It is the end of the world...

[Silver Wind]

I have another question to throw out there and it is something that is a common theme in many movies and appears time and time again.

Say it was discovered that there was going to be some great natural disaster or occurrence that was going to end the world, kill everyone. It is known that there is nothing that can be done to stop this event from happening and really nothing anyone can do to save themselves. Of course you know if you put the people in a state of panic there is going to be mass looting and chaos as well as fear.

Is there still an obligation to announce it and let people know what is happening? Or would it be better not to tell anyone and just let them live out their days in peace and as if it was just any other day and just let what is going to happen, happen since it cannot be undone?

[BenJohnson]

It doesn't really make any difference once everyone is dead all moral and philosophical points are moot.

Personally I'd say tell them. A lot depends on what the disaster is going to be and how much suffering will be involved.

[Silver Wind]

The moral/Philosophcial dilimma comes to those who are in posscession of such knowledge and what the proper way to handle said knowledge would be.

Personally I think that if there is nothing that can be done to alter the situation and no way people have a chance to saving themselves anyway, than there is no need for them to know in advance to spend thier last days acting like a bunch of rabid dogs. Just sit back and let it happen and let life go one until the end.

[sunday]

I disagree, and I believe there is jurisdiction (although I may have to sift through some papers to find the exact one) that states that it must be broad-casted.
It is quite possible that, knowing you will die tomorrow, someone will do something especially stupid. But looting would be ridiculous, because money/ success/ wealth from that day forward means nothing.
So it comes down to the things that truly matter to people and their passions. Its possible that, if someone really despised someone their whole life, they might use the opportunity to murder them themselves. I would envisage that all Churches/ashrams/temples etc. would be full to bursting point, as the question of after life and redemption would become important. And most likely, people will tell each other who they love, and probably make love all over the shop.
It would be chaos in some respects, but I think the horror and shock of it would keep the streets quiet in many areas. It really does depend on area, and the concerns of the people living there.

If it were broad casted in the inner-city suburb where I live, I imagine (and Im sort of having a laugh with this imagination here...) that many would throw wild wild parties. Death parties I guess. And there would probably be lots of hippy stuff, naked dancing, bonfires, and attacks on land-lords (because goddamn theyre annoying).

But Im an optimist, in that, I think if you were dying tomorrow most people would just stay indoors, cook a fabulous dinner, sit with all their loved ones, hold their hands, and hope they all die at the exact same moment.

[BenJohnson]

If it were broad casted in the inner-city suburb where I live, I imagine (and Im sort of having a laugh with this imagination here...) that many would throw wild wild parties. Death parties I guess. And there would probably be lots of hippy stuff, naked dancing, bonfires, and attacks on land-lords (because goddamn theyre annoying).

I'm all for this, indeed what better way to go than celebrating and enjoying life to the last.

On a totally different note should it be an end of the world which means a long drawn out painful death warning people might allow them the chance to take the easy way out for themselves and their loved ones.

[Antipodi]

man is so stupid when it comes to things universal all his science phylosphy , all his so called knowledge could not and never will save our wretched race form such an event...O despair all who believe otherwise...

[Silver Wind]

It might be stupid to loot but I guarantee you that is what would happen. If people knew ahead of time they would not use the time wisely, they would be reduced to utter chaos and they would turn against each other and run around like rabbid dogs, and everyone would just completely and totally decay into violence and hate.

That is the true inner nature of human kind. We are all just animals and our problem is we spend so much time trying to oppress it that we have no balance, so as soon as all bets are off and law and order are no longer present then people are going to do whatever they can get away with.

[Becky Rose]

I dont think that there are a great many people suppressing great criminal urges that they would suddenly stop supressing them. For most people I believe the desire to live a good life and to go out with dignity would be stronger then the desire to have the latest plasma TV.

There may be a break down of law and order, but then again, how many shops would bother locking their doors to looters anyway?

I don't think it is so much a question of if it should be announced, but when. Let's say you have 2 months notice, would the collapse of food distribution channels and essential services like power and water occur if you came out with it straight away? Perhaps an official "last week" party might be organised, to give people a sense of 'ok we have 2 months so we'll work up to the last week and we've 6 weeks to stock up'.

It may infact be the most united period of human history, with an aweful lot of confessions and free loving going on.

It'd be a hell of a thing if said threat was then nueteralised... :)

[WYSIWYG]

Maybe if those 'in the know' knew
the end of the world or civilisation
was coming, they would start bankrupting
all the countries, cost of living would rise and rise
gas electric and everything else would be way
above inflation and all the money would seem
to vanish..... To the ones who would want to
build themselves safety on earth or the means to
escape the earth and come back when all is safe
or just continue moving away in their center park
47 star hotels. The money is needed to pay the
little ones to construct all they need.... :Clueless::alien::fright:

Damian -)