England - or more exactly, the United Kingdom, abolished capital punishment (i.e. the death penalty) except for treason in the 1960s. Capital punishment was removed from all crimes in the 1990s (nobody has been executed for treason since the end of World War II).
The reason the death penalty was removed was for three reasons:
(1) growing disquiet that killing someone was wrong, no matter how evil the crime.
(2) a number of high profile cases that beyond doubt demonstrated that innocent people had been executed having been found guilty on flimsy or even fabiracted evidence.
(3) a cold hard look at other countries - those without the death penalty largely have lower crime rates. A classic case in point is the USA. The death penalty is not a deterrant, pure and simple.
Since the repeal of the death penalty, there have been various moves to have it returned, but without success. One of the prime reasons given is that execution makes murderers into martyrs. Locking someone up and throwing away the key is in many ways a far nastier punishment. And someone who has committed a singularly vile murder will largely be in solitary confinement for the rest of their days for their own safety (Brit prisoners, like American prisoners have a scale of values and child murderers, terrorists, etc, are considered beneath contempt).
I'm personally opposed to the death penalty simply because of the danger that once in a while an innocent person can be executed, no matter how compelling the evidence to the contrary may appear. And I've had a close friend murdered by the IRA, so I'm not speaking from a neutral position on this matter.
Oh yes - and apologies if I go silent for a while from the forum. I'm flying to Norway for a conference ...
Andrew, you should probably modify this to say "Brit prisoners, like American prisoners have a scale of values and child murderers, terrorists, etc, are considered beneath contempt".
Unfortunately, amongst some of our judges, academic elites and the ACLU, child murderers are to be pitied and terrorists are "freedom fighters". Our prisoners think much like your's though, so there may be hope yet.
No politics involved. Unless the stereotype of certain judges, academics and the ACLU having a particular political agenda is true. I myself know of a few cases where the ACLU took a very conservative slant and they themselves claim to be non-partisan, as do judges and academics. YMMV.
I can’t remember that the ACLU has a position that child murderers should be pitied (though it is possible to have a position that the key should be thrown away and still pity the individual). And I am quite certain that they have no position that terrorists are “freedom fighters”. This would be true even if they chose to represent an individual who may not have had a fair trial.
I only know one judge (a staunch conservative) and though I know quite a few academics (elite or not), so I can’t generalize, the ones I know would not fall into your characterization.
Of course I did read your ‘some’ qualifier.
Actually judges don’t claim to be non-partisan—in many states they are elected on partisan ballots. Judges do claim (and are expected) to be disinterested. Most of my academic friends and acquaintances certainly are quite partisan.
When I think about it, my post might have seemed directed at you. That was not what I meant, as I was responding to the assertion that the press had already posted all the details.
I was only trying to refute that charge—nothing else.
In retrospect, I seem to have had a humour bypass when I first read the post. Although what bothered me most about it was that it's far from being an Asian thing, as indeed it turns out Will himself also has the problem, and indeed two significant minorities in America, around whom political correctness has dictated one step very carefully in making jokes, also suffer significantly from intolerance. So a joke at Asian expense seemed inappropriate.
I would, on the other hand, have laughed heartily at any reference to the "Asian flush", which yes I red-facedly admit to suffering from quite badly...
Oh well, at least restrictions on electronics has been eased, so I can carry my laptop without worries. Otherwise, when I'm in the US on vacation next month, I won't be able to log onto HTF very often...
Had a coworker of Japanese descent who suffered from "Asian Flush" and he saw it as a bonus. He claimed he never spent more than $6 for a night out in college and 4 of the beers/wine coolers he bought would go to the girl he was with. Said he was the "cheapest date" in the world, so he could spend more of meager income on his companion.
That's OK, it was a throwaway comment anyways (meaning I should have thrown it away). I should know better, for I'm one of the scientists who always holds people to task in the "scientists know nothing" threads. I don't know why I thought I would not be taken to the woodshed in a politic ...err... social sciences (damn politicos and history majors stealing our terms ) thread.
That's just one article, and it is by no mean authoritative, but I have been thinking along similar lines since this whole thing began: Whatever potion they were planning to concoct might have killed a few passengers, but I doubt it would have brought down an aircraft. Unless of course the pilot and co-pilots are among the victims. If they can get that close to the cockpit in this day and age, then we have bigger problems than the creative ingenuity of the attackers.