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I like to think that I would react as did Todd Beamer and the other passengers of Flight 93. Sometimes circumstances call for heroic action at the risk of one'

I like to think that I would react as did Todd Beamer and the other passengers of Flight 93. Sometimes circumstances call for heroic action at the risk of one's self.

hga 13y ago
Not that relevant an analogy: Beamer and company knew it was very likely, whatever they did or didn't do, that they were going to die within a few hours. They also knew they could likely save a lot of lives by acting. It is not immediately clear the stakes are that high, and a counterargument with some validity is that a failure to cooperate will cost a lot of lives from future mass causality terrorist actions. And the penalty is squalid, e.g. see the example of Federal prisoner Joseph Nacchio, former CEO of Qwest. Note the truth behind his conviction doesn't matter a long as there is enough solid suspicion.
snitko 13y ago
I'll tell you what I would do if I was a government official. I'd smile and ask you kindly if you are sure you don't want to cooperate. If you say you are, I'd leave. Then I'd find every piece of evidence I have against you and your company, get public opinion on my side, sue you, destroy your reputation, give hidden subsidies to your competitors, accuse you personally of tax evasion and your company of not acting in the interests of public. It wouldn't destroy your company, but you'll lose plenty of money, the public wouldn't listen to you because you'd have no evidence and because the public opinion is on my side already. No one will ever know of your courageous act. More importantly, by punishing you I'd show other companies what happens to those who misbehave. And don't be naive. The judges are in my pocket, public opinion is in my pocket, I have power which your money can never buy and you are on your own, as all of your competitors are just waiting for the chance to jump in and destroy you.

I like to think that I would react as did Todd Beamer and the other passengers of Flight 93. Sometimes circumstances call for heroic action at the risk of one's self.

hga 13y ago

Not that relevant an analogy: Beamer and company knew it was very likely, whatever they did or didn't do, that they were going to die within a few hours. They also knew they could likely save a lot of lives by acting. It is not immediately clear the stakes are that high, and a counterargument with some validity is that a failure to cooperate will cost a lot of lives from future mass causality terrorist actions. And the penalty is squalid, e.g. see the example of Federal prisoner Joseph Nacchio, former CEO of Qwest. Note the truth behind his conviction doesn't matter a long as there is enough solid suspicion.

snitko 13y ago

I'll tell you what I would do if I was a government official. I'd smile and ask you kindly if you are sure you don't want to cooperate. If you say you are, I'd leave. Then I'd find every piece of evidence I have against you and your company, get public opinion on my side, sue you, destroy your reputation, give hidden subsidies to your competitors, accuse you personally of tax evasion and your company of not acting in the interests of public. It wouldn't destroy your company, but you'll lose plenty of money, the public wouldn't listen to you because you'd have no evidence and because the public opinion is on my side already. No one will ever know of your courageous act. More importantly, by punishing you I'd show other companies what happens to those who misbehave. And don't be naive. The judges are in my pocket, public opinion is in my pocket, I have power which your money can never buy and you are on your own, as all of your competitors are just waiting for the chance to jump in and destroy you.