It has to be okay for people to die, because ALL PATHS FORWARD INVOLVE PEOPLE DYING. Any choice you make involves some hidden choice about who gets to suffer and die and who doesn't.

But no, that's not what I was saying. Also, are you aware that extinction also involves lots of deaths? Have you thought about what does and doesn't count as "death" to you? What about responsibility for that death? How indirect does it have to be before you're free from responsibility? Is it better to have fewer sentient beings living better lives, or more beings living worse lives? Does it matter how much worse? Is there a line where their life becomes a net positive in terms of its contribution to the overall "goodness" of the state of the universe? Once we can ensure a net positive life for people should the goal to be for as many to exist as possible? Should new people only be brought into the world if we can guarantee them a net positive life?

But hey, thanks for the very concrete example of how being in a decent local minima is very hard to break out of.