It was Immanuel Kant who proposed that, since one can't reliably predict or foresee all consequences of a given action, it is best to not act based on perceived consequences, but to act according to the Categorical Imperative. This means that you shouldn't do bad things, because bad things are bad. You never know if a good or bad outcome will come of your actions, so you ought to act in good faith.

And he goes on to say that such an Imperative basically means you shouldn't do something unless it would be good if everyone did it all the time. Ergo, you shouldn't commit genocide, because genocide is bad, mkay.

All this back and forth about what might have happened or not; and specifically the fact that the forum can't come to consensus; would only go to show that Kant was right.

Life's like fishin' on a river shanty. You just never know.