Hanssen the Spy--How to Punish the Bastard?

You mean Andrei Chikatilo, the butcher of Rostov? I saw
that movie too. One half of the movie was pathetically
wrong, the other half was laughably inaccurate.

Here’s the way it’s done (or, more exactly, used to be done; Russia declared moratorium on death penalty in 1998).
Local Prosecutor (roughly similar to a district
Attorney in the US) the day before execution visits the
prisoner and declares that his request for clemency
(filed automatically on behalf of a person sentenced to
die) had been denied by the Presidium of the Supreme
Court and that the execution is scheduled for the next
day.
Next day, Prosecutor, warden, and couple of guards
enter the cell, Prosecutor reads a shortened version of
court’s sentence (something like “Mr.X., you’ve been
sentenced to the highest degree of punishment”–that’s
what death penalty called–“for such-and-such crimes
committed on such-and-such dates” ). After that, the
condemned man is led to a special chamber, where he’s
shot behind the right ear. Execution is carried out
using standard issue 8-mm TT pistol.
Now, you don’t have to know all these details–after
all, we’re not on “execution Jeopardy” here. But do you
believe everything you watch on TV? Really? How about
just a tiny bit of skepticism? Here’s example of what I
saw on A&E just 2 months ago. They had some special on
(coincidence?) Russian history. So, we are shown the Red
Square and the anchor says:" Behind me is the Kremlin,
where, for more than a thousand years, Russian emperors
and Soviet rulers made decisions affecting millions of
lives"
This was the funniest thing I heard in a long
time. Taking into account the fact that Moscow was
founded in 1047 AD and Kremlin was built around 1156
and what we see as today’s Kremlin wasn’t built until
1480 AD, it’s kinda hard to see " more than a thousand
years". Furthermore ,first Russian Emperor (Peter the
Great) actually became the emperor only in 1721 and
Immediately moved the capital to St.Petersburg. So,
those “decisions affecting millions of lives” weren’t
made in Kremlin; they were made in the Winter
Palace,St.Petersburg.Do those guys at A&E even bother
to check the facts or they think that people’s
gullibility and willingness to believe any BS they are
fed allows them to produce these shitty
“documentaries”?
In my personal expirience, A&E is bullshiting viewers
around 50% of the time,Discovery about 25%, and History
Channel is doing it reasonable 10%.
Now, if you excuse me, I’m gonna watch some TV news. They provide even more entertainment than A&E.

Make that two Midol for you and a nap.

One PC divided between three SDers is bad enough. But when one of them has two D.S. high schoolers with penchants for online snooping and my Rolodex with critical passwords (online investing, SD, bank…), all kinds of shi* hits the fan. My conversation with Ameritrade was a real doozy.

–T.S.

Death by pachyderm-inflicted butt rape :eek: .

How 'bout some Pepto Bismol for SpyderA48?

For those Midol one-liners he keeps spewing out like diarrhea.

Maybe with the right medication, he’ll have to actually come up with something intelligent to say. Or at least a more creative insult.

Or just take it to the Pit. Not that I care.

How 'bout some Pepto Bismol for SpyderA48?

For those Midol one-liners he keeps spewing out like diarrhea.

Maybe with the right medication, he’ll have to actually come up with something intelligent to say. Or at least a more creative insult.

Or just take it to the Pit. Not that I care.

Uh, everybody here does know that there’s no way on Earth that Hanssen is going to be convicted of treason, right? He will almost certainly plead guilty to espionage charges, but he is not going to be convicted of treason, or even charged with it.

If I recall correctly, the charge of treason is applicable only during a formally-declared war.

I don’t know if that’s the case, Orca, but treason does have a very specific set of Constitutionally-determined criteria, and must involve the testimony of two eyewitnesses who saw it occur. Even Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who gave nuclear secrets to the U.S.S.R. at the height of the Cold War, were not charged with or convicted of treason. They were convicted of, and executed for, espionage.