# Altogether now: 1980's support for Saddam was wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 14, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635 "2003-04-14T14:39:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635/41 "2003-04-16T12:13:34Z")
> [@](#): > > When I said “We were right to support Sadaam then.”, I meant “It was in our national interest to support Sadaam then.” Can we all agree that it is sometimes **morally wrong to act in one’s national interest**? In fact, that putting national interest before principles is a sure way of being morally wrong more often in future? ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635/42 "2003-04-16T13:02:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SentientMeat \* > \*\*Can we all agree that it is sometimes **morally wrong to act in one’s national interest**? In fact, that putting national interest before principles is a sure way of being morally wrong more often in future? \*\* Governments do not exist to be morally right or wrong. They exist TO serve their own interest. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635/43 "2003-04-16T13:17:13Z")
**newscrasher** , the Iraqi government served its own interest by gassing thousands of a politically active minority using weapons of mass destruction. Do you still contend that this is the sole function of governments? ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635/44 "2003-04-16T14:17:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SentientMeat \* > \*\*Can we all agree that it is sometimes **morally wrong to act in one’s national interest**? In fact, that putting national interest before principles is a sure way of being morally wrong more often in future? \*\* You’ll never get everyone to agree to an argument that includes such vague-isms as ‘morally wrong’, ‘national interest’, and ‘principles’ and tries to connect them in some ‘sure way’. I think the best we can hope for is that we continue to have the freedom to protest decisions we think are wrong and vote for officials who we think will make the right decisions. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635/45 "2003-04-16T14:36:44Z")
I am not trying to “connect these terms in some sure way”. What on Earth are you talking about? I argue that it was morally wrong of the Iraqi government to gas the Kurds. Do you, or anyone else, disagree? ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635/46 "2003-04-16T16:00:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SentientMeat \* > \*\*I am not trying to “connect these terms in some sure way”. What on Earth are you talking about? \*\* I’m talking about this question: “In fact, that putting national interest before principles is a **sure way** of being morally wrong more often in future?” > [@](#): > > \*\*I argue that it was morally wrong of the Iraqi government to gas the Kurds. > > Do you, or anyone else, disagree?\*\* I do not disagree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/altogether-now-1980s-support-for-saddam-was-wrong/168635.md?page=2)