Another interesting dilema for you... and another philosophical staple.
Imagine you are 1 of 50 people on a lifeboat, following the sinking of a cruise liner. If you like, picture the titanic. In the sea near you are hundreds of drowning passengers in the freezing water.
The lifeboat will take 60, so you have room for 10 more, but if you return, you do run the risk of the boat being toppled, and everyone dying. What will you do? Return or stay where you are? Do you guarantee your safety or risk all to save a few more lives? Whos life would you save? The old man nearest, or the young mariner deeper in the crowd?
In case you're wondering, the lifeboat argument (and the metaphor from the movie 'Titaniic') is an old one, that relates to Foreign Policy.
To help so many countries in trouble, may mean toppling our boat, but how do we pick one countries troubles over another, especially as there seem to be so many? And they do not seem to help themselves, surely their problems are their own?
And what about protectionist government? Is it right to subsidise our farming communities say, to the detriment of other third world countries struggling to battle drought, civil war, AIDS and countless other real problems killing people today.
Perhaps you believe that we have our own problems in our own country. With the homeless, drug addiction, prostitution, poverty, we should be looking at our own first and foremost? Maybe we should be content that we got lucky in the birthplace lottery and our sympathy for others should go no further than charity.
Perhaps your feelings is that we should stop immigration too. That there are already too many people in the lifeboat?
Anyhow, that this weeks talking point. What do you think?
For my part, I am uncomfortable with the idea of risking a trip into the melee of desperate survivors, but I am equally uncomfortable doing nothing. My thoughts turn to Rwanda and more recently The Congo.
I suspect the truth is that I would accept regrettably that I cannot help them all, but I would get the lifeboat closer, and should someone make the swim towards us, I would do whatever I could to help them onboard.
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Friday, 7 November 2008
Philosophical debate
Now for a bit of Philosophising. A question for you all to get the blood flowing a little.
Imagine you are a judge, and a case has been brought to you involving conjoined twins. The 7 year old twins will die in 6 months unless an operation goes ahead now. The operation WILL kill one of the children MARK, and save the other child HENRY who will have a happy normal life.
Trouble is Mark doesnt want to die. And his parents cant bring themselves to kill one child to save the other.
On the other side the doctor would like to take custody of the children to do the operation now whilst it is still possible.
Your job, as the judge, is to decide which side you would choose to give custody to.
Just before you decide...
Bear in mind if you decide to kill one child to save the other, you are saying that one life is more imprtant than the other.....
What happens when your son has lung cancer and is given only 6 months to live, meanwhile someone could do with his kidneys now.
What happens if the parents are devout believers and have a do not resuscitate order on the kids. Do they not have a religious right?
But if you decide not to kill the child to save the other, you are saying all lives are equally important....
What about if it were down to you to decide to shoot Typhoid Mary, bringing a virulent disease to your country and possibly killing thousands?
How would you justify corporal punishment or abortion? Does the mass murderer and the unborn foetus have the same rights?
I have tried to make this choice difficult, by placing good argument on both sides, but im sure you guys will add your own points too
My customers have gone with the doctors about 70/30. One client told me she felt all life prisoners shouls have bone marrow harvested regularly, and that people on death row should have their organs removed to save other lives. Another told me the twin should be treated like a cancerous cyst and should be cut out.
I'm falling on the side of the parents (just). I think there is a sanctity of life, and this is murder. To kill a child that doesnt choose to die seems morally wrong, even if it is to save the life of his brother.
What do you think?
Monday, 3 November 2008
My Last Chance
On the eve of the most important election in recent history, and bearing in mind that your vote affects me personally, I am trying my last attempt to persuade you.
I know you're probably sick to death of hearing views on the two candidates by now, but please take 2 minutes and just have a read. If you disagree, then fair enough. At least you did it knowing you heard the arguments.
Firstly, this election isnt about personalities, no matter what you hear. Other elections have been, but this one isnt. This isnt about who fought for their country, or how old the candidate is. This election is about REAL politics. REAL decisions will be made by the next administration, that will affect you personally.
This election has been brought to us all in soundbites. It appears from the news reports that you are either for a change or you arent. If you think the US needs to move to new ground, blaze a trail into a new world you vote Obama, if you still believe in old american family values you vote McCain.
ITS MUCH MUCH MORE. And I'm not just talking about Iraq!
The US is facing its future right now, it has two choices, two roads to travel in, and this is the last chance to decide.
The first choice follows current US Govt thinking. Whether you like it or not, this thinking is hugely unpopular with the rest of the world, including your allies.
It is unpopular because it promotes a harsh form of freidman 'free market' economics on the rest of the world that has been proven not to work in every country its been forced on since the 70's, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Poland, Phillipines and even Russia have all struggled and their belief in the US style monetary systems have crumbled. This isnt so bad except that when they say no to free markets, they also say no to free speech, democracy, pleuralism and freedom of religion. They say yes to old communist values, fervent nationalism, religious dogma and war. Just to clarify, Free market economics means NO GOVT INVOLVEMENT, or NOTHING IN THE WAY OF BIG BUSINESS.
If you own a small business you will know how much the opening of a new giant Wallmart affects your local stores, affects your jobs, affects your sense of community, affects local affluence. Your govt does nothing to protect your way of life. Instead it protects THEIR right, the rights of fat cats and billionaires, to take your money, to pollute your rivers, to take your jobs, to copy your ideas, to steal your land in the hope that money will trickle down to you like 17th century serfs begging at the doors of the French Palace, whilst Marie Antoinette says, "If the bread is mouldy, then let them eat cake."
You have a right to live the american dream too. You deserve a chance as much as the CEO's and major share holders.
It has been proven not to work by the current banking meltdown in which in every major country around the world has had to plough money into its banking system. To save rich people from losing a fortune.
It has proven not to work by the war in Iraq, in which we have stolen their resources to protect our own industries... I'm sorry, I know our reasons to go in were different, but since we've been there, thats all that we have done, to our shame. If you think for one second we were in there for humanitarian reasons, well ask yourself, where is the invasion of the Congo, where thousands of people have been dying every day his week.
It has proven not to work for your own people. Thousands of dispossessed people award a pathetic $6000 for their house and homes, their schools, their jobs, their lives following the tragedy of Katrina. The shame of the richest nation in the world by far, unable to help their own people because of strict unreasonable economic policy. Charity from the middle east of all places given to the US to help the survivors make a new life for themselves, only to have the money spent on a private schools system.
It hasnt worked for the hundreds of thousand american citizens currently crippled by hospital insurance burdens, unable to live the 'American Dream' you idealise so much. Whilst pharmaceutical companies make biliions of dollars worth of profits. The rich getting richer as you struggle and suffer.
It hasnt worked for the environment. Over 90% of scientists, and every single independantly funded scientist around the world is in agreement that the world is heating up. That the water supply is shifting, and that in the next 50 years many thousands of people will have to move again, to find new work where the fresh water supply is better. Big Business has done nothing to research the problem, nothing to counteract the problem. And your government, whos job it is to look at this stuff has decided to do nothing. Has broken every single agreed commitment to stop global warming because it will affect big business.
Elections aren't won, they are lost.
You have 2 choices. Some of you may not like Obama. Some of you may see his idealism, his vision as being too tax heavy, but they are still much less tax heavy than most of the G8 countries, and we all manage.
We have National Health Systems giving cheap or free prescriptions, free doctors, free operations. We hit our environmental targets, becoming world leaders in new markets such as renewable energy. We give money to people through a strong social securities network ensuring NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND. A line stolen from your very own President Roosevelt. We look after people dispossessed, knowing that everyone needs a hand from time to time.
If you still believe that another 4 years of Republican rule will change this, then you must vote McCain. If you cant bring yourself to vote for a black man, then dont vote at all. Please though, dont vote just because you've always voted that way. Dont vote not knowing the issues.
I know you're probably sick to death of hearing views on the two candidates by now, but please take 2 minutes and just have a read. If you disagree, then fair enough. At least you did it knowing you heard the arguments.
Firstly, this election isnt about personalities, no matter what you hear. Other elections have been, but this one isnt. This isnt about who fought for their country, or how old the candidate is. This election is about REAL politics. REAL decisions will be made by the next administration, that will affect you personally.
This election has been brought to us all in soundbites. It appears from the news reports that you are either for a change or you arent. If you think the US needs to move to new ground, blaze a trail into a new world you vote Obama, if you still believe in old american family values you vote McCain.
ITS MUCH MUCH MORE. And I'm not just talking about Iraq!
The US is facing its future right now, it has two choices, two roads to travel in, and this is the last chance to decide.
The first choice follows current US Govt thinking. Whether you like it or not, this thinking is hugely unpopular with the rest of the world, including your allies.
It is unpopular because it promotes a harsh form of freidman 'free market' economics on the rest of the world that has been proven not to work in every country its been forced on since the 70's, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Poland, Phillipines and even Russia have all struggled and their belief in the US style monetary systems have crumbled. This isnt so bad except that when they say no to free markets, they also say no to free speech, democracy, pleuralism and freedom of religion. They say yes to old communist values, fervent nationalism, religious dogma and war. Just to clarify, Free market economics means NO GOVT INVOLVEMENT, or NOTHING IN THE WAY OF BIG BUSINESS.
If you own a small business you will know how much the opening of a new giant Wallmart affects your local stores, affects your jobs, affects your sense of community, affects local affluence. Your govt does nothing to protect your way of life. Instead it protects THEIR right, the rights of fat cats and billionaires, to take your money, to pollute your rivers, to take your jobs, to copy your ideas, to steal your land in the hope that money will trickle down to you like 17th century serfs begging at the doors of the French Palace, whilst Marie Antoinette says, "If the bread is mouldy, then let them eat cake."
You have a right to live the american dream too. You deserve a chance as much as the CEO's and major share holders.
It has been proven not to work by the current banking meltdown in which in every major country around the world has had to plough money into its banking system. To save rich people from losing a fortune.
It has proven not to work by the war in Iraq, in which we have stolen their resources to protect our own industries... I'm sorry, I know our reasons to go in were different, but since we've been there, thats all that we have done, to our shame. If you think for one second we were in there for humanitarian reasons, well ask yourself, where is the invasion of the Congo, where thousands of people have been dying every day his week.
It has proven not to work for your own people. Thousands of dispossessed people award a pathetic $6000 for their house and homes, their schools, their jobs, their lives following the tragedy of Katrina. The shame of the richest nation in the world by far, unable to help their own people because of strict unreasonable economic policy. Charity from the middle east of all places given to the US to help the survivors make a new life for themselves, only to have the money spent on a private schools system.
It hasnt worked for the hundreds of thousand american citizens currently crippled by hospital insurance burdens, unable to live the 'American Dream' you idealise so much. Whilst pharmaceutical companies make biliions of dollars worth of profits. The rich getting richer as you struggle and suffer.
It hasnt worked for the environment. Over 90% of scientists, and every single independantly funded scientist around the world is in agreement that the world is heating up. That the water supply is shifting, and that in the next 50 years many thousands of people will have to move again, to find new work where the fresh water supply is better. Big Business has done nothing to research the problem, nothing to counteract the problem. And your government, whos job it is to look at this stuff has decided to do nothing. Has broken every single agreed commitment to stop global warming because it will affect big business.
Elections aren't won, they are lost.
You have 2 choices. Some of you may not like Obama. Some of you may see his idealism, his vision as being too tax heavy, but they are still much less tax heavy than most of the G8 countries, and we all manage.
We have National Health Systems giving cheap or free prescriptions, free doctors, free operations. We hit our environmental targets, becoming world leaders in new markets such as renewable energy. We give money to people through a strong social securities network ensuring NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND. A line stolen from your very own President Roosevelt. We look after people dispossessed, knowing that everyone needs a hand from time to time.
If you still believe that another 4 years of Republican rule will change this, then you must vote McCain. If you cant bring yourself to vote for a black man, then dont vote at all. Please though, dont vote just because you've always voted that way. Dont vote not knowing the issues.
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