Serious questions and musings

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Apologies for bumping this thread, but I have a serious question this afternoon that I’d be interested to know people’s perspectives on.

Recently, I applied to a graduate scheme. It’s a “technical graduate scheme” with a consultancy firm who work countrywide, and it encompasses a number of different areas, including cyber security, business analysis, AI, software development and data analytics, amongst other areas (I put my main interests down as data and AI, but being a CS graduate, I feel I could give a number of those other areas a good go as well).

The nature of the role isn’t the point of my question, though. The application form asked me whether I would be willing to work on projects involving defence. I put down “Yes”, not really thinking that there would be any reason for me not to work on defence projects. However, having said this to someone later, they said that that could potentially give me an advantage over others in the application process, as “many people would say no to that”.

This got me thinking; in some of the recent debates on here regarding ethics seeping into the theme park industry (e.g. Puy du Fou, Saudi Arabia), I’ll admit that I’ve been very keen to depoliticise things and separate the parks from the politics. While I find the whole camaraderie of politics fascinating to follow and discuss (as evidenced by my many contributions to the UK Politics thread), I’ll admit to not holding overly strong political leanings or overly entrenched ideology, and I don’t really govern my life via politics to any meaningful degree.

With this in mind, my serious question is; if I don’t hold strong ideological stances on matters like this and don’t govern my life by politics, does it make me morally corrupt? Does the fact that I put “Yes” to working on defence projects without really thinking about it in the job application form, or that I don’t have a strong objection to the idea of visiting Puy du Fou, or visiting Saudi Arabia to ride Falcon’s Flight, make me a bad person or mean that I have no moral compass?

I am, at times, a sanctimonious bird, but even I appreciate that it's possible to hold two conflicting thoughts in your head at the same time.

You're not morally corrupt. Many people disagree with war, or defence, but still admit that it is a necessary evil and someone has to do it.

I have worked with some of society's most disdained and dangerous individuals. I have humanised those whom many would see as true monsters. I still consider my morals intact, and that my professional actions were for the greater good.

I do not agree with many of the actions taken by the "defence" sector, but I'm aware that the ultimate goal morally checks out. Allegedly, peace and security.

Ultimately, we all have to keep a roof over our head and food in our mouth.

Whilst I disagree vehemently with your stance on problematic parks, it doesn't surprise me. As a cisgender, white, heterosexual and heteronormative person, you're unlikely to be harmed or threatened by extreme right wing fascists, or the Saudi Arabians. You have the literal privilege to not care or be bothered by it. I do not believe for one moment that you are morally corrupt or a bad person for being lucky enough to be in this position.

The fact that questions like this weigh so heavily on your conscience shows that your heart is in the right place, and that you mostly have your head screwed on. Acknowledging and appreciating the problems can sometimes be enough.

You're not denying that either of these two future attractions are problematic, you're not pretending as though there isn't an issue. You've just weighed up your position and come to a different conclusion.

I don't personally agree with your conclusion and I don't understand your reasoning behind this conclusion. I think you're misguided, but I still have the utmost respect and time and appreciation for you. Those are my conflicting thoughts.

You can love and hate something in equal measures, at the same time, and that is human... And goose.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

It's a personal choice @Matt N and one that only you can make. It certainly doesn't mean that you do not have a moral compass if you choose to work in defence.

I know several people, especially around Bristol, that work in the defence sector (public or private), and to be honest if you are working in computer science or aerospace and live in the south west a large amount of job opportunities available to you will be in that area. However that doesn't mean you'll necessary be designing bombs - there's a very diverse range of roles available. Depending on how you look at it, you could actually be saving lives with the stuff you end up working on. Or it might be related to peripheral defence activities not related to actual combat.

On the other hand my other half - who has an engineering maths degree - made a decision quite early on that a defence career wasn't for him and he has had a very succesful career so far in sectors such as civil aviation and precision manufacturing. Occasionally he has turned down an interview for a defence role that would have been a good career move, but there was always something else that came along in a more 'comfortable' sector for him and he has not really been disadvantaged.

In short, I don't think there is a right or wrong here, you just need to ask yourself what your personal thoughts on the matter are.