Quote Originally Posted by Fengzi

As far as "mobile death vans" are concerned, it really doesn't bother me. The Chinese don't fuck around with violent crime. There is no waiting in jail for years, with hundreds of appeals, etc etc. When you are convicted that's it. But the Chinese have a saying that goes something like "you kill the rooster to startle the monkey". In other words they have these public executions to scare people into not committing violent crimes. My wife, a Chinese citizen, remembers actually listening to the sentencing, folllowed shortley thereafter by a loud "POP" then a soft "thud", of a man convicted of killing a small child in her home town. This was played over the loudspeaker in school when she was in the 5th or 6th grade. Anyone hearing something like that is going to think twice about doing something similar.
And it's not only crime you can prevent. Threat of death will prevent any "something similar" which the government wishes prevented. Well and good, right up until they wish to prevent something important to you.