Israeli assault targets symbols of Hamas power

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

We don't live in nazi Germany, we don't have to decide who gets to survive because only 4 people can be accommodated in a trap door cellar. So really these scenarios are meaningless - certainly from the perspective of someone who looks down from a Manhattan penthouse and a six or seven figure salary. So its not as cut and dried as is being made out, and its a pretty silly scenario all told.

Right. We don't decide who gets to live or die based on what they are worth, but that

doesn't mean they are worth the same.

The life of a serial killer is NOT worth the same as the life of a mother of three kids.

Any kind of logic that claims otherwise is just insane!

Maybe you and I could take turns deciding what "worth" means...and also take turns assigning "worth" to everyone. Wouldn't you agree that's the only fair way to do it? However, I have a problem with you going first. You took the easy one...the serial killer and the mother of three kids. Now I am stuck deciding the worth of two different mothers...and they both have three kids! I can see that this is not going to be easy.

Damn they both have 3 kids? It would be an easier choice if she only had two or if one of the kids turned out to have Downs. Cause then it would be easy to chuck them all in a gas chamber and flip the switch without compunction!

[Tahoma 2,292]

Now I am stuck deciding the worth of two different mothers...and they both have three kids! I can see that this is not going to be easy.

Now THAT, Steven, is a moral dilemma!

Hey mawilson...don't leave me hanging. I need your help on this one because you know so much more about "worth" than I do. How do I decide which one of these mothers is "worth" more? Remember, one of them will live and one of them will die based upon what we personally feel they are "worth".

[doodlebugg 10]

The life of a serial killer is NOT worth the same as the life of a mother of three kids.

Any kind of logic that claims otherwise is just insane!

Ok so say you are faced with the decision to kill either the serial killer or the mother of three kids. You kill the serial killer because, in your opinion, any kind of logic that claims otherwise is just insane!

6 months later you read in the paper that this mother that was worth more than the serial killer drowns the three kids and takes off never to be seen again. You will never know if she remarried, had more kids, drowned them too ,etc.

The unknown of life kind of takes the logic equation out of it.

[mawilson 2,133]

Now I am stuck deciding the worth of two different mothers...and they both have three kids! I can see that this is not going to be easy.

Now THAT, Steven, is a moral dilemma!

Hey mawilson...don't leave me hanging. I need your help on this one because you know so much more about "worth" than I do. How do I decide which one of these mothers is "worth" more? Remember, one of them will live and one of them will die based upon what we personally feel they are "worth".

If you insist. I'll need more info on the mothers and their kids then... IQs, academic

achievements, social skills, learning capabilities, health, other family members, etc.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Now I am stuck deciding the worth of two different mothers...and they both have three kids! I can see that this is not going to be easy.

Now THAT, Steven, is a moral dilemma!

Hey mawilson...don't leave me hanging. I need your help on this one because you know so much more about "worth" than I do. How do I decide which one of these mothers is "worth" more? Remember, one of them will live and one of them will die based upon what we personally feel they are "worth".

If you insist. I'll need more info on the mothers and their kids then... IQs, academic

achievements, social skills, learning capabilities, health, other family members, etc.

Don't forget relative worth. For example, you're worth more to your family than I am and vice versa.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Ja mein kommandant!

Zeig heil!

[Tahoma 2,292]

The life of a serial killer is NOT worth the same as the life of a mother of three kids.

Any kind of logic that claims otherwise is just insane!

Ok so say you are faced with the decision to kill either the serial killer or the mother of three kids. You kill the serial killer because, in your opinion, any kind of logic that claims otherwise is just insane!

6 months later you read in the paper that this mother that was worth more than the serial killer drowns the three kids and takes off never to be seen again. You will never know if she remarried, had more kids, drowned them too ,etc.

The unknown of life kind of takes the logic equation out of it.

Or...what if, unknown to mawilson, the mother previously had killed her children. What then? How about it, mawilson? Are you beginning to see the road that your logic is taking you down?

[Tahoma 2,292]

Now I am stuck deciding the worth of two different mothers...and they both have three kids! I can see that this is not going to be easy.

Now THAT, Steven, is a moral dilemma!

Hey mawilson...don't leave me hanging. I need your help on this one because you know so much more about "worth" than I do. How do I decide which one of these mothers is "worth" more? Remember, one of them will live and one of them will die based upon what we personally feel they are "worth".

If you insist. I'll need more info on the mothers and their kids then... IQs, academic

achievements, social skills, learning capabilities, health, other family members, etc.

Don't forget relative worth. For example, you're worth more to your family than I am and vice versa.

Oh yeah...I totally forgot about that. Mawilson...where are you when I need you!!!

[Tahoma 2,292]

Ja mein kommandant!

Zeig heil!

Hey...I didn't realize that you speak German! I will check with mawilson and find out how much that is "worth". Your turn is coming,you know. But, I promise that we will try to rate you fairly.

[Caladan 19]

mawilson, your example doesn't prove what you think it does. I could believe that all human beings have equal moral worth and as such deserve basic human rights, and still believe that it might be more worthwhile to save people in various artificial situations on other pragmatic or rational grounds.

[chaishai 1]

I am just sick over the whole thing. I need to stay away from forums like this where people sit on their cushy desk chairs and babble on saying arent HAMAS lives equal to the life of an israeli. Um, no they are not. Their life isnt worth the baby toenail of an upstanding israelis life. One rocket hit two doors down from my brother in laws new house last night then as he moved into beer sheva today with my MIL and FIL and sat down to dinner to celebrate the fact that he is alive another rocket hit one block away from their place. Not to mention they use their own palestinian people as human shields. Dispicable.

EDITED TO MAKE SENSE.... im a little upset....

Yes they are. All human life has equal value. Unless someone named You god while I wasn't reading.

Get upset all you like, that I can respect.

when you are a murderer, in my opinion, your worth becomes nil.

your opinion and mine are quite minuscule in the great scheme of things- again ,whether you/I like it or not.

I happen to believe ALL human life has equal value; and I also believe life begins at birth, not at conception.

If you feel better ranting about how Palestinians deserve to die horrible deaths because blah blah blah blah--- good for you: I am sure your god agrees...

Have a nice life.

i never said anything about palestinians deserving to die g-d forbid, i am speaking only of hamas terrorists. jacka$$....

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Now I am stuck deciding the worth of two different mothers...and they both have three kids! I can see that this is not going to be easy.

Now THAT, Steven, is a moral dilemma!

Hey mawilson...don't leave me hanging. I need your help on this one because you know so much more about "worth" than I do. How do I decide which one of these mothers is "worth" more? Remember, one of them will live and one of them will die based upon what we personally feel they are "worth".

If you insist. I'll need more info on the mothers and their kids then... IQs, academic

achievements, social skills, learning capabilities, health, other family members, etc.

Don't forget relative worth. For example, you're worth more to your family than I am and vice versa.

Oh yeah...I totally forgot about that. Mawilson...where are you when I need you!!!

He's having one of those power naps. All this thinking is wearing him out.

[mawilson 2,133]

6 months later you read in the paper that this mother that was worth more than the serial killer drowns the three kids and takes off never to be seen again. You will never know if she remarried, had more kids, drowned them too ,etc.

Well, without a crystal ball or ability to see into the future, we can only make decisions

based on the facts that are presented to us. Statistically speaking, your scenario is

extremely unlikely to happen in real life.

Estimating someone's life's worth is difficult because potential future achievements are

not always (although often) related to past performance. One thing is certain - as you

get older, your potential for future achievements approaches zero and becomes less of

a variable. By this measure, a 90-year-old man's life isn't worth a hell of a lot.

(Any insurance company will tell you the same if you try to buy a life insurance policy

for a 90 year old man.)

[one...two...tree 2,762]

6 months later you read in the paper that this mother that was worth more than the serial killer drowns the three kids and takes off never to be seen again. You will never know if she remarried, had more kids, drowned them too ,etc.

Well, without a crystal ball or ability to see into the future, we can only make decisions

based on the facts that are presented to us. Statistically speaking, your scenario is

extremely unlikely to happen in real life.

Estimating someone's life's worth is difficult because potential future achievements are

not always (although often) related to past performance. One thing is certain - as you

get older, your potential for future achievements approaches zero and becomes less of

a variable. By this measure, a 90-year-old man's life isn't worth a hell of a lot.

(Any insurance company will tell you the same if you try to buy a life insurance policy

for a 90 year old man.)

Are you part Vulcan?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

For insurance purposes sure. But your grounds for this justification still seem rooted in economic economic measures of value. In that regard we might as well ask what value music and art have - or indeed the measure of what your aforementioned genius composer is worth. Is it all about CD sales or do we put value on these things that goes beyond the material?