Friday 23 July 2010

Harsh crime penalties

In Thailand, so my hearsay network informs me, if you park illegally, you get a $5000 fine ... and your car gets melted. There's very little illegal parking there. Similar harsh penalties apply in other Asia/Pacific nations noted for low crime rates. While you can't argue with results like that, there would be a few other issues to consider. One, are they always right when they melt a car? Two, is this power ever abused? Three, are basic human rights violated by these kinds of laws?

If you get your lips cut off for telling a dirty joke or your hand minced for thinking about stolen bread, what does that do to the general population and their state of mind? Somehow I doubt it's always clear-cut black and white about who is a criminal mastermind who deserves being hung upside down over a tank full of sharks with lasers attached to their heads and who is not.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - It might also mean your police forces catch all the petty criminals but miss the organised crime bosses.
PPS - Maybe some governments are okay with that.

1 comment:

Erin Marie said...

All I want is a shark with a frikking laser on it's head! Is that too much to ask?

(Sorry, I know that wasn't the point of the post. But that is now and forever more will be seriously one of the best visuals. Ever.)