The Box - what would you do?

[Graham Kennedy]

So there's a new movie out which is a remake of a Twilight Zone episode (or maybe Outer Limits... one of those anyway).

The premise is that there's a couple who are a bit short of cash. Struggling to keep their house, living paycheck to paycheck. Then one day a box turns up with a large button on top of it and a mysterious message : if you push the button, two things will happen. One, you will be given one million dollars. Two, somewhere in the world, a person whom you do not know will die.

So would you push it? And if not for a million, how about ten million? A hundred million?

Incidentally I guess this works best if you don't know the ending to the story, which is this :

The couple push the button and the box works exactly as advertised, they get their million. But the kicker is, the box is then passed on to somebody else in the same situation - and the person who pushed the button then becomes the "somebody you don't know" for the next person.

But for the purposes of the discussion, let's assume that that is not an issue this time.

[Deepcrush]

While I'm very very very tempted. I'm going to say no. I don't think I can take the easy way out of a problem knowing that there could be someone who has to pay the price for me.

[Nickswitz]

While I'm very very very tempted. I'm going to say no. I don't think I can take the easy way out of a problem knowing that there could be someone who has to pay the price for me.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat, I don't care who it may be, they shouldn't die because I want to take the easy way out.

[Nutso]

Not sure I could live with someone dying so I could get a bailout.

[Reliant121]

The materialistic temptation of the money is insanely strong. However, I really don't think I could have a person's life on my conscience.

[Graham Kennedy]

Curious that one person voted yes... but didn't say why...

I vote no. I don't think I could have it on my mind the rest of my life.

[Tyyr]

I'd push it, but I'm a total bastard.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Not a chance in hell. I then beat the ever-loving shit out of the person who gave me the box.

[Captain Seafort]

I'd push it, but I'm a total b*****d.

Ditto. Especially given the circumstances described. If it were described as a random person, without the proviso that I don't know them, then it might well be another matter, or even given my current circumstances rather than those described, but as it stands I'll take the money and do my bit to relieve global overpopulation.

[shran]

In 80 years the person would be dead anyway. And every second or so several people die. this is just another one.

[Tyyr]

What's the difference between this person and the other 160,000 that'll die today I don't know?

[Graham Kennedy]

You are responsible for this one's death. You aren't responsible for the other 160,000.

[IanKennedy]

What's the difference between this person and the other 160,000 that'll die today I don't know?

One could say the same about any murder, yet it's still prosecuted.

[Tsukiyumi]

There's no way I'd take that deal.

If the box said, "Push the button, get a million dollars, and some child rapist somewhere will die" I'd push it every five seconds.

For the next ten years.

Otherwise, no f*cking way.

EDIT: Actually, if the box did that, I'd do it for free.

[Tyyr]

You could just as easily say, "Take a bite of your sandwich and somewhere in the world someone that you don't know will die."

Well, you never said I was responsible for it, just that somewhere in the world someone's going to die. In the time I've written this message nearly thirty people have died. So there's a good chance that as I push the button to post, someone is keeling over.