Ethics [Thursday, January 26, 2012, 1st period]

[sith_happened]

One of the occupational hazards of living with a politcal blogger was being forced to sit through the State of the Union address for a country Anakin cared about but, let's be frank, wasn't overly emotionally invested in.

At least it helped to come up with his next discussion in Ethics class?

"Hello, class," he said, beginning to speak once the speakers stopped broadcasting Chloe's radio. "Today we're going to talk about the ethics involved with money. Are there things that money shouldn't buy--elections, perhaps, or people? Do those sorts of transactions happen in your dimension anyway?"

Comments

Mingle Before Class [1/26]

[sith_happened]

For small talk before Anakin arrives.

Sign in [1/26]

[sith_happened]

Like someone's trying to harvest your kidneys!

Re: Sign in [1/26]

[forhisfriends.livejournal.com]

Simon Bellamy

Re: Sign in [1/26]

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

Stacey McGill

Listen to the lecture [1/26]

[sith_happened]

Short as it is.

Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

"Are there things that money shouldn't buy--elections, perhaps, or people? Do those sorts of transactions happen in your dimension anyway?"

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"There are a lot of things money shouldn't buy," Gabrielle said firmly. "Definitely not elections, not people's spiritual devotion, and --"

It had been a long time ago, but she hadn't forgotten that she'd met Xena when Xena had rescued her and some of the girls of her village from a gang of slavers, so a haunted look flashed through her eyes for a moment.

"Absolutely not people. Sad to say all of those happen at home, though."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

"Mine too," he replied with a tiny, sympathetic smile. "Do you think there's any way to stop such exploitation?"

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[cant-be-helped.livejournal.com]

Dorothy at least had read enough of the history (or in her case, future history) book to feel like she knew enough to answer the question.

"It's hard to stop an election from being bought," she said. "But absolutely, people shouldn't be bought as if they were livestock. They're people, they deserve much better than that."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

"I'll ask you the same thing I asked Gabrielle, then," Anakin replied. "Can you think of any way that would discourage people from trafficking in people?"

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[hurtingzeebo]

"Let's test this theory," Sam decided. "Everyone give me all your money."

Sam should never be put in charge of anything.

Ever.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

Anakin snorted. "I don't have any, but good try."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"Is any dimension where money's never used to buy all those?" Kate wondered aloud. "It shouldn't be, and is. It's better here than it is at home I think, but seems to me there's always a darker side of humanity. However shiny it all looks on the surface."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "I lived in a galaxy that had figured out interstellar flight ten thousand years before I was born, and we still had slavery. I don't know if it's something that's just inherently broken in our makeup, to take advantage of the weaker among us."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

Jim chewed on his hip for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Anything that could affect the health or freedoms of others, I guess. Elections, people, like you said," he ventured. "I'm not aware of anything like that happening back home, but... space is a pretty big place, you know? I'm sure stuff like that happens everywhere, it's just that some places are better at hiding it than others."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

Jim must be very bendy!

"At home, it wasn't something that happened near the Inner Rim or Core planetary systems," he said. "It was in the Outer Rim, where law enforcement was lax to non-existent."

Answer the hypothetical question [1/26]

[sith_happened]

"In many developing countries, it is possible to buy a kidney for a few thousand dollars. The seller is often very poor and needs the money to support himself or his family. Is it morally permissible to buy his kidney? Should the sale of organs from living adults be illegal?"

Talk amongst yourselves, kids!

Re: Answer the hypothetical question [1/26]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"My dimension, it happens in America," Kate shared. Not just for kidneys, either. You could get thousands handing your whole body over for necromancy. "There's a market for anything, if you're desperate enough."

"In a perfect world people shouldn't have to. But if it's the only way to get by, it's the only way to get by." She would never do it, but she'd known people who had. "Sometimes it's better than the alternative."

Talk to the TAs [11/26]

[sith_happened]

Who are probably not planning to harvest your organs.

Re: Talk to the TAs [11/26]

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle wasn't into organ-harvesting, thanks. For one, it was gross, and for two, it was way too violent.

Re: Talk to the TAs [11/26]

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

Yeah, add Jim to the list of people who really wasn't all that big on the buying and selling of people and their assorted parts.

Talk to Anakin [1/26]

[sith_happened]

Who's also not planning on harvesting your organs.

OOC

[sith_happened]

Ugh. How have I been awake for four hours already?

Re: OOC

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

So we actually had a discussion at work the other day about this, and whether we'd actually sell our kidneys for the $10,000 average that people get.

It then led to talk of whether any of the people buying kidneys were ones that had sold them and figured out that they needed it later.

Re: OOC

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

I'm jealous of your work conversations.