🇯🇵 Major crime in the news in Japan
(twitter.com)
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Context, cost and scale are important for determining degrees of punishment.
You're correct that ALL crimes need punishment to deter even simple infractions, but the context of the crime and the scale of the punishment need to be doled out in respect to the cost it has on society when it comes to stability and maintaining cultural consistency.
In short, the context was over something minor (i.e., coffee), the cost of which was also minor (less than $5) while the scale of punishment was more than what was taken, and a potentially greater detriment to the man's life than what crime he had committed.
The whole point of punishment is that it's supposed to be disproportionate. If I steal $5 and get fined $5, that is not much of a deterrence or righting of the moral scales. It doesn't need to be draconian, but it has to be much greater than the amount that has been stolen.
I see a lot of suggestions that "it's not a big deal because it is a small amount". Now, is it preferable to live in a society where stealing is OK or at least not as much frowned upon if it's theft of small amounts? Also: if it's such a small amount, why did he bother stealing it?
That's true.
That's correct.
I agree his punishment was too severe, but the guy was also the principle. It would be different if he was a student.