> Does hanging people arrested with small enough amounts of drugs that you'd get a relatively minor punishment in the U.S. not at least toe the borderline of fascism?
No. Why?
Singapore goes up to the death penalty for trading in drugs. Consumers of drugs face punishment, but not the death penalty.
In any case, harsh punishment does not make anything fascist (nor does comparatively lax punishment make something not fascist).
Eg the US is not fascist, despite them handing out harsher sentences for eg drug offenses than other parts of the world (or even the US itself at different points in time).
(Just to be clear: I like living in my adopted home of Singapore. I disagree with their drug policies, and think drugs in general even 'hard' ones should mostly be taxed, not banned. But I don't harsh punishments for some behaviour is a sign of fascism. Especially if the laws are clear and knowable, and there's a scrupulous legal system that predictably enforces these laws for all without prejudice.)
No. Why?
Singapore goes up to the death penalty for trading in drugs. Consumers of drugs face punishment, but not the death penalty.
In any case, harsh punishment does not make anything fascist (nor does comparatively lax punishment make something not fascist).
Eg the US is not fascist, despite them handing out harsher sentences for eg drug offenses than other parts of the world (or even the US itself at different points in time).
(Just to be clear: I like living in my adopted home of Singapore. I disagree with their drug policies, and think drugs in general even 'hard' ones should mostly be taxed, not banned. But I don't harsh punishments for some behaviour is a sign of fascism. Especially if the laws are clear and knowable, and there's a scrupulous legal system that predictably enforces these laws for all without prejudice.)