The Hierarchy of Friendliness

[Dethklok]

Like Robotech, the Reimagined Battlestar Galactica casts a group of beings as enemies, but then divides them into friendly and unfriendly groups. This is a big deal when it happens, but there isn't too much done intellectually to justify the shift; mostly the humans just need to learn to trust the Cylons and get on with it.

But my own sense of which side I was rooting for was never very clear; we were obviously supposed to hate the Cylons, yet their superior technology, their focus and strength of purpose, their apparent high intelligence, athleticism, and attractiveness, and their (then) lack of sentiment all made their side appealing to me.

So imagine that there is a war on (preferably involving humanoid robots and jump technology, but whatever) which divides your loyalties. How do you rate or rank these various elements in deciding which side you are on, if any?

1. Philosophical or religious agreement with one side
2. A sense of psychological similarity to the members of a side
3. One side has clearly been wronged by the other
4. One side literally created the other
5. You have friends or family members on one side
6. Your country is on one side
7. The members of one side are superior in terms of physical or mental characteristics
8. One side has a culture that resonates with you
9. One side is almost certainly destined to win
10. One side fights clean while the other resorts to terrorism

I think I tend to rate

1. Philosophical or religious agreement with one side

as most important, with these five coming in next

2. A sense of psychological similarity to the members of a side
3. One side has clearly been wronged by the other
5. You have friends or family members on one side
7. The members of one side are superior in terms of physical or mental characteristics
8. One side has a culture that resonates with you

and

4. One side literally created the other
6. Your country is on one side
9. One side is almost certainly destined to win
10. One side fights clean while the other resorts to terrorism

having little bearing on my decision.

[claudiamay]

Hey,

First of all, I exclude the possibility of having a duty to perform or orders to obey--I would be acting in a similar position to the one I perform now, that is, that of any ordinary citizen.

First:
1. Philosophical or religious agreement with one side
First, I'd try to pick the side with which I share the moral code. Which would, in this imagined war-environment, lead to:

8. One side has a culture that resonates with you
Which would lead to:

2. A sense of psychological similarity to the members of a side

Second:
6. Your country is on one side
I'm having a hard time trying to decide if the interface through which the individual and her/his country interact could be culture, so I'm just gessing it is and placing number 6 here.

Third:
5. You have friends or family members on one side
Only if my family beliefs do not go directly agains my beliefs; friends I would choose for their beliefs, so they just do not count here.

Fourth:
10. One side fights clean while the other resorts to terrorism

Fifth:
3. One side has clearly been wronged by the other
I think "to have been clearly wronged" by someone depends on my moral code, so this item would already be included in number one.

The following would not count:
4. One side literally created the other
It's not because I have created the other, provided this other is conscious, that I have rights over life and death of that other.

7. The members of one side are superior in terms of physical or mental characteristics
I would still try not to betray my beliefs.

9. One side is almost certainly destined to win
If my choice is biased by this item, then I would have no fun at all.

[Dethklok]

Five points for replying to this thread.

(Uh, wasn't there another reply before...?)

Looking at your responses makes me realize that

9. One side is almost certainly destined to win

is actually very important in most wars. Most wars, in my experience, are stupid, with both parties being those I would rather not support. Therefore, in most wars, if it's not possible to avoid fighting, it's better to simply pick the winning side in order to live.

Arguably this is even a wise move under other circumstances - he who supports the side he hates may live to betray them once the war is over. It's the kind of thing Gaius Baltar would have done, and he seems absolutely unkillable.

[eafkuor]

In order:

3. One side has clearly been wronged by the other
2. A sense of psychological similarity to the members of a side
1. Philosophical or religious agreement with one side
4. One side literally created the other
8. One side has a culture that resonates with you
9. One side is almost certainly destined to win
7. The members of one side are superior in terms of physical or mental characteristics

And then:
5. You have friends or family members on one side
6. Your country is on one side
10. One side fights clean while the other resorts to terrorism




It is possible that tomorrow the order would have been different, I don't know.
But for now, it feels right.

[claudiamay]

I still think about this thread now and then trying to make better choices. hahaha