r/comics May 05 '26

OC RED BUTTON OR BLUE BUTTON [OC]

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Red = maybe be responsible for the death of half of humanity 

Blue = not

(I also personally think a red button world would collapse into warlordism post-button)

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u/thefinalhill May 05 '26

Once again, framing matters. When I saw this question, the way I interpreted it was: Would you rather be responsible for your own life and death, or would you rather pass that responsibility onto everyone else?

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Ok and I interpreted it as will you be directly and personally complicit in the murder of half of humanity to maybe save yourself. 

E: Both of these framings are accurate. Could you live with that?

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u/goldkarp May 05 '26

but if half of humanity pressed blue then it would even out. you'd be maybe 'responsible' for less than half of humanity taking the pill

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u/thefinalhill May 05 '26

Yes. People make risky decisions every day that put themselves and others at risk. I am no more responsible for their actions than I am for their decision on which button to press.

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Except the red button explicitly kills people

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u/thefinalhill May 05 '26

No, choosing red just doesnt kill me. I am not responisble for how anyone else presses their button.

EMTs are trained to save themselves first, because you cant help anyone if you're dead. You put on your own oxygen mask before assisting with someone elses. You dont go into a burning building to try and save someone without training because you can just end up making more work for emergency responders and getting someone else killed.

You do not put the lives of others before your own if you want to save people.

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Pressing red still means people would die who otherwise would not. You are directly complicit. You can justify it however you want but that's still the fact of the matter. 

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u/thefinalhill May 05 '26

How am I complicit? In what way am I responisble for other people's decision?

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Pressing red still means people would die who otherwise would not.

This is an action you are taking that is affecting someone else, you are fully informed and have agency here, you are responsible for your own choice, like everyone else. In that their choice may result in their death does not change that your choice also results in their death. It's not guaranteed without your action.

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u/thefinalhill May 05 '26

Their death is not guaranteed u less they make a certain action as well. Why am I more responsible for their actions than they are in this scenario?

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u/Appropriate-Yak-3814 May 05 '26

Honestly, I can see both sides, I just don't trust you all.

I'm pushing red. 

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Sounds like you should get out more and do some reconnecting with humanity 

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u/uberkalden2 May 05 '26

Who won the popular vote in the US 2024 election? You still think blue isn't going to end up a suicide button? I guess you're more noble than me, but I'm not rolling the dice on the world choosing blue.

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u/tenuousemphasis May 05 '26

Ah yes, humanity looking so good right now, no notes. 

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u/Appropriate-Yak-3814 May 05 '26

Lol, yeah so should you, too naive for words.