# Should GWB debate Saddam Hussein? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 25, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281 "2003-02-25T00:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MrJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MrJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJones)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/21 "2003-02-25T03:27:18Z")
First, Hi Eva Luna! Second, I hope this happens… I’m curious to hear what Saddam thinks about the dividend tax and the patients bill of rights. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/22 "2003-02-25T03:35:42Z")
If a debate were to happen, I can just see Saddam Hussein standing there, acting all put-upon, wondering why our President is such a warmongering jackal while he never intended to do _us_ any harm. He wasn’t planning on invading _our_ country! Why are we picking on him? Then of course, he starts revealing things that we, the public, haven’t yet been told. The stuff that we’re not supposed to know, because we don’t have top security clearance. And the President would get stuck between a really huge rock and a really REALLY hard place. IMHO, a debate is just an all-around bad idea. Saddam’s already proven that he refuses to play by the rules in real life. No way he’ll follow the rules in a debate. No freaking way. ---
**Author:** ![Henry\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d78d45/32.png) [@Henry\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry_B)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/23 "2003-02-25T04:26:56Z")
**Eva** I have written and suggested this before, but did it again yesterday, in the thread, about the lemmings (or parrots) in the international media in: **Inspired by the thread: “JFK conspiracy…” Try debunk this one.** > [@](#): > > But still, after that the main news goes as usual, for the 90%: > One lemming writes a story and the other lemmings copies and streamlines it. > > **I am still curious: Why do not the ABC, BBC and others, just make the same questions to the different countries representatives? > Just like take the foreign minister of Iraq and the equal from USA and give them ready written questions?** > > You say they would not agree to give their propaganda? Crap. > If the questions are written beforehand, and given the parties a chance to formulate some questions themselves, put the shit through the satellite etc. one in Bagdad or Paris, one in Washington. > You think one of the sides would refuse a prime-time hour. OK. Tell both, that if the other is absent, we give You the whole one hour of prime-time. > You think they would still refuse? > The media has incredible power, but it does not use it. > > And do you think people would watch that program? All over the world! > And so on. > > But these fucking lemmings with resources does nothing else than change the headline of the story that Reuters cables out. > > Naturally if there is news like: “North-Korea has made an alliance with Saddam: We will attack South, if USA attacks Iraq. Syria and Iran is wagering, knowing they are the next!”, could and would not be hush-hushed anywhere. > > But when the braking news are: “The president has a penis and he admits it”-style, the whole Europe is laughing. > Or did You see the writings on the walls in former Yugoslavia: “Monica, why did You not use Your teeth?” > > It is true, now nobody is laughing, not even to the “braking news”. We are all f^=\>()% worried! > > The world is at a brink of deep depression, and some guy wants a war, on arguments that he could use against a dozen of countries. > And the news: “How stupid, ungrateful are not the French, Germans, the devil and his grandmother…” > Sic. I can’t understand why people are so afraid of a debate? The US refusal will give a very strong propaganda victory to Saddam. Do You wish that? White house could just explain that this debate could be done on a lower level, foreign ministers etc, because it is in the range of their work. That’s all. Would Saddam give his minister free speach for an hour? I think he would. P.S. Do You know what Iraq says about the extra range? They claim that their test-missile was withouth a warhead and that kind of stuff. That is why it was lighter, why it flew longer. Right or wrong, the question is: “Have You seen much news about this?” Henry ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/24 "2003-02-25T04:46:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FIREMAN44 \* > \*\*Lissa and Mystic2311, where were you both during the debates between Bush and Gore? The great Gorator was supposed to slice and dice poor George, but guess what? He held his own and even came out on top a couple of times. Give President Bush his due, he has earned it. \*\* I watched the debates between Gore and Bush, and I was dissapointed in the performance of both, but Gore particularly. The pundits should have been right: Bush should have crashed and burned, but Gore seemed like he was intentionally sabotaging himself. Gore seemed to be holding back tremendously (I’ve heard the man speak, and know what he is capable of) out of either fear of being seen as “mean” for trouncing Bush, or “too smart” which would be a turn-off for our anti-intellectual society. I don’t know what it was, but he could have wiped the floor with Bush, but ignored the opprotunity. I wouldn’t say that Bush came out on top, considering it wasn’t much of a contest in the first place. It was much like watching a boxing match between an armless man, and a man who has his hands tied behind his back. Bush is not a well-spoken man. He stumbles, sputters, and constructs his sentences in a wildly convoluted way. At times he approaches the incomprehensible. When reciting a prepared speech, he does moderately well, but when speaking off-the-cuff he rambles somewhat incoherently. His “bloopers” are on one level entertaining, but also embarassing when you think that he is representing the United States. He may be an intelligent man. Not knowing him personally, I can’t say for sure. However, when he speaks without a script, he does leave that impression. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/25 "2003-02-25T06:27:21Z")
Well, Bush seems to have a serious weakness when asked for cites: > **[Newsday | Long Island's & NYC's News Source](https://www.newsday.com)** > > Breaking News, data & opinions in business, sports, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, plus much more. Newsday.com is the leading news source for Long Island & NYC. ---
**Author:** ![anewthought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@anewthought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anewthought)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/26 "2003-02-25T07:25:34Z")
Of course they should debate. Think about how many people in the world, right now, believe that the US is war mongering. Believe that the US position is wrong. See the US as the aggressor without cause. How many people in the middle east will view the US as the terrorists if we attack? Will blame us for the war, and turn to people like Osama with their anger? If one thing is for sure, it’s the fact that EVERYONE. Not just a few people… Not just a small majority of people. Damn near every single person who has any viewpoint at all on this war (positive or negative) would watch the debate. Imagine the opportunity our country has then to use this debate to lay out cold, hard facts. And expose Saddam. And show them that the US viewpoint is the right one. How many future terrorists could we stop by winning the debate and changing their minds to the US position? How many countries could we convince to back a war by having the US lay out a good case against Saddam? Apparantly, we have all this intel and information. Why is it being hidden? I think Saddam gave the US a perfect chance to capture the audiance of the entire world and use it to our advantage. I think the Bush admin is a failure for refusing to sieze it. Then again, the Bush admin is a failure with everything else, so how is this new? ---
**Author:** ![Henry\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d78d45/32.png) [@Henry\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry_B)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/27 "2003-02-25T13:12:52Z")
**anewthought** You are right in every word! Just remember that Saddam also has some “hard facts” to show. Anyhow, Only whimpers are against a debate between two dictators. 😉 (As I understand Bush is given a Charte Blanche, so it is quite paralell with the Roman history of dictators, from where the title originally comes from.) Rome was a republic, with occasional dictators, during occasional wars, but later the laws were changed, when Rome was constantly at war… Why does this sound so familiar? Have to think about it. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/28 "2003-02-25T13:26:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by anewthought \* > \*\*How many future terrorists could we stop by winning the debate and changing their minds to the US position? How many countries could we convince to back a war by having the US lay out a good case against Saddam? \*\* How have debates ever changed anyone’s mind? Is there anyone in the US who had decided to vote for Gore in the last election but changed their mind after the debates and switched to Bush (or vice versa.)? All a debate will do is make each side more sure that they are right. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/29 "2003-02-25T13:26:33Z")
It would be pathetic and worthless, and nothing positive would come out of it (Saddam would probably run verbal rings around George, too). But people… it would make great TV! I say yes! ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/30 "2003-02-25T13:29:10Z")
You guys saying that they shouldnt debate: What are you afraid of? What possible outcome do you want to avoid? I understand your “buying for time” argument, but honestly how much time would it buy? One evening? Dont you trust our president to handle himself well? Also, with worldwide anti-Americanism so high right now – according to Jimmy Carter higher than he has ever seen in his lifetime – this would be GWB’s big chance to improve the world’s opinion of us. He certainly couldnt make it much worse! ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/31 "2003-02-25T13:38:26Z")
It would have to be in the WWF, Hell in a Cell. Saddam Accompanied by the Axis of Evil (the Iron Sheik and Mr. Kim) against The Outsiders, George Bush and Tony Blair. I would mark like a 12 year old girl for George if he “hulked out”. ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/32 "2003-02-25T14:29:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > \*\*What are you afraid of? What possible outcome do you want to avoid? I understand your “buying for time” argument, but honestly how much time would it buy? One evening? Dont you trust our president to handle himself well? \*\* “Afraid of?” _Come on._ You seem to think there is something to debate when there is nothing to debate. Humoring Saddam in this manner would only work to legitimize the perception that _anything_ about his non-compliance is debatable. Don’t you understand that the US is tired of playing games with this man? ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/33 "2003-02-25T15:38:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Azael \* > \*\*Don’t you understand that the US is tired of playing games with this man? \*\* Funny, looks to me like Junior’s having a grand time of playing games with him… He’s afraid to debate him, though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/34 "2003-02-25T16:00:34Z")
I’m with **anewthought**. I would insist however,that the debate be televised, without censoring and with scrupulous translation, throughout Iraq. It would be a golden opportunity to beam, direct to the Iraqi populace, the true nature of the situation and our true intent. Well, at least what we _want_ them to think…you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Hammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bc79bd/32.png) [@Hammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hammer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/35 "2003-02-25T16:27:59Z")
Sure they should debate, in fact, they should do it at the presidential palace at 8:00pm EST on March 1st. This great debate would save many many lives:) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/36 "2003-02-25T17:16:21Z")
I think they should mass debate. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/37 "2003-02-25T17:48:03Z")
Well, I think they should debate. Then the U.S. could finally figure out where the real Saddam is. Half way through, you’d hear air raid sirens, then static on Sadam’s side. Then Dubya just grins, and says “I win”. ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/38 "2003-02-25T17:53:41Z")
Sure they should debate. I’m taking Bush plus the points. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/39 "2003-02-25T18:33:33Z")
The [Guardian’s take on a Bush/Hussein debate](http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,902793,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281/40 "2003-02-25T18:45:46Z")
Yep. Take em both out at once! A glorious day that would be! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-gwb-debate-saddam-hussein/157281.md?page=3)