South American Execution Exercise - Historum

**Toltec** · November 21st, 2009, 06:08 AM

You are on holiday travelling around South America when you come to a small village in a particularly repressive regime. There has been a protest against the government and the police have rounded the entire population of the village in the square. They have picked 10 villagers completely at random and going to make an example of them. They have lined them up against the wall an are about to shoot them when you arrive.

The police chief sees you and says this village gets so few visitors he is going to extend a special honour to you. Instead of shooting 10 villages the police chief offers you his pistol and says if you choose one villager and execute him yourself he will spare the other nine. However if you decline the offer he will go ahead and shoot the 10 villagers.

Do you take up his offer?

(presume for this example there is no comeback and if you take his offer you will not be prosecuted in any way, also the gun only has a couple of rounds in it and there are 40 heavily armed police so no hope of fighting)

Rudy · November 21st, 2009, 06:36 AM

Hmm if its take one life to save nine others. I think I would do it presuming I'm not going to jail and I get to pick. I would just pick the oldest person out of the ten and then shoot the said person so the nine youngest can live; as messed up as that is but in a way that person died for everybody else. What would you do Toltec?

Wobomagonda · November 21st, 2009, 06:38 AM

I can't wait for someone to say that they would shoot themselves in front on the general to send him a message.

**Belisarius** · November 21st, 2009, 08:06 AM

Is the police chief a member of the village....?

pinguin · November 21st, 2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toltec

You are on holiday travelling around South America when you come to a small village in a particularly repressive regime. There has been a protest against the government and the police have rounded the entire population of the village in the square. They have picked 10 villagers completely at random and going to make an example of them. They have lined them up against the wall an are about to shoot them when you arrive.

The police chief sees you and says this village gets so few visitors he is going to extend a special honour to you. Instead of shooting 10 villages the police chief offers you his pistol and says if you choose one villager and execute him yourself he will spare the other nine. However if you decline the offer he will go ahead and shoot the 10 villagers.

Do you take up his offer?

(presume for this example there is no comeback and if you take his offer you will not be prosecuted in any way, also the gun only has a couple of rounds in it and there are 40 heavily armed police so no hope of fighting)

Could you please tell me in which South American country this happens today? Or you just see too much "gringo" movies?

The only "repressive" regimes are those that are shooting drug dealers, right now. And the only gringos that I know get involved in such situations are those that come to the region to sale, buy or transport drugs. There are many, indeed.

wittgenstein · November 21st, 2009, 08:17 AM

I would shoot the one person.
This reminds me of this video.

YouTube - candid camera

**galteeman** · November 21st, 2009, 08:22 AM

It is impossible that any right thinking person would go on holiday in such a kip as South America.

**Toltec** · November 21st, 2009, 08:33 AM

My answer is that as long and hard as I have thought about it I can't come up with a decision. I would take the third path of Um!

However the question is flawed, it presumes people are consistant. I could argue it depends what mood I'm in at that particular moment, weather it's sunny or raining, what colour uniforms are the police wearing?

Wittgenstein and Rudy, I can now accuse you of playing at God. What gives you the right? and does this make you any better than the police?

pinguin · November 21st, 2009, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galteeman

It is impossible that any right thinking person would go on holiday in such a kip as South America.

Don't believe ignorants like Toltec, and don't become one fo them

.

wittgenstein · November 21st, 2009, 08:35 AM

Not making a decision is still making a decision.* What about commanders in war that must sacrifice some of their men so that the others can have a safe retreat?
Unfortunately, life is brutal and decisions must be made.

* In the case given by the OP, the decision to not make a decision is the decision that 10 lives are not more valuable than one.