Goatwhacker wrote:This is a great question, because for most people what the question actually is is "Do you become a barbarian yourself and kill/torture him, or do the 'right thing' and turn him over to the authorities"?In one sense if you kill him while he is helpless, you become what he is. On the other hand he's responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people, and our legal system is far from reliable. I don't know what I'd do.
I don't believe, for a minute, that killing Bin Laden, even if he's defenseless, can be put into the same class as what he did. He killed innocent people and he is far from innocent. If I was put into a situation where I could take a piece of filth off the face of the earth I would feel it was my moral and civil duty to do so.
Goatwhacker wrote:This is a great question, because for most people what the question actually is is "Do you become a barbarian yourself and kill/torture him, or do the 'right thing' and turn him over to the authorities"?In one sense if you kill him while he is helpless, you become what he is. On the other hand he's responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people, and our legal system is far from reliable. I don't know what I'd do.
I don't believe, for a minute, that killing Bin Laden, even if he's defenseless, can be put into the same class as what he did. He killed innocent people and he is far from innocent. If I was put into a situation where I could take a piece of filth off the face of the earth I would feel it was my moral and civil duty to do so.
That's my opinion also, but the only question is does killing him and making him a matyr make the world a safer place? Martyrs inspire people. Prisoners don't.
I usually don't answer hypotheticals because it's pointless and usually nothing good can come from it, but I I'll make an exception here. If turning him into the US govt was an option, I would choose to do that, but if my only two choices were killing him or letting him go free, I would have to kill him.
Goatwhacker wrote:This is a great question, because for most people what the question actually is is "Do you become a barbarian yourself and kill/torture him, or do the 'right thing' and turn him over to the authorities"?In one sense if you kill him while he is helpless, you become what he is. On the other hand he's responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people, and our legal system is far from reliable. I don't know what I'd do.
I don't believe, for a minute, that killing Bin Laden, even if he's defenseless, can be put into the same class as what he did. He killed innocent people and he is far from innocent. If I was put into a situation where I could take a piece of filth off the face of the earth I would feel it was my moral and civil duty to do so.
That's my opinion also, but the only question is does killing him and making him a matyr make the world a safer place? Martyrs inspire people. Prisoners don't.
I usually don't answer hypotheticals because it's pointless and usually nothing good can come from it, but I I'll make an exception here. If turning him into the US govt was an option, I would choose to do that, but if my only two choices were killing him or letting him go free, I would have to kill him.
I've seen this view a couple times in this thread and I agree. However, the selfish, impatient side of me would want instant justice, instead of the more effective option and letting him rot in a 5x5 cell.
josebach wrote:That's my opinion also, but the only question is does killing him and making him a matyr make the world a safer place? Martyrs inspire people. Prisoners don't.
I think giving him a trial also makes him a martyr. You know what would happen, he'll get a ton of lawyers who would complain he can't get a fair trial and portray him as a victim. A large part of the public would buy into it. We'd get daily reports on what Osama had for breakfast. I think you could make a strong case that killing him immediately would be better.
My dilemma is when you have a helpless person in front of you who deserves to die, do you spare them or not?
josebach wrote:That's my opinion also, but the only question is does killing him and making him a matyr make the world a safer place? Martyrs inspire people. Prisoners don't.
I think giving him a trial also makes him a martyr. You know what would happen, he'll get a ton of lawyers who would complain he can't get a fair trial and portray him as a victim. A large part of the public would buy into it. We'd get daily reports on what Osama had for breakfast. I think you could make a strong case that killing him immediately would be better.
My dilemma is when you have a helpless person in front of you who deserves to die, do you spare them or not?
People think Saddam Hussein is a victim? Not that I've heard.
This is why hypothetical questions are so pointless. Everybody is saying what they'd do and is talking all tough, but none of us know what we would do until we were actually in that position. Considering none of us will ever be in that position, what's the point of even discussing it? Answering hypothetical questions is completely and utterly futile.
awwchrist wrote:Do you wonder why you're never invited to parties?
I'm just busy as crap at work and this thread annoyed me for some reason. (I check the cafe once an hour or so to help keep my sanity). Wrong topic, wrong day I guess.
Believe it or not, I'm a pretty popular guy and am tons of fun at parties... especially when I wear my MAAAGIC SHOOOOES!!
Cafe Home
Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by Omaha Red Sox » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:55 am 
