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The Baby, The Terrorist and The Time Bomb

Added 8 years ago / Updated 8 years ago
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Laura Jean @malmuss Follow Where is the baby's father in all this? As usual I am left to change the nappies and torture the terrorists RETWEETSL 136 369 7:50 AM -26 Jan 2017
a G'Aya Online Follow @AyachilTomo You use #torture and save your baby. As you dismantle the bomb to turn it off you notice it's labeled "capitalism" Banksy's done it again. Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETS LIKES 17 26 9:54 AM-26 Jan 2017
Robert Webbe @arobertwebb Follow v Your baby is tied to railway track. You have a Twix. The baby tells you to torture a cow. But the cow is a Virgo. Who's on first base? Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 125 10-38 AM-26 len 201
Padraig Reidy @mePadraigReidy Follow v. l've seen this one. Turns out THE BABY IS THE TERRORIST Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 41 209 7:48 AM-26 Jan 2017
Mollie Goodfellow @hansmollman Follow / Record scratch* *Freeze frame* "Yep, that's me - the baby. You're probably wondering how I got tied to this timebomb." RETWEETS LIKES 125 deb 535 7:52 AM -26 Jan 2017
Louis Barfe @LFBarfe Follow / Do your stand-up act at the terrorist. He'll soon be begging for the sweet release of death. Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 50ens 255 8:08 AM-26 Jan 2017
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About • Origin • Spread • Various Examples • Search Interest • External References • Recent Images

About

The Baby, The Terrorist and The Time Bomb is a thought experiment intended to illustrate the moral dilemma of torturing as an interrogation tactic. Upon being tweeted by British comedian Lee Hurst in late January 2017, the hypothetical scenario became a popular subject of online parodies, in a similar vein to Would You Kill Baby Hitler? and The Trolley Problem.

Origin

Early in the morning on January 26th, 2017, amidst a debate about the merits of torture after American President Donald Trump claimed torture "absolutely works,"[1] British comedian Lee Hurst tweeted[2] a scenario intended to challenge people to see under what conditions one would engage in torture:

Your baby is tied to a timebomb.
You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour.
Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die?

Lee Hurst Follow 2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 4:51 AM-26 Jan 2017 1.91 t. 151 225

Spread

The tweet has gained 157 retweets and 232 likes in the following 8 hours and generated debate, with many criticizing the absurdity of the hypothetical. Hurst responded to such criticisms by calling them "deflections" (example shown below).

Jennifer Gray @Tzenh 7h @2010LeeHurst Govt policy can't be developed on what one person might do in their most desperate moment. orture cannot be condoned 9 24 ·693 Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst 7h Tzenh Deflection again. Your baby's dead then. わ50 ロ10 ·45 Jennifer Gray @Tzenh 7h @2010LeeHurst I feel like you may have been the inspiration behind the Eurus Holmes character.... 264 Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst 7h Tzenh Still deflecting, like everyone else. Not one of you will stand by your convictions. わ15 2 29 Jennifer Gray @Tzenh 7h @2010LeeHurst Ok cocky! I'd fight 4 my baby in that hr, accept consequences after, then use publicity to challenge #torture supporters :) Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst 7h Tzenh Fight for doesn't necessarily mean torture therefore another deflection. Torture or no torture. Another deflection and we're done. わ23

Others mocked Hurst's turn to political discourse years after his comedy career peaked. One particular strand of joke was to compare Hurst's scenario to a fantastical action movie.

Jennifer Unkle @jbu3 Follow Me after successfully removing the time bomb DIVX GIF

The jokes made Twitter Moments[3] that day and The Guardian[4] posted an article refuting Hurst's claim.

Various Examples

DocHackenbush Follow / DocHackenbush Your career is in ruins You aren't on tv anymore Do you pretend to be Alf Garnett on twitter for the attention? Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die?
Robert Webbe @arobertwebb Follow v Your baby is tied to railway track. You have a Twix. The baby tells you to torture a cow. But the cow is a Virgo. Who's on first base? Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 125 10-38 AM-26 len 201
Louis Barfe @LFBarfe Follow / Do your stand-up act at the terrorist. He'll soon be begging for the sweet release of death. Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 50ens 255 8:08 AM-26 Jan 2017
Mollie Goodfellow @hansmollman Follow / Record scratch* *Freeze frame* "Yep, that's me - the baby. You're probably wondering how I got tied to this timebomb." RETWEETS LIKES 125 deb 535 7:52 AM -26 Jan 2017
Klint @mnitchsmith Follow / Lee Hurst is having another one of his "last night I dreamt I was Jack Bauer" moments again. Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 4 7:02 AM -26 Jan 2017
Padraig Reidy @mePadraigReidy Follow v. l've seen this one. Turns out THE BABY IS THE TERRORIST Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 41 209 7:48 AM-26 Jan 2017

Search Interest

Unavailable

External References

[1] Guardian – Trump claims torture works but experts warn of its 'potentially existential' costs

[2] Twitter – @2010LeeHurst

[3] Twitter Moments – Have you heard the one about the baby and the timebomb?

[4] The Guardian – Here's why if Lee Hurst was strapped to a time bomb I wouldn't torture a terrorist

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The Baby, The Terrorist and The Time Bomb

The Baby, The Terrorist and The Time Bomb

Part of a series on Twitter / X. [View Related Entries]

Updated Jan 27, 2017 at 03:05PM EST by Adam.

Added Jan 26, 2017 at 11:38AM EST by Adam.

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About

The Baby, The Terrorist and The Time Bomb is a thought experiment intended to illustrate the moral dilemma of torturing as an interrogation tactic. Upon being tweeted by British comedian Lee Hurst in late January 2017, the hypothetical scenario became a popular subject of online parodies, in a similar vein to Would You Kill Baby Hitler? and The Trolley Problem.

Origin

Early in the morning on January 26th, 2017, amidst a debate about the merits of torture after American President Donald Trump claimed torture "absolutely works,"[1] British comedian Lee Hurst tweeted[2] a scenario intended to challenge people to see under what conditions one would engage in torture:

Your baby is tied to a timebomb.
You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour.
Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die?


Lee Hurst Follow 2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 4:51 AM-26 Jan 2017 1.91 t. 151 225

Spread

The tweet has gained 157 retweets and 232 likes in the following 8 hours and generated debate, with many criticizing the absurdity of the hypothetical. Hurst responded to such criticisms by calling them "deflections" (example shown below).


Jennifer Gray @Tzenh 7h @2010LeeHurst Govt policy can't be developed on what one person might do in their most desperate moment. orture cannot be condoned 9 24 ·693 Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst 7h Tzenh Deflection again. Your baby's dead then. わ50 ロ10 ·45 Jennifer Gray @Tzenh 7h @2010LeeHurst I feel like you may have been the inspiration behind the Eurus Holmes character.... 264 Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst 7h Tzenh Still deflecting, like everyone else. Not one of you will stand by your convictions. わ15 2 29 Jennifer Gray @Tzenh 7h @2010LeeHurst Ok cocky! I'd fight 4 my baby in that hr, accept consequences after, then use publicity to challenge #torture supporters :) Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst 7h Tzenh Fight for doesn't necessarily mean torture therefore another deflection. Torture or no torture. Another deflection and we're done. わ23

Others mocked Hurst's turn to political discourse years after his comedy career peaked. One particular strand of joke was to compare Hurst's scenario to a fantastical action movie.


Jennifer Unkle @jbu3 Follow Me after successfully removing the time bomb DIVX GIF

The jokes made Twitter Moments[3] that day and The Guardian[4] posted an article refuting Hurst's claim.

Various Examples


DocHackenbush Follow / DocHackenbush Your career is in ruins You aren't on tv anymore Do you pretend to be Alf Garnett on twitter for the attention? Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? Robert Webbe @arobertwebb Follow v Your baby is tied to railway track. You have a Twix. The baby tells you to torture a cow. But the cow is a Virgo. Who's on first base? Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 125 10-38 AM-26 len 201 Louis Barfe @LFBarfe Follow / Do your stand-up act at the terrorist. He'll soon be begging for the sweet release of death. Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 50ens 255 8:08 AM-26 Jan 2017 Mollie Goodfellow @hansmollman Follow / Record scratch* *Freeze frame* "Yep, that's me - the baby. You're probably wondering how I got tied to this timebomb." RETWEETS LIKES 125 deb 535 7:52 AM -26 Jan 2017 Klint @mnitchsmith Follow / Lee Hurst is having another one of his "last night I dreamt I was Jack Bauer" moments again. Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 4 7:02 AM -26 Jan 2017 Padraig Reidy @mePadraigReidy Follow v. l've seen this one. Turns out THE BABY IS THE TERRORIST Lee Hurst @2010LeeHurst Your baby is tied to a timebomb. You have the terrorist. He tells you you have 1 hour. Do you #torture him to find your baby or let it die? RETWEETSL 41 209 7:48 AM-26 Jan 2017

Search Interest

Unavailable

External References

[1] Guardian – Trump claims torture works but experts warn of its 'potentially existential' costs

[2] Twitter – @2010LeeHurst

[3] Twitter Moments – Have you heard the one about the baby and the timebomb?

[4] The Guardian – Here's why if Lee Hurst was strapped to a time bomb I wouldn't torture a terrorist

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