The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one

[Oblivionaire]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Sometimes you gotta make decisions based with only crappy choices. When a choice is made, you live with it and carry it through.

Ah the rancid smell of election day approaches.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: WHAMPOM
Better anology; Do you keep landing men on a heavily fortified beach where they will be slaughtered or pull them off and try for a more pregnable landing elswhere?

I have been on a destroyer, the doc cuts between the recoils. Band, cut, bang ,cut, bang, snip, bang, snip, bang, stitch, bang, stitch.

Better question; Do the wants of the many or minority outweight the rights of any?

Not a viable option. Omaha beach was in between the far left and right of the invasion. If it was not taken it would have left to much distance of open ground between the invasion force, preventing them from linking up.
In turn this may have allowed the Germans to concentrate their counter attack on one of the landings and destroy it in detail as they say.
Plus once the operation was in motion it is way to late to make the kind of change you are talking about.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Lothar
Was this the only battleship on Omaha? If not, then why weren't the other ships firing?
Your question is unanswerable.

This was a destroyer, and there 4 or 5 total near the beach. The cruisers and battleships were to large to get close enough to the beach to be effective in the roll the destroyers were playing.
The destroyers were essentially offering close up combat support, they were doing the role tanks would have done, except nearly all the tanks were destroyed or sank before reaching shore.

I would not say it is unanswerable, it is just a tough moral decision to make.

 

[Tab]

I believe you ProfJohn need to answer Rainsford's post as well as take a Philosophy 101 class. I think you'll find out utilitarian while may look good on paper, it's deeply flawed.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Tab
I believe you ProfJohn need to answer Rainsford's post as well as take a Philosophy 101 class. I think you'll find out utilitarian while may look good on paper, it's deeply flawed.

My question wasn't about the philosophy (and I got an A in that class) it was about what the captain should have done in this case. And I stated that he made the right decision, based on the information he had at the time.