Oscar Wilde suggested that we were divided by a common language, but it is becoming increasingly evident that Britain and the USA are divided by a common culture.  On both sides of the Atlantic that culture is based on Christianity, democracy, and the inalienable personal right of the individual to freedom of expression, life style and beliefs.  Only when the exercise of personal rights impinges on the rights of others does the state intervene.  It is the nature of that intervention that illustrates the divide.

In 1976, by way of commemorating 200 years of independence, the United States of America restored the use of the death penalty.  The timing coincides with the ending of capital punishment in Western Europe.  Since then, 700 men, women and children, sane, retarded or otherwise, have been executed in the USA and 3,700 are still living on Death Row.  It is not surprising that the USA  recently lost its automatic place on the United Nations Human Rights Commission.  

With a perfect system of justice, and ignoring the evolution and enlightenment of civilisation, there might be a case to defend executions.  Judging by American crime rates over the last 25 years, deterrence cannot be part of that defence.  However, even in the 'open and shut' case of Timothy McVeigh the judicial system displayed gross incompetence: the FBI admitted that it had failed to turn over to McVeigh's lawyers thousands of pages of reports.  When examined in the light of such known bungles and miscarriages of justice, statistics become even more alarming:  blacks and Hispanics are more likely to be executed than whites; poor defendants are more likely to be condemned than rich ones.  Is this what the Founding Fathers had in mind?.

This is not just an internal matter for Americans.  Inevitably, there are international ramifications.  When the USA is clearly living by the Old Testament philosophy of 'an eye for an eye' the President's calls for restraint in the Middle East have a hollow ring.  If Mr. Bush believed in the New Testament message of love he would not, whilst Governor of Texas for five years, have condoned 152 executions ~ over twenty percent of all American executions in the modern era.   

As modern weapons technology gives the smallest rogue nations the capability to threaten international peace the world needs strong moral leadership.  But whilst Mr. Bush is prepared to tell the rest of the world how to behave he shows no inclination to strengthen his international reputation by acting firmly and fairly on domestic issues such as guns, pollution and execution.  Mr. Bush seems to have embraced Oscar Wilde's declaration that a little sincerity is a dangerous thing.  Unfortunately, he does not seem to know the importance of being earnest.