^^ WE DONT HAVE A PURPOSE FOR PUNISHMENT. PUNISHMENT IS THE PURPOSE.

we punish people einstein. thats it. end of story. we punish people for the sake of punishment.

its like talking to a 10 year old. this is really basic.

Notice in trials, a huge ass reason why you give someone capital punishment is JUSTICE for the FAMILY. Nothing to do with detterence, nothing to do with rehabilitation. No purpose other then we think it is the right thing to do. Peope think that its JUST to punish people who have done wrong -- even if it has no purpose or rehabilitation aspect. How can you be in college and not know this?




[Edited on September 16, 2006 at 4:40 PM. Reason : 4]

9/16/2006 4:30:25 PM

So if punishment is the purpose of punishment and punishment is the infliction of pain, what makes one punishment (being put in prison) different from another (being waterboarded)? After all if punishment serves no other purpose than to be punishment what relevance is it as to what form the punishment takes? How is being forced into a naked man pyramid fundamentaly different than being imprisoned and questioned if the purpose of punishment is to inflict pain or retribution for commiting a wrong.

9/16/2006 6:47:45 PM

Quote :

"what makes one punishment (being put in prison) different from another (being waterboarded)?"

the difference that makes two things different would be the qualities that they do not share. so the answer is, water-boarding involves water, and prison involves just time in a cell.

I assume your point is that people approve more of prison. And yes, they do. People think its more humane. But judges hand out different kinds of punishment all the time, sometimes community service, sometimes creative things that fit the crime.



[Edited on September 16, 2006 at 7:18 PM. Reason : jfff]

9/16/2006 7:17:04 PM

Which leads us back to the essential question of what is torture and how does it differ from punishment? In the end, a line must be drawn or things like waterboarding will continue. As I said, I'm sure Bush's motives are far from noble, but that doesn't make the fact that a line needs to be drawn any less true.

9/16/2006 9:41:02 PM

I'm under the impression that torture doesn't effectively get the job done. In the chance that it produces reliable information, there's a good chance that plans have changed and or become old by the time that information is gleened.

Islamic Extremists want to kill westerners, plain and simple, they see us as a threat to their culture and way of life, and as an enemy of their god. They have no bar against performing the most inhumane of acts against soldiers and civilians alike, and I think it's time we stopped coddling our "benevolence" and show them what it's like to play things their way.

9/16/2006 9:55:04 PM

Quote :

"Islamic Extremists"

Do they have to be muslims?

9/16/2006 9:57:45 PM

Do they have to be muslims? They ARE muslims, albeit muslims who have perverted their faith to suit their needs, but they themselves claim to be muslims.

9/16/2006 10:03:42 PM

Whatever, racist.

9/16/2006 10:04:08 PM

Nice troll.

9/16/2006 10:07:30 PM

Since when is religion a race?

9/16/2006 10:09:28 PM

Since you became a troll.

9/16/2006 10:10:11 PM

What's a troll? Since you are so adament calling me names instead of holding a respectable debate.

9/16/2006 10:13:11 PM

A troll is like a woman.

9/16/2006 10:21:37 PM