Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published in Economic Observer. English versions of their articles, and others from top global media, are produced by Worldcrunch.com.
By Teng Biao
Of all the criminal cases in China, those involving corrupt officials sentenced to death arouse the greatest interest.
The morbid examples abound: from the public cheering for the recent death sentences for the two deputy mayors of Suzhou and Hangzhou to the executions of the head of the State Food and Drug Administration, of the Secretary of Justice of Chongqing City, and of the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
China is the global leader for the number of corrupt officials who are sentenced to death, and actually executed each year. But, judging by the seemingly endless "public demand" for this kind of punishment and the surging popular anger, it would seem that there is actually not enough of it. While so many people are "beheaded," executives at all levels are still determined to brave death by trying to make the most of corruption.
So one cannot help but wonder, are there too many or too few executions in China? What else should be taken into account when considering the fate of corrupt officials — apart from the law, international human rights standards, and the public opinion?
Strictly speaking, China has no "justice," relying only on "political law" when it comes down to dealing with corrupt officials. The so-called "double regulation" (the Communist Party's special investigative procedure in which officials are asked to respond to allegations of corruption or other violations) means that sentences are delivered under the guidance of the Chinese Communist Party's discipline inspection departments, and that the code of criminal procedure is only a reference, just as the prosecution and the trial are just a semblance of justice.
Read: Fareed Zakaria asks whether China will stay on course.
It is almost unheard of for Chinese judges dealing with corruption cases to make independent judgments by relying solely on the judicial procedure, evidence submitted, and the law. Deciding whether to indict a corrupt official, and how to deal with him, is to a great extent not the result of an enactment of the law, but rather the outcome of a political power struggle.
When corrupt officials confess their crimes in court, they most often say that they had lowered their personal standards, and strayed away from their thinking and principles learned during their education. Sometimes they may add that they had a poor understanding of the law. A country that regards materialism as a model is in fact floating on idealism. The most important factors lying at the root of corruption have never actually been discussed, neither in the media, nor elsewhere.
Read: Dark journey to Daraa originally in Le Monde.
If political education is the answer to rampant corruption, then all the propaganda courses we are constantly exposed to would have solved the problem by now. It is thus obvious that the reason for corruption lies elsewhere, in the fact that there isn't enough control and supervision over public power, and in the lack of democratic elections and freedom of the press.
The current level of corruption in China is systematic and widespread. It is so entrenched that honest officials are now part of a minority that risks being left behind. It is a system where corruption is the rule rather than the exception, and it is thus not an exaggeration to say that transparent officials are victims in a country that lacks democracy, supervision, and has a weak judicial system. This means that, no matter how great the anger of the public, it will not be sufficient to put a stop to corruption.
If the anger of the public is understandable, it doesn't mean that the death penalty is the right remedy for the problem. On the contrary, the reasons for abolishing the death penalty are numerous. One of them would be that, like most crimes, corruption has a strong social dimension. Criminals are never born evil, and, in the case of corruption, it is quite clear that social factors play an important role. Corrupt people are of course despicable, but society has to accept a certain amount of responsibility too.
It is also clear that corruption brings huge benefits to many government officials, which makes them the loyal guardians of this highly flawed system. They know that only by defending such practices can they bring wealth to their families and offspring. The appeal of the public service (and its implied advantages) is such that most Chinese university students aspire to become government officials. The mechanism is known as "Stupid taxpayers, money arrives quickly."
Read: Silvio Berlusconi – Is the Magic Gone? originally in La Stampa
The death penalty can also be a political tool — people who do not have a protector, or who irritate their superiors, or who get caught on the wrong side, are often chosen as a scapegoat. Everyone can be a victim: once you lose your footing in the political power struggle, the accusations of corruption and decadence are very likely to fall on you.
According to the Chinese professor Hu Xing Do, 99% of the corrupt officials will never be caught. The few who do get caught are simply considered unlucky, and even if their punishment is typically heavy, the dissuasive effect remains minimal. In addition, the calculation is that even if you are jailed for ten years on corruption charges, the total amount you that have obtained through bribes is largely superior to what you could have honestly earned during the same period.
Read: The Hidden Fallout of Germany's Sudden Nuclear Shutdown originally in Die Welt.
Under a healthy system, it would be impossible for so many government officials to get their hands on the astronomical sums of money they have access to today. If every person who tried to have his palm greased was brought to trial, corruption could not have developed to such an extent. If officials knew that bribes as small as 1000 yuans could ruin their career, they would hesitate a lot more before stepping over the line.
China is the world leader in executions, carrying out 90% of them worldwide. There are 24 types of violent crime in China and 31 non-violent types subject to the death penalty. If most countries have abolished the death penalty, those that still use it generally only apply to violent criminals such as murderers. People in China viscerally hate corruption and are reluctant to see the death penalty dropped. They do not see why corrupt officials should benefit from foreign standards on human rights. But the truth is that those who would benefit most from the abolition of the death penalty would not be corrupt officials nor gangsters, but the weak and the poor. It is they who suffer disproportionately from corruption and crime.
Read: In France, A Muslim Offensive Against Evolution originally in Le Monde
Taking into account Chinese customs and public opinion, it would obviously not be a wise decision to raise the idea of the abolition of the death penalty for corrupt officials. Those who want to see the death penalty abolished should look to various non-violent cases that have aroused huge public sympathy. The Internet, for example, has played a huge role in mobilizing the public opinion. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the government to ignore the weight of public opinion expressed online.
Progressively this phenomenon will change China. But for the time being, my humble opinion is that the Chinese people are too bloodthirsty to give up the death penalty as the state's favorite method for sweet revenge.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of Teng Biao. All rights reserved ©Worldcrunch – in partnership with Economic Observer.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Well, each year 3000 sent to dead penalty, and the corrupted are not afraid of dealth penalty. The temptation and time of economic explosion seem irresistible. What gives, tougher dealth penalty ?
If they don't love it, they know they are next!
You sound exactly like a childish child, a child who've been fed American bullshit all your life. You need to change your diet little bit once in a while. May I suggest that you stuff your mouth with a gigantic hard dog so that you will be indeed full of it?
Do not worry Maersk, you tow the party line. You have nothing to fear from China's government, unless you are a match for some official's ailing kidneys. In that case, you better get a VISA to the US... We will help you out even though you hate us.
Maersk, I get the feeling that you're really a self hating white guy. A real fat one, too.
Oh Crap, I thought we were talking about texas
The Chinese are no different and as dangerous as Nazi Germany. They need to be exterminated before they attack us.
The Chinese are no more dangerous than those typical American BS artists/ kwok heads such as you. Once those typical American kwok heads have been exterminated, the world will be a much more peaceful place.
Do you speak German or Japanese by default? no? You're welcome
Why are you saying thank you Meh... were you one of the greatest generation who either faught or worked at home to give the fighters what they needed to fight? No? Thenyou didnt do jack. Dont take credit for those heros deeds. Just as you cant blame someone for their fathers sins you can credit them with their fathers greatness.
You're one of the few commentators who post here who obviously don't work for the Chinazi party (yeah, the "party" hasn't been "communist" for quite some time). The "central kingdom" believes they own the planet, and they don't get their rocks off by killing their own they'd love to kill Americans, etc. (even though we saved their ass in WWII – big mistake, we should have let our current allies the Japanese have the place). Within the next decade the Chinazis will be attempting to seize the western and southern Pacific (to start with) and we'll be at war with them. We should be establishing alliances with India, the Phillipines, Vietnam (even though I fought them as a 5th Marine back in '68 – '69), etc. The fockers should get into football instead of execution as a spectator sport.
Remember the Marines, you hypocritical scumbags? We kicked your ass in Korea, and if you embark on Asian conquest we'll do it again. I'd find it honorable to fight you side by side with my former enemy the Vietnamese. You Chinazis would learn what combat is with the two of us fighting together!
Chinese people are too bloodthirsty to give up the death penalty? not bloodthirsty.death penalty need time to be abolished from a historic persepctive.there are more criminals who killed ohers bloodly in amerca than in china.if it means amercans more bloodly.? either no. that is just about social devolpment and culture.you dont understand chnia .so you dont conment such a way.that does't make you cleverer than ohers
all of you Americans should be thinking about Palestinians and what your govt is doing against the proved robbers and murderers
rather than talking about the possibilities of happening something wrong well this is exactly what you are govt is doing and killing innocent people all around the world
evil hypocrites
In countries with over a billion inhabitants, nobody will give a hoot for the loss of a few lives. Death penalty is just a legal accessory to murder.
If you had a billion dollars, do you think you'd give a fork about a dirty and torn dollar bill?
Maersk, in my eyes human lives are more precious than money!
If you value human lives so much, where is your sympathy for the victims?
The number of murder cases in America each year is much much bigger than the number of executions in China eventhough the Chinese population is 4X bigger.
I certainly would rather be living with a billion dollars than a bunch of murderers and rapists.
What do I know? May be you are one of those murderers watching porns in the American prison.
FACTS:America China
America:
has less rape and murder victims since 2002 (sadly due to the patriot act)
doesnt imprison high name artist who speak out against governments and revolutions
isnt currently trying to hide a revolution ( 2013 is when they will start hiding the American revolution)
Doesnt attempt to ship plastic food and pass it off to real food to neighboring countries
Chinraa:
does have a higher rape and murder rates BECAUSE THEY HAVE 4 TIMES THE POPULATION
does imprison artist and free speakers who voice their ideas and opinions
does and is attempting to stop the starting of a Revolution in Asia.
does sell plastic foods (namely rice) to neighboring countries
Umm.... you know rates are not impacted by the population, right? They probably have a higher absolute murder/violent crime number (say, 1,000,000 per year) but the rate (1 crime per 1000 people, or 0.1%) is not impacted by the population base. It is possible they have more actual crimes committed, but have a lower rate than the US. I doubt it though...
The number of executions in China is a state secret. There's a reason for that. It's a pretty big number, and quite ugly.
Kwok head, the number of people killed by your despicable uncle is well documented while the number of executed prisoners in China is not, you can only guess. You can bullzhit and deny all you want. People around the world are not stupid. They know what your despicable uncle has done. Ask any Vietnamese and they will tell you that the fruit, Agent Orange your despicable uncle gave them is still causing a lot of birth defects. As a matter of fact, the Vietnamese are suing your despicable uncle recently.
By the way, aren't you supposed to be dead? You should have had a chat with Crazy Horse's ghost. Don't tell me that he did not tell you his people had been exterminated.
The number of typical American BS artists like you in Victoria's Secrets is huge and you look quite cute in it. Why don't you bend over a little bit so that your fellow immates serving life terms can be aroused?
Dont give us that sh*t – if we hadnt done it, the other side would have eventually. Unless, they werent smart enough to think of it. Ohhh maybe that was it eh? Maybe they just werent smart and organized? And what the heck is kwok? Nice attempt to inject a curse word by using some dopey alternate spelling. Maybe thats why we trounce most countries? We dont have to pretend to be powerful or clever, we just are.
THE DEATH PENALTY WOULD BE VERY APPROPRIATE FOR MANY BANKERS AND EXECUTIVES IN THE UNITED STATES. QUITE A FEW POLITICIANS AS WELL. OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!
Agreed!
Ditto. And add the heads of the Union Leaders!
Yes.
Make their executions public using the al Queda style beheadings!
I like the idea. We should also put the beheadings on TV 24 hours a day.
Yes, I love it I can already imagine Nancy Grace live behadings reality show! Blooood!
If we can watch stupid shows such as Man vs Food on TV, I don't see why we can't watch criminals being executed. As a matter of fact, I'd like to have a sucide chanel so that I can watch people killing themselves whenever I see criminal get away with murders.
Yes! And we can recite relevant sounding verses from the Bible just before they are beheaded. Also we can call anyone who doesn't like this a traitor. I wonder if we should also design some kind of snappy uniform to go with it.
This is your typical, Chinese brainwashing tactic to make you think their death penalty is "cool."
It looks like you still prefer to be fed with typical American BS. Why don't you try some male body parts that have been harvested by from the excuted prisoners? They are good for you, kwok head.
By the way, your pal O.J. Simson thinks the same way you do too. Now go stuff your mouth with a giantic hot dog until you are full of it, will you?
Death penalty at least put a cap on things. If you corrupt, you could be shot. That is all. The rest need reform, which takes time and change in culture and mind set.
At the mean time, happy shooting!
Justice delayed is justice denied.
A good model for an efficient justice and penal system.
I would give the victim's family the priority to carry out the execution first. If they don't feel like dirtying their hands, then the government can step in.
Hi DickNixon,
Executions of Chinese public officials or business owners who have been accused of corruption are strictly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party: to live or to die. The court/judges are only used to hand decision what the Party told the court to do. In the eye of Chinese public, here is the trick, executions seem legal because the accused faced the court and the People's Court found them guilty as charged. Death penalty-get it or escaping it-is depending on whom you know. All public officials are very likely corrupt. Their government salary can't support their families. Nothing will change in this regard because too many officials benefiting from this arrangement. The Chinese government and many other governments in the world operate like organized crime: as soon as a member became less useful, he/she would get whacked.
Canada does not have capital punishment and it should. Why are the taxpayers paying for this? Put an end to immigration and some of the crimes would be stopped. When you bring in immigrants from poor poverty stricken nations thier problems come with them. I am not saying that all immigrants are ruthless killers and or terrorists but when our own civillians are being killed raped and molested the buck should stop here.. How many spoiled apples ruin the bunch! I think in order to solve the over crowding in prisons the government should put the criminals on a plane ship them to the ARCTIC drop them off with the clothes on thier back and tell them that if they can make it back to civilization they will be pardoned. Then release the rabid wolves and starving polar bears. We can call it SURVIVOR and make it a reality television show and make millions. We would not have as many murders if the punishments were like this. The human rights activists would be tearing up a sh@t storm but who cares. If you take another life you lose your rights and as soon as the crinimals know this the better.
Yes, because the legal system (in ANY country) is 100% accurate and we NEVER convict innocent people. i.e. DNA has NEVER had people who were wrongfully convicted cleared of the crimes we convicted them for... so.. who cares is the occasional innocent person gets killed by starving polar bears or wolves? Good television right?
Until, that is... you happen to be that one innocent person. How funny would that be?
When has DNA had anything to do with a corruption case. Those are usually proven thru bank records or emails. Read Noble House sometime if you want to the the cultural basis of the corruption in China. It's systemic, from top to bottom. Dealing with the unsuccessful is China's way of saying if you can't play the game, get off the court. If you can't hide your corruption, we will take action. Here in the US, if you can't hide the corruption, smile and start a reality TV show. I prefer China's method myself.
Canada need immigrants because of the low birth rate. Right now, Canadians aren't even replacing themselves.... Without immigrants there wouldn't be anyone living in Canada in 100 years....
Hey, you there! Get back to class! Recess is over! You will never pass fifth grade at this rate.
I'm surprised here that I'm not seeing a lot of right-wing crybabies here blogging in over how the Chinese are executing "political" prisoners for "political" purposes and the "horrible" repression of the people there.
We do need to give credit to the PRC – they have a real prison system and an effective death penalty.
Prison is NOT supposed to be a five star hotel with accommodations better than what most hard working people have. I do not have a gym membership, full cable tv – I barely get to eat two meals a day. US Prison system is a joke – too many cozy amenities for people who are supposed to be paying for their crimes.
When someone is sentenced to death. It should not take 30-40 years to put the SOB down.
You're sure right.
Yeah, you're right. American prisons are totally cozy....... If they're so great, why don't you forget work and check into one???
Many people do, that's why they are all full
I waiting to hit rock bottom. I'll pull a Bernie and get sent to a minimum security prison for 175 years and live well.
Smart thieves pull off white collar crimes and get minimum security prisons, dumb crooks rob banks and sleep with one eye open and their butts towards the wall.
I'll be sure NOT to do it in California since they are early releasing their prisoners.
That's reservered for people who love group sex in a cage. May I suggest that you join the party and start practicing bending over?
"The main policy risk comes from the ibpssoility that the government will meddle in how the banks lend money in order to help stimulate the economy. This could take the form of marginal borrowers exploiting a relaxation in lending policies."I'm trying to understand why China will stop buying US Treasuries and I think what I just quoted is the reason.The risk of the Chinese government meddling in how China lends money and putting relaxation in lending policies is greater because China's economy has slowed from a decrease in exports and will continue to slow down unless China works on stimulating domestic consumption because the rest of the world will continue to buy less of China's exports as they(the rest of the world) focus more on paying off their debt. In order for China to avoid hyperinflation and stimulate their economy at the same time, China has to drop it's dollar peg and refuse to buy the amount of Treasury debt needed for US' bailouts because with the high price of US Treasury debt along with the amount of US Treasury debt needed for all the continuing US bailouts and US stimulus packages, China will end up printing massive amounts of Yuan to buy all those US Treasuries. With the massive amounts of Yuan being printed there is a great chance that as they are trying to stimulate their economy through a relaxation in bank lending that hyperinflation will occur.Is this why China will stop buying US Treasuries and why China will not fund the US bailouts?The main point is these US bailouts will not help China's exports will it? China will still have the same problem with exports decreasing except if they choose to also fund US' bailouts they(China) will also have the risk of hyperinflation. China will need to stimulate it's economy because of the crash in it's exports and with the enormous amounts of Yuans being printed, with a start of relaxation of bank lending there is a huge risk of hyperinflation.Is this right?So there is no benefit for China to continue to buy US Treasuries? China's exports will crash regaurdless? In order for China to save it's economy it must focus on domestic consumption?
Well actually in China the police can sentence you to 3 years hard labor w/o a trial or even seeing a judge or a lawyer. Is that fair? The police can also arrest you if you believe in democracy, human rights, freedom for Tibetans & Uighurs, a separate Taiwan, a free press, no internet censorship, etc. Is that justice?
In the Chinese culture, they don't consider any wrong-doing a crime until they are caught doing it. That is why corruption continues there.
What Chinese culture you're talking about? How come as a Chinese, I'm not aware of it? Obviously you need to learn more about Chinese culture.
Instead of saying we know nothing about Chinese culture, tell us something so we will know. A big reason we know little about Chinese culture is that China suppresses information. You surely won't say that is untrue?
.....................................................So what do you know about China's five thousand years of history and culture? I may be crude.......but.....SHUT YOUR TRAP ABOUT THINGS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're generalizing based on assumtions, based on your own version of the world so..............READ A BOOK (NOT A COMIC, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE, LOOK FOR THE ONES WITH A LOTS OF WORDS IN THEM)
And you should take your nose out of Mao's "Little Red Book"...
Wow Thatsnotrue! Lots of pent up anger there! You need to find a positive way to vent that. Get a hobby, or a girlfriend!
The CCP (China) don't want a international body to actjdaue the issue as they realise that under the international laws of the UN, China does not have a claim.If they can discuss the issue bilaterally then they can assert pressure and maybe win an agreement that would not exist if it was discussed in a neutral environment.Lets look at the Chinese growth on mischief reef in Philippine waters. It started after the US closed clark base. Firstly the building was made of bamboo and was called a fishermans shelter, then it was made with concrete and called a typhoon survival place. The they added a wharf and military weapons and it was called none of the philippines reason to complain . Recently its called a naval resupply base for Chinese military warships and the Chinese are intruding further into Philippine waters. Does China want a neutral observor to make a decesion on the issue, not in a million years. Just ask Chinese Frank and John Chan, its always been Chinese according to them and they are now just taking it back.Though, not one of them has produced a Chinese person who can say that a reef that exists under water for 12 or so hrs a day was ever supporting Chinese life in the Tang, Minh or Quin dynasty.So its a territorial grab and International law in the 21at century would not support Chinese claims. Thus, no the Chinese don't want a neutral legal opinion on the matter.
Only those typical BS artists would say things like that.
At least they are punishing the offenders. It isnt our business how it is seen to (even if we dont like it). There are some things we just need to but out of... Let others live their life accordingly.
What about political dissidents? Should dissidents be executed just b/c their views differ from the Party?
We should send some of our Bankers and Corrupt Congressmen to China!
China has many people that's why who care about few.....
I am prtty sure the only officials that are arrest and convicted are the ones that are out of favor or out of line. Their justice system is no way is similar or can be compared to that of a western country. it is more like a monarchy. You can do anything as long as you are infavor. Should you fall out of favor, well, too bad. It is typical totalitarian approach.
Plus, I am assuming chinese prisoners work as slaves unlike those of the western countries that just sit in priuson and do nothing. Therefore I would've though they'd prefer to keep them alive as a source of free labor. It is only the public outcry against correption that forces these killings for a show.
No, you are wrong.
You obviously have no clue about either Chinese culture or American prisons. If you think prisoners in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma or any other southern state are just sitting around in luxury, you are sadly mistaken. The prison labor in many of these states are money making machines. Oklahoma regularly turns a profit on prison labor while Texas does so well that they import prisoners from other states (Oregon has contracted Texas for prison housing).
Why the Chinese love their death penalty..............
It keeps a constant supply of body parts for the south east Asian hospitals that treat rich Americans to new parts.
I am sure that some of those male body parts are reserved for those typical American kwok heads like you to munch.
In addition to the death penalty, these corrupt officials should be caned Singapore style.
An official contemplating a corrupt lifestyle would ask himself – "If I get executed, how much of these money can I bring with me ? Are my family and friends I will give this money to truly deserving and worthy of my dying for ?
After being humiliated and corrupted by foreign powers, China indeed is run their country free of nonsense as much as possible. This is the reason why they are quite progressive. It's difficult to argue with success.
Would Bernie Madoff commit his crime in China ? Most probably not. He knows he can get away with it and merely get free room and board in the U.S. prison for life.
Civilized countries have rule of law. China has rule of Party. The Chinese Communist Party is not above any law, they ARE the law.
And the so-called civilized countries such as America is run by a bunch of Weiners and fools and a fool was able to steal the prisidency.
Well, at least most of those fools can spell.
Billions of citizens, a few thousand death penalties makes sense....
No one's should never has the right to take another living life unless it's food.
Huh.............................? We're reading about how the facebook creator hunts his own food. Death penality=/= Eating the person unless you are a cannabal.
So if your daughter gets raped by a repeated sex offender, are you going to offer yourself to be raped too?
I thouht it was a good article until i read " But the truth is that those who would benefit most from the abolition of the death penalty would not be corrupt officials nor gangsters, but the weak and the poor. It is they who suffer disproportionately from corruption and crime." What's the logic behind that? Why would the weak and poor suffer when corrupted official and violent gangsters are excuted?
Not so bad if you think about it, there are all sort of crimes, white collar and corruption are just some strands......if all the wall street politicians/lobbists were executed for their crimes and the perverts that are the head of churches. The US would be out of debt in no time, they can rake in billions per year, get them all and the US is back on track, the governemt can just take back the dough.
& This isn't a too many people so they don't care issue since crime happens on all levels, there are just better ways of dealing with them.
& Although China executes the most people, the US ave the most people in prisons, now a simple question, what's the cost? And is it worth it to keep these people alive (Remember they are criminals)?
Not killing who deserves death wouldn't make the world better; Killing would not make us better being.
Is this article trying to make China look bad or good?
Over here in california , you have to try really hard to get a death penalty. You can kill and rape and multiplate and as long as you provide where you hid the body parts, you get life sentence instead of death penalty. (at the expense of our tax dollar for the rest of the criminal's life). The prision life certainly is better than Boot camp. Over herein the US you can get away with alot of sh*t either you play the race card (only applies to blacks, sorry mexicans and asians)or you come from a rich family.
HAHA thats funny, when did being black become a get of jail free card. Lets be real there is a higher number of black men in jail then any other race, there is also a higher number of blacks on death row than any other race and also many black men have been cleared of some crimes because of DNA, they were innocent but i guess the race card conviently didn't work for them.
You are a Chinese WEB agent aren't you?
how much do you get for each comment.?
The corruption part sounds a lot like the United States, except we call it taking from the lobby interests.
dont blame the CNN reporters, they were instructed to write negative news on china. And people love reading negative news regarding to an oriental communist state. So, media are also commercialized these days, so expect more negative news from China. The same logic they use to critisize can also be used against US government's tax policies and ignoring good citizens being terrorized by local thugs.
Don't forget that CNN stands for China Negative News, ABC stands for American Bullshit Corporation, and BBC stands for British Bias Corporation. The writers are just BS artists employed as reporters to badmouth China. Basically it is just a bunch Trash that is white in color who claime moral high ground.
Hey Taiwanese–if you are truly one that stands up for Taiwan and her sovereignty, you wouldnt be apologetic for China! No one gets paid to write negatively about China–any positive writings you now would only be gloss over of what is dirty and rampant underneath of what is china! FIght for freedom and liberty!!!
Chinese are very practical. Why waste food on worthless people? A bullet is all they get to eat.
Exactly. Super efficient justice system – no BS concept as a life sentence.
yip, I agree why wast on the criminals when so many underprivlidged children are out there..................
Q. why the chinese love their death penalty – A. because that helps their overpopulation problem and provides free entertainment for the masses, why else?
We should do this in the US. I'd love to see the look on our officials faces, if instead of a little bad press and a golden parachute they'd get executed. Sure a lot of them would lose their head.
The death penalty is barbaric and so are many of CNN readers it seems from the comments on this board.
Softies like you make the justice system weak. The US has murderers, rapists and child rapists serving life sentences where the American people pay to keep them incarcerated with food, water and amenities. Why do they deserve to live out their natural lives while the ones who were harmed are dead or scarred for life.
Especially serial killers who serve life sentences instead of receiving the death penalty. It cost approximately $20K to keep a person in prison each year. Charles Manson who has been in prison for almost 40 years cost approximately $800K to keep him incarcerated. This is where the justice system is wrong especially since every country, state, city or town on the planet has fiscal issues. Why should we stuck with the bill?
You may think CNN readers are barbaric but it is people like you who fail to see that our justice system is a joke and a failure. Where is the justice for the victims? A life sentence is not justice it is a slap in the face to the victims and their families who eventually end up paying taxes to keep this person alive in prison.
You may have been blessed to never to a become a victim of a violent crime. You should thank God for that.
Most readers would agree with you. But I noticed you didn't mention corrupt politicians. There have to be limits as to who would be eligible for capital punishment, and the article is talking about corrupt officials, which may just mean someones political opponent. In Arizona we had a lot of fraudulent prosecutions of the political opponents of a corrupt sheriff and a pair of corrupt county attorneys. It's best to leave the death penalty with the kind of criminals you named.
It is not a bit more barbaric than a girl being raped.
What do I know? May be that's the only way you get some fun.
We need the Death Penalty for Wall Street or this will happen again and again!
Well, Jack, would that execution spree include people like you who made made bad investment decisions and lived beyond their means? Besides, you can't use paranoid conspiracy theories to justify a prosecution.
Would the killing of 25 Mickey mouse justified an excution?
Goodness, that would work wonders in my country, as the politicians are so corrupt and get away with it cause they are "previously disadvantage people" my foot, has anyone actually read the coorect history of SA, no and they dont teach it in our schools anymore, how we gonna learn from mistakes if they dont teach it, off with there heads.................
Well, aren't most Americans in favor of the death penalty? Murderers, child murderers, terrorists, their death would hardly raise an eyebrow among most US citizens. As for corrupt politicians, killing them off would raise a few questions. It would mean politicians who accuse each other of corruption (and many times the ones doing the accusing are the corrupt ones) would be able to eliminate the competition. Also, as politicians become corrupt accepting the bribes of lobbyists of corporations (John McCain being one of the most notorious examples), so would you also kill off the lobbyists and corporate heads as well? Saying these things may be emotionally satisfying on line, but this kind of slippery slope is associated with brutal dictatorships. We can hardly do what Red China does without becoming the kind of mass murdering dictatorship they've been since 1949. Sometimes the solution is worse than the problem.
Well, if the ONE WORLD advocates get their way, China rules. Although you suggested they give up their death penalty for corruption (all comunist states love death penalty for corruption), you line out a plan for something that works better. Surely not what is going on in the United States (my own den of corruption). We have a soft system and our corrupt officials cry like babies if they have to step down. Can you imagine if they got beheaded? Anyone got a better system? Not Mexico, I lived there a while. Who does any oversight? The oversighters get corrupted. For the U.S. I suggest antitrust laws and busting megacorporations up into managable parts. China is a huge country! What if it broke up into manageable parts? If you notice, the larger an entity is, the more difficult to control corruption.
I say let's not let china get ahead of us here too!!
You are worrying too much. America si still way ahead of China in killing people around the world. You must have forgotten that the despicable Uncle Sam gave each Vietnamese a 500 lbs. bomb. He even gave the Vietnamese fruit called Agent Orange to eat. And for the Native Americans, they already went extinct.
To Teng Biao or kung pao chicken, whatever your name is.
China loves death penalty because they do not want to end up like mexico, which abolished their death penalty.
Why do Western countries love to save the lives of rapist and murderers so much that they are willing to give their tax dollars to sustain their lives?
Human rights? more like criminals' right to me.
if you Americans love criminals so much, why don't you receive them? im sure the chinese govt is willing to deport them to you..haha
Oh wait, china will never become an innovative country coz they dont have freedom of speech. Oh well, South America has freedom of speech, I don't see them inventing anything...they probably don't even have the ability to copy a stealth fighter.
I hope that in my country..Death penalty was there..soo that all those shit politicians can be hanged till death..........They are useless shitt politicains and all are corrupted, lazy. Democracy has become a dirty game in my country..
AMERICA SHOULD HOLD ITS CORRUPT OFFICIALS AND CEO TO THIS STANDARD!!!! IMAGINE HOW THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR............
Everyone should agree to execute a serial killer who not only killed one but many and would never changed so no need to keep this BS alive, I am very angry and hot blooded to see inoccent people being murdered with no reason and this BS went to be a parasite in the prison for a few years and here again he killed more people THE LAW SHOULD SHOT THIS KIND OF MURDERERS I read in many news papers e.g. who so and so killed a woman or man and chopped up or freezed the body in a fridge for years .etc.... Alarming!! the world does not need this less human being, do we? So death penalty is necessary in some case, I hope China does not execute people too lightly whereas the west seems to be too soft to the criminals who, some will need to lock up and some need to be shot and some need to be educated and so on.
We need death penalties in USA for our corrupt government officials and corporate CEOs who engage them. Our laws have been bought out by bribes under the name of "campaign contributions" to the extent that most heads of the white collar crime rings such as BofA, Goldman's, etc. are untouchable while their lower level cronies get slapped on wrists instead of all of them facing real penalties such as death. In addition there needs to be some sort of assessment of actual damage they caused and their families, friends businesses who profited from it need to be held accountable, return what was stolen or face likewise penalties.
China is at least on the right track with this one, though they have an immense task in trying to reign it all in.
An eye for an eye! I am not Chinese but there is nothing wrong with death penalty whatsoever. Stop calling death penalty supporters "bloodthirsty"!!!
The United States is the worlds most notorious exponent of extra judicial killing.
Is this your way of asking for a free one-way ticket to China? Or perhaps you'd be more comfortable in one of the other countries that make up 80% of the entire world where "extra judicial killings" in the form of drug cartels, mafias, tribal law, militias and other paramilitary outfits rule (most of Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and ex-Soviet states)
The United States love their executions more than any other nation in the world. The United States's extra judicial killing machine (CIA etc) is setting the standard for extra judicial "death sentence" in the world.
Is this your way of asking for a free one-way ticket to China? Or perhaps you'd be more comfortable in one of the other countries that make up 80% of the entire world where "extra judicial killings" in the form of drug cartels, mafias, tribal law, militias and other paramilitary outfits rule (most of Latin America, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and ex-Soviet states)
Right on, Maire.
No person is perfect if we killed all bad people the human race would be extinct
According to your pathetic reasoning, murderers and rapists should be free to carry on their business of murdering innocent victims. Why don't you offer yourself to be murdered so that he can become a serial killer?
Should have joined this group for almost destroying the world economy. But instead our justice department has now said that the firms are too big to prosecute. More corruption.
China executes more people than the rest of the world combined. Many Uighurs & Tibetans have been executed by China since 1949. Prior to the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the death penalty was actually banned. Executions in China are often public & usually involve 2 people holding the arms of the condemned by while a third fires a rifle bullet into the back of their head.
Who needs the death penalty when the GOP wants to kill (with legislation) all the Old, Sick, Poor, Unemployed, and Gay people. Then turn them into Soylent Green to feed the military. A self sustaining system.
This is the county where all are jobs are going, and a money hunger ceo's are using cheap labor. Then sending there junk back here.
this is primarily about Mexican-Americans and Mexicans and their sesuis you are being disingenuous when you add embrace the different races, ethniticies and genders .) If it's all about Mexicans and their sesuis, nobody else is going to be interested at all. Why should they be? If you TRULY want something that embraces everyone leave out the ethnicity in your description. Make it about civil rights for every one . Otherwise, it just sounds racist to me.
Because one less criminal
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Wasn't the band "Wang Chung" from China? I liked Wang Chung. When I get elected president, I'm going to get "Wang Chung" to play at the white house. I can see China from my back yard.
It's the West that has weird humanism on full functioning. Fair and just trials are absolutely necessary, but some Western nations do look like wanting to live with vicious criminals and increase the number of victims. Feminized nations. Adopt more biblical principles, please. Get real Bible scholars and learn to differenciate personal offenses and crimes.
Chinese are better than secular Westerners who aim reduction of the human population by massacre. Population is never a problem; it's the lifestyle. If rich nations and greedy nations give up all the unnecessary toxic toys, 100 billion humans will have no problem living on earth. Why are we adavancing everything like mad people on a deteriorating planet when even stars are not meant for traveling to?
"But for the time being, my humble opinion is that the Chinese people are too bloodthirsty to give up the death penalty as the state's favorite method for sweet revenge."
I love to see these type of things in CNN. May I said American's are too bloodthirsty to give up bombing other country to give them "freedom" and "democracy". What nice generalization!
As for the real issue, our country and ppl are 2000 years old, some of the old ways stay after soo many years is because is the right way(ofc not all,but some). Your own hippi view isn't that high and might. Nor your view is the right way. When you self can't stop killing ppl,it just ridiculous to "analysis" Chinese's "bad habit".
While I respect Teng Biao's premise...the so called free world experiences the same systemic corruption in the form of free market capitalists who press the envelope of deregulated power/markets (same grey area of corruption IMO). We don't execute them, hell we don't even perp walk them anymore. In some ways the Chinese system is more accountable.
1 in 5 people on the ENTIRE Earth are "citizens" of the People's Republic of China. You want them to stop killing their criminals...why? When we default on our loans to them, its that many less foot soldiers we'll have to worry about fighting when they invade us. If anything I think we should examine the system that way here. If politicians feared for their lives maybe they wouldn't be such corrupt greedy @$$holes!
There is nothing Chinese that any country on Earth should emulate, especially their penal system. Everybody everywhere
should boycott China.
Most of the people commenting here are Chinese (hardly any of the posts are intelligible English). Most of the people
commenting here are also pro-death penalty. That says all there is to say about who is, or is not, "bloodthirsty". And as far as the Chinese bragging about their SO "superior" 2000 year "cultural" history: look where that has brought them. It has brought them to an overpopulated, stinking, ecologically ruined piece of the planet's surface that cannot long endure before it implodes catastrophically (and I hope it does soon!).
As far as China's love of the death penalty is concerned: it suits them perfectly. They deserve it...about half a billion
of them deserve it.
Racist pig, you really know nothing outside of America do you?!
China has to get the organs its sells for transplants from somewhere. If the need a heart, the will shoot the condemned prisoner in the head. If they need a liver, they will shoot him in the heart
I thought they executed so many people so they could sell the organs on the black market. Not the case?
China is not what your American image, I'm a students in Lanzhou jiaotong university in China, I wish you can go to China, you will have a better understanding of new China after 1978.