Here is a puzzling thing

I am against the death penalty on the grounds that it better that 10 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man be hanged. In Putin’s case, however there is no doubt about his guilt. Just the same as it was for Hitler. Some Germans did try to take him out but unfortunately failed and were tortured to death. I have no doubt the same would happen to any unsuccessful Putin assasin. Just think how many lives would be saved, and how much misery avoided. Definitely for the greater good.

So, (at the risk of sounding like a toddler) is it the amount of deaths a person is responsible for?
Is sustained torture to death of just one not "as bad" as lots?

Most of those found guilty of murder in a court and no longer sentenced to death as they might have been in the past are guilty of only one, or perhaps a few more murders, not thousands of deaths or even the possible extermination of the human race.

I do not want to restore the death penalty but I would cheer on an asassin who killed Vladimir Purtin before he could kill us all.

I don't agree with capital punishment.

In an ideal world dictators who behave in a Putin/Hitler/Mao Tse Tung/Stalin/Pol Pot way would be captured, tried and imprisoned for the rest of their life under international law.

However, if those around a megalomaniac, teetering on the edge of madness have an insight into that character's state of mind and deem that person may use a nuclear weapon then they are doing the rest of humanity a service to take them out. Similarly if they have the opportunity to stop that person annihilating wiping out an entire race of people based on their personal prejudices, then I'd say once again taking them out would be completely justified.

If only the many brave assassins who tried to do away with Hitler had succeeded it might have changed the course of history depending on when in his career of evil that had happened. They were the ones who paid with their lives trying to save others. When evil people make their pact with the devil they must know death at the hands of an assassin could be a possibility, which no doubt feeds their paranoia, making them more dangerous. Sometimes the unacceptable has to be done for the greater good.

I think there is increasing evidence that Putin is 'deranged' a word I heard used this morning, by someone (i cannot remember who) who is usually very measured in their response to international events.

There has been talk of how he has been isolating himself and ignoring more and more, those who previously advised him, including all his ministers. He is paranoid about COVID, hence that ridiculously 5m long white table that he has been using for one-to-one meetings with Macron et al.

To quote The Guardian The 69-year-old president is notoriously paranoid about Covid-19 and has largely remained in an isolated cocoon throughout the pandemic, taking measures far beyond his global counterparts.

In fact the whole article www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/08/vladimir-putin-massive-table is very enlightening on his self imposed isolation and growing paranoi.

In recent photographs his face has been almost unrecogniseable, puffy and strange suggesting he is on drugs for some illness or another.

He is like many an old dictator, their powers are failing and they are so out of touch with life outside the cage they have locked themselves in that they lose even a tenous hold on reality, to disappear into a world that only they occupy.

Point taken, Bluebelle

But we were talking about Putin and his henchmen rather than an ordinary Russian who doesn't have access to polonium-210 or Novichok etc.

I'd kill them, M0nica.
It's easy for me to say, because I'm quite at peace with the idea of ridding the population of those who cause untold harm to others.

I have never been in two minds about it.

Eazybees in more recent years I think most war criminals have met quite nasty deaths Ceausescu publicly executed along with his wife Firing squad
Sadam Hussain was hanged Gadaffi beaten to death and sodomised with a bayonet Muslini was shot

I totally agree Putin isn’t mentally ill but probably has a massive personality disorder like a lot of other world leaders including Trump

Callistemon
Russians have no qualms at all about taking people out who cause them trouble, sometimes slowly and painfully
An overstatement The average Russians are very nice hospitable people Certainly the government and KGB etc etc can be and are often ruthless killers The average Russian is appalled by this as much as us and will suffer considerably

MissAdventure let me pose a question to you. If killing a small group of people saved the lives of a much larger group of people what would you do?

I think very few people would willingly kill another person if they could avoid it, but if you are being threatened by a group of people who have no compunction about killing people, what do you do when you have exhausted all non-violent ways of opposing them and they still keep coming.

You could of course deck yourself in white with a target on your chest and die a noble martyr to your cause, but how many others will be killed as the result of your noble gesture. Or you can pick up your gun, or anti-taank missile and try and stop them. The outcome will of course be uncertain, but your action may well save millions.

I don't think I know that story, easybee.

I'll have to find it now.

eazybee

I do not believe Putin is mentally ill; I think he is perfectly sane and in full command of his actions. He is like Hitler and Stalin, who had no concern for the people under their command; their only objective was to win, no matter what the human cost.
Interesting to note that previous dictators died relatively peaceful deaths: Hitler died by his own hand, Stalin died in his bed, Napoleon died (in His bed) in exile, and only Mussolini was executed, by his 'compatriots'
I certainly think Putin should be designated a war criminal, and tried at the Hague.

I agree that Putin should be tried as a war criminal. There should also be investigations into the money Putin has accumulated over many years.

Yes I do believe that the death sentence should be brought back for murderers and crimes against children. These people are a waste of space and oxygen.

My brain’s not feeling flexible enough for philosophical discussions this afternoon!?

There is a Roald Dahl story about baby Adolph, son of Frau Schicklgruber: 'do you think he will survive, Doctor?'

Germanshepherdsmum

You’re worse than a toddler constantly asking ‘Why?’ MissA!

It is a discussion site.
I thought it might get peoples brains flexing a bit more than meghan and Harry threads.

I agree with the death sentence in certain circumstances and I am one of those who said someone should take Putin out. Even if he is mentally unwell. For the good of the world, this is undoubtedly one of the 'certain circumstances'. However, I don't think I could carry out the deed myself. I'll leave that up to those capable of it.

You’re worse than a toddler constantly asking ‘Why?’ MissA!

Is it enough not to believe, though?
Is that ok if the person killing him doesn't also believe he is mentally unwell?

It all sounds pretty sketchy when someone is potentially going to be assassinated and executed.

I do not believe Putin is mentally ill; I think he is perfectly sane and in full command of his actions. He is like Hitler and Stalin, who had no concern for the people under their command; their only objective was to win, no matter what the human cost.
Interesting to note that previous dictators died relatively peaceful deaths: Hitler died by his own hand, Stalin died in his bed, Napoleon died (in His bed) in exile, and only Mussolini was executed, by his 'compatriots'
I certainly think Putin should be designated a war criminal, and tried at the Hague.

My only dilemma would be: do I put a bullet in his brain or cut off some ( or all ) his limbs and then put him in the bunker for all his remaining days.

I read somewhere a question which was if you were asked to look after baby Adolph Hitler, would you kill the baby for the greater good?
The general conclusion was that those with psychopathic tendencies would, so showing that some psychopathic traits can be desirable in certain situations.

MissAdventure

I'm not a nasty person.
I save bees, spiders and butterflies.

Ladyleftfieldlover

I remember reading somewhere that we still have the death penalty in this country for Treason. I should look it up.

He's not in this country.

Russians have no qualms at all about taking people out who cause them trouble, sometimes slowly and painfully.

I d be more than happy for Putin to be contained for the rest of his life somewhere where he can’t kill any more
I was imagining a small underground bunker perhaps and I would drive up with a lorry full of Readymix.

(Just wishful thinking.)

I don't have an answer.
I'm just interested in people's views about when taking a life is ok.