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“I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

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Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#41

Post by temporama1 »

mandelken wrote: post #31
243462 wrote: post #13

>i don't remember what it was exactly that he said after that but he explained to us the value of considering the ethics of the software you're writing prior to writing it, and it was one of the most impactful things i ever learned in school, period How is the US having accurate weapons unethical? These hypocrites never seem all that concerned about the war-making capacity of China, Russia, Iran, or other rogue state…

It is unethical because the US is the only country to have used the atomic bomb and by far the largest missile threat all over the planet today. In contrast, Iran, China and Russia do not on a daily basis assassinate civilians with missiles.

If the US disarmed and Iran, China and Russia were in charge, do you think the world would be better or worse?

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#43

Post by ardit33 »

the-dude wrote: post #32
gattis wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you kinda need some people to be making missiles in order for everyone else to have the luxury of being able to spend their efforts on education and culture. do you know of any countries without missiles? exactly.

Why is that? Has the US ever been seriously threatened on its terrority? These missiles are there to protect the economic hegemony.

oi... WW2 is not that far away.... japan attacked us soil.

Also, WW1, the US stayed away as much as it could, the eventually had to intervene as its ships started sinking

The point of having lots of weapons, is not to have to use them, but be credible threat to not have the other side dare to use their weapons on you.

Russia/Putin and China are developing hypersonic nuclear missiles. What is the US going to do about it? Sing, kumbaya and pray for world peace.... ?

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#44

Post by kevinmgranger »

243462 wrote: post #13

>i don't remember what it was exactly that he said after that but he explained to us the value of considering the ethics of the software you're writing prior to writing it, and it was one of the most impactful things i ever learned in school, period How is the US having accurate weapons unethical? These hypocrites never seem all that concerned about the war-making capacity of China, Russia, Iran, or other rogue state…

If you can find me a single, real person who genuinely thinks "maybe missiles are bad" doesn't apply universally, I'll eat my hat.

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#45

Post by zentiggr »

ewi_ wrote: post #11
hirundo wrote: post #6

As a former writer of telemarketing software it's nice to have missile guidance software developers that I can feel somewhat morally superior to. But in their defense at least missiles can be used in a non-evil way, but I'm not so sure about telemarketing software.

I am curious as to how missiles (or any weapon for that matter) could be used in "non-evil" way

Howitzers (retired/surplus military guns, before purpose built varities were designed) are used to clear snow accumulations and prevent catastrophic avalanches.

Charges that would be considered equivalent to land mines are used to implode buildings.

Demolition charge equivalents put out oil fires.

And any projectile or missile ever made can be fired in a purely defensive use, although that's more of a moral boundary than a benign usage per se.

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#46

Post by nawitus »

ewi_ wrote: post #11
hirundo wrote: post #6

As a former writer of telemarketing software it's nice to have missile guidance software developers that I can feel somewhat morally superior to. But in their defense at least missiles can be used in a non-evil way, but I'm not so sure about telemarketing software.

I am curious as to how missiles (or any weapon for that matter) could be used in "non-evil" way

Self-defense?

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#47

Post by [deleted] »

ewi_ wrote: post #11
hirundo wrote: post #6

As a former writer of telemarketing software it's nice to have missile guidance software developers that I can feel somewhat morally superior to. But in their defense at least missiles can be used in a non-evil way, but I'm not so sure about telemarketing software.

I am curious as to how missiles (or any weapon for that matter) could be used in "non-evil" way

[deleted]

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#48

Post by serjester »

jamestimmins wrote: post #20

Simply as an observation, it’s interesting that serving in the military is usually treated as honorable, but working at a defense contractor is viewed as unethical. I wonder why that is?

Skin in the game. A defense contractor shifts the risks of his job, excessive wars, to the public. A soldier does the exact opposite.

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#49

Post by watwut »

WalterBright wrote: post #34
andretti1977 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my opinion your defense of US is completely unacceptable and wrong but i don't want to start a discussion about that: i want you to consider that in general, it's better to spend energy, focus, money and any other constructive effort in creating something that helps people instead of something that kills people, even if you consider those people bad ones. It's better to spend efforts in education and culture inste…

Hitler started WW2 because he thought the other countries wouldn't fight or were incapable of fighting. His comment about invading the Soviet Union: "We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down." The way to make peace is to make sure it is not worthwhile for someone else to attack you.

Hitler started that way cause he wanted more space for Germans and also world domination.

Eventually, Hitler happened to lose that war with even negotiation being impossible. Generally, Hitler said something is pretty bad argument for anything, as that man said a lot of bullshit in his life.

Re: “I just woke up one morning and it struck me that I was a murderer. so I quit.”

#50

Post by iaw »

mandelken wrote: post #31
243462 wrote: post #13

>i don't remember what it was exactly that he said after that but he explained to us the value of considering the ethics of the software you're writing prior to writing it, and it was one of the most impactful things i ever learned in school, period How is the US having accurate weapons unethical? These hypocrites never seem all that concerned about the war-making capacity of China, Russia, Iran, or other rogue state…

It is unethical because the US is the only country to have used the atomic bomb and by far the largest missile threat all over the planet today. In contrast, Iran, China and Russia do not on a daily basis assassinate civilians with missiles.

If the US had not used the atomic bomb Japan would have been split with the Russians just like Germany. It was arguably, speaking realpolitik, the lesser of two evils.
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