How many people would you give up your net worth for?

[mak15]

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You're right. We can't make starving children in Africa middle class Americans (as if that's a desirable thing anyways). We can feed them though. I don't understand how that isn't a pressing concern.

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not saying it isn't a pressing concern. just that it's a lot different.

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The point of OP's question is: "What's more important, your net worth or the life of your friend?" If you honestly believe that the implications of that question are significantly different than "What's more important, your net worth or the life of a starving child?", then I don't know what to say. I grant you that the particulars are different, but I don't think that the particulars (ie being returned to a middle class western lifestyle) mean much compared to the heart of the dilemma which is weighing the value of money vs. the value of life.

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ok, this is my last attempt:

1.) The person about to be murdered is in a much worse spot than a starving child.
2.) The person about to be murdered is 100% guarenteed to be 100% saved. Show me a way to donate money to a starving child that will guarentee the child recieves a healthy and normal life.
3.) I am solely responsible for the person about to be murdered.
4.) The person about to be murdered is about to be murdered so I have to act now. Giving to charity as a 21 year old makes little sense for me since I would much rather just give more later when my situation is more secure.
5.) The starving child will have to leave his home and family to live on his own with the new life the money he is given will buy him, while the potential murder victim will make the much easier and smoother transition back to his normal life.
6.) I know the person in the murder situation and do not know any starving african children.

There's probably a lot more points, but whatever, it's pretty clear the situations are quite different.