The box

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by IgnitedSoul

Makes me think of the Joker.

There are 2 boats, one filled with jail convicts, and the one you're on filled with regular townspeople. You're given a button. If you press it, the 2nd boat blows up and all the people on it die. If you don't press it after half an hour, and you're still alive too, both boats blow up. Then do you press the button? What if you were on the boat with the convicts, would that change anything? How do you know the button won't blow you up, instead of them?

I always loved the joker in that movie, I kept thinking that he was a failed psychology student with a homicidal interest in the human condition.

If I was on the boat full of convicts, I would push the button as a final act of vengeance against society. If I was on the other boat I would weigh the lives of the innocent woman and children against the Convicts then push the button, then blow my brains out.

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't think I could do it.

I still feel remorse for the walleye I killed and ate last summer.

[Jiggy_12]

Its a tough question. In the time it took to ask me the question, and the couple minutes I take to think about it...how many people in the world would have died just in that span? 100 or so?

How do I know for a fact my action of pushing the button led to one of the many worldwide deaths during that timeframe?

I'd probably do it. But if I was promised proof my action would cause a death, I don't think I could do it.

[drewboy12]

I would press the button for 1M. I wouldn't travel the world asking people to press the button. I would kill a deer, I wouldn't kill a bet dog, unless it was attacking myself or someone else. I wouldn't take my parents organ to save a loved ones life.

survival of the fittest.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

No chance. Some of you are really cheaply bought; a million dollars isn't even that much anymore. Why not just find a clean way to make a mil and not be a murderer?

I do think that over 50% of people would push the button though, which kind of makes me sick to think about. It's those type of people that allow things like the holocaust to occur in their own country with their support.

A million dollars isn't what it used to be, but it's still a hell of a lot of money.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

I would push the button at least 20 times.....and I have no issue saying that whatsoever. I would get over it pretty fast.

[burnin_vernon]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Interesting, lets say its limited to a one year term, and lets say that I remove your name from the random kill formula. so of all the people in the world, you'd have your one year term, you'd be safe for the rest of your life unless, you don't meet quota which is one button pushed every day for that whole year.

I think said quota should not be allowed to include visits to trailer parks.

[getbak]

He says, "If you press this button, you'll receive 1 million dollars and someone whom you've never met, somewhere in the world, will die." He leaves the box with you and one week to make the decision.

After you press the button, he returns to collect the box with the button in it, and give you the money. Out of curiosity, you ask what happens next. His reply? "I'm going to bring the box to the next person on my list. Don't worry, it's some who has never met you."



So, the short answer is, "no".

[icecube]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but i bet that if you push the button to kill the stranger you probably killed the guy who got the million before you by pushing the button. Its only fair after all. So what inevitably happens to you after the box passes on to the next guy...Crap I probably figured out the movies twist.

[Winsor_Pilates]

To anyone answering yes, how do you compare yourself to the average murderer in US ghettos, poor countries like Brazil etc?

I assume most people on here are fairly middle-upper class and get by financially fairly well. So for those willing to murder for a million, that's pretty equivalent to the really poor killing for hundreds or thousands. In fact, worse because you need it less.

So to anyone who answers yes, would you admit that makes you more evil then the average murderer in a US ghetto, poor country like Brazil etc?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by flameswin

A million dollars isn't what it used to be, but it's still a hell of a lot of money.

not really, it would be spent pretty fast and is very makable in our society.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

To anyone answering yes, how do you compare yourself to the average murderer in US ghettos, poor countries like Brazil etc?

I assume most people on here are fairly middle-upper class and get by financially fairly well. So for those willing to murder for a million, that's pretty equivalent to the really poor killing for hundreds or thousands. In fact, worse because you need it less.

So to anyone who answers yes, would you admit that makes you more evil then the average murderer in a US ghetto, poor country like Brazil etc?

Oh calm down, it's a silly hypothetical question. If it were actually a possibility, I would maybe re-think my choice. We're just having fun here. It's like the question, "Would you do a guy for 100 million dollars?".....it's all in good fun. Stop taking this so seriously, because I don't think too many people here are.

[The Fonz]

No.

1 million isn't enough to be set for life, you'd still need to work and suffer many of the same stresses as everyone else from day to day. You're life would change dramatically, but by no means is 1 million enough so that I could retire and travel the world for the rest of my life.

10+ million on the other hand? Ya, then I'd push the button.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Oh calm down, it's a silly hypothetical question. If it were actually a possibility, I would maybe re-think my choice. We're just having fun here. It's like the question, "Would you do a guy for 100 million dollars?".....it's all in good fun. Stop taking this so seriously, because I don't think too many people here are.

I'm quite calm (are you?), and only responding to hypothetical answers with more hypotheticals. Just throwing some responses in there to get people thinking and discussing. Isn't that the point of the thread?

Of course it's "all in fun" but it's an interesting topic and something worth discussing beyond "yeah, push the button!! Million dollars is awesome!!" "
My apologies for actually putting some thought into a response and forcing you to think. God forbid people on CP get back to thoughtful interesting debates in the off topic section.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I'm quite calm (are you?), and only responding to hypothetical answers with more hypotheticals. Just throwing some responses in there to get people thinking and discussing. Isn't that the point of the thread?

Of course it's "all in fun" but it's an interesting topic and something worth discussing beyond "yeah, push the button!! Million dollars is awesome!!" "
My apologies for actually putting some thought into a response and forcing you to think. God forbid people on CP get back to thoughtful interesting debates in the off topic section.

THis is an interesting topic?? It's so far fetched and stupid, i felt it deserved a silly response. But whatever, I'll stay from this thread if people wanna take this seriously.

On with the "interesting" debate.......

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by getbak

He says, "If you press this button, you'll receive 1 million dollars and someone whom you've never met, somewhere in the world, will die." He leaves the box with you and one week to make the decision.

After you press the button, he returns to collect the box with the button in it, and give you the money. Out of curiosity, you ask what happens next. His reply? "I'm going to bring the box to the next person on my list. Don't worry, it's some who has never met you."



So, the short answer is, "no".

The ending of the Twilight Zone episode. Nice.

[Crazy Flamer]

I wouldn't press the button. Not for any amount of money.

Would I kill the deer? Probably.

The pet dog? Nope.

As far as the patient goes, I would probably let him die.

And I would let the old man keep his sandwich.

[jammies]

What's interesting to me is:

Would you answer change if I put a gun in your hand, put someone you didn't know in front of you, and told you I'd give you a million dollars to kill him - and I'd make sure to dispose of the body so no one would ever know?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I always loved the joker in that movie, I kept thinking that he was a failed psychology student with a homicidal interest in the human condition.

If I was on the boat full of convicts, I would push the button as a final act of vengeance against society. If I was on the other boat I would weigh the lives of the innocent woman and children against the Convicts then push the button, then blow my brains out.

I always considered it unwinnable.

He tells you that the detonator is for the other boat, but lets face it, what kind of social experiment in this vein would be complete without the ultimate twist?

The detonator has to be for the boat that you're on, its the final destruction of choice as well as the proof that chaos reigns.

[J pold]

To answer all original question, no I would not push the button. At the end of the day I just couldn't live with the knowledge that I was directly responsible for someone's death. The endless what if's would drive me insane.

I would kill the dear.

I would kill the dog.

And I didn't get the rest of the questions.