NECESSITY of killing?

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 141867


> Geoff:
<snip> 
> Thinking over this topic, I felt perhaps I should extend the 
> definition as little to be:
> "the unlawful premeditated killing of one person by another for 
some 
> personle gain."

a_svirn:
I would leave out "unlawful". God knows how many atrocities were 
committed and how many innocent people butchered in the name of the 
Law.


> Geoff:
> 
><snip> 
> Many dictators - Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and, more recently, Idi 
> Amin and Saddam Hussein for example - have been responsible for 
the 
> mass murder of their peoples. They may not have  pulled the 
trigger 
> personally on each killing but it would, to me, fit my extended 
> definition of murder because it was for their own gain - extension 
of 
> power, elimination of opposition, strengthening of control etc. 
> Again, I think that attempts to remove them for "the greater good" 
> would not be seen in the light of murder by observers.
> 
<snip>


a_svirn:
Depends on observers. Most of them at the time when these attempts 
were made were actually quite indignant on behalf of their beloved 
tyrants. In fact, quite a few punitive campaigns were launched in 
order to find and punish all the culprits and nip any other such 
attempts in the bud. 

Also, I for one have a constitutional dislike of this "the Greater 
Good" thing. A very slippery concept and one open to endless 
interpretations. Take Draco, for instance, I don't think he would 
phrase it quite like that, but he certainly believed himself to be 
in the right when he entered Voldermot's service. So undoubtedly did 
Regulus. He might well have killed lots of muggles and muggle-borns 
for all we know and all for the Greater Good's sake. For what could 
have possibly been his personal gain? Money and power at least his 
family had in abundance. 

I am not saying that world wouldn't be a better place without 
hitlers or torkvemadas, but I don't think it's fair to confuse 
necessity and morality. If you are prepared to kill for the Greater 
Good's sake you will kill whenever you deem it necessary; if you are 
in a flutter about the state of your soul you won't. It's my sincere 
belief, however, that you can't have it both ways. 

a_svirn