Re: How do I build a career in engineering (hardware design) ??

"Ian Bell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> David Brown wrote:
>
> >
> > "Ian Bell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> Aaron wrote:
> >>
> >> >> Of course, you have to be somewhat of a sociopath
> >> >> since you will be building bombs/missiles for Rummy's ambitions.
> >> >
> >> > There's nothing sociopathic about designing weapon systems to kill
the
> >> > enemy.  The only sociopaths are the hippy tree huggers like you who
> > would
> >> > rather 'talk it out' while the bad guys plan to kill the good guys.
> >>
> >> It has always thought those who object to working on 'defense' projects
> >> to
> >> be rather naive.  A little thought will reveal there are a vast range
of
> >> jobs which may have the same effect although in not such a graphic
> >> manner.
> >>
> >> Would they  refuse to work fora process control company that might one
> >> day
> >> supply a system to a tobacco company.  Would they not work on farm
> >> machinery on the basis that the company makes a sprayer that farmers
> >> might
> >> use it to spray carcinogenic insecticides?  What about the large number
> >> of
> >> people killed in auto accidents?  can't work for a catering machinery
> >> company because they might be used to make burgers.
> >>
> >> The bottom line is that almost any job you do can have a potentialy
> > harmful
> >> effect.  To be truly ethical severely limits job opportunities.
> >>
> >
> > That's a pretty meaningless argument - you are taking things to absurd
> > extremes.  To be "truly ethical" in that sense limits everything
entirely
> > - there is absolutely nothing that you can do that you can be sure
cannot
> > have
> > a harmful effect.
>
> My point exactly.
>
> > It is perfectly reasonable to avoid doing things that
> > you know *will* have a harmful effect, and to distance yourself where
> > possible. It is sociopathic to build a machine designed for producing
> > cigarettes - it is not sociopathic to build a packing machine that
someone
> > might one day sell to a cigarette company.
>
> So you agree there are other industries other than defense that should be
> avoided.  The why does noone mention them?
>

It's simply a matter of there being so many more jobs for embedded systems
engineers in the defence industry than in the tobacco industry, or any other
morally questionable industy.