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I once flippantly remarked that proponents of the death penalty should advocate for more wide-spread use of capital punishment. I specifically referenced white collar criminals such as the Enron gangsters and influence-peddling politicians. After all, we put to death murderers who take one life. The crimes of these effete criminals ruin the lives of literally millions and most avoid serious punishment. While it may have been a facetious proposition, it is the type of populist hyperbole that would have been appealing in the aftermath the financial collapse of 2008 from which the Wall Street bankers who engineered the plundering of the economy emerged virtually unscathed. The reality is that those who deserve more severe punishment have great influence over the very politicians who are in the position to enact stricter laws.

In light of this, I read with bemusement an Associated Press report in the New York Times, “Iran Sentences Billionaire to Death for Corruption”. It seems the rich guy in question, one Babak Zangani, was convicted of money laundering linked to oil sales during the Ahmadinejad presidency. Such activities are evidently taken very seriously in the Islamic Republic. Noteworthy in the report was this statement by a spokesman:

“The court has recognized the three defendants as ‘corrupters on earth’ and sentenced them to death…”  “Corrupters on earth” is an Islamic term referring to crimes that are punishable by death because they have a major impact on society.

Death for “a major impact on society’? How novel!

It leads me to believe this is why so many politicians in this country want to ban Sharia law.