My arrogant opinions about politics, culture, science fiction, and whatever else I feel like talking about.

Welcome to the Dictatorship!

        Over at the Museum, I've archived a story about executions in the U.S.

        In typical current media fashion, it starts by insulting our intelligence with a blatant lie.  It says executions are expensive.  But in the story, execution costs aren't mentioned at all.  Instead, what's expensive turns out to be sentencing people to death, and then not executing them.

        It costs a lot of money to appeal death sentences, and re-appeal them, and re-re-re-reappeal them.  Why?  Because the Supremes, and the state Supremes, have made it that way.  Of course, the story's author or authors won't say that straight out.  Nor will they mention that once upon a time, executions took place within as little as two months after sentencing.

        The story also features the predictable "prisoner who wasn't really guilty," telling you how imprisonment is really worse than the death sentence.  Given that quite a few of those sentenced to death are former inmates of prison, you'd think that if most people really found prison worse than death, then there'd be a lot fewer appeals, and a lot more 'The pigs won't take me alive!' shootouts.  But of course, such considerations are not to be brought up, lest the public be confused.

        Now, whether or not executions are a good idea for punishing and preventing crime is a rationally and honestly debatble issue.  Whether we are morally justified in executing people is also a morally and rationally debatable issue.  But our present "system" is set up to pretend to have a death penalty, because the damned fools who think their opinion really means something voters have demanded it.  It's only real value is showing you how much the opinion of the majority is really worth when it conflicts with that of our rulers.

        It's worth nothing, nothing at all.

        And nothing can be done, either.  Because the only thing that would be effective against this nonsense is would be the initiative, referendum, recall processes at the federal level, allowing us to bypass our rulers, get rid of "judges" who make up the law as they go along, and otherwise cut through the special interests and obfuscation.

        Don't hold your breath waiting, ducks.

---

        And the angel said unto them, "Be not afraid!  For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is inaugurated this day in the city of George a Saviour, which is B. Hussein Obama the President."  And since then, everything has been perfect.   (The Book of CNN, Chapter 2, verses 8-11.)

Posted by: saintonge at 06:46 | link | comments (3)
politics, liberals, msm, reality, annoyance