Everyone in the world has to take a private vote by pressing red or blue (opens in new tab)

I don't get how so many people say pressing red is the right choice. Yes, if everyone presses red then nobody dies, but the same is true if everyone presses blue. But if almost everyone presses red, a lot of people die, and if almost everyone presses blue still nothing happens.

It would be funny if nobody dies but this was just a test if you are capable of large scale coordination - and everybody who presses red just looses their vote in society.

If red wins, I don't want to be on earth with the people who were okay with killing 50.1% of earth - hence I will vote blue.

It seems like a simplified prisoners’ dilemma: it’s missing the negative weight if everybody presses red.

Should be clear that, when faced with a power capable of doing this, humanity should cooperate to entirely choose red.

Becomes more interesting if, whatever the outcome, choosing red somehow removes the ability to perform manual labor.

Big related discussion (posted a few hours later) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47912065

Ironic that despite the poll leaning blue, the replies to that post are full of people being as provocative and cynical as they can be, cheering on the death of everyone who didn't vote like them and smugly flailing around their perceived 'superior intellect'. It seems that for many people, voting red isn't just about protecting yourself at all costs, but wishing to kill the others.

I want to press the blue button but I also want those who pressed the red button to die :).

Since anyone pressing red is safe everybody should press red. Then everyone is safe.

Why would I not press red?