this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2026
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I'm pretty sure "the trolley cannot be stopped no matter what" is an integral part of the thought experiment.
Which is why it's a bad analogy to apply to real world situations. It only helps trap people into thinking the problem is unsolvable because that's the way the system works, when in reality if the system is making you choose between things like genocide abroad or fascism at home, you should just change the system.
Pretty good analogy for what a regular person finds themselves in US right now. You, an individual, has the same ability to "kill the driver" as that hypothetical guy in a dilemma.
Except not, because you as an individual have zero ability to affect whether the trolley kills one or 5 in America. Your vote only matters in the context of everybody else, and if we’re doing mass movements, why not work towards a mass movement that will actual change things?