Comment by gonehome
4 years ago
Like anything difficult there are real risks and trade-offs, but just refusing to engage in difficult pragmatic issues is not the ethical position imo, it's just the easy one that feels good. It puts the burden of actual complex ethical decisions onto other people.
The west needs the capability to defend the ideals of classical liberalism and individual liberty. In order to do that it needs a strong military capability.
>> It puts the burden of actual complex ethical decisions onto other people.
People who may not have even considered the ethical situation. It seems the people who are concerned about the ethics or morality of a necessary but questionable job are exactly the ones you want in that role (although not activists who would try to shut it down entirely).
By your logic, engaging in weapon manufacturing is the only accepted conclusion. In fact, people that refuse to do so are participating just fine, even though you don't agree with their contribution.
My logic is that refusing to engage is not an ethically superior position when the capability is necessary. Engaging in difficult, high-risk, but necessary issues as best you can is.
That doesn't mean everyone needs to work on weapons, just that the work on weapons is necessary and those that do it are not ethically compromised in some way. It's just a recognition of this without pretending not engaging is somehow more morally pure. Not engaging is just removing yourself from dealing with the actual hard ethical issues.
an interesting thought given the politics of the day. If you are not actively engaged in weapon manufacturing are you not complicit in the murder of the Ukrainian people? If you are not actively helping to supply the Ukraine army with weapons for their defense then, by your inaction, are you enabling their death?