A little thought experiment (13 Viewers)

Instate slavery?

  • Yes

  • No


Results are only viewable after voting.
Jun 26, 2007
2,706
#1
Seriously think about this before you answer, and please don't nitpick the details of this hypothetical situation as the fundamental question should be obvious.

Imagine your country is going through the biggest economical recession ever. Within a very short time period, you and everyone else in your country will become extremely poor, to the point where you can only afford one bread a day per person, have only one hour of cold running water per day etc... And it's going to stay like this for at least 100 years, with no possibility of economical recovery.

The only way out is to return enslaving foreign people of a different ethnicity, who live in a country on the other side of the world. Your goverment is holding a referendum on whether to install slavery. If it passes, everyone stays as wealthy as they are. If it doesn't pass you'll live in great poverty for the rest of your life.

For the purposes of this question we will assume that their will be no tangible downsides to slavery. No violence. No revolution. No recriminations from other countries. No affect on your afterlife. You aren't in any way related to any of the people who will become enslaved. The voting is of course completely anonymous. The only downside to voting for the slavery is that you are voting to do someting that is obviously wrong.

How would you vote on this referendum? Yes or no?

(someone pls add a poll, preferably anonymous)
 

Buy on AliExpress.com
Jun 13, 2007
7,233
#6
Definitely a No. It is a question of sacrificing human dignity, rights, freedom for the purpose of financial prosperity. I don't believe in slavery of any form should be permitted, not for any reason.
 
OP
Dinsdale
Jun 26, 2007
2,706
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread Starter #7
    I guess I should have picked a more extreme example, since you'd all have no problem giving up all of your comfort and wealth?
     
    Jun 13, 2007
    7,233
    #9
    I guess I should have picked a more extreme example, since you'd all have no problem giving up all of your comfort and wealth?
    Perhaps if you had said that without slavery, we would have a civil war in which hundreds of thousands of lives are killed. I suppose I would then have to go for the lesser extreme.


    Giving up wealth and comfort for human rights seems like a rather admirable way to go. Certainly the more morally justified way.
     
    OP
    Dinsdale
    Jun 26, 2007
    2,706
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread Starter #11
    I would feel bad about it, but I would probably vote yes. And I think at least 80% would vote yes.

    Of the guys who voted no so far, how many of you care where and how your pair of Nike shoes are made?
     

    Eddy

    The Maestro
    Aug 20, 2005
    12,644
    #14
    Perhaps if you had said that without slavery, we would have a civil war in which hundreds of thousands of lives are killed. I suppose I would then have to go for the lesser extreme.


    Giving up wealth and comfort for human rights seems like a rather admirable way to go. Certainly the more morally justified way.
    :agree:
     

    Martin

    Senior Member
    Dec 31, 2000
    56,913
    #16
    May I point out, despite your renouncement of petty nitpickers like me, that formulating the question is half the battle? If you want people to vote Yes you have to tell a different story. Make it appear as there is a great injustice to these people whose wealth will decline. I'm not a propagandist, so I'm not skilled to write this. But that's what you need to work on.
     

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