On Thu, 08 Aug 2013 18:00:51 -0400, Warp wrote:

> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> Or to recognize that it's actually not very nice to tell people "we
>> know better than you" and to force them to do something they don't
>> want.
> 
> We can approach the dilemma from a philosophical point of view, or we
> can approach it from a pragmatic point of view.

There's nothing philosophical about it, Warp.  If you're forcing people 
to take an injection, you're in the wrong, just as much as someone who's 
forcefully injecting people for experimental purposes.

If you were on the receiving end of something you were told was a 
lifesaving injection from someone who you perceived as acting in an 
imperialist way, would you take it?  Or would you be suspicious and fight 
back?  I know what I'd do.

> Forcing them will save thousands and thousand of lives. Not only theirs,
> but that of other people (because the more people have immunity, the
> more protected those few are who do not.)

Yes, I understand herd immunity, and it is an important thing.  But 
people are not cattle, and you can't just march into a country and start 
pumping drugs into people's bloodstream because you think it's a good 
idea (or even because it /is/ a good idea).

>> Yes, we do need to vaccinate people against these deadly diseases, but
>> I don't think it's a case of "political correctness" gone wrong to
>> recognize that nobody has the right to *force* someone to take an
>> injection because *we say* it's good for them.
> 
> The thing is, we *know* it's good for them. With actual physical hard
> evidence. And it's not like it's some kind of ideology or culture we are
> trying to "spread" to them. It's a disease we are trying to cure so that
> everybody will be a bit safer.

They *don't* know it.  They need to be educated and make a free choice.

> If you say "we shouldn't be forcing western values onto them", then I
> can agree. If you say "we shouldn't be saving their and other people's
> lives by force" then I have to disagree on principle.

I wish you and your medical army well.  Don't be surprised if the 
"natives" start shooting back because you're treating them like children 
or cattle.

Jim

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