Law & Order

Burning Our Money has a post on 'punishment' and the consequences of 'social conscience' - aka 'turning the other cheek'.

Call me 'old-fashioned' but BOM (and the Major) has a point here. With the death penalty, yes, 'mistakes' do happen - one could argue 'rarely'; with a 'no tolerance policing policy' there may well be more prison inmates - but what is more important, a 'crime-free' society - or relatively so, compared to present day tends - or a more 'civilised' and therefore 'law-abiding' society?

Discuss.