June 6, 2023

Throwaway and hidden city airline ticketing

Airlines sometimes charge more for a one-way ticket than a round-trip ticket to the same destination. If I want to fly one way, it is OK to buy a round-trip ticket to save money, and “throw away” the return ticket?

Or suppose I save money by getting off the plane at an intermediate stop after buying a ticket to a more distant but cheaper destination. This is known as “hidden city” ticketing. Is it ethical?

Question posed by USA Today reporter.

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Posted by on June 6, 2023 in Buying and selling and tagged , , .

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June 5, 2023

Effective altruism

We are hearing a great deal recently about effective altruism. We are told that if we see a young child about to drown, we would and should rush over and save the child, even if it spoils our new shoes. So why don’t we care as much about the millions of starving children around the world? We should determine what is the most effective way to help others, and get to work!

But how far must I go to be an effective altruist? Must I drop everything and devote all my energies to relieving world hunger? Must I donate all I have to Oxfam and reduce myself to poverty? If I am a young person, must I choose a career that maximizes humanitarian impact, or is it OK to be the manager of a local grocery? Or perhaps it is enough to make a modest contribution to charity, or to try to make a contribution through the job I have? If an extreme response is not required, what principle guides the level of sacrifice I must make?

Based on a question from a Reuters reporter.

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Posted by on June 5, 2023 in Other dilemmas and tagged , , , .

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August 1, 2021

“Soft” vaccine requirement

Some U.S. employers are imposing a “soft” vaccine requirement for Covid-19. They allow employees who refuse refuse vaccine to opt for regular testing, working from home, etc. Is this type of requirement ethical?

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Posted by on August 1, 2021 in Ethics on the job, Medical ethics and tagged , .

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July 16, 2021

Requiring Covid-19 vaccination

Should a U.S. school or workplace require Covid-19 vaccination?

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Posted by on July 16, 2021 in Ethics at school, Ethics on the job, Medical ethics and tagged , , , .

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May 3, 2021

Hobby Lobby mask mandate

I am requesting that you stop the illegal mask mandates for your employees, now. If they are forced to wear the unhealthy, unconstitutional masks with the threat of losing their jobs if they don’t this is wrong and you should know that. Please go to http://www.americasfrontlinedoctors.com , click on the legal tab and see the letter that is composed for adults, who DO NOT have to comply with the illegal mandates. Protect your employees from Big Government overreach.

Originally posted today by Mary K Fowler as a comment on another Hobby Lobby issue.

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Posted by on May 3, 2021 in Buying and selling, Ethics on the job, Medical ethics and tagged , .

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August 24, 2020

Refusing Coronavirus vaccine

It is reported that half of Americans will refuse to be vaccinated for Covid-19. Is this ethical?

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Posted by on August 24, 2020 in Medical ethics and tagged , , , , .

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June 27, 2020

Human challenge trials

Over 30,000 persons in 140 countries have volunteered for human challenge trials of Covid-19 vaccines, according to the organization 1Day Sooner.  They are willing to be deliberately infected with the Coronavirus after receiving a dose of an experimental vaccine—or a placebo!  Human challenge trials could shave weeks or months off the development time for a vaccine, when reducing it by even one day could save thousands of lives.  Yet, are such trials ethical?

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Posted by on June 27, 2020 in Medical ethics and tagged , , , , .

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June 16, 2020

Masks and freedom

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of states and cities require customers who enter a store to wear a mask. Yet there is resistance.  Some view these rules as an attack on their freedom and may even assault store employees in response.   When a Target security guard in Michigan asked a family to wear masks, one of the family members shot him dead.  The mayor of an Oklahoma city had to rescind a mask-wearing order one day after it was enacted due to threats against store proprietors.   There are many other incidents like this.

While we can agree that assaulting employees is wrong, do the resisters have a point?  They see mask rules as just one example of government oppression that freedom-loving people must resist.  One letter to a Pennsylvania newspaper refers to mask-wearers as submissive “sheep,” a sentiment that many share, particularly in conservative regions of the country.  Are they right?

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Posted by on June 16, 2020 in Buying and selling, Medical ethics and tagged , , , , .

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May 31, 2020

Warning labels on tweets

Twitter recently posted warning labels on some high-profile tweets, on the ground that they incite violence or spread harmful misinformation.  Is this ethical?  Is it obligatory?

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Posted by on May 31, 2020 in Ethics and technology/AI, Ethics on the job and tagged , , , .

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April 23, 2020

When to reopen the economy?

People are saying that we are “past the peak” with Covid-19.  Given this, when is the right time to reopen the economy?

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Posted by on April 23, 2020 in Medical ethics and tagged , , , , .

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