Lone Survivor Ethical Dilemma: Defending What is Right
No Matter the Consequences
The ethical dilemma in Lone Survivor is one that hits most American viewers close to home. Happening early in the movie, it toys with our morals. The scene starts with the good guys, the seal team of Mike Murphy, Marcus Luttrell, Danny Dietz, and Matthew Axelson closing in on Ahmad Shah, a known terrorist with Marine blood on his hands. Everything is going smoothly until three Afghani goat herders stumble upon the Americans. Mike Murphy and the others quickly subdue them with zip ties. What happens next is the dilemma. The seals are forced to choose one of three options: kill them and continue mission, leave them tied up, which will surely kill them, and continue …show more content…
Taliban culture tolerates egregious acts of violence and human rights violations, while Americans can’t stand to see those things happen. Despite the mistakes of our past, the core American values forbid the breach of one’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, morals always play a factor when making a tough decision. The smart decision for Murphy is to kill the goat herders and continue mission. His fellow seals even advocate for that option. However, that would never be the moral route. As the leader, Mike Murphy knows that he can’t simply deny the three civilians the right to live their lives. He lets them …show more content…
In the modern world, with cameras in every smartphone, and the prevalence of social media, one mistake can have drastic effects. All it takes is one insurgent to capture images of civilians killed by American soldiers for tens or even hundreds of young men to flock to their cause. The war on terror is much more than killing the enemy. It’s also about stopping the spread of terrorist ideology. Without legitimacy, insurgent groups fizzle and die out. Because of this, it is critical that no fuel be added to the flame. Murphy knows that by killing these goat herders, he not only creates a reason for more people to join the Taliban, but he also commits a war crime that would put him and his team in prison for years. No one disagrees that murderers like Ahmad Shah should be taken out, but the ends do not always justify the means. Thus, Murphy decides to let them
No Matter the Consequences
The ethical dilemma in Lone Survivor is one that hits most American viewers close to home. Happening early in the movie, it toys with our morals. The scene starts with the good guys, the seal team of Mike Murphy, Marcus Luttrell, Danny Dietz, and Matthew Axelson closing in on Ahmad Shah, a known terrorist with Marine blood on his hands. Everything is going smoothly until three Afghani goat herders stumble upon the Americans. Mike Murphy and the others quickly subdue them with zip ties. What happens next is the dilemma. The seals are forced to choose one of three options: kill them and continue mission, leave them tied up, which will surely kill them, and continue …show more content…
Taliban culture tolerates egregious acts of violence and human rights violations, while Americans can’t stand to see those things happen. Despite the mistakes of our past, the core American values forbid the breach of one’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, morals always play a factor when making a tough decision. The smart decision for Murphy is to kill the goat herders and continue mission. His fellow seals even advocate for that option. However, that would never be the moral route. As the leader, Mike Murphy knows that he can’t simply deny the three civilians the right to live their lives. He lets them …show more content…
In the modern world, with cameras in every smartphone, and the prevalence of social media, one mistake can have drastic effects. All it takes is one insurgent to capture images of civilians killed by American soldiers for tens or even hundreds of young men to flock to their cause. The war on terror is much more than killing the enemy. It’s also about stopping the spread of terrorist ideology. Without legitimacy, insurgent groups fizzle and die out. Because of this, it is critical that no fuel be added to the flame. Murphy knows that by killing these goat herders, he not only creates a reason for more people to join the Taliban, but he also commits a war crime that would put him and his team in prison for years. No one disagrees that murderers like Ahmad Shah should be taken out, but the ends do not always justify the means. Thus, Murphy decides to let them