I think that the punishment being excessive may have something to do with the low crime. I mean, getting 4 fingers or a whole hand chopped off would be a pretty good deterrent. Being stoned to death, being beheaded. Being hanged. We have stupid laws, possession of drugs, doesn't matter if it is a small amount or half a kilo, there is mandatory sentencing designed to combat the "drug war". If someone destroys a wall with graffiti, they get a small fine, do the same thing in Singapore and you get caned, a public flogging. There isn't much graffiti in Singapore. In some ways, we could learn a lesson from these countries.
