Should you tell them they are about to die?

Would you tell then they were about to die?

  • Yes I woudl tell them ASAP

    Votes: 13 65.0%

  • No I would maintain their ignorance

    Votes: 6 30.0%

  • Don't know

    Votes: 1 5.0%
  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .
Quantum Quack

Quantum Quack

Life's a tease...
Valued Senior Member
Scenario:
You are the president of a world community.
Total population under your leadership is over 6 billion.
You have found out from a team of scientist that the entire plant was to explode due to an anomally at it's core in 24 hours. This is absolutely certain and only you and the team of loyal scientists know of this pending calamity.
There will be no evidence of the pending explosion....it will be sudden and complete
There is absolutely nothing that can be done to save any one.
You have 24 hours to go before you yourself face extinction.
.
edit: No Media leaks are possible.

The population is typically human as per current standards.

The question:
Do you tell the worlds population they will be dead in 24 hours from now? Or do you keep the population in ignorance?

What reasoning would you use to support your decision?

Care to discuss?
 
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No if there isnt anything that can be done and peoples survival wouldnt be helped by telling them i wouldnt. Let them dream it doesnt help to tell, also it would probably cause mass panic making the last few hrs even worse for people
 
No, I'd tell 'em ......and make 'em all suffer for that 24 hrs!

Besides, if I didn't tell 'em, it would leak to the news media and everyone on Earth would instantly blame it on Americans and President Bush (even if Bush weren't still the president!!).

Baron Max
 
would you think that it would be more ethical to inform people?
Do they deserve to have the time to make their peace or what ever they need to do?

Of course mass hysteria would make that difficult hey?
 
Baron Max said:
No, I'd tell 'em ......and make 'em all suffer for that 24 hrs!

Besides, if I didn't tell 'em, it would leak to the news media and everyone on Earth would instantly blame it on Americans and President Bush (even if Bush weren't still the president!!).

Baron Max
Click to expand...

No media leaks allowed in this scenario....sorry
 
I probably would end up not telling them, but only telling those I cared about. Everything would become complete chaos and total anarchy. Being president, I would probably be assassinated long before the 24 hours, and I'll be damn if anyone else is going to kill me. Then again, if that were to happen, I might end up becoming part of the chaos and would tell everyone and end up taking my own life. That's why I voted not sure.
 
SativaDiva said:
I probably would end up not telling them, but only telling those I cared about. Everything would become complete chaos and total anarchy. Being president, I would probably be assassinated long before the 24 hours, and I'll be damn if anyone else is going to kill me. Then again, if that were to happen, I might end up becoming part of the chaos and would tell everyone and end up taking my own life. That's why I voted not sure.
Click to expand...
It certainly woudl be a dillemma.

Possibly the timing of when you tell the world could be managed.
ie. announce a significant press conference to be held 60 minutes before zero hour.

Just a thought
 
there was a similar senario in the movie "on the beach", and they had to tell (oviously) and hand out poision pills (because it was radiation killing everyone not a masive explosion). I guess if it was going to happen i would want to know so that i could spend the time with those i care about but i would still proably not tell because of the risk of panic and making things worse for the people
 
Asguard said:
there was a similar senario in the movie "on the beach", and they had to tell (oviously) and hand out poision pills (because it was radiation killing everyone not a masive explosion). I guess if it was going to happen i would want to know so that i could spend the time with those i care about but i would still proably not tell because of the risk of panic and making things worse for the people
Click to expand...

Yes it was an interesting film, but of course they had considerably more time to prepare.....

I guess that is another thing. If you were president and decided to not to tell would you tell any one? wife husband, children etc?
 
I doubt that anyone could stop themselves telling there partner but no i wouldnt tell my children if they were still young, i would give them a hug and tell them i love them ect. Oh and i would shoot up on every drug i could think of just to try them:p
 
Oh B\W that movie still scares me to death because i used to live in melb and i have BEEN everywhere that was shown in that movie, i have stood on the steps of state parliment where they were giving out the posion pills, i have been to the gallery, i have ridden around sandown racetrack and i think i was even on those clifs where they watched the sub go out to sea

That was in the remake B\W
 
Yes, I would tell everyone for even if the media doesn't "leak" the information some of the scientists would. Even if no leaks were possible I'd still let everyone know for I'd think it would be only fair to do so that people could be where they want or say their goodbyes to whomever they want. By holding back the truth wouldn't be a fair thing to do, in my opinion.
 
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what if it caused people to go on a rape rampage? or beating people up? (who cares about crimes on property or self when the world will end) i mean sure some people would just get shoot and oh well its quick but alot of people would be in MORE pain than if they didnt know wouldnt they. There would be no way to stop them doing it because at that point even the law enforcement and millatry would probably join in wouldnt they? why not there will be no punishment to keep them in line
 
cosmictraveler said:
Yes, I would tell everyone for even if the media doesn't "leak" the information some of the scientists would. Even if no leaks were possible I'd still let everyone know for I'd think it would be only fair to do so that people could be where they want or say their goodbyes to whomever they want. By holding back the truth wouldn't be a fair thing to do, in my opinion.
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As far as I can tell there is at least one aspect that would be needed to be considered.
Given the curcumstances each and every person is about to face something that they alone have to experience, even if they are with family or foe.
It is sort of "well if thats the way people are going to behave then thats the way they will behave sort of thing. Death being an ultimate equaliser.

If some people went on a rampage etc this is just some of humanity doing what it does.

To tell the world the truth would mean that at least most people would have time to make their peace, Sure some would go crazy etc but I would think that would be the minority and certainly not the majority.

Would you avoid telling the truth just because of a minority?

Do the majority in this case have any right to know?

BTW I have not voted and have no fixed position on this subject....trying to keep an open mind and all that......
 
I don't see how you can advocate NOT telling the people? I mean, if you do, then aren't you also giving justification for politicians to keep OTHER things from people whenever THEY decide? See? Right now, if we catch politicians lying to us, we all go into horrid fits of rage .....yet some of you are advocating exactly that, aren't you. Strange, huh?

As to rampage and killing and looting and rape and ....., so what? All of the people will be dead in a few hours, what difference does it make?

Baron Max
 
its not the killing or looting thats the problem

its the rapes and beatings and torcher. I agree baron thats exactly what the pollys decide to do when they have no right but this is a little more exstream dont you think? and for aguments sake what if you tell everyone and it turns out to be WRONG?
 
Asguard said:
and for aguments sake what if you tell everyone and it turns out to be WRONG?
Click to expand...

Then everyone on Earth will blame President Bush ...even if he's been dead for a thousand years!! ;=)

Seriously, however, why would someone/anyone tell something like that if they didn't "know" for pretty damned sure? Besides, I think the original topic post was that they knew for sure, right?

But then, if I told everyone that the sky is falling, would they believe it?

Baron Max
 
i would tell people that there was a fair chance of the event happening, that way people would make peace with their Gods, spirits, friends and the like. but they would (for the most part) still think of the consequences of looting and rioting etc
 
Hmm.. I actually can't decide... I guess another question would be if our planet was going to explode in 24hrs, would anything still matter?

I'm guessing that's what people going to ask themselves before looting, destroying, killing, raping.. And just going crazy in any possible way.
 
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sony said:
Hmm.. I actually can't decide... I guess another question would be if our planet was going to explode in 24hrs, would anything still matter?

I'm guessing that's what people going to ask themselves before looting, destroying, killing, raping.. And just going crazy in any possible way.
Click to expand...

It is interesting for me to see that so many would expect that knowing that you are going to die would tear down all our self restraint and self inhibitions. Leading to rape and looting mahem etc.

Would you rape and pillage and generate chaos if you knew you were going to die in 24 hours?
Would only knowing 1 hour was left be any different?
 
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