China makes capital punishment a breeze

USA Today News

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CHONGQING, China — Zhang Shiqiang, known as the Nine-Fingered Devil, first tasted justice at 13. His father caught him stealing and cut off one of Zhang's fingers.

Twenty-five years later, in 2004, Zhang met retribution once more, after his conviction for double murder and rape. He was one of the first people put to death in China's new fleet of mobile execution chambers.

The country that executed more than four times as many convicts as the rest of the world combined last year is slowly phasing out public executions by firing squad in favor of lethal injections. Unlike the United States and Singapore, the only two other countries where death is administered by injection, China metes out capital punishment from specially equipped "death vans" that shuttle from town to town.

Makers of the death vans say the vehicles and injections are a civilized alternative to the firing squad, ending the life of the condemned more quickly, clinically and safely. The switch from gunshots to injections is a sign that China "promotes human rights now," says Kang Zhongwen, who designed the Jinguan Automobile death van in which "Devil" Zhang took his final ride.

"Next stop, Texas!"


This is certainly a frightening thought. Such things should not be made so efficient for a reason.
(p.s. this is not a spoof)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The most ironic thing though is that they say they are doing this to step up their promotion of human rights.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I don't know Fyodor. Which would YOU rather as a human being. A firing squad or a lethal injection?

I personally would rather not leave my life in the hands of the Chinese government.
The real irony is in who is implementing this, rather than what is being implemented itself.

Although, if I had no choice, I am not sure which I would prefer more. The first option enables me to at least experience something I have never had before, and gives me a great deal of stimulation before death.
Also, there is a bit of honor to be had in recieving "a soldier's death."

On the other hand, the injection would be nice, for the obvious reasons.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by kat

Fjordor's post was the stupidest thing I've ever read.

Can you explain why it is the stupidest thing you have ever read?
Also, would that not be considered trolling?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Yes. That is not a good explanation of how it is stupid. Need I remind you that Sass asked me about my preferences, and thus the response is purely subjective?

She asked me, as a human being, what I would prefer. Seeing as how having experiences is an integral part of being a human, I felt it would be fitting to say that I might prefer to have a new experience as I die(being shot), rather than just go to sleep. Additionally, honor is also a part of being a human being, and as such I thought it would be valid to point that out as well.

Now is that so stupid that you find it necessary to blatantly troll me?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by kat

How is this in any way ironic. Please elaborate.

Because the Chinese government, in their official attempt to step up recognition of human rights, are making it easier to take a person's life. Their streamlining of a process to take someone's life is somehow promoting human rights?
Additionally, the Chinese government has never in practice shown any real concern for human rights, except when it might potentially benefit itself.

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I want to get shot so I know what I feels like to be shot because I've never been shot before and then in the end I can be innudated with fervent sensation before I die.

More or less. Why the hell not? At least its something, from what I know.

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Firing squads kill soldiers for desertion, spy activity, muder, rape and mutiny. Nazi officers were executed by firing squad. Very honorable.

Ah, so I'm a bit old-fashioned. So sue me. That doesn't validate your claim that I am somehow stupid. References to the Nazi officers doesn't change a thing. Are you familiar with Seppuku? The purpose of it was for the man who had dishonored himself and his family to regain it by willingly enduring the suffering. In such fashion, his honor is partially restored for his brave deed. Granted this is not exactly an identical situation(the execution is being performed on me, as opposed to by me), but it is the purpose of the execution which matters, not who gets it. In like fashion, following more romantic perceptions, someone being killed by the weapons of his opponents in a way gratifies a soldier's need for honor.

Additionally, I was selecting this in the context of the question posed to me, which limited me to two options.

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Do you think they just stick a needle in you and you quietly fall asleep while your heart slowly stops? Basically, one drug in the cocktail freezes your muscles and lungs while another drug forces cardiac arrest which leads to your death. So the you basically lie there, unable to move and barely breathe while potassium chloride burns through your veins, lasting in that state for up to 45 minutes, before it reaches your heart and you experience a heart attack, and die.

Ah, well I did not know that. I am a bit skeptical about this, but I'll leave it at that. If this is true, then why is lethal injection promoted as "more humane" than any other methods?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Ok, so you have made your point that lethal injection is pretty much no less painful or stimulating than a firing squad, and in fact could be more so. Cool.
Nonetheless, I would like to spill some blood if I'm going to get killed.

Originally Posted by kat

I don't think you can be old-fashioned, unless you're talking about the early 20th century. No one under 90 is that old fashioned. I can see you using the honor principle but it's a ridiculously highly idealized concept at best.

I suppose that happens to me when I read a lot of 19th century literature.

Originally Posted by kat

I like how you keep on calling me a troll.

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Why don't we add seppuku as a third option, just for you.

I rest my case.



Enough with this "quote war," and getting more topical once again, am I then to understand that lethal injections, performed properly, should involve a separate anesthesia? Or is the sodium thiopental considered sufficient(supposed to render people unconscious)?

FELIPE NO