Price List

[rgraham666]

I was chatting with a fellow AHer last night, and the subject of morality came up.

That lead to what we were willing to do and how much money would be involved to make us do it.

On thinking about this for a while, I decided that a price list for our morality would be an excellent thing in our competitive world. As an addendum to our resumes, a price list would be most useful. Our prospective employers would know exactly what we were willing to do and exactly how much it would cost.

A realistic price list could mean the difference between employment and poverty.

So I'll get it started.

Murder: I can't be paid enough.
Rape: Ditto
Grand Larceny: $10 million or 10% of the take, minimum


Feel free to add to this.

 

[wishfulthinking]

The Australian 'mules' who got caught carrying drugs back to Oz, for which they were paid $5k or $10k, and for which they may be sentenced to death for a firing line - their morality came way too cheap.

 

[wishfulthinking]

Grand Larceny: $10 million or 10% of the take, minimum

Don't you mean, whichever is the higher

Same, but for some faceless crime.

 

[impressive]

I would say that each & every situation would vary. My prices would not be fixed. Extenuating circumstances would influence every transaction.

That being said, I wouldn't ever be cheap.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I don't think I could be bought for any price. I'd be guilt ridden for the rest of my life.

I still feel guilty about the DVD I walked out with by mistake from Target about 2 years ago. It was in the back of the carrige and I didn't realize I didn't pay for it till I got home and looked at the recipt. To this day, I still feel guilty every time I open the DVD cabinet and see it there.

 

[oggbashan]

Morality or Criminality and the 11th Commandment

I consider that there is a difference between what I would do that conflicts with my sense of morals and what I would do that is against the law.

In both cases, whether I would be found out - the 11th commandment 'Thou shalt not be found out.' - might influence my decision.

Against the law:
I might park illegally when in a hurry and pay the fine if I'm caught.
I disobey some laws knowingly because I am aware that they will not be enforced and are in fact outdated - for example appearing on our local beach without covering at least three inches of each arm and leg. That is still illegal for men. Women have to do that and wear a skirt extending six inches below the crotch.
I might commit a public order offence as part of a community protest against something. Threaten to nullify my vote and I'd be at the barricades.

Against my own sense of morality:
More difficult. I am very unlikely to be persuaded by money. If I found a bag containing £100,000 in the street I'd take it to the Police Station. Ditto for £1,000,000. Not so for a 10 pence coin.
I might be vulnerable to a bribe involving sex but I'd be suspicious of the offerer's motives. I am not an attractive sexual athlete. If a much younger lady offered sex I'd view any such approach with extreme caution... I'd be diplomatic but I'd probably run a mile.

Og

 

[SummerMorning]

Flexible rates!

De-life-ication: 95 cents per gram of body mass

 

[rikaaim]

I would say that each & every situation would vary. My prices would not be fixed. Extenuating circumstances would influence every transaction.

That being said, I wouldn't ever be cheap.

How about you, me, and a sexy redhead, fairly busty and very willing, that we pick up cruising the strip, a bottle of baby oil, strawberries, whipped cream, magic shell, hot candle wax, a metric ton of batteries, and no work for three weeks, and room service free of charge of couple of hours from the five star hotel with jacuzzi room that we have complimentary stay at, and we even get to keep the hotel robes.

That seems rather immoral. How much for you to do that?

 

[TheEarl]

I don't think I could be bought. To steal is against my morals completely. I've worked out so many ways I could rip off so many high street shops (the most ingenious involves Waterstones, a gym bag, a library book and friendly banter with the security guard), but know that I couldn't do a single one of them, not even in extremis. The closest I get is downloading Dr Who episodes and I have to say that IMHO, I'm doing nothing wrong (as I've paid my license fee and thus am entitled to watch the shows just as if I'd ben arsed to stay in on Saturday nights).

As for murder and rape - never happen.

The Earl

 

[R. Richard]

Murder: I can't be paid enough.
Rape: Ditto
Grand Larceny: $10 million or 10% of the take, minimum


Feel free to add to this.

You consider only income as a motivating factor. There are any number of other factors including, but not limited to risk and utility to the community.

Let us suppose that, due to an insane law, a sexual predator is to be let loose in your community to rape and murder yet another young child. With zero risk of being caught you could push the sexual predator over a thousand foot cliff to its death. Now, what price murder?

Would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family (if you had a family) even if, as a result, you had to assume the name Jean Valjean?

If you were attacked by a bully who wishes to take your life and he, by chance, stumbles and hits his head knocking him unconcious. Would you then kill the unconcious man to save your own life? [Running is not really an option, the guy will later track you down and kill you.]

There are many other factors other than money to consider.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I just look guilty.

I still get carded when buying smokes or alcohol.

When I became legal, my brother's and their cohorts would take me out to the clubs. they would pay for all my drinks and for a pizza onthe way home. Why? Because in a crowd of 15 underaged college students, the security guards would invariably stop me and ask for ID. In three eyars it never failed and Ihave yet to go to a club wehre I wasn't asked for ID.

So when you ask what I might do, the answer is nothing. Not because of high moral tone, simply because I know I'd get caught no matter how trivial the offense

 

[impressive]

How about you, me, and a sexy redhead, fairly busty and very willing, that we pick up cruising the strip, a bottle of baby oil, strawberries, whipped cream, magic shell, hot candle wax, a metric ton of batteries, and no work for three weeks, and room service free of charge of couple of hours from the five star hotel with jacuzzi room that we have complimentary stay at, and we even get to keep the hotel robes.

That seems rather immoral. How much for you to do that?

Doesn't work that way. Before I sold myself, I'd need a reason ... such as protecting my children, needing to feed/shelter them, or some other "extenuating circumstance." I wouldn't do it just for the money unless the money was necessary for such. That's why I won't say "never" ... 'cause I don't want to be a hypocrite.

I'm not for sale, otherwise.

 

[mlady_france]

$6.90 an hour to drive illigally.

That's about the only thing I'll willing to do for a price, and it's not a very good one considering the fact that I'm not actually getting paid to drive I'm getting paid to work at a place where all I do is get yelled at by various people. If I get caught I know the consiquences far out way the payment, but a girl's got to eat. Maybe I'll finally pass my driving test the next time and I can stop worrying about it. *crosses fingers*

 

[McKenna]

<snip> If I found a bag containing £100,000 in the street I'd take it to the Police Station. Ditto for £1,000,000. Not so for a 10 pence coin.

Og, I thought this a very interesting point. It reminds me what value we place on objects and money; who's to say that £100,000 means more to the person who lost it than the 10 pence the other fellow lost. I think most of us wouldn't think twice about pocketing such a small sum of money, but the larger sum we'd definitely have more of a problem with.

Does that mean the pricetag of our morality is in fact, 10 pence?

 

[Kassiana]

I worked for over three years for a doctor who was padding his bills every way he could, endangered my life and my unborn child's life, and the only "benefit" I got for it was a week of paid vacation a year. No insurance or other coverage.

If I were to be offered a full-time job close to my home with benefits that actually paid a living wage, I could overlook a lot of things. Granted, the likelihood of that is less than me being struck by lightning, given the local economy, but if it did, sure. I'd sell out. My family needs to eat. Simple as that.

 

[oggbashan]

Og, I thought this a very interesting point. It reminds me what value we place on objects and money; who's to say that £100,000 means more to the person who lost it than the 10 pence the other fellow lost. I think most of us wouldn't think twice about pocketing such a small sum of money, but the larger sum we'd definitely have more of a problem with.

Does that mean the pricetag of our morality is in fact, 10 pence?

No. It means 'De Minimis Non Curat Lex' - the law does not concern itself with trifles.

If I were to take the 10 pence coin (or 10c) or any other single coin to the Police Station they would tell me politely to go away and mean 'Piss Off!'. The cost of recording the lost property would far outweigh the value to the loser.

Any paper money - I'd take that to the Police because even £5 might be a significant sum if lost by a child.

A bag of 10 pence coins, or a purse containing any money or even no money at all - I'd take that to the Police because it might be evidence of a handbag snatch.

How do you claim and identify a particular coin as yours? Even if I did take the coin to the Police the loser would have a real problem identifying it. The moral answer is to drop the coin in the next charity box.

Og

 

[McKenna]

The moral answer is to drop the coin in the next charity box.

Once again you've trumped me, Og. Well done.

 

[Honey123]

This is a good question.

Like Imp said, I would never ever be cheap and to echo The Earl, I'd never murder or rape someone. I know that I could never be a traitor to the USA....

So what's left?

Robbing a bank?
Kicking an old person?
Picking someone else's nose? (not your own child's..that's just a mommy thing..)

 

[rgraham666]

Sigh.

I hadn't realised until now what a serious prick I appear to be on this board.

I was joking people. Mostly.

And RR, what are you doing bringing ethics into this? Ethics cannot be measured or marketed and therefore has no place in the modern world.

Joking again. Mostly.

 

[McKenna]

Oh come on Rob, you know us better than that! We love a good "discussion." Don't feel bad for providing the fodder.

 

[mlady_france]

This is a good question.

Like Imp said, I would never ever be cheap and to echo The Earl, I'd never murder or rape someone. I know that I could never be a traitor to the USA....

So what's left?

Robbing a bank?
Kicking an old person?
Picking someone else's nose? (not your own child's..that's just a mommy thing..)

Some one once picked my nose just to see if what I would do.

 

[Honey123]

Sigh.

I hadn't realised until now what a serious prick I appear to be on this board.

I was joking people. Mostly.

And RR, what are you doing bringing ethics into this? Ethics cannot be measured or marketed and therefore has no place in the modern world.

Joking again. Mostly.

Oh...Rob...honestly, I think this was a great question. You didn't come off as a prick to me.

 

[Honey123]

Some one once picked my nose just to see if what I would do.

What did you do?

 

[mlady_france]

What did you do?

Looked at him like he was an idiot and then called him one.

Ofcouse this wasn't a stranger, we were dating at the time.

 

[rgraham666]

What did you do?

Provided a very interesting piece of work to an eyes,ears, nose and throat surgeon.