Quote:
Originally posted by smooth
The disturbing part is that they actually increase to a higher level than before.
We have yet to indentify the cause of this, but suggestions range from time differences (it's difficult to do a controlled experiment with murder rates  ) to a desenstization due to media portrayals of the execution (necessary for deterrence to work).
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perhaps it's some kind of spring effect, like all the potential murderers who repress themselves for a few weeks after the death penalty case all snap at the same.
One reason I posted this thread is that normally, I would pretty much have agreed with Lurkette about this, but yesterday I started thinking about this slightly differently.
While there is no room in civilised society for retribution, neither is there any for crime. Yet both still exist and always will in one way or another. These things are hardwired.
We couldn't run society if we simply ignored crime, so we find ways of keeping it to a minimum instead. I think the same goes for retribution.
Imagine some psychopath breaks into your house and murders your family blah blah blah. You're going to be pretty pissed off, right? Now lets imagine, Clockwork Orange stylee, that there is some system in place whereby criminals can be 'cured' of all criminality within a week, without suffering, thus fulfilling the need for rehabilitation and personal deterrence and negating the need for containment. This process wipes all recollection of their crime from the criminal's mind (I say this because I think guilt and shame, for the 25% who are capable of feeling it, are probably a large part of what the criminal suffers for their crime) Lets also imagine there is a fairly effective social mechanism in place to act as a a general deterrant.
Consequently you see the same guy wander down your street, whistling a week later.
Quite simply put, you're going to want to fuck him up...
...Oh dear I've just negated my own argument. I thought I was arguing the need for retribution, but this looks like the argument for containment: If the guy had been contained for long enough, then by the time you saw him, your desire for retribution might have died down. I'll leave this in, because it seems relevant anyway.
D'oh!