[blueyoda]

> "Without addicts there would be no dealers."

"Addicts" do not consume drugs out of their own free will. They are addicts, their condition is out of their control. The dealers have free will and willingly choose to ruin society.

> Someone switches bags with you at the airport, in a part of the airport where no cameras are...you have no proof, and you are sentenced to death for being "such a menace"?

You raise a good point - and believe it or not, that is actually a fear I have of travelling to Singapore. Even though it's obviously unlikely, there is always that fear of "but what if it happens?"

This is why the defendant deserves the best defense possible, and that doesn't seem to have happened in this case. It's also why the government should absolutely prioritize a high level of certainty when assessing if someone is guilty of such a serious crime or not. Personally, I wish they opted for life sentences as opposed to execution. You can free someone from prison. You can't un-execute them.

> "Finally, does the prosecution and sentencing of many mainly black men in USA for small drug crimes"

America has for-profit prisons, corrupt police, and a long history of racism. These factors play a major role in why minorities are targeted.

[graderjs]

"Addicts" do not consume drugs out of their own free will. They are addicts, their condition is out of their control. The dealers have free will and willingly choose to ruin society.

This is a little too simplistic. You have to ascribe them the same responsibility and agency you do dealers. There’s always causes, but choices are the decisive factor equally for both. An unfair application of that principle doesn’t help anyone.

Really you won’t go to SG for that reason? Wow, that’s kind of extreme. What about UAE?