Push the button, let me know

[davywavy]

It's an old moral quandry. You are shown a button and told that if you press it, someone you've never met will die but you will recieve a million quid.
Originally an idea which made a short story, then a Twilight Zone episode and now the new film from Donnie Darko Director Richard Kelly, it's certainly an interesting question so I'll put it to you:

[Poll #1460349]

Comments

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

It would depend on how poor I was at the time. About three months ago, I'd totally have pressed it. New job plus payrise means that whilst I would like £1million, I feel more able to develop morals.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

So what you're saying is that when people are poor they'll resort to extremes of behaviour to make good?

[caseytalk.livejournal.com]

I think this is the situation for me. I don't have to worry about feeding my children and all. I have enough money to be able to afford saying I wouldn't push the button. If my kids were going to die of starvation if I didn't get money somehow right now, it would be hard for me not to trade the stranger's life for that of my kids. I can't speak for all poor people, but I do think it's easier to accept 'thou shalt not steal' when you can feed your children without stealing.

[gnommi.livejournal.com]

I actually had this conversation with my mother today, for wierd reasons. Biologically this is generally the case: scanty resources make societies act worse and tolerate worse behaviour, in general. As far as I remember from my ethology lectures anyway. With better resource flow, you get better behaviour and punishment for offenders.

[fried-chicken.livejournal.com]

I think it's one of those questions that's really difficult to answer honestly as once you are actually put in the situation all bets are off.

I'd like to think that I wouldn't do it, but there is enough doubt there to admit that I might.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I clicked the 'I wouldn't do it' answer, because when I'm running the country I'm sure reporters will go through my old Lj with a fine toothed comb and I wanted them to think what a kindly, non-murderous sort I am.

In reality I'd've depopulated China by this time tomorrow.

[fried-chicken.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you're on the right track for high office ;)

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Despite all that, I still have too much moral fortitude than to support the labour party.

[fried-chicken.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately whichever party you support they still contain some politician's that are going to be in it for themselves rather than in it for the general population.

I still reckon a Benevolent Dictatorship is the way forwards, but then you still have problems with succession and potential corruption.

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

But what if there was a button, and the same million quid deal, except that for every push there'd be one year of Neil Kinnock running the country?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

When he was appointed to the European Commission I believe Neil Kinnock was given a button which did exactly that, which he then pressed nine times.

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

Then the machine printed out a receipt that said "House of Lords, one free admission."

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

My taxes working for me, there.

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

It may seem like a finickety question, but I think it's important: where would the money come from? Does it come from some existing source, or is a million pounds of wealth somehow created and then given to me as a result of pushing the button?

I do not believe I could be paid to anonymously kill a random stranger, but I do believe it's possible to put a societal value on a human life. A million pounds would not be anywhere near enough.

All in all, I'd rather not be given the option.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Well, simply printing the money and giving it to you would devalue the currency and we don't want to do that unless we're Gordon Brown or robert Mugabe, so we'll say that you are given a million pounds worth of existing, refined gold, possibly from a top-secret vault held by an anonymous organisation.

[(Anonymous)]

Wasn't printing money to pay the poor to murder random strangers Blair & Bush's policy on Iraq?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

No, but I believe it is the basic principle underlying jobseekers allowance.

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

So it comes from an existing source, then. I'll pass.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Okay, another alternative. If you press the button, a random stranger standing nearby will be struck by a meteorite made of exactly £1m worth of solid gold - which you get to keep.The gold is from outer space and has in no way interacted with the human economy before now.

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

That was another question I wanted to ask: would I have proof of the stranger's death?

Can we change it from gold to something with more practical social and industrial applications, like pure lithium? The actual value of gold is a bit of a controversial subject.

Also I'd need to know who else could push the button and how often. If I refuse to push it, will it be offered to someone else, who might kill me and everyone I know in a shower of lithium meteorites? If that's the case, I'd rather be custodian of it.

The idea of a device which converts one human life into £1,000,000 of precious minerals, and safeguards all personal contacts of the operator from being the life in question, is quite an interesting one. I'd like it to be more efficient before I use it, though.

[hiromasaki.livejournal.com]

Actually, Gold is very valuable in electronics. Lots of physical electrical contacts are plated in gold in order to get a low-resistance connection. Plus some traces on circuit boards.

If I were to get £1,000,000 worth of a mineral, though, I'd want it to be good ol' Al. I'll need some way to transport all the caffeine I'd be buying. :P

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

You would have no immediate proof; if you wanted such, you would have to go looking for it yourself.

Ultimately, the way the original setup is constructed, you're given the button and told what will happen if you push it. If you choose to push it, you will receive £1m in whatever form or denomination you specify. You're told someone will die but if you want proof? Well, you'll certainly be rich enough to fund a fact-finding expedition.

[cleosilver.livejournal.com]

The additional question here is "Is it traceable?" If it can be traced back to me then I wouldn't do it. If it was guaranteed that I'd never be traced then I'd be a lot more tempted and if I was being honest would probably press it once.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Nobody would ever know it was you. You have my word of honour as a man using a picture of Tony Blair as my icon.

[sea-of-flame.livejournal.com]

I note nobody has considered the life-saving applications of said money...if children in Africa are dying every time I clck my fingers (stop clicking your fingers) /anyway/, and by one more person dying alongside them there would then be 1M of aid money available to stop countless more deaths...well, from an opportunity cost point of view, it would almost be immoral not to!

If it were money to be spent on frivolous stuff, that's far more morally dodgy ;)

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

I would love to televise that as a reality show under the name X-TREME SOCIAL SECURITY.

[(Anonymous)]

It's effectively what you get with the social anyway. Look at life expectancy of the workless: Every week sat on their lazy arses stuffing themselves with Stella & Dominos on my dime they are playing Russian roulette, on my dime.

If they would only die sooner!

[(Anonymous)]

How very utilitarian of you.

Out of curiosity, how many innocent people would you be prepared to kill in the name of the greater good?

Anyhow, one would have thought you'd have learned from the past 30 years that aid money is a waste of time. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Fair thought. If I pressed it 103 times, I could buy a spectre gunship & go and make a start on the Janjaweed militias.

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

It rather depends on whether I believed the statement that someone would die. Who am I being told this by, and why would I have any reason to believe they're telling the truth?

[(Anonymous)]

What is in it for red button man? If it is to see death, he is paying massively over the odds. The going rate for a moderately professional killing in the U.K. is £20,000.

The only logical conclusion is that he is an under cover policeman and you are all nicked for attempted muder.

D