Capital Punishment

[Nanatsu Yoru]

What are the general communist / anarchist views on capital punishment? I myself am vehemently against it but it would be interesting to know what the rest of RevLeft thinks.

Also, I am leaning towards Maoism, it would be nice to know what that is in relation to capital punishment.

[Adil3tr]

It is my personal opinion that you can't kill your way out of one of the biggest failures of capitalism, crime. You know that most of these people probably committed murder during a robbery or some other economic crime, even it they did it because of some sick mental condition (that probably would have been addressed under socialism) killing them to show killers that killing is wrong makes no sense. Besides that it is practiced in a terrible way here in the USA, there is a strong racist twist in how it is carried out.

Several hundred people on death row have been exonerated. If this country has excited even one innocent person, then WE have committed murder.

[Adil3tr]

Also, I am leaning towards Maoism, it would be nice to know what that is in relation to capital punishment.

I would lean away, far away. Even so, I think most o the capital punishment under Mao wasn't so cut and dry. There wasn't exactly a fully functional prison system and much of life during that time was like a war. I don't know if we should hate Mao, but we should be careful about how close we position ourselves to him and the worst of his actions.

[Nanatsu Yoru]

I don't like Mao. The GLF and the GPCR especially were atrocities. I just think theory-wise he had *a few* good ideas.

[Demogorgon]

It is barbaric and highly demeaning for society to practice it. At any rate though, leftists need to be progressive or else we are not really progressive. The very clear progressive trend in society is abolition of the death penalty with most developed countries now having done so. To wish to halt this trend or even reverse it is an example of ultra-conservatism.

[Invincible Summer]

I think that capital punishment should only be reserved for unrepentant, un-rehabilitatable (probably not a word), extremely dangerous criminals. The problem though is who decides what "un-rehabilitatable" is.

I would probably say at least 1 year in rehab and if they really don't seem to be helped by any of it then they should be executed. Exiling them won't really help anything except potentially put others in danger, and letting them rot in a cell is even worse.

[durhamleft]

I don't believe in state sanctioned murder, so no.

[danyboy27]

I think that capital punishment should only be reserved for unrepentant, un-rehabilitatable (probably not a word), extremely dangerous criminals. The problem though is who decides what "un-rehabilitatable" is.

I would probably say at least 1 year in rehab and if they really don't seem to be helped by any of it then they should be executed. Exiling them won't really help anything except potentially put others in danger, and letting them rot in a cell is even worse.

its too risky to execute people, there always the chance that the person in question might be innocent.

people who cannot be reabilitated should be locked up forever, not has a punishement but to protect other from him.

[ArrowLance]

If there were a situation in which a person were considerably dangerous to the revolution and there were no other resources currently available to neutralize that danger I could see capital punishment as an option. However this situation seems very unlikely after any measure of state control is established by the proletariat.

[Magón]

Capital Punishment nowadays, I don't support because it gets so many people mixed up. But I think, in my way of execution, if someone is known to have committed a crime such as Murder/Rape/whatever, where it's harmed someone not wanting it, they'd be immediately executed. If there was just here say, saying I couldn't see the attacker or something because it was too dark or something, then the person would be let free and available to live their life out, unless they were once again suspected of a crime. Then they'd be executed as well.

Course, this is just my rough idea, I haven't finalized anything into writing yet. :lol:

[Peace on Earth]

If someone was convicted in a general trial-by-jury, I don't see a need for capital punishment. It has no value and yet the risk of ending an innocent life is too great. Now, during a supposed revolution, if someone had commited numerous and dangerous crimes, and an effective criminal justice system was not in place, then capital punishment may be one of the only options, and perhaps justified.

[durhamleft]

If someone was convicted in a general trial-by-jury, I don't see a need for capital punishment. It has no value and yet the risk of ending an innocent life is too great. Now, during a supposed revolution, if someone had commited numerous and dangerous crimes, and an effective criminal justice system was not in place, then capital punishment may be one of the only options, and perhaps justified.

Surely, in a revolution, capital punishment would be being used against the revolutionaries and would be a Government tool to oppress the people, therefore isn't good.

[Widerstand]

Strongly against it, no matter the circumstances.

[fa2991]

What are the general communist / anarchist views on capital punishment?

I don't think the state has a right to exist at all; why would I want it vested with the power to poison and electrocute people to death?

[StoneFrog]

I don't think the state has a right to exist at all; why would I want it vested with the power to poison and electrocute people to death?

You don't need the state to exist for there to be capital punishment.

[Victory]

I'm not entirely sure. If it's not neccessary then no. But I think in the development of Socialism it will help guarantee the continuation of Socialism and increase it's secruity, which is something important.

[fa2991]

I'm not entirely sure. If it's not neccessary then no. But I think in the development of Socialism it will help guarantee the continuation of Socialism and increase it's secruity, which is something important.

But it could seriously damage socialism's potential. Just look at how Stalin used the death penalty.

[Pretty Flaco]

I don't think it's ever justifiable.

[Peace on Earth]

Surely, in a revolution, capital punishment would be being used against the revolutionaries and would be a Government tool to oppress the people, therefore isn't good.
I was refering to capital punishment being used against counter-revolutionaries, in extreme cases. Of course I wouldn't want to see fellow revolutionaries executed. :thumbup1:

[Adi Shankara]

I think if one's execution would greatly benefit the society as a whole, as long as one is tried justly and the trial isn't reliant on circumstantial evidence, then I see no problem with execution.

[Obs]

If putting a piece of metal through the skull of every Gates, Getty and Rockefeller on this earth counts as capital punishment, then I'm all for it.

That said, I think capital punishment for crimes caused by economic hardships, or psychological stress brought on by economic hardship, is a silly way to 'fix' the issue.

[NGNM85]

While I don't exactly mourn Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy, I find it impossible to support, philosophically, and it has no practical utility as it has been proven to have no effect on crime. Not to mention the disturbing number of innocent men that have been posthumously exonerated.

[Demogorgon]

I think if one's execution would greatly benefit the society as a whole, as long as one is tried justly and the trial isn't reliant on circumstantial evidence, then I see no problem with execution.
There is a severe problem with that logic in that it is never beneficial to society to execute because the effects of practicing capital punishment are always harmful to society.

[Thirsty Crow]

I think if one's execution would greatly benefit the society as a whole, as long as one is tried justly and the trial isn't reliant on circumstantial evidence, then I see no problem with execution.
But what's the difference between capital punishment and life-long prison sentence (with the addition of productive labour) in relation to the possible benefit for a society?

I am against it, vehemently, and I would like to see a better solution when it comes to counter-revolutionary activities than this (given the fact that a successful revolution takes place).