I never argued against this. I think:
1. The guy with the sword was never threatened. He had some shit stolen earlier, heard somebody in his garage and was going to teach somebody a lesson, crept out, cornered the crackhead, chopped him up, and plead self-defense. Instant internet hero for the mildly retarded Dirty Harry-types.
2. This punishment does not fit the crime and that to suggest that "this guy had it coming" regardless of circumstances is kinda fucked.
3. Public executions, support for them, or the increased use of them are signs of a stagnant society, or in this case, a society in decline.