• AFaithfulNihilist@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    Self-preservation is a morally acceptable reason to not do something unless a reasonable case can be made that you should do that thing.

    It’s not cowardly to not throw your life away for no good reason. Unless he had a moral reason to go, he had a moral right to not go.

    Conscription produces bad soldiers and it’s morally reprehensible to conscript soldiers to invade a country that does not pose a threat to you.

    • steeznson@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      Yeah I broadly agree. Idk when I was younger (and doing a lot more psychedelics) I had this idea that all soldiers were murders and being a conscientious objector was a moral imperative.

      I’ve softened that view the older I’ve gotten but certain wars, like you point out, such as Vietnam or Iraq where the country isn’t posing a threat probably retain that same moral calculus.

      It is different when your country is under threat like if you were Ukranian. However I’m not sure what I’d do if I were put in that situation. To be honest I might also try to chase self-preservation over anything else.