You are a prisoner of war and your captors tell you that if you kill one man, five of your comrades will be freed. You wonder is it ethical to trade one life for five? Is there a "greater good" served by agreeing to this demand?
In this discussion, we will consider a controversial decision made by the Obama administration, in which a trade of five Taliban prisoners was made in exchange for the freedom of one American, U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held in Afghanistan for five years.
Much controversy surrounds this decision. The trade was seemingly made without prior consultation or notification of Congress. In addition, the trade surprised many US Citizens who understood the US position to be "we will never negotiate with terrorists".
In your initial post,
Present a paragraph or two stating and supporting your position on this prisoner exchange.
Address the ethical issues involved relating to the "five for one" deal made by the Obama administration; the secrecy with which this negotiation and exchange was carried out; and the fact that the administration appears to have acted unilaterally in this matter (without consulting Congress).
Finally, address this question: Was this prisoner exchange ethical in light of the potential future terrorism threat presented by the five Taliban members released in exchange for Bergdahl?