61 réponses à ce sujet

[Simfam]

Depends.

 

Is my LI part of the squad?

 

And if she isn't.

 

Will she hate me forever if I do?

[God]

Will I be court Martialed? If no, then I give the order.

 

Court-martial simply means that you're facing a review, a trial before your superiors and peers. 

 

For it to actually be bad, you have to get convicted. Also, it depends on the level of court-martial. There's general, and then there's criminal.

[Dominus]

Come on bro don't make me choose



I'm leaning towards Fidite's I-Need-Better-Context. If we're going with a simple "Would I sacrifice soldiers to save lives or achieve victory", I'd say yes. To what extent depends on the details. I'm a pragmatist, but not devoid of humanity.

[Elhanan]

Yeah, they weed those types out real quick in most officer training. 
 
We define 'no-wins' differently than Kirk does (mission accomplished, no casualties'
 
The more appropriate question for an officer is to ask oneself whether or not they're spending lives or wasting them. You're going to cause suffering and pain. The question is whether or not you will make that suffering and pain worthwhile or not. Does it have a purpose? Does it have an outcome that leaves you better off than before? 
 
Pain, suffering and death are not always preventable. Nor is it a good thing to always seek the immediate negation or marginalization for it. It's all about the big picture.

Good thing I was an NCO then. Never say never....

[spinachdiaper]

I would assume your commanding officers wouldn't inform you that the mission is suicide. I mean the Vietnam War happened that way.

[Elhanan]

I would assume your commanding officers wouldn't inform you that the mission is suicide. I mean the Vietnam War happened that way.

One should not assume, esp if having served in the military.

[Big Magnet]

The question is this:Lets say you command a small group of young soldiers.

You are their commander.You must send those soldiers to certain death.

Their sacrifice is just a distraction for the attack of main force.

They have no chance of survival.

Question:will you give the order?

Yes.

 

I wasn't put in command for being warm and caring. I was put there for getting the job done. And I'm sure the soldiers too.

[Degenerate Rakia Time]

the real moral question - should i have sex with my best friend's wife?

[Big Magnet]

OP has PTSD

[MayCaesar]

I might be weird, but I absolutely do not share the idea of sacrificing few to save many. I don't see how a larger group of people is more important than another smaller group of people. Ideal scenario: you save everyone. Worst scenario: you lose everyone and die yourself. Everything in between I see as an equal scale of tragedy, and I do not see how it is possible to seriously trade some lives for others. I mean, I would sacrifice myself if it saved, say, my family, without a second thought... But sacrificing others' lives - I cannot make this choice for them.

 

So, I think, here is what I would do: I would explain the situation to my soldiers and inform them that they have a choice: whether to follow the order or not. I wouldn't demand that one sacrifices his life, it would be a murder in my book. If soldiers themselves accepted their fate and agreed to make the sacrifice, then I would send them to their death with a heavy heart, but clear consciousness. If not... well, I am not the one to say that their lives are less important. I would try to get the job done with whoever agreed on the sacrifice. Still, regardless of the result, I would probably become a nervous wreck after such an experience. It isn't some virtual Virmire, it is a real life with real people. Knowing that my actions lead to deaths of soldiers under my command... I am not sure I could handle it.

[Degenerate Rakia Time]

I might be weird, but I absolutely do not share the idea of sacrificing few to save many. I don't see how a larger group of people is more important than another smaller group of people. Ideal scenario: you save everyone. Worst scenario: you lose everyone and die yourself. Everything in between I see as an equal scale of tragedy, and I do not see how it is possible to seriously trade some lives for others. I mean, I would sacrifice myself if it saved, say, my family, without a second thought... But sacrificing others' lives - I cannot make this choice for them.

 

So, I think, here is what I would do: I would explain the situation to my soldiers and inform them that they have a choice: whether to follow the order or not. I wouldn't demand that one sacrifices his life, it would be a murder in my book. If soldiers themselves accepted their fate and agreed to make the sacrifice, then I would send them to their death with a heavy heart, but clear consciousness. If not... well, I am not the one to say that their lives are less important. I would try to get the job done with whoever agreed on the sacrifice. Still, regardless of the result, I would probably become a nervous wreck after such an experience. It isn't some virtual Virmire, it is a real life with real people. Knowing that my actions lead to deaths of soldiers under my command... I am not sure I could handle it.

i actually would have no issues sacrificing the many to save the few, as long as we are talking about a few that i cared about, i would gladly kill every person on this planet if it meant saving one i care about