Another moral question - hypothetical

mattyg · 24 May 2013 at 23:12

Gooner Leroy said:
Or kill every fat person to prevent them from getting heart disease?

OI **** off. I'm trying to get thin don't kill me before I manage it

Orionaut · 24 May 2013 at 23:20

D.P. said:
The number one killer in the world is heart disease, should we just kill everyone with a heart condition to save them from dying..... I am very confused at the OP

Heart disease cannot (As far as I know) be passed on to other people.(#)

Every person with HIV caught it from somebody else.

Every body who dies from HIV dies because they caught it from somebody else!

The longer that people with HIV are kept alive (without actually curing them) the more people are likely to be infected and who will ultimately die!

In the absence of a cure, Killing everybody currently carrying HIV would almost certainly ultimately save many millions of lives! (The alternative would be a rigorous isolation/quarantine policy)

Ultimately this is an "Is it morally acceptable to kill James to save John?" question. Or more to the point, Is it morally acceptable to Kill "James" in order to prevent the deaths of dozens, hundreds or thousands of other people in the future!

As something of a utilitarian I would prefer a cure (A proper cure that leaves people alive, healthy, and non-infectious) but in the absence of that, pushing the button is a pretty good second option!

(#AIUI there are actually a few viral theories floating around)

Nitefly · 24 May 2013 at 23:25

Orionaut said:
Every person with HIV caught it from somebody else.

Including their parents, I suppose so.

Rofflay · 24 May 2013 at 23:30

No i would set it under your seat cushion and watch you sit on it and press the button yourself.

PWND!

Xordium · 24 May 2013 at 23:32

Orionaut said:
Every body who dies from HIV dies because they caught it from somebody else!

But you don't die from getting HIV you die from the complications it causes most people die from pneumonia so surely then we should kill everyone who has ever had a chest infection.

Orionaut · 24 May 2013 at 23:43

Xordium said:
But you don't die from getting HIV you die from the complications it causes most people die from pneumonia so surely then we should kill everyone who has ever had a chest infection.

You can "treat" pneumonia. (People either get better or die)

HIV is in itself an infectious condition that cannot (as yet) be cured that prevents people from defending themselves from (more or less) routine infections that most other people can actually completely recover from.

there is another aspect to this!

Anybody remember "Touchwood Miracle day"!

Actively maintaining a significant population of incurable people carrying long term infections that can only be held at bay by the use of aggressive hi-tech medical intervention represents a serious risk of producing treatment resistant diseases.

So people with HIV might even, ultimately, end up killing people who don't even have it! (And may all ready be doing so!)

[FnG]magnolia · 24 May 2013 at 23:46

Orionaut said:
stuff

When debating with someone you don't know it can be hugely helpful to understand their background which, whilst not directly related to the question posed, might still put them in a strongly advantageous position.

Orionaut · 24 May 2013 at 23:53

[FnG]magnolia;24339591 said:
When debating with someone you don't know it can be hugely helpful to understand their background which, whilst not directly related to the question posed, might still put them in a strongly advantageous position.

I am sure it can! Enlighten me.

deanolfc · 24 May 2013 at 23:55

Yes. Thank You Please.

Nymins · 24 May 2013 at 23:56

Macky said:
No. Something worse would probably form, HIV2 or something.

Flying aids?

[FnG]magnolia · 25 May 2013 at 00:00

Orionaut said:
I am sure it can! Enlighten me.

I believe the chap you last quoted is likely to have a better grasp of Health than you.

Nymins said:
Flying aids?

Beads?!

Castiel · 25 May 2013 at 00:42

Is this going to turn into a 'kill all the gays' discussion?

Castiel · 25 May 2013 at 00:42

[FnG]magnolia;24339649 said:
I believe the chap you last quoted is likely to have a better grasp of Health than you.

By a country mile I suspect.

Castiel · 25 May 2013 at 00:44

[FnG]magnolia;24339515 said:
Yes but only if it affected brown people, none of our white brothers.

Hallelujah brother.....hold on, does that include partially red people, and in which bit...white or brown?

Destination · 25 May 2013 at 00:46

cm1179 said:
how come you're not sure on the 5th?

I think he is dead.
Not from aids, from other causes, but I am not certain if it was him or his brother who died.

Feef · 25 May 2013 at 03:08

[FnG]magnolia;24339649 said:
Beads?!

I enjoyed this.

On topic: No.

Tefal · 25 May 2013 at 03:17

Castiel said:
By a country mile I suspect.

he may be a little pompous at times but he is usually good on his health facts and rarely twisting them.for a point

Efour · 25 May 2013 at 04:34

KILL ALL THE GAYS

send them back

no i wouldn't because we will cure it in the next 20 years anyway. I would press it to randomly kill millions of people though cos im not right in the head, bro.

Energize · 25 May 2013 at 04:47

Macky said:
No. Something worse would probably form, HIV2 or something.

HIV-2 actually already exists.

Turambar · 25 May 2013 at 06:41

RichIbizaSport said:
If a button existed which could instantly kill everyone on the planet carrying the HIV virus, eradicating it entirely, would you press it? This could well include yourself or your family.

According to the most recent estimates from the WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, 34 million people around the world had HIV in 2010. This figure includes 16.8 million women and 3.4 million children under age 15.

1.7 million die a year from AIDS-related illnesses in 2011.

http://www.who.int/gho/hiv/en/

This won't fix the fridges full of HIV virus stored in labs around the world. Or contaminated blood thats managed to find it's way into blood banks. Poor solution.