# How far does the “My life or theirs” argument go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 12, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211 "2024-04-12T22:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/21 "2024-04-14T15:23:53Z")
How about killing, say, two hundred thousand civilians in order to stop the killing of millions of your own countrymen against a ruthless enemy? Many people thought it was the right choice but many people still question if it was necessary. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/22 "2024-04-14T17:46:46Z")
The government’s calculations in a war are very different from the calculations of individuals in non-wars. Your point is 100% valid in its milieu. I’m not sure it’s valid in what I think is the OP’s milieu. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/23 "2024-04-14T22:01:49Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > _Do_ most people believe that’s morally right , to kill someone who did nothing wrong to save yourself ? In movies like _Saw_ or _Cube_, there is often one person always out for the themselves to the disregard of other people’s safety. Would it be considered self-defense to take them out early know that through their actions you’re life will eventually be in danger, probably from them directly? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/24 "2024-04-14T22:13:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Your point is 100% valid in its milieu. I’m not sure it’s valid in what I think is the OP’s milieu. I think that Truman considered other options to the bomb in a much more personal way than just the commander in chief. While an entire complex government war machine created the bomb, it was his decision alone on wheter or not to use it in the manner that he did. The buck stopped with him. He will forever be known as the guy who dropped two atomic bombs on noncombatents in order to save the lives of his people. Thats kind of personal. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/25 "2024-04-14T22:42:22Z")
Self-defence covers someone attacking you now, definitely not some future, direct or indirect, danger. No pre-emptively taking someone out, at least legally speaking. Moral considerations may lead otherwise, depending on the exact circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/26 "2024-04-14T23:00:57Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Moral considerations may lead otherwise, depending on the exact circumstances. I mean, typically no one will blame you for assassinating Hitler, to take an extreme example… ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/27 "2024-04-15T00:35:43Z")
Before 1939 many people would blame you for assassinating the leader of a powerful country. Especially the German people, it would be an act of war. It was how WW1 started. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/28 "2024-04-15T00:52:55Z")
Goebbels would have been peeved, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/29 "2024-04-15T06:19:27Z")
> [@epbrown](#): > > Weirdly, for some writers it doesn’t even go that far Some real-life people, too. I wouldn’t deliberately kill someone, even in self defence. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/30 "2024-04-15T14:19:50Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > I mean, typically no one will blame you for assassinating Hitler, to take an extreme example… As long as you get the timing right. > **[Kill Hitler](https://xkcd.com/1063/)** > > Revised directive: It is forbidden for you to interfere with human history until you've at least taken a class on it. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211/31 "2024-04-15T14:24:08Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > At what point would it be morally better to sacrifice yourself or your loved ones because the alternative is costlier in human lives? If someone is trying to kill you or your family, it is no longer a matter of numbers. If a gang of 5 criminals with guns were breaking into my home, killing all 5 would be no better or no worse in my estimation than killing a single individual. “Violent criminal lives don’t matter”, is my slogan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-does-the-my-life-or-theirs-argument-go/1000211.md?page=1)