|
Defence jobs
|
View this Thread in Original format
| echosystm |
Hi guys,
Where I live is basically defence capital of Australia. When I finish my computer science degree, chances are I will be seeing tonnes of jobs at defence contractors. These jobs are well paying, really stable and generally just awesome jobs. However, I think I would have a major moral dilemma, knowing that my work is contributing to someone being killed. What do you guys think about this?
Cheers. |
|
|
| DuBam |
Contribute to killing how?
Look at it this way: You're contributing to not getting your fellow Aussies killed 
Edit: I know a pile of money would solve any moral dilemma I have :p |
|
|
| echosystm |
| quote: | Originally posted by DuBam
Contribute to killing how?
|
For example, if I work on a targeting system or something. My work directly increases the odds of an innocent person being killed.
I am all for protecting my own country. However, it seems like most wars are more about offence than defence. Consider the current war; I do not support it at all. |
|
|
| DuBam |
I hear you, and understand the possible dilemma. However, it's not like you'd be designing nukes and/or pushing that red button.
I'd take the job, imo you can 'cancel' the cons with the pros.. Or something like that.
edit: BTW, I was really close to becoming an army-brat myself, if the pay would have been slightly better I probably would have stayed there. |
|
|
| DuBam |
| Couldn't (and didn't!) have said it better. Nicely put, Alex. |
|
|
| Omega_M |
Willfully creating technology for destruction and killing...is that a good idea?
karma's a bitch. What goes around... |
|
|
| Lebezniatnikov |
I'm in a similar situation - as a development student, working in an industry based on conflict is anathema to me. Yet defense contractors seem to have the jobs I qualify for. I'm finding that defense contractors aren't so bad, however, as most of them work on one of two goals - the deterrence of conflict or the improvement of "security" in either regional or national terms. Even those that work on actual weapons systems usually do so to improve accuracy and reliability in order to limit collateral damage.
So, in my opinion, it isn't like the industry as a whole has their heart in the wrong place. I think there are many contractors out there that do a pretty valuable service in both threat reduction and security - it's just a matter of finding jobs that won't result in you working on weapons design and will result in you improving intelligence or security mechanisms. |
|
|
| pkcRAISTLIN |
ahhh, where humanism and liberalism part ways...
i say suck it up. you have absolutely no control over what somebody does with your work. you have no way of knowing whether your skills are being manipulated by darth vader.
there are plenty of enemies of the state that should be killed. just pretend all your work goes in that direction. |
|
|
| aquila2 |
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
i say suck it up. you have absolutely no control over what somebody does with your work. |
Agree. Anything you design or help to build/maintain could be used in a malicious manner, really. Just look past it and realise you are serving your country...such as it is. |
|
|
| whiskers |
You sound young.
If you were to be working on a defense project, then you'd most likely have a very miniscule role... like designing that visualizer for the simulator or the rocket trajectory. Besides that, you would be protecting people's lives more than you would be endangering them.
All in all, work is work and:
| quote: | Originally posted by aquila2
Agree. Anything you design or help to build/maintain could be used in a malicious manner, really. Just look past it and realise you are serving your country...such as it is. |
This.
If you were working in the financial sector, one could make an argument that indirectly you would be contributing to the "big evil" and with the economies like today, you are responsible for people losing jobs and then whatever comes out of that. Work is work. |
|
|
| smellyblack |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
Willfully creating technology for destruction and killing...is that a good idea?
karma's a bitch. What goes around... |
i might not be a fan of war, but it is a nescessary evil sometimes.
the world is not a hippy place hippy. |
|
|
|
|
