Do you think fleeing from your countries draft is immoral?

[Provost Harrison]

That is also a case of 'to the victor the spoils of war' too...

[Az]

huh?

[Winston]

huh?

If the Germans had won, it'd likely be viewed the other way around today in a number of countries.

[Az]

the fact that it would be "viewed" wouldn't change the fact that something is ethical or unethical. That's just relativist talk.

[Pekka]

Depends what kind of a war it is. Is it all out defend your countrymen type of thing? then it is immoral to flee. It is the same as leaving your friends back when it would matter the most to stay and fight. Desperate situation, no way out? Doesn't matter. It's the principle of the thing. IF you are not willing to die for anything, then you don't deserve to live IMO.

Is it a war where you are drafted to go to another country, you might get killed, and the safety of your fellow countrymen is not a question? This case, I'm not sure. MAYBE I wouldn't say it's IMMORAL. Then again, if you are part of the army, in reserves, and you flee, then it's immoral because you have made a deal. But if you are drafted.. I don't know. Again, depends on the war more, the whole situation, but I would say there might be scenarios where fleeing your country would be a .. a decision, and not SO immoral as in other cases.

[Winston]

I didn't say I agreed with it, I just suggested that it's a factor that would play a role historically, whereas it wouldn't (obviously) for the individual who decided to avoid the draft.

[Winston]

Oh, and speaking about "relativist", I notice you were the one to introduce a distinction between dodging for the Allies and the Germans.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Winston
Oh, and speaking about "relativist" talk, you were the one to introduce a distinction between dodging for the Allies and the Germans.

You have no idea what moral relativism is, do you?

A moral relativist would view those acts as morally equivalent by definition.

[KrazyHorse]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=relativism

rel·a·tiv·ism Audio pronunciation of "relativism" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rl-t-vzm)
n. Philosophy

A theory, especially in ethics or aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them.

[chequita guevara]

It depends on the morality of the war. If the war is wrong, then it is immoral not to evade the draft.

[Winston]

You got me, but I didn't pretend to know moral relativism. What Az said just struck me as sounding somewhat relativist, which is why I applied the citation thingies.

[chequita guevara]

If there was a draft to fight the war in Iraq, dodging would be the only moral option.

[Az]

That's only true if the war is immoral. So far, I am still not certain.

[chequita guevara]

The war is immoral. Any war you have to lie in order to start is immoral on its face.

[KrazyHorse]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say that the war was immoral.

I think it's a close call either way.

I think it was fairly obviously a dumb idea for the US to do it (in terms of their own self-interest).

If I was American and it came to that then I would probably decide to let myself be drafted, especially now that the only moral thing for the US to do is to stay in Iraq until it can stand on its own.