the box
 

Prompted by an advertisement for an upcoming movie...


You receive a box containing a button. A note accompanying the box informs you that pushing the button will have two consequences. First, someone in the world you don't know will die. Second, you'll receive $1,000,000.

Would you push the button?

oh hell yeah.



someone i don't know died while i was reading your post.

Could save a life with a lot less than $1M...

It's a direct rip-off from an episode of the newer "Twilight Zone" series. One of my favorite episodes.

And I would hope that I would not push the button. Especially after seeing the ending of the episode. :-)

BTW, if you want to know the ending, let me know. I don't know if it's the same as the film will be.

Yeah, but the person pushing the button is probably not the re-incarnation of Mother Teresa. Yep, folks are dying like flies even as we speak, but I'm not responsible for any of them that I'm aware of.

But the person dying could be a Charlie Manson...

Or Charlie Parker.

Or it could be a member of Congress, who has to decide if you get healthcare...

Which is why I have to go back to my initial reaction: of course I would not.

If I could pick who kicked it, it'd be different. No, I would never know if I killed someone awesome, someone who was dying anyway, someone who was horrible...so I could never choose the benefit to ME over the consequence, because I don't know who would be the dead result of the consequence.

Of course, the dead fucker wouldn't care, but the dead fucker might have some really nice family and friends.

just my .02 cents. ;)

Spoiler Alert***

DO NOT READ THE WHITED LETTERING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING!!!! (for the episode, anyway)


Keep in mind that the person who gave you the button and told you that someone you "don't know" will die is going to be taking that button back when your done and will be giving to someone who "doesn't know YOU!

No. No matter how you dress it up, it's still killing an innocent person -- at least innocent as far as you're concerned.

That was also one of the plots of the last Batman movie.

While I don't give two shits about anyone who isn't mine (by virtue of my loving them), there's a huge gap between refusing to help the guy who's on fire and setting the guy on fire.

I don't think I'd push that button.

Now that would be a helluva button, to reanimate and then off zombie Charlie Parker.

off zombie Charlie Parker
 

HA!

I'd push the button halfway, take my $500,000, and walk away guiltless.

Awesome, awesome episode.

I'd reverse-engineer the button.

Then, I'd use my powers for awesome!

I'd be sending "hisses" in morse code (.... .. ... ... . ...) with that baby for hours.

There are far too many humans, and I want to be rich. You got a problem with that? Just hold on a tick, I've got something for you... [press press press press]...


Nah, all BS. I would not press.

We knew that. ;)

I'd hit the button 5 times! gimme my 5 million, bitch!

a friend i posed this question to says:

:lol:

For those who would push ... how many times would you push?

One million isn't really enough. Two is scraping. But if you've already killed three or four random strangers, why worry about more?

I was thinking about this question, and it occured to me that the word 'know' should be defined before you make your decision.

What I mean is, what if it kills the old man who walks up the street to get his paper every day and gives you a wave as he goes by? You don't really 'know' him, but you do sort of 'know' him in a way, but not in any meaningful way.

So, are the people you see on the street safe, or are they fair game?

I wouldn't push the button by the way, regardless of the terms. I don't agree with capital punishment, so it'd make me a hypocrite if I'd kill someone for nothing wouldn't it.

You call a million bucks nothing?

It's just money. ;)

Of course, I meant the fact that they did nothing in particular to deserve me to kill them.

Suppose you, the button pusher were allowed multiple pushes. And what if each time you pushed the button, the chances would increase that you would kill someone you 'do' know.

In other words: first push...a stranger dies.

Second push: there's a one percent chance someone you know dies.

Third push: there's a two percent chance someone you know dies.

And so on...

For those who would push the button: what's the acceptable risk of losing a family member or friend to get another million, and another million, and another…

Ali said it all:

It's just money. Meaningless in the grand scheme...

"It's just money. Meaningless in the grand scheme..."
 

Indeed. Everything is meaningless in the grand scheme. And still folks grapple with 'shoulds' and 'woulds' and 'coulds'.

Declaring it 'just money' or 'meaningless' isn't relevant.

Why?

Because if such a button existed, some folks 'would' push it. As a result: people would die.

In the grand scheme, those folks (both the pushers and the 'recipients' of the push) are 'meaningless', but, to themselves, they're everything.

The pushers will never have meaning, will never feel anything meaningful. For lack of a better phrase, their priorities are all fucked up.

Unless of course, the pusher has a sick child and a million dollars would buy them all the best medical care.

Ah, there's the rub.

I might push it if I "knew" the person, but to do it to an unknown - no way.

Ah Haa!!!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734727/trivia

"The Twilight Zone" Profile in Silver/Button, Button (1986)

Richard Matheson's story for the "Button, Button" has been developed into a movie, The Box (2009/I), starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, and scheduled for release in 2009.

I'd push it.
I have a social conscience, but mostly I'm immoral.

I'd like £1m, and people die every day. Millions of them. Many could be prevented, especially deaths of children. If I didn't benefit, they'd die anyway - why is one deah worth more than another?

Taking Sundae's reasoning: I have the box, I push the button, someone close to Sundae drops dead.


Sundae, with a dead 'someone close' at your feet, can you still ask, 'why is one dea(t)h worth more than another?'

Objectively: you're absolutely right in the asking, of course.

But: right here, right now, we're talking not about a faceless stranger (an object), but one of 'yours' (a subject).

I net a million; you have a funeral to pay for.

Still feel cavalier?

#

"...people die every day. Millions of them. Many could be prevented, especially deaths of children."

As I pointed out up-thread: there's a big difference between refusing to put out the fire, and, starting the fire.

no.

I can't answer. some fucker pushed my button already :cry:


;)





No. No way, no how would I push that button. not even once for 5 million.

But, isn't that true whether you push the button or not?

"some fucker pushed my button already"
 

ZOMBIE!

Quick! Shoot it in the head!

How about if you push a button and someone you don't know gets Herpes?

Well in that case I'd push the button then pass it on. If we all have herpes, then no one will need to worry about catching it. ;)

This is better:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/44b...ton?rel=player

Is it any different if pressing the button causes the death of a random person who could be someone you know, or could even be you.

It seems fairer to me, to push it, if there is an equal chance that it will be me who dies.

What happens if you pull the button? cause there's always some fucker who pulls when it says push....

you die, and someone you dont know gets a million dollars.

Makes sense.:D

With my finger on the button, I'd take the whole kit and caboodle and go public with it. Then I'd charge people a dollar each to introduce themselves to me. Why settle for a measly million?

Brilliant!


Here's another variation:
If you press the button, there is a 50% chance that you will get very large amount of money, and someone randomly chosen will die, but also a 50% chance that you will die and someone randomly chosen will receive the money.

This is inspired by Rawls' social philosophy, in that an arrangement is "fair" only if you would agree to be a party to it without knowing what role in that arrangement you will play.

sexobama ftw

I just realized something. Push a button, somone you don't know dies and you get a million dollars...Isn't that what we call the insurance industry?

Yeah. And life insurance policies are now being bundled into tranches and sold off to investors... More massive, institutional players with an stake in your expeditious demise.

Oh no! It's the beginning of the insurance wars... Health insurance companies want you to die and life insurance companies want you to live.... who will reign supreme - highlights at eleven.:p

Life insurance companies can't do much to keep you alive. Health insurance companies can do everything to 'lower their costs' if you get sick.

You tell me who has more power -- who will win.

Life insurance is you betting you'll die, and the insurance company is betting you'll live.

Yes, I'd push the button.
Without hesitation.
And if the next person pushes the button and I die, so goes the circle of life.

I accept: It's a direct rip-off from an episode of the newer "Twilight Zone" series.