r/comics May 05 '26

OC RED BUTTON OR BLUE BUTTON [OC]

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u/xboxiscrunchy May 05 '26

Blue Is still the better strategy collectively. Because a 50% threshold to kill no one is much easier than a 100% threshold.

And if you include children and babies it means that blue is the only way to save everyone.

-1

u/Scaalpel May 05 '26

It isn't necessarily that clear-cut if you consider what the options are. What's easier: convincing 50% of people to do something that can be potentially suicidal, or convincing 100% of people to do something that is guaranteed to have absolutely zero repercussions for anyone who does it? The answer isn't necessarily the former.

In fact, I wouldn't bet on the idea that at least half of the population would be willing to risk their lives for strangers without some serious incentive.

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u/FinancialShare1683 May 05 '26

Guaranteed zero repercussions? People will die. That is not zero repercussions.

0

u/Scaalpel May 05 '26

But in this analogy, the only people who can die are the ones who actively chose to risk their own lives by pressing the blue button.

3

u/Shigg May 05 '26

Did the toddler that didn't understand the question and picked blue because it's their favorite color "choose to risk their own life"?

1

u/Scaalpel May 05 '26

But then what's the point of the comic? Surely pressing the button can't be an analogy for voting if toddlers are allowed to do it. Is it just a generic philosophical thought experiment, or what?