China And The Death Penalty

I'm not keen on the death penalty myself, I would prefer people to get life and actually serve life, which in some ways is even crueller than just ending it. It's a moral dilemma that will exist as long as humans do.

What I find really interesting though is how the majority who support the death penalty have been ignored now for decades. This while on other issues, such as the smoking ban or hunting ban, the cry is "we must have it because the majority want it". So, by that logic, the death penalty should be restored and, if a majority think the first born in every househod should be sacrificed to the gods, then so should that.

Much fuss has been made in recent days of the execution of the British drug smuggler this morning in China. Like the days of old, well the '70s and '80s, and the British oil workers being flogged for boozing in Saudi, I tend to think when in Rome do as the Romans do. If you go there, especially if you are stupid enough to carry around 4kgs of heroin, then you take the consequences. Why should he get away with it because he is British? And as for him being mentally ill, I'm afraid that is no excuse otherwise you only have to be diagnosed manic depressive and there you go, free to do what you want. He wasn't too ill to travel to China and get his hands on his 4kgs of heroin was he?

The Chinese regime, like all totalitarian regimes, is vile and disgusting so my advice would be to visit somewhere else. But, most importantly, behave yourself wherever you go.