Becker and Posner on Capital Punishment

Richard Posner and Gary Becker have posted thoughts --occasioned by the recent execution of Tookie Williams -- at their blog on the "Economics of Capital Punishment."  Becker notes, among other things:

I will concentrate my comments on deterrence, which is really the crucial issue in the acrimonious debate over capital punishment.  I support the use of capital punishment for persons convicted of murder because, and only because, I believe it deters murders. If I did not believe that, I would be opposed because revenge and the other possible motives that are mentioned and discussed by Posner, should not be a basis for public policy.