Humane Killing

[Griffin NoName]

Apologies.

Actually I think I had in mind that whole paragraph of yours and missed the emphasis.

Definition of execution noted.

However, I personally have a limited understanding of "execution". For example, I consider mass exterminations as muder (or extermination ! ) not execution. That could then lead to a philosophical argument around would it be more or less humane to exterminate a million people to stop a plague killing 6 billion?

[Swatopluk]

I already mentioned it above in passing. A lot of the procedures used in the US are there to make it more "humane" for the executioners and the witnesses. For some methods a mask was applied, so the distortions of the face would not be visible (hanging, electrocution). The paralyzer in the 3-drug cocktail suppresses the paroxysm of the body that occurs independent of the executee feeling anything (so it looks like agony, not apretty sight, even, if it is "humane" on the killed person's part). In the current discussion before the courts there has been put great emphais on that and some participants even debated whether a few minutes of severe pain that nobody outside notices is that big a deal anyway ("the important thing is that he turns up dead in the end" as one put it*)

*could be Alito or Scalia (not completely sure and too lazy to check again), the latter also arguing that any change in procedure would take too long leading to less executions (and that is probaly "cruel and unusual" in his "literalist" mind).

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

However, I personally have a limited understanding of "execution". For example, I consider mass exterminations as murder (or extermination ! ) not execution. That could then lead to a philosophical argument around would it be more or less humane to exterminate a million people to stop a plague killing 6 billion?

But is it a meaningful distinction? Certainly it sounds justifiable to execute a serial rapist and killer but the rationale to do so is in the laws that allow executions for certain crimes. If the law says that every blue skinned individual (or every member of the Blueberry Church, for what matters) has no rights under the law and must be "retired"/executed, then the problem is with a genocidal law. If martial law takes over and both yellow light crossers and blueberry church goers are executed, then the problem is the a genocidal martial law, and if anarchy takes over and factions start systematically executing all Blueberry church goers then it is the faction that is genocidal.

For all practical purposes a genocide is the implementation of mass executions of a particular group of people.

[Griffin NoName]

I think it's semantics - I agree genocide is the appropriate word for what you describe.

I can't back up my semantic argument at all.

It's too murky in my own mind, but goes something along the lines of "organised in the moment". So lining up a row of concentration camp inmates and shooting them is execution but working them to death isn't. Extrapolate out to shipping the people to the concentration camp, goriila warfare or whatever, and I get even dodgier in my semantics.

I'll just shut up !!!!!!!

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I believe the basic definitions still apply:

-Killing/homicide: generic term for ending a man's life in all forms including accidental ones.
-Murder: which is defined by intent in a punctual way (fairly small numbers both from the one doing it and by the ones receiving it).
-Execution: capital punishment defined by law regardless of the fairness of the law or the entity exercising it (which also suggest jurisdiction).
-Genocide: execution of large numbers of people, usually with a common characteristic (race, religion, party, economic status, etc) in a systematic and organized way.

You can indeed have a genocidal policy (ie: work inmates to death/concentration camps) that is the practical equivalent of serial executions. Guerrilla warfare can be genocidal depending on the targets and intent if systematic, otherwise it may be more akin to indiscriminate murder*.

* which is perhaps the grayest area.