If your government asked you ... would you kill?

now wait a minute......lee oswald had this same scenario offered to him, and look where he is. A private citizen with no military record would become a patsy for the killing whether he did it or chickened out at the last moment.

If the lie was believable enough and the money was big enough, I'd consider a non-presidential target. But I would control the details.

This seems to be a question that is mostly being responded to by Americans, which has sort of skewed the question from 'Would you kill for your Government?' to, 'Would you kill for the US Government?'!

I'm a New Zealander, and I'm going to respond to the former question.

I've always thought that I could handle being a spy or an assasin. I've got one of those minds that clicks right into 'do it now and do it right' mode when in a threatening or high-adrenaline situation. Even though I'm quite a small guy, I've never been beaten in a fight, because when I'm threatened or challenged every inch of me freaks right into kick-ass mode. I usually end up scaring any attacker away.

SOme people are unlucky, and don't know how to manage their adrenaline when it hits you like that. It spoils their train of priority, and It leaves them shaken and disturbed. I feel sorry for these people.

I'm not scared of anyone.

So how come I've never gone somewhere, like the SAS or the militiary, and 'proved' myself, got my brain into further training, got my hands onto some cool weapons, and gone out to kill on their behalf?

Because I don't agree with killing for anyone else but myself. Perhaps if paid enough, I would kill. But this is because the ca$h is for... ME. =)

Much like other people have said in this thread... I would only kill in self-defence. This is why I said SPY/Covert (meaning non-killing, purely under the radar recon) first, and assassin second. I would kill any one that would seek to bring immediate harm to me or those that I love. If I wasn't there to defend my loved ones, and one of them met an unfortunate demise, I'd be out for blood.

Well, not only 'blood'. Justice. I would want to take them down, and bring them to justice. First I would seek them. I'd only kill @ this point if my life was threatened. Otherwise I'd have them beaten, bound and tied, and the cops called. (If, indeed, the cops would do what I'd want them to do, and take them to the court, and jail for a very long time)

It seems people assume that if the 'government' asks you to kill someone, that means you gotta kill someone 'bad'. Like, a terrorist. What if it's the government that's bad, and they want to hush-kill someone that can do them damage? I tell you what! Not only would I not want to kill someone to protect the government from gettin' in the shti, I'd take the contract, find this person and then HELP them inflict their damage! (This is presuming that I am trained to defend myself against the 'wrath' of government!)

some people want to save the world. some people want to destroy the world.

i just want to b the person that can foil everbody's planz!

This is because some people who say they're tryin' to save the world are actually destroying it, and those who are tryin' to destroy the world (or parts of it) think they're saving the world! It's screwed up man!

i think tat every single person is selfish. (including me, for those of you who will think that I'm just pointin' the finger @ every body else BUT) We're all selfsih, we're ALL in pursuit of our own agenda, and so this might include others or even caring about others, but this is just so we can say to ourselves that we care about others, for our OWN selfish endeavours.

Democracy is stupid, because all political parties do is convince as many people as possible that they will be cared for if they ally, but this is not the case. If you ally, it makes the people that are bigger than you BIGGER, stronger and they reap. If you stand under ANY BODY ELSE'S Umbrella, you're seeking to be controlled.

Which is why I say, killing for my government, or any body elses', is not the highest on my priority list. It depends how big of a favour I'm doing for myself that will induce my actions. I care about nobody else.

Poz,

FWIW, I'm English

My post applies to both/any/all nations.

Originally posted by jmilici

They are no threat to me and my family. And you bet your a** that if they came here to try anything I would protect myself & my family. But the odds of them comming here are astronomical so I will not cower and be scared of them.

Reading your comment, jmilici, I felt compelled to mention something, though it
doesn't really relate to the subject. If I would have been able to describe 9/11 to you, before it happened, you would have said the odds of that ever happening were astronomical, and you might also have told me that I read too
many spy novels and needed to get a life.

I wouldn't walk across the street if the government asked me to.

Originally posted by Omegaprobe
reading your comment, jmilici, I felt compelled to mention something, though it
doesn't really relate to the subject. If I would have been able to describe 9/11 to you, before it happened, you would have said the odds of that ever happening were astronomical, and you might also have told me that I read too
many spy novels and needed to get a life.

Actually you are incorrect in your assumption. You do not
know me so thier is no base in what you say. I am actually
one of the few that held the belief that it was just a matter
of time before we got hit again (and yes I do think we will
be hit yet again also). America and her people are
arrogent and self centered. That is why nobody could believe
it couldn't happen to us.

Look at the first world trade bombings. It would have been
stupid for people to think that it couldn't happen again. But I am
correct in what I say. I am not a high risk target. I live
in rural Ohio, I do not work in high risk places nor do I go to
sporting events. That doesn't mean It can never happen but like
I said the odds are astronomical and I am not going to cower in
the corner and ruin my life cause I am scared of a terrorist. Once
again, I am more scared of my government than of a terrorist.

But even if I did any of those I still wouldn't let the fear of a
terrorist attack scare me. I am a grown man, not a child. I
am not going to run out and buy duct tape and plastic either.
I will not be one of those people that let the government scare
me with thier color by numbers alert system or thier uncoraborated
warnings. That is just not very logical and not very productive.
So again, I am not scared for myself, I will never be scared for
myself, I will never let anyone here or anywhere tell me otherwise
either. I have a life to live and a family to protect. You can not do
those two things if you are scared. If it my time to go, then it is
my time to go.

Been there. Done that. Still have the bad dreams about it.

The question posed here is very vague in that there are many grey areas but I can speak as one who has actually taken life for the government. If it comes down to basic human survival we all have within us the instinct to survive. Even a mouse will turn and fight when pushed into a corner. In combat it is kill or be killed, there is not time to contemplate whether the individual you have in your sights is or isn't a 'good person!' Being a 'good and moral person' is an abstract idea based on whatever culture or religion you are influenced by. It takes a specific type of individual to be a soldier. It takes an even more specific type to be a professional soldier. But you can expand that and say that it takes a specific type of personality to be a Police Officer as well. You know when you put on the uniform you may be in a situation where lethal force will be necessary. If someone from our government came to me before I had military training and asked me to kill an individual based on an assumed national secruity risk then no, I would not unless there was a direct threat to me or my loved ones. If however I was convienced that killing this individual would save innocent lives then yes I would. As a professional soldier my government sent me into several campaigns where I had to kill simply because they were the enemy of the moment. You go and do your duty. You cannot set around and contemplate the morality of your actions, if you do then you loose your edge. Loose your edge and the next time you have to shoot, you may hesitate. Then you are a risk to both yourself and those soldiers around you. Some say that after your first kill, it gets easier. It never gets easier, you learn to push it in the back of your mind as a way to cope. Then sadly once the soldier is removed from the war, the war is never removed from the soldier.
Ever wonder why soldiers make up slang words for the enemy, such as 'Krauts, Nips, Gooks, Skinnies, etc. etc' ? This helps to remove the human face of the enemy so they become an it, instead of a person.

Only if it was someone i hated or their death was of great benefit to me or my country and I was assured to get away with it.. Also i would need extensive proof that i was being asked by the government and also told exactly why it needed to be done.

Originally posted by Orias
Also i would need extensive proof that i was being asked by the government and also told exactly why it needed to be done.

A signed Presidential pardon in my pocket with an open date wouldn't hurt either.