Barbaric?

[jordyboy14]

In my youth the Birch was used if I remember in the Isle of MAN,sadly in my opinion Its no longer used in the early 60s or earlier It was deemed to be BARBARIC,now I don't say bring back hanging but I think some sort of punishment like the Birch for knife crime and cruelty to animals and children,surely we can't go on as we are without doing something

[erik2]

but that was a different time islay
today's youth culture is very different, and yes it went on but not to the extent of causing so much misery to so many people as it does now

[Jahulaye]

I really don’t think that a few slaps on the bum would reduce any types of crime however hands cut off or threat of death might.

[Islay]

really erik child abuse now is the same as the 60's to the victims!

[andy-hughes]

jordyboy - // A nice quote Andy but do we have a civilized society?child abuse,animals and children illtreated,I don't think it's a civilized society //

I think it is a civilised society, albeit with the flaws that any society - by the nature of what it is - cannot eliminate entirely.

I know that by encouraging violence against violence, that civilisation would be eroded very very quickly indeed.

What you would be looking at is - 'You have committed an act of violence for any one one of a number of reasons, none of which are likely to include the one that I have - which is to cold-bloodedly inflict government-sponsored violence on you in the belief that my violence will convince you that your violence was wrong, and stop you doing it again.

[Jahulaye]

“I don't believe that physical cruelty as a punishment for physical cruelty has any place in a civilised society.”

I understand your logic, but compre crime statistics here with Saudi Arabia, ect

[andy-hughes]

Jahulaye - // I really don’t think that a few slaps on the bum would reduce any types of crime however hands cut off or threat of death might. //

In order for that argument to work, you have to assume that anyone committing a crime thinks about the potential risk of punishment, and that is simply not borne out by criminal history.

In order to think ahead, you require a level of intelligence that involves planning not only your future action, but the potential future consequences, and then to reach a decision as to whether or not you consider the risk or retribution to be worth the criminal act you are about to commit.

You would think that such thought processes would be beyond the average criminal who, at best suffers from a personality disorder incompatible with civilised behaviour, and at worst, suffers from a severe mental illness which makes the notion of retribution something which is simply beyond their thought processes.

Criminals don't think and weight up and reason and calculate punishment, and then go ahead and commit their crimes - the notion of being caught simply does not enter their heads, which is why the notion of punishment as a deterrent is largely a nonsense, with the occasional exceptions which do nothing to gainsay my point.

[andy-hughes]

Jahulaye - // “I don't believe that physical cruelty as a punishment for physical cruelty has any place in a civilised society.”

I understand your logic, but compre crime statistics here with Saudi Arabia, ect //

Differences in crimes between countries can be traced to a seriously complicated set of cultural differences, and not simply deduced from a punishment system.

[naomi24]

//In order for that argument to work, you have to assume that anyone committing a crime thinks about the potential risk of punishment, and that is simply not borne out by criminal history. //

I think it is in countries where Sharia Law applies, which is what Jahulaye is saying.

[EDDIE51]

In Saudi Arabia a woman who has been raped can be executed for adultery.
Is that the type of crime comparison you are looking for?
When I lived in Saudi the expats all knew to stay away from the city square on a Friday noon, unless you wanted to be pushed to the front of the crowd to witness a public beheading or flogging.

[naomi24]

//In Saudi Arabia a woman who has been raped can be executed for adultery.
Is that the type of crime comparison you are looking for? //

No Eddie, it isn't.