May 30, 2008: Uncontacted Indigenous People

[Flint]

Originally Posted by smoothmoniker

If we can't agree that a preventable death is a bad thing, then I'm reasonably certain that we have no meaningful common ground from which to discuss anything of importance.

You're so certain that your position is the correct one that you're not stopping to think about what I'm saying.

Is every preventable death the absolute right thing under every circumstance? Take a minute to ponder that.

What about a life unnaturally prolonged by life support machines or massive doses of toxic medications? What if the person is braindead? Then you have a QUALITY OF LIFE issue.

There is a trade-off to save that life. It isn't 100% right all the time; it isn't beyond discussion.

A "preventable death" means one thing to you, but it opens a big can of philosophical worms. Firstly, you can't prevent death. It's a part of life; there's a death for every birth. This is the natural order. You can DELAY death, but by what means? You will always bring about a set of related consequences.

The question is whether the trade-off is worth it, and you can only answer that question for yourself. You aren't a spokesperson for UNIVERSAL moral constructs.