Did any of you lawyers have to study Paul-Michel Foucault (“Discipline and Punish”)?
There was this idea that sovereigns used to publicly execute and/or dismember criminals to remind all about the dissymmetry between the subject who has dared to violate the law and the all powerful sovereign who displays his strength.
Execution and torture reestablished political order.
The way we punish criminals today informs us about our politics. Putin or Xi might have different policies regarding punishment than us for apparent reasons.
Foucault who died in the 80’s also wrote about the surveillance state. The panopticon was a glimpse into the near future. We are more interested in controlling thoughts (rehabilition, mental health) than Old Testament vengeance.
If I got my Foucault memories right we can never really have capital punishment in ‘Merica.
The above does not reflect my personal views but an understanding of political structure
Punishment is not what this story speaks to in my opinion anyway. You guys miss the point. It is an anecdote about our current culture.
The kids punishment is just book keeping