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From: desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins)
Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Escape tower for shuttle orbiter?
Message-ID: <12749@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 28-Mar-86 16:44:51 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.12749
Posted: Fri Mar 28 16:44:51 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Mar-86 02:24:15 EST
References: <9696@ucla-cs.ARPA> <588@qantel.UUCP> <2593@genat.UUCP> <12665@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <269@parcvax.Xerox.COM>
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Reply-To: desj@brahms.UUCP (David desJardins)
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Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 35
Keywords: life vs. megabucks
Xref: watmath net.columbia:2731 net.philosophy:4758

In article <269@parcvax.Xerox.COM> bane@parcvax.Xerox.COM (John R. Bane)
writes:
>[with respect to choosing between the orbiter and the astronauts lives] 
>
> ... and what if it was YOUR life and someone else's finger? or maybe
>your wife's life? or your children's?

   I don't have a wife or children.  And, of course, it would be insane
to put a person in that position into this situation.  But, if I had to,
I would.  And if it were *my* life I would feel the same way (as I noted,
I expect most of the astronauts would agree with me).

>And if you don't care, or consider it worth it, then you have no idea
>of the life-long agony that would torture the person who DID "push the
>button."

   Certainly I care.  That is not the point.  Obviously the sort of
person who would be plagued with "life-long agony" would not be the
one put into this situation.

>I don't think I could bring myself to deliberately kill
>innocent people (their only crime is to be stuck in malfunctioning
>equipment), no matter how expensive that equipment is.

   Maybe this is why you aren't a Range Safety Officer.

>Perhaps what the world needs is not more love but more empathy!

   Or perhaps more intelligence and rationality (perish the thought!).

   -- David desJardins

P.S. My faith in the intelligence of net news readers has been greatly
renewed by the many articles supporting my position, and offering many
intelligent justifications for this necessary attitude.  Thank you all.