# You're the new Emperor of Earth...how many people would you kill? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198 "2010-02-01T03:21:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/41 "2010-02-01T18:59:03Z")
I wouldn’t ‘burn’ the world since it might wipe out a more suitable species from evolving and taking over later. Like termites. ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/42 "2010-02-01T20:10:38Z")
Only people who really piss me off. In other words 10 million+ easily. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/43 "2010-02-01T20:20:01Z")
If you’re not a Doper or a close personal friend, you’re toast. ---
**Author:** ![JerseyMarine2092](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@JerseyMarine2092](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyMarine2092)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/44 "2010-02-01T20:30:34Z")
I would just destroy any hint of Chaos. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/45 "2010-02-01T20:37:18Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I also like the idea of everyone who can’t play nice in society getting shipped off to an island where they can all be assholes to each other. Isn’t that how Australia started? ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/46 "2010-02-01T21:23:30Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > And if they didn’t want to go, would you use violence to force them? Clever question! I personally would not use violence. The goal would be to remove all violent people from those who preferred to live in relative harmony with others. To that end it may be necessary to be, ah, persuasive. Once the initial housecleaning were over, and it could get ugly for sure, one would hope the result would be that people wouldn’t want to see it repeated. Here’s where the question of what is “violent” comes into play. I prefer no bonking on heads although handcuffing and tying may be necessary. Perhaps a quick dose of a strong sedative as a _bon voyage_ gift? I wouldn’t consider restraint to necessarily be “violence.” I like a world where actions have natural consequences and people who violate natural laws see the folly of their choices by rebound. Actually I believe it would be quite troublesome to have power over a group of people and I’d be in hope that once the dirty work was done everyone could just go ahead and work the rest out by themselves. (Then I could get back to contemplating my navel.) That hopefulness is spurred by my observation that people who prefer to live without violence generally make efforts to do so. So I suppose there would have to be a lot of tiresome rules regarding the removal of people. It’s doubtful that, given a sociopathic nature, many would read them or interpret them properly. But it would be good to have the scheme set up in such a way that there would only be what could be interpreted as violence based on the resistor’s choices of action. Then there’ll have to be the salesmen - these guys would convince the violent folks that a move to a place where they could develop their own society and have the posibility of ruling by might and will is a good deal. That shouldn’t be too hard of a sell if you keep the one way ticket part in the small print. Ah, shucks, you hadda go and ask. Sigh. . . ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/47 "2010-02-01T21:29:14Z")
What? Way to overcomplicate things, OP specifically stated your word is law, your power unthinkable. Tell them to go to the island and they’ll start swimming. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/48 "2010-02-01T21:29:41Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Beyond people who piss me off personally, I think I’d open punishment for criminals up to voting by the general public via internet. Things could get really creative. > > I also like the idea of everyone who can’t play nice in society getting shipped off to an island where they can all be assholes to each other. > > ETA: With regard to the Asshole Island system, I’d issue paint guns and a limited number of paintballs with each car registration renewal. Get a certain number of asshole splashes on your car, and off to Asshole Island you go! There may be a way of redeeming yourself off the Island; I haven’t worked that part out yet. Okay. There’s my Minister of Harmony and Fairness ^ right there! I’d been wondering what to call the damnable place. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/49 "2010-02-01T21:34:21Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > How often would you reassess “average”? I think every other generation should be pretty good. I wouldn’t want it to be too often otherwise my population would start shrinking but if I allow two generations in there the population should remain stable. Of course the other option is that I maintain the original baseline and simple kill everyone who drops below. Say have everyone tested at 18 and if they pass they are allowed to integrate into society otherwise they are killed. There might be some problems with people getting attached to children only to see them killed but I think if we use the right people to start off it should be possible to keep the vast majority of people above the original baseline. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/50 "2010-02-01T21:37:25Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Isn’t that how Australia started? This is a question which puzzled me for quite a while. I wondered if Australia had a higher incidence of sociopathy because of it’s ignoble beginnings of European civility. One night I got one of those annoying telemarketing calls and, recognizing the accent as that of an Aussie, I made a deal - “I’ll listen to your spiel and spar with you a tad, giving you a chance to hone your skills, if you will answer a question for me when we are done.” So began some telephone fun at the expense of his company! And probably anyone who gets the expense included in their products. (See what goes on when no one is counting?) His response was that he didn’t think so, that most of the people who were sent to Australia were debtors, poor people, and not necessarily sociopathic. We can take his word for it if: 1. All telemarketers aren’t sociopathic. 2. If a sociopath can recognize the existence of sociopathy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/51 "2010-02-01T22:53:40Z")
Just the really out of control Hitler-types. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/52 "2010-02-01T23:02:45Z")
Those who wouldn’t accept my comprehensive economic stimulus and healthcare plan: “Yes, today begins a new order. Your lands, your possessions, your very lives, will gladly be given in tribute to me! In return for your obedience you will enjoy my generous protection. In other words you will be allowed to live.” Stalin, Mao, Hitler and Pol Pot would be simmering in their jealousy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/53 "2010-02-01T23:26:30Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > Okay. There’s my Minister of Harmony and Fairness ^ right there! > > I’d been wondering what to call the damnable place. Alright! I’ve got a job! “Minister of Harmony and Fairness” - I like the sounds of that. It sounds very euphemistic. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/54 "2010-02-02T00:22:40Z")
I’m kinda creeped out by the people voting in the middle. I mean, you’re either nonviolent, or you want to do some serious cleanup work. But who the hell has 10,000 people in mind? It’s like they’re going “I don’t really want to do any slaughtering…except of Greenland.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/55 "2010-02-02T00:30:46Z")
I haven’t been able to vote because all joking aside, I would not intend to kill anyone, but I don’t want to say never. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/56 "2010-02-02T01:33:21Z")
I voted for 10 million +, didn’t Robert Heinlein postulate that if the right 10% disappeared overnight, our world would become a near paradise? One would need God-Emperor like powers to pick the right ones, but that’s the package, isn’t it? On the other hand, if it was really me, then “Thems that dies’ll be the lucky ones!” ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/57 "2010-02-02T03:27:36Z")
Plus 100,000 I’d say: mainly terrorists, murderers, and drug dealers. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/58 "2010-02-02T04:09:02Z")
Just the Insurance Salesmen, Tired T.V. Producers, Public Relations Executives and Telephone Sanitizers, you know, basically the “middlemen” Oh, and lawbreakers, criminals, Televangelists, Telemarketers, computer virus writers, Politicians, and other undesireable jerks, prats and scumbags will get a free Permanent Vacation to my specially-designed “Zombie Island” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/59 "2010-02-13T04:26:28Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > I live in Ontario > > So it shall come to pass that there will be genocide committed against deer flys, mosquitos and seagulls. > > Billions and Billions will die > > Declan I see that your minions are getting ready and preparing… 🙂 > **[Innovation](https://www.zdnet.com/topic/innovation/)** > > ZDNET news and advice keep professionals prepared to embrace innovation and ready to build a better future. > [@](#): > > Myhrvold demonstrated the laser at the conference by releasing hundreds of mosquitoes into a glass tank in front of an audience. The laser tracked their movements and, one by one, shot them down, their bodies piled on the bottom of the tank. > > Myhrvold said the lasers can shoot between 50 and 100 mosquitoes per second, and using video playback, slowed down the demonstration for the audience to view. In the video, the mosquitoes are hit by a beam of light and disintegrate in a plume of smoke ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198/60 "2010-02-13T05:20:08Z")
Probably just hundreds. After The Conquest Absolute, my hands (or, more accurately, my bladed war gauntlets) would be soaked in blood. The week would already be charred husks crushed beneath the boots of my soldiers and the treads of my tanks, so there’s no need for a great culling. The leaders of the Old World Order would be the first to die, so there’s no need to worry about a resurgence from them. There shouldn’t more than a few hundred who survived The Conquest Absolute AND could possibly threaten me. Then we can step up our search for extra terrestrial intelligence… Humanity will write upon the universe it’s legacy. And that legacy shall be written in blood. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-the-new-emperor-of-earth-how-many-people-would-you-kill/527198.md?page=4)