Hehehehehe. The ethics of this are clear: bribery is unethical. I'm not proud of the fact that I bribed a traffic cop.
I'm wondering, though, at what point blurring one's own personal ethics becomes acceptable. Some scenarios, ranging from extreme to slightly more subtle...
(1) You're Jewish. It's 1939. The last ship out of Nazi Germany is sounding a long slow horn indicating it's about to leave. You know you've GOT to get out, and the only way to do it is to bribe the guy letting people onto the gangplank. It's a substantial bribe. And it's in your back pocket. Do you bribe the guy? Do you not bribe the guy, and thus prevent you and your family from escaping?
(2) You've just arrived at the Zimbabwe border in your 4x4 en route to Kenya. You KNOW that a bribe is a normal part of doing business at these border posts. Do you pay the bribe and continue your journey? Do you not pay the bribe and get turned away? Do you not pay the bribe and spend a week in a holding cell?
I dunno. It's easy to be moralistic. Less easy to be morally correct.
(And I'm NOT digging at you or Jane (the person commenting on my post) on this one. Cos I happen to agree with both of you.)
Blue skies love Roy
Roy Blumenthal
· 4 years ago
Hey Paul...
Hehehehehe. The ethics of this are clear: bribery is unethical. I'm not proud of the fact that I bribed a traffic cop.
I'm wondering, though, at what point blurring one's own personal ethics becomes acceptable. Some scenarios, ranging from extreme to slightly more subtle...
(1) You're Jewish. It's 1939. The last ship out of Nazi Germany is sounding a long slow horn indicating it's about to leave. You know you've GOT to get out, and the only way to do it is to bribe the guy letting people onto the gangplank. It's a substantial bribe. And it's in your back pocket. Do you bribe the guy? Do you not bribe the guy, and thus prevent you and your family from escaping?
(2) You've just arrived at the Zimbabwe border in your 4x4 en route to Kenya. You KNOW that a bribe is a normal part of doing business at these border posts. Do you pay the bribe and continue your journey? Do you not pay the bribe and get turned away? Do you not pay the bribe and spend a week in a holding cell?
I dunno. It's easy to be moralistic. Less easy to be morally correct.
(And I'm NOT digging at you or Jane (the person commenting on my post) on this one. Cos I happen to agree with both of you.)
All Comments
Hehehehehe. The ethics of this are clear: bribery is unethical. I'm not proud of the fact that I bribed a traffic cop.
I'm wondering, though, at what point blurring one's own personal ethics becomes acceptable. Some scenarios, ranging from extreme to slightly more subtle...
(1) You're Jewish. It's 1939. The last ship out of Nazi Germany is sounding a long slow horn indicating it's about to leave. You know you've GOT to get out, and the only way to do it is to bribe the guy letting people onto the gangplank. It's a substantial bribe. And it's in your back pocket. Do you bribe the guy? Do you not bribe the guy, and thus prevent you and your family from escaping?
(2) You've just arrived at the Zimbabwe border in your 4x4 en route to Kenya. You KNOW that a bribe is a normal part of doing business at these border posts. Do you pay the bribe and continue your journey? Do you not pay the bribe and get turned away? Do you not pay the bribe and spend a week in a holding cell?
I dunno. It's easy to be moralistic. Less easy to be morally correct.
(And I'm NOT digging at you or Jane (the person commenting on my post) on this one. Cos I happen to agree with both of you.)
Blue skies
love
Roy
Hehehehehe. The ethics of this are clear: bribery is unethical. I'm not proud of the fact that I bribed a traffic cop.
I'm wondering, though, at what point blurring one's own personal ethics becomes acceptable. Some scenarios, ranging from extreme to slightly more subtle...
(1) You're Jewish. It's 1939. The last ship out of Nazi Germany is sounding a long slow horn indicating it's about to leave. You know you've GOT to get out, and the only way to do it is to bribe the guy letting people onto the gangplank. It's a substantial bribe. And it's in your back pocket. Do you bribe the guy? Do you not bribe the guy, and thus prevent you and your family from escaping?
(2) You've just arrived at the Zimbabwe border in your 4x4 en route to Kenya. You KNOW that a bribe is a normal part of doing business at these border posts. Do you pay the bribe and continue your journey? Do you not pay the bribe and get turned away? Do you not pay the bribe and spend a week in a holding cell?
I dunno. It's easy to be moralistic. Less easy to be morally correct.
(And I'm NOT digging at you or Jane (the person commenting on my post) on this one. Cos I happen to agree with both of you.)
Blue skies
love
Roy