Ethics: Who’s at fault for the missile strike which killed civilians?
medium.comUnpopular opinion:
Everyone from the Engineers who spec'd the missile, to the people that industrialized the manufacture and assembly lines, down to the operators, transporters of the armament.
Basically anyone with a hand in realizing it. Nobody tends to like that way of looking at things. Either because it doesn't put them proximal enough to winning for Queen and Country, or because it removes the luxury of "I just build guidance systems, "it's mot my fault people put them in cruise missiles".
What does this change?
Nothing. People gonna war either way. No amount of shaming, pearl clutching, or accurate laying of blame at someone's feet is going to convince adversarial countries to never go to war or fire munitions in anger.
War is hell. We build exactly what we deserve. We are the architects of our own suffering.
What if the people developed the missiles for defense? It's not like the engineers have much say when the state goes crazy and starts using them in offensive manner. You can quit at that point, but stockpiles are built over decades, not overnight - the missiles are already done and fired by the time you quit.
> Nothing. People gonna war either way. No amount of shaming, pearl clutching, or accurate laying of blame at someone's feet is going to convince adversarial countries to never go to war or fire munitions in anger.
Indeed - so defensive measures like missiles are necessary. Why is it unethical to develop them?