[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]
You won’t find me mourning Saddam’s death. But what purpose will it serve?
Pros: Execution is an accepted form of punishment there. As such, hanging Saddam is lawful. The sentence was passed by an Iranian court. (Whether the court is a puppet of the U.S. is another debate.)
[/QUOTE]
That’s an interesting typo. While it is my understanding that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won’t mind seeing him dead, I assume you meant an Iraqi court!
Yes, I meant to type Iraqi court.
[QUOTE=Loopydude]
Just in time for the midterms.
[/QUOTE]
Pshaw!
Certainly, if you go back and check when the trial started you won’t find anyone on the SDMB wondering about when the verdict would drop. Or how convenient it would be for the Bushies.
-Joe, certainly not me
[QUOTE=Loopydude]
Just in time for the midterms.
[/QUOTE]
Just in time for the news Monday and Tuesday morning to be full of the resulting civil disorders?
It would be such a fitting example of yet another bit of Bush planning blowing up on him.
Civil disorders in Iraq? Could things get much worse? It seems to me the Pub’s are spinning this as an exemplar of the burgeoning Iraqi democracy, and the Dems are downplaying its importance, as it won’t make much practical difference on the ground. The Dems clearly have the facts on their side, and the Pubs the symbolism. To the extent that this symbolism carries any weight presently will determine its importance to American politics, but when you consider how long this has been forseen, it’s reasonable to suspect BushCo lacked the foresight to anticipate how little the news might help them, and that this belated October Surprise, if that’s what it is, wouldn’t be quite what they were hoping.
There’s no question this news is being politicized, no matter what determined the timing.
Hopefully, it will be televised and we can watch it live.
[QUOTE=aclubs]
I was lurking around the BBCnews.com “Have Your Say” section, and many folks (especially abroad) seem to be of the impression that this was timed for the midterm elections.
[/QUOTE]
Wow.
Well, the traditional arguments RE death penalty for anyone apply here:
PRO: It’s an appropriate punishment for some crimes (an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth…) and given sufficient legal safeguards, unlikely to be imposed on the truly innocent.
CON: It’s a barbaric, cruel and unusual punishment and can never be justifiably imposed by a civilized society.
Then we have the special case arguments applicable only to a Hitler, Stalin or Hussein:
PRO: We will never have to worry about another rise to power by this particular person.
CON: Any secrets, insight or knowledge by someone who has held positions few have will be forever lost. And in death, his martyrdom may be more powerful than his life was and other, equally evil ones may take his place anyway.
It is permissible to kill when no other action is possible, in immediate self-defense, for instance, or to protect the innocent from harm. Outside of such narrow constrictions, killing is barbarism. There are shades of grey even there, depending on the subject. Killing Saddam cannot degrade him, he is beyond such, he is a monster. But it degrades us, lowers us ever so slightly, ever so quietly, that we don’t even notice it has happened.
I will shed not a tear, and will bring the rope, if asked.
[QUOTE=aclubs]
I have my doubts that Republicans would want to remind everyone of Iraq right now.
[/QUOTE]
You’re working on the mistaken assumption that the Republicans believe the voters to be canny enough to see through such a ploy, instead of viewing them as slack-jawed yokels with the attention span of goldfish.
[QUOTE=Clothahump]
Hopefully, it will be televised and we can watch it live.
[/QUOTE]
If only those pantywaist wussies in Iraq weren’t too squeamish for crucifixion!
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
If only those pantywaist wussies in Iraq weren’t too squeamish for crucifixion!
[/QUOTE]
Or Drawn and Quartered. Now, that’s some good old-fashioned vengefulfilling excitement.
Well now for some light relief.
Today I went to my local barbershop, run by a Greek Cypriot.
There was a new guy there, youngish, none too good English, but chatty.
He asked me about Saddam - or more specifically the ‘verdict’.
I expressed my views, which are that killing him is pointless and that the whole Iraq thing is a crock of sh/t.
I then started explaining the local demographics, especially the Kurdish problem.
Fortunately I got away with a decent haircut.
Personally I would develop St Helena, and ostentatiously populate it with retired dictators.
When offered graceful retirement, most people will not fight like a rat in a corner.
[QUOTE=FRDE]
Personally I would develop St Helena, and ostentatiously populate it with retired dictators.
[/QUOTE]
This would just give some future deposed tyrant an opening to say “Mad-ass I was ere I saw Saddam”, for which the penalty should be death.
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]
Cons: Martyrdom. There are plenty of people who support Saddam
[/QUOTE]
This seems to come up anytime someone talks about executing a terrorist leader or some other infamous Muslim. Really, is the whole martyrdom thing an urban legend, or are those that “die for the cause” eventually forgotten?
Does he deserve it? Yes. Will it bring back the hundreds of thousands who are dead who wouldn’t be if the invasion had not occured? No.
I have a feeling this will not help anything. Best let him rot in a cell rather than become a symbol. Imagine the power of a leaked photo of his hanging body.
Remember, so far the current US government is Batting 0 when it comes to anticipating the reactions of the Iraqi people to actions thus far. The United States has screwed it’s image over several times in this region, this is likely only to make it worse
Aside from being an act of pure vengence, what will the Death penalty do? Discourage people who are already willing to become suicide bombers?
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
Because it makes Saddam a martyr and fuels the insurgency all the more.
[/QUOTE]
Spot on:
Iraqi Reactions Highlight Ethnic, Religious Divides, Portending More Violence
Bolding and italics mine.
Carnage courtesy of the United States.