(January 26, 2016 at 4:22 pm)phil-lndn Wrote:(January 25, 2016 at 9:15 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote: Nice non-sequitor - on an island alone with two others, there is no government, no police force, corrections officers, nor prison to contain such a threat, therefore killing to defend yourself is the only option. The discussion at hand involves no such scenario.
You missed my point. My post contained 2 examples at opposite extremes, firstly a 1st world country which has police, a legal system, prisons, rehabilitation units etc.
And secondly a desert island where no such resources are available.
I would actually argue that the majority of the world's societies are operating somewhere between those 2 extremes. Where the society lies on that scale is going to define the nature of the most appropriate response to the crime.
Eg provided you don't bother doing much due diligence, execution is much cheaper option than life imprisonment so 3rd world countries are quite likely to opt for that option. So some countries have economic reasons for their policies, whereas a rich country may have the luxury of considering the situation purely in ethical terms.
I'm sorry I misunderstood your intentions.
Given the police-state nature of the US, I'm quite certain there has not been any conceivable need for capital punishment since the days of the Western Frontier, nor will there likely be for quite some time.
Mr. Hanky loves you!
