The current news has me thinking that, while the death of any human is not something I actively relish, most people feel a certain satisfaction, relief or, at least, less sad when someone like Osama Bin Laden dies, because they were responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people.
Which got me wondering, have studies been done estimating how many legitimate insurance cases are rejected, delayed or otherwise mishandled, and how many of those result in deaths? I guess other industries are also responsible for some pretty measurable risk factors (e.g. air pollution). It would interesting to see some rough numbers of how many deaths the CEOs who choose to continue running these companies in harmful ways account for. Obviously, they are only indirectly responsible, but the same could be said about Bin Laden, he didn’t fly the planes himself, he delegated.
First order, 2nd order or third order becomes an issue as you point out, gun deaths assigned to Winchester or to the shooter or to the Governments who allows legislation for it to happen ? ? Another example, cigeratte smoke, contact from particulates on residuals left on inanimte objects (3rd order) kills thousands of people, whose “fault”? Should you approach anyone seen smoking and rightly accuse them of manslaughter for third order impacts ? Or just shoot them becase it’s a “greater good” ?
I read an article once on how much Artic ice the average American melted annually though car emissions, how many do they kill through car manslaughter vs car pollution, is that then treated like gun deaths? Assigned to Ford or Toyota, or to the individual ? What about voters who choose not to elect politicians who then support car use reduction via public and alterate transport even if they dont drive themselves ?
No train driver delivering inmates to Auswitch killed anyone but we hold them somewhat responsible, not the company making the trains not those building the trains.
What about those working in ammunition factories suppying Israel ? Vicarious liability is a thing. Just rhe CEO ?
Is the wife who shoots her abusive husband responsible? What about the “terrorist” from Afghanistan who had their family whiped out by a US combatant and bombs a Mall in the US ? Revenge, or justice, or ? Should the US Army be held responsbile for it ? The Government? the voters ?
I don’t think it’s a slippery slope, I think it’s impossible to calculate and i don’t think theres any solution. I do think a bunch of people will hold wildly differing opinions eg i think the Unabomber was right and justified and Manson was wrong … for another example. Was a terrorist like Washington right ? Only becase he won.