)

[da_budman]

I dont know.....but it is.

 

[sho nuff]

I dont know.....but it is.

Came to mind as well...just didn't search up the clip.

I would agree it should for our lawmakers and especially POTUS.  Part of the job.

 

[dancer]

All things being equal, I don’t value American lives over others, but I do think our government should value American lives first. 

I agree with this, but to add a wrinkle - to what degree? Is it absolute?

Hypothetical example:

Assume the US president had the power to influence the world to create one of two outcomes (and there was no challenge to this power, nothing others can do to ever counter or reverse):

Outcome A: The quality of life for every US citizen (on scale of 1-10) permanently becomes 10, while that for everyone outside the US permanently becomes 3

Outcome B: The quality of life for every person in the world permanently becomes 9

In this hypothetical, which should the US president choose?

 

[tonydead]

I agree with this, but to add a wrinkle - to what degree? Is it absolute?

Hypothetical example:

Assume the US president had the power to influence the world to create one of two outcomes (and there was no challenge to this power, nothing others can do to ever counter or reverse):

Outcome A: The quality of life for every US citizen (on scale of 1-10) permanently becomes 10, while that for everyone outside the US permanently becomes 3

Outcome B: The quality of life for every person in the world permanently becomes 9

In this hypothetical, which should the US president choose?

This is a very different question that the OP which was tribe vs. tribe.  Our selfish genes extend out past the tribe to the species. I don't think this scenario is possible while we are all living on the same planet as having 7 billion people living a quality life of 3 would most certainly affect Americans quality of life.  So taking that away the obvious answer would be B. 

Breaking the laws of physics and making this permanent indefinitely somehow would suspend evolution making fantastical answers equally correct and left to the imagination.  I also think the difference between 9 and 10 probably isn't great enough to temp a lot of people with Choice A.

Let's pretend we have found an new inhabitable planet and quality of life on earth is pretty dire (level 3 and declining).  Space travel is available and not a factor.  The planet's resources are enough to support half the earth's population at an average quality level of 5.  Which would give our species the best chance for long term survival:

A - Does America keep this planet to themselves and just split off from earth living on our new plant with quality of life level 9 for many generations.

B - Move half the earth's population to the new planet in hopes of increasing everyone's quality of life to level 5.

 

[The Commish]

Ok, I’ve waited long enough to add the wrinkle I wanted to include in the OP but didn’t.

Do you value the lives of the people who live in your state more than the lives of people who live in other states?

Is your answer to the OP and this question the same or different?  If different, why?

no and no

 

[The Commish]

Everyone but Florida.

  Valid

 

[Sinn Fein]

Ok, I’ve waited long enough to add the wrinkle I wanted to include in the OP but didn’t.

Do you value the lives of the people who live in your state more than the lives of people who live in other states?

Is your answer to the OP and this question the same or different?  If different, why?

Not sure how this is a wrinkle. But, no.

This is just as weird as valuing people based on where they were born.  

 

[AAABatteries]

Not sure how this is a wrinkle. But, no.

This is just as weird as valuing people based on where they were born.  

Not if you said yes to the OP.  I would think they would say no to the wrinkle.  Or I’m assuming at least.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Voted "no" because I view nationality as such a small factor in the decision that it'd probably only sway me in a situation where all things weighed equally (including a myriad of other factors). And, since such is a very likely impossibility (even within the construct of this impossible hypothetical), I concluded I could safely vote the way I did. 

For example, and assuming the construct of the hypo where I'd have to choose one person's life, over another, here is an unexhaustive list of factors I'd consider before nationality in no particular order: 

- Positive skills/education that can be utilized for the public good (e.g. is the non-citizen a doctor, scientist, etc.).

- age (e.g. I'd save a 20 year old non-citizen's life over a 75 year old American life all things being equal)

- whether the person had kids

- whether the person had a criminal record that contained crimes against children or crimes of moral terpitude (and the other didn't)

- whether the person was a Phillies/Eagles/Flyers fan 

This reminds me a bit of the moral machine, a set of scenarios created by MIT researchers, where the programmer of an autonomous vehicle about to have an unavoidable accident chooses who should be run over. Aside from being an interesting thought experiment, they found different cultures valued things like youth, status and rule-abiding quite differently. Can’t find the link right now, but there’s an interactive map where you can see the differences by nationality of the experiment’s participants.

 

[Navin Johnson]

Not necessarily

 

[AAABatteries]

Not necessarily

So, conditional based on some criteria?

After a couple weeks it seems like we are still comfortably in the Yes votes winning.  That’s what I expected and I think it wouldn’t be as partisan a breakdown as we see with a lot of issues. 

 

[Navin Johnson]

So, conditional based on some criteria?

After a couple weeks it seems like we are still comfortably in the Yes votes winning.  That’s what I expected and I think it wouldn’t be as partisan a breakdown as we see with a lot of issues. 

I guess it's technically a no. I value life above all else and there are those, on either side, that deserve to die more than others when push comes to shove. Nationality plays little to no part in it.