Damn Singapore is harsh.Follow

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They take their war on drug seriously there. Damn.

I still remember how a few years ago a rogue melon killed someone in Singapore(could probably google it if you wanted to).

But when considering how harsh they may seem with drugs, remember this is the country where gum is outlawed.

In 2004, 59 persons in 12 States were executed -- 23 in Texas; 7 in Ohio; 6 in Oklahoma; 5 in Virginia; 4 each in North Carolina and South Carolina, 2 each in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Nevada; and 1 each in Arkansas and Maryland.


Of persons executed in 2004:
-- 36 were white
-- 19 were black
-- 3 were Hispanic (all white)
-- 1 Asian


Of those executed in 2004, 59 were men.


Lethal injection accounted for 58 of the executions; 1 was carried out by electrocution.


Thirty-eight States and the Federal government in 2004 had capital statutes. (US. government bureau of statistics)
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm


Although the number of executions carried out in Singapore appears to have halved in 2004, Singapore still has the world's highest execution rate relative to its 4.2-million population, Amnesty said.

In October, Singapore reported that six people had been executed in the first nine months of 2004, compared with 19 in 2003.
(Amnesty Int.)http://www.singapore-window.org/sw05/050525re.htm

A survey published in The Lancet on 29 October 2004 estimated the casualties of the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq to be 98,000 (95% confidence interval: 8000 to 194000) more than would have been expected without the invasion, although there are some qualified caveats (explained below). To date, this is has been the only serious scientific attempt to estimate the excess mortality as a result of the invasion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_survey_of_mortality_before_and_after_the_2003_invasion_of_Iraq


Harsh sure.....but then again..!?

Imagine the profit though. If drugs are so hard to get in that country then I would assume that prices for those drugs are extreamly inflated.

Ok, a bit off-topic, but the whole "caught for drugs in the Orient and fisted" issue reminded me of something.

And this is something Brits will identify with easier I suppose.

Have any of you noticed the hidden racism in these cases?

For example, an aussie blondie got caught in Indonesia for drug trafficking, a few kgs of weed as far as I remember. She didn't even deny the charge, and she was sentenced to some years in jail.

Well. There was a TYPHOON of political/public opinion upheaval, newspapers with titles like "The Barbarians capture our girls!!" and "Bring HER BACK!!" crap.

Pretty much the same happens whenever a "Western" gets caught in some non-western country. It makes headlines, and intensifies the "free our precious Anglo-Saxon/Aryan/Scandinavian from the Barbarians" feeling.

I'm sure tons of "westerners" get caught in other western countries for numerous charges, yet it's never mentioned, it's perfectly normal.

And make no mistake, this has nothing to do with the citizenship, this is racial. A few years back a british citizen was caught in Yemen for something, and the British Embassy did nothing at all. It was very strange for me until I read the defendant's name somewhere, Ali Sultan or something, which pretty much means that he's dark-skinned.

During the first Gulf War, I was personally a witness to the way the "Arab-Americans" were left behind while the "White" Americans were evacuated first.

You could argue that you can't trust the legal/justice system in these "undemocratic countries". Nevertheless, Indonesia -for example- is a democracy, and these "western" defendants are usually supplied with the best defence and the trial would be infront of the media.

I feel repulsed by this crap.

What do you think?

Witty .... -yawn-

Anyhow, since you lived in Saudi Arabia for some time, you must know how the embassy can get you out of almost anything. The "elite" status enjoyed by the western communities....etc. Must feel nice, but is it fair? Should you get some advantage because of the color of your skin?

Way to outdo me there, sailor.


I was in elementary school, so most of my crimes were forgiven. Except for that time I showed my naked arms in public. Got my right hand chopped off for that one. Embarrasing!

Some people will actually believe that.

Thanks for doing what you can as an American who has visited/lived in the Middle East (0.0001 of Americans probably), to negate and counter the bias and stereotypes. You have my respect.

Jophiel: