Nikhil's thought experiment was never intended to be put into practice, but rather to make a point about the indifference towards preventable death in third-world countries. While it's true that this type of publicity stunt would come with a slew of ethical and legal implications, the underlying message of the concept is still worth considering. Nikhil's point about the difference between murder and inaction is undeniably valid; if no one intervenes, lives can be lost. Without intervention, many of those living in poverty-stricken countries do not have access to resources or medical care.
At the same time, the underlying message of this thought experiment—that we are all responsible for the preventable deaths in third-world countries, not just the ones who commit murder—is spot-on. It's easy to forget, or even ignore, the fact that we are all responsible for the suffering of others due to our inaction.
The retort fails to consider that Nikhil's idea was not about the death of an innocent child, but about making people realize their responsibility for preventable death. This is an important point and one worth highlighting, especially since many of us are accustomed to viewing murder and permission of preventable death as separate concepts. Nikhil's thought experiment is designed to bring attention to the suffering of others and make us think about how our inaction can be just as harmful as murder.
Furthermore, Nikhil does not fail to consider how traumatic it would be for the child in question. He acknowledges that this stunt would likely cause psychological trauma and emotional distress to the child, but his point is that these children already suffer greatly due to poverty-induced preventable deaths.
In conclusion, while it's true that Nikhil's thought experiment would have implications that are both unethical and illegal, his point about permission of death in comparison to murder is valid and bears serious consideration. Instead of condemning Nikhil's thought experiment, let's use it as an opportunity to discuss our responsibility for preventable death and work together on finding a solution. UrRong if you think otherwise—it's time to start doing something!