"You're right, killing you would mean I'm just as much of a monster as you! Too bad I didn't realize that before indiscriminately slaughtering dozens of your disposable henchmen on my way here."

This is exactly how I feel every time I suggest the correct way to deal with conservative fascism is with violence. Some commenter will always come along with, "that makes you just as bad as them" and "you're part of the problem".

Part of the problem? Bitch, resisting force with force isn't the fucking problem. It's the solution.

Morality foundation: You've become a murderer just like him, no matter the intentios.

Morality reality: If you believe these people he murdered should not be dead, and that all his killings are unjust, removing him at worst replaces one mass murderer with just murderer. Even more, with a vigilante. Now, this of course is not really good, but the net outcome is good.

If you cut out a tumour, you're also killing live tissue so aren't you also cancerous hmm?

Oncologist:

Removes tumor

What have I become?

You may have caused millions to suffer. But if I kill you, I'd prevent suffering of more people. I am a murderer of one that might have continued to torture millions. I'd be a murderer for some but a hero for millions.

Great example of our time - Luigi Mangione. Sad to hear him confess 😭

Especially when you couple it with the fact that if you leave him alive he is very likely to cause more harm even if hebgoes to prison or such

Luigi! <3

Democrats say “Oh yeah you’re right” and walk away

This is my personal take, but this is similar to an old philosophical argument. Can you use the Masters tools to dismantle the Master's house? The master's house in this argument represents systems of oppression/sanctioned violence and the tools are, well the tools. Hope I don't have to explain that part. Anyway, my personal take is yes you can. You can not use the Master's tools to build your own house.

In so far as the panel, dude was fine to shoot him. He just has to put the gun down and accept the responsibility of whatever his action causes.

There's a counterexample in the Overwatch backstory. Overwatch goes to arrest this guy after he had a bomb planted that killed a bunch of their staff. The guy brags about how with his connections he'll be released within days. One of the Overwatch agents says, "He's right", and shoots the guy. So that guy's not going to be planting more bombs. But that leads to Overwatch getting disbanded. They aren't around to respond immediately when the bad guys start acting up again. When Overwatch does get back into operation, that bad guy's daughter escalates the violence against Overwatch in her quest for revenge.

Oh! Another counterexample is in the TNG episode, The Most Toys. The bad guy is doing the thing, gloating to Data how Data is too moral to kill him. Data does some calculations, says "I cannot allow this to continue", and tries to shoot the guy. But he's stopped at the last moment. So kind of a narrative copout.

"Hello! but I'm going to be worse than you"

Pours gasoline, lights him on fire, then starts throwing wooden sticks hard enough to impale him

This is the way. Many of today's problems are partly caused by people having been taught they have to take the high road and show they are better than the meanies. If you turn the other cheek, you'll end up with two black eyes. Crush those evil bastards.

What’s happening with his arm in the first panel?

Yeah, no one looking to be taken seriously would argue that you shouldn't have taken Hitler out if you had the opportunity.

I'd take the opportunity and I'd sleep soundly that night.

I think if you kill a murderer that has killed one person, then it’s not morally justified.

But how about someone who killed 2? How about 5? How about 20? 1000?

Idk where to draw the line but I strongly believe there has to be a line and the number can’t be infinite.

I'm ok with that. I can live with it. I won't try to twist the justification like the people in power. I will be committing sin and I will be a hypocrite if it means getting rid of the filth causing millions to suffer.

Mr Frog on a good day

In such hypothetical situation, it may be a bit more ethical to do like in the Alias series finale. Don't kill the vilain, let him to starve in a remote place. If he happens to be immortal for some reason, ensure he's burried deep.

This would have ended a lot of cartoon series a lot quicker. The hero has the villain on the ropes and “but I would be just as bad as you if I killed you” and lets the villain go so the villan can do more villain shit, repeat.

This comes up with Batman a lot, but we know he’s a severely traumatized man and it makes sense that he would believe it.