Subject:
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Re: Customs question...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 13 Nov 2001 22:55:36 GMT
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Viewed:
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751 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, David Eaton writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Richard Marchetti writes:
> > Jason, you may be "honesty impaired" -- the condition of engaging in
> > unseemly contortions just to be able to claim you were doing the "right
> > thing."
>
> Is that how you define "honesty"? Or is that how you define "moral"? Is
> honesty necessarily moral? If you ask me, if you're honest with respect to
> putting the little "gift" mark on a package, then you *DON'T* mark it as a
> gift no matter *WHAT* you think of the moral implications of the law that
> you're breaking. If you're "honest", you tell the truth. And the truth is
> that it's not a gift. If you're *moral*, but not necessarily honest, that's
> another ball game.
>
> Agreed?
You were asking him, but I'll answer with my opinion anyway...
No, it is not immoral to lie, in general. Was it immoral for the UK to place
large inflatable tanks in empty fields to mislead the Germans about where
the invasion was being massed? While I don't agree that, in general, the
ends justify the means, there are certain situations in which falsehood (to
someone who is already morally wrong under an objective moral system) is OK.
That, to my way of thinking, isn't quite the same as saying "It's OK to
torture this suspect because we're pretty sure he's a terrorist who has
vital information". Or is it?
By the way, I am not "honest" (to the extent of never marking "gift") when
it comes to dealing with governments that are dishonest. I have not
voluntarily entered into any contract with them that entitles them to my
(non reciprocated) honesty.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Customs question...
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| (...) But you would probably argue that you are *moral*, while dishonest, or at least "not immoral", I'm guessing? Or at least that you would argue that one could *be* dishonest (by marking "gift") and yet still be moral, even though maybe you're (...) (23 years ago, 13-Nov-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Customs question...
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| (...) Is that how you define "honesty"? Or is that how you define "moral"? Is honesty necessarily moral? If you ask me, if you're honest with respect to putting the little "gift" mark on a package, then you *DON'T* mark it as a gift no matter *WHAT* (...) (23 years ago, 13-Nov-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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