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-   -   the box (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=21165)

henry quirk 10-13-2009 11:31 AM

the box
 
Prompted by an advertisement for an upcoming movie...


You receive a box containing a button. A note accompanying the box informs you that pushing the button will have two consequences. First, someone in the world you don't know will die. Second, you'll receive $1,000,000.

Would you push the button?

lumberjim 10-13-2009 11:34 AM

oh hell yeah.



someone i don't know died while i was reading your post.

Undertoad 10-13-2009 11:44 AM

Could save a life with a lot less than $1M...

Sheldonrs 10-13-2009 11:53 AM

It's a direct rip-off from an episode of the newer "Twilight Zone" series. One of my favorite episodes.

And I would hope that I would not push the button. Especially after seeing the ending of the episode. :-)

BTW, if you want to know the ending, let me know. I don't know if it's the same as the film will be.

SamIam 10-13-2009 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad (Post 600846)
Could save a life with a lot less than $1M...

Yeah, but the person pushing the button is probably not the re-incarnation of Mother Teresa. Yep, folks are dying like flies even as we speak, but I'm not responsible for any of them that I'm aware of.

Shawnee123 10-13-2009 12:14 PM

But the person dying could be a Charlie Manson...

Sheldonrs 10-13-2009 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnee123 (Post 600855)
But the person dying could be a Charlie Manson...

Or Charlie Parker.

Pie 10-13-2009 12:31 PM

Or it could be a member of Congress, who has to decide if you get healthcare...

Shawnee123 10-13-2009 12:35 PM

Which is why I have to go back to my initial reaction: of course I would not.

If I could pick who kicked it, it'd be different. No, I would never know if I killed someone awesome, someone who was dying anyway, someone who was horrible...so I could never choose the benefit to ME over the consequence, because I don't know who would be the dead result of the consequence.

Of course, the dead fucker wouldn't care, but the dead fucker might have some really nice family and friends.

just my .02 cents. ;)

Sheldonrs 10-13-2009 12:40 PM

Spoiler Alert***

DO NOT READ THE WHITED LETTERING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING!!!! (for the episode, anyway)


Keep in mind that the person who gave you the button and told you that someone you "don't know" will die is going to be taking that button back when your done and will be giving to someone who "doesn't know YOU!

dar512 10-13-2009 12:42 PM

No. No matter how you dress it up, it's still killing an innocent person -- at least innocent as far as you're concerned.

Undertoad 10-13-2009 12:44 PM

That was also one of the plots of the last Batman movie.

henry quirk 10-13-2009 12:52 PM

While I don't give two shits about anyone who isn't mine (by virtue of my loving them), there's a huge gap between refusing to help the guy who's on fire and setting the guy on fire.

I don't think I'd push that button.

smoothmoniker 10-13-2009 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs (Post 600863)
Or Charlie Parker.

Now that would be a helluva button, to reanimate and then off zombie Charlie Parker.

henry quirk 10-13-2009 01:21 PM

off zombie Charlie Parker
 
HA!


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