feotakahari

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People have been saying that conservatives are hypocrites, because years ago, they were against “death panels,” but now they’re fine with killing old people in order to reopen the economy. I think it’s actually the doctrine of double effect. Creating a panel that chooses to kill people is bad, but choosing to make money by incidentally causing deaths is A-OK!

The principle of double effect is based on the idea that there is a morally relevant difference between an “intended” consequence of an act and one that is foreseen by the actor, but not calculated to achieve his motive. So, for example, the principle is invoked to consider the terror bombing of non-combatants having as its goal victory in a legitimate war morally out of bounds, while holding as ethically in bounds an act of strategic bombing that similarly harms non-combatants with foresight as a side effect of destroying a legitimate military target.

“It wasn’t like I intended to blow up that orphanage! It just happened to be nearby!”

Seriously, someone introduce these fuckers to the concept of depraved indifference.