(Even) Turkey abolishes the death penalty!

[Tuberski]

But they are still different countries.

[Asher]

Originally posted by MarkG
there is something called the EU

The EU is a joke. It addresses the need for Europe to cease feeling as inferior as they had in the past.

It lets them feel like they have power.

[MarkG]

there is also something called the UN where nations sit to discuss instead of not care what everyone else thinks about their policies

The way I see it: That murderer won't kill again.

wouldnt life imprisonment do the same?

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Asher

Are you really that slow that you can't figure out the difference between domestic politics and foreign relations?

The US isn't in any kind of bad position in the world with its domestic politics. The second it starts invading countries it needs to be more careful and look at what people think about it.

Two different realms...

you seem to have skipped some of my posts. you talked about whether the US cares or not what the world thinks.

After being slam dunked into accepting that it does you jump on the domestic "realm" wagon.

In which i already said that it is minor in relation with foreign politics but by the same logic it DOES affect the ability of the US to make the world sympethetic to its pleas or not.

[MarkG]

The EU is a joke

remind me the euro-dollar rate...

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by MarkG
there is also something called the UN where nations sit to discuss instead of not care what everyone else thinks about their policies

The way I see it: That murderer won't kill again.

wouldnt life imprisonment do the same?

Nope, it wouldn't. People get killed in prison every day. They also escape. Can't escape death, prison you can.

[MrFun]

I was not going to add my two cents to this thread, but because I find myself pitying Mark's lack of participants and popularity in this thread, I decided "what the hell -- out of pity."


First off, I'm one of those many, many Americans who opposes the death penalty.
But one of my main reasons why I oppose the American system of the death penalty is because of its inherent racist system of injustice.


Secondly, Marks was waaaay off base when he commented that the United States took different parts from every nation's culture. If this was not meant to be taken literally, Mark, then there's a better way to phrase that comment: ". . . . taken many concepts and ideas from the Enlightenment heritage of Europe and Great Britain."

I don't think George Washington was looking at China's Confucisiasm heritage as an inspiration in founding a new government for the United States.



Thirdly, you are right to an extent Mark. The United States has historically, and presently, been behind other nations in social progress:

1) improvement of working class quality of life in 19th century
2) maintaining slavery when many European nations successfully, or attempted, to abolish their system of slavery
3) denial of equal rights to its citizens, regardless of sexual orientation in spite of such progress in European nations, and Great Britain
4) and of course -- maintaining the death penalty in the face of worldwide changing values that no longer accepts the death penalty
5) and others not listed here, too


But, Mark, this does not mean that the United States is without its strengths and positive aspects.
Even with the things that the United States has lagged behind in the past, and continues to lag behind in other issues, millions of immigrants came to our country because they wanted to improve their lives in ways that were not possible, and in some countries today, STILL not possible.

[Asher]

Originally posted by paiktis22
you seem to have skipped some of my posts. you talked about whether the US cares or not what the world thinks.

After being slam dunked into accepting that it does you jump on the domestic "realm" wagon.

paiktis, this thread is about the death penalty.
I tell Markos that the US doesn't care what the world thinks about it.
Suddenly you're throwing out arguments about Iraq and about how the US cares about what the world thinks about that...

Is that the only way you can get "slam dunks"? Taking things out of context and arguing symantics until you "win"?

The context was domestic politics, specifically the death penalty. Welcome to the thread!

In which i already said that it is minor in relation with foreign politics but by the same logic it DOES affect the ability of the US to make the world sympethetic to its pleas or not.

You really think that the fact that the US has the death penalty is going to realistically affect their foreign relations?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Asher
The EU is a joke.

Where's moomin when you need him?

[Asher]

Originally posted by MarkG
remind me the euro-dollar rate...

Mark...that doesn't mean much at all.
Watch me halt production of Canadian currency for 10 years and watch its value skyrocket!

[MarkG]

i think the percentage of people doing life that escape is much much lower than the percentage of the wrongly sentenced and executed

[Asher]

Originally posted by MarkG
i think the percentage of people doing life that escape is much much lower than the percentage of the wrongly sentenced and executed

As much as I value a Greek's opinion on America's judicial system, I'd recommend you refrain from making such comments until you have real figures.

[MrFun]

Damn it -- I provided a post, and then a swarm of other posts come afterwards.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by MarkG
i think the percentage of people doing life that escape is much much lower than the percentage of the wrongly sentenced and executed

I bet the people wrongly sentenced and executed is lower than you think.

It takes a LONG time to administer the DP, stays of execution, appeals, if you can't prove your innocence after 18 appeals, then you probably did it.

[Asher]

Originally posted by MrFun
Damn it -- I provided a post, and then a swarm of other posts come afterwards.

Your post was too logical and well thought out to be on Poly. You should know better.