I have to admit it, I'm against the death penalty. It's not an issue of values or morality for me. I just don't think it works as a deterrent. It's only purpose is vengence, and vengence is not an substitute for justice.
That being said, this headline struck me as an interesting bit of punishment today:
China executes ex-drug chief for graft.
China executed a former drug and food safety chief on Tuesday for corruption in an unusually swift sentence which will serve as a warning amid a series of health scandals that have stained the "made in China" brand.
link
Wow, a highly placed party official executed, actually executed, for being corrupt.
Imagine, just imagine for a moment if corrupt politicians were actually punished for their crime, and severely, like with death.
I will edit what I said earlier about the dealth penalty not being a deterrent. In fact, it is a deterrent for certain crimes, like corruption and treason.