What is an Elbonian Worth?

Most people would agree that in a hypothetical world where you had to kill one person from your own country (a stranger to you) versus one person from some other country (also a stranger) you would kill the foreigner.

But what if the question were, for example, a choice of killing one citizen from your own country versus two from another country? How about ten from another country, or a hundred? Where’s your balance point?

Assume none of the people “have it coming.” In this hypothetical situation, we’re not at war, and there is no greater good in the long run. It’s a simple choice of us or them. How many from another country would you kill to save one of your own?

Comments

[Nicole]

No! Not Asok! :(

[g]

I watched my father drown a litter of rabbits when I was a little kid. I would never be able to kill anyone under any cicrumstances after watching those bunnies try to live.

[Q]

all of them!

[Christine]

I wouldn't kill anyone for anyone.

New question: How many animals would you kill to save one person? How many would you kill/torture to save one person from getting a rash?

[Alice in Wonderland]

I like to kill bugs.

[Rich]

I'd kill the one who lived closest to me. He shares my resources.

[Claudia]

Can I kill the guy who orders me to kill someone?

[@Rob]

The direct % to the number of ppl in the country v the number of people in the world (rounding up). So if there are 250 million in the US and 1 billion in India the answer would be 4. If there are 250 million and 50 thousand in Elbonia I would round up and the answer would be 1.

[Hep]

I would kill them both 1 to 1, I hate company

[Desa]

Having traveled around quite a bit, I'd honestly have to say I'd much rather do in one of my own "fellow American" idiots.

One less ignorant (hasn't read a book since they dropped out of junior high), broke (because they blow money on dozens of ugly purses, restaurants, and general cheap crap and count credit cards as their personal emergency fund instead of savings), TV-hooked, obese, perverted, having kids and pets for status rather than for unselfish love bastard American would do the world a whole lot of good.

The USA is going down the toilet anyway, and it is painfully obvious. We blame others when we do something stupid instead of blaming ourselves (hot coffee at McDonald's?).

All my family can hope to do is transfer out of the US as soon as the right opportunity presents itself...before some angry country righteously annihilates us all.

The USA is going down the toilet anyway, and it is painfully obvious. We blame others when we do something stupid instead of blaming ourselves (hot coffee at McDonald's?).

All my family can hope to do is transfer out of the US as soon as the right opportunity presents itself...before some angry country righteously annhilates us all.

[Anonymous]

10 americans to one foreigner.
I know americans, most of them are obnoxious ignorant jerks. I have less first hand experience with foreigners with which to hate them on the grounds of.

[Andreas Toscano]

None. Borders are stupid. I didn't choose to be born where I was born: it just happened to be where my parents were. But to save a loved one, I'd kill as many strangers (foreigners or not) as necessary.

[loki]

"Most people would agree that in a hypothetical world where you had to kill one person from your own country ... versus one person from some other country ... you would kill the foreigner."

back up there. where the hell did that come from?

[Scott]

I'd kill one person from my own country. It's less effort to kill one person than several, and I don't see why I should care that they are domestic or foreign really.

[Rich]

Simple. I'd kill myself. I wouldn't want to be part of a hypothetical world where a hypothetical situation like that could happen. Better dead than bloody handed. I guess I'm a wuss.

Or am I more courageous than any of you who would kill one or more of your fellow humans?

[Don]

What this makes me wonder about: Why don't we hear about the huge collateral damage of (innocent/civilian) Iraqi deaths our war there has caused?? That # must be staggeringly huge, yet there is little to no concern about it.

[smee]

Do I get to pick the other country?

[gregapalooza]

I would make everyone think I was going to kill a foreigner. Then I would wait to see which American started bitching the most about me wanting to kill a random foreigner and bust a cap in his ass instead.

[Steven McDaniel]

"..Talking theoretically... wouldn't it be better to lose someone from your own country? Considering most people are a waste of space and are sucking up tax money in the form of health care, benefits and government housing? (I live in the UK, we have 'free' healthcare, etc here).." Ben

Merry Christmas Mr Scrooge - "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Talking theoretically, Big Ben, I'd be absolutely fascinated to see you come over here in the States and die slowly of cancer so you would have time to lose your home and wealth and become one of the people, even with the best of insurance, who go bankrupt because of inability to keep up with the copayments, and then can't afford the chemotherapy you need in the end because that insurance has run out. 50% of the bankruptcies over here are due to medical bills. I usually vote right of centre over here just because I hate abortion (It's a child, not a choice). However, your lack of respect for the lives of other humans is just as vile. I would imagine you are a rich right wing evolutionist. Am I correct, Mr Scrooge?

[Tim]

What an odd thing to say. I am stonished that you start this post with "most people agree that"

This is a hypothetical situation but I like to believe that if you did have to kill someone most people would not consider Nationality as a deciding factor in who.

You would probably kill the one who had the least to live for, or the most annoying.

Am I naive or are people realy that nationalistic, or does this aply only to Americans?

[Steven McDaniel]

"Really, though, the correct answer depends on why they are being killed. For instance, were I a citizen of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, I would rather see my own countrymen die and my horribly repressive government fall than see citizens of free democracies die and their government fall (of course, I would attempt to leave my country were it in such a state, as many people of good morals did in the 20th Century)." Tall Dave

Only one flaw in that argument, Dave. The ingenious liberals in the west have figured out that under Bush we have the same repressive regime as with Hitler and Stalin. I'm packing my bags for China right now, actually. I'll e-mail you from there.

[Kevin Kunreuther]

Nov 14, 1940: The Coventry Blitz - 568 civilians killed
Feb 13, 1945: The Firebombing of Dresden - approx. 135,000 civilian casualties (not including refugees, prisoners of war, enslaved Jews, homosexuals, Roma or Gypsies).
In 1973, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, an imprisoned American combatant and survivor of Dresden bombing, dryly remarked he was the only person who profited from the destruction of Dresden (sales, advances and movie rights, etc from novel, Slaughterhouse Five) - he got three dollars for every dead person in the city. "Some business I'm in," he added ruefully.

From the senseless retributions being committed these days,
what profiteers behind such atrocities will stand up and be as candid Mr Vonnegut,Jr?

[Geoff R]

The only reason I would choose a foreigner is because I am Canadian, and we Canadians are smart, eh?

If I lived in the US I'd choose an American. Sorry guys.

However a human is a human. I would kill as few humans as I could.

[Rick]

Killing is wrong. (period)

[The Sound of KOINK]

Canadians named Larry first. Not much good for anything but cowardice and cheap shots.