# Should they hang Gadhafi like they did Mussolini? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550 "2011-08-21T17:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/21 "2011-08-22T12:12:27Z")
No, I don’t think they’ll kill him on sight. The majority of Libyans want him to be tried so that he can be face justice for what he’s done and so that we can show the world that this is the start of a new and better Libya. It’s a chance for us to show that we have more dignity, self-respect and humanity than he ever had - and THEN we’ll hang 'im! Having said that, it’s easier said than done and I genuinely hope that he isn’t killed outright by a rebel with a grudge and an itchy trigger-finger. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/22 "2011-08-22T12:34:40Z")
I’ve never understood the death penalty. Would it not be more punishment to spend the rest of your life in solitary confinement with no hope of ever being released? ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/23 "2011-08-22T12:38:08Z")
I think the whole death penalty question is a separate debate for a separate thread, but on the whole I’d say that for monsters of his calibre, I don’t have a problem with the death penalty. I don’t think solitary confinement is appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/24 "2011-08-22T14:11:59Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I’ve never understood the death penalty. Would it not be more punishment to spend the rest of your life in solitary confinement with no hope of ever being released? Presumably the point wouldn’t _be_ punishment, but something more like divestment, cleansing, renewal. There’s _no_ way to punish criminals against humanity commensurately. So whatever happens isn’t really _about_ him; it’s about the rest of the society. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/25 "2011-08-22T14:21:25Z")
Gadhafi still has loyal followers. He’ll always be a potential threat to the new Libyan government if he escapes to exile. He needs to be caught & put on trial or killed in the fighting. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/26 "2011-08-22T20:57:51Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > No. Nor should they have hung Mussolini, IMHO. He was hung? Well, they did call him a dicktator. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/27 "2011-08-23T11:58:13Z")
It looks like the rebels can’t hold people very well. In recent days, three of Qadaffi’s sons have been captured, and at least two of them promptly escaped again. (One of them was freed by loyalist troops, and one just … resurfaced, presumably having been released by a loyalist sympathizer.) At this point, I expect that the rebels are going to start shooting members of the Qadaffi family on sight. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/28 "2011-08-23T16:39:52Z")
The situation is much more complicated in Libya than Egypt. Bringing Gadhafi to trial could be a source of more unrest and violence. He seems to still have a lot of supporters. The brothers embarrassed the rebels once by “escaping”. Next time they may shoot first instead of capturing. Gadhafi is supposedly still in the city somewhere. They need to find him before he launches some sort of surprise. There’s a lot of reporters and other Westeners in that hotel that make tempting targets for someone desperate. Just read Gadhafi 's compound has been over run by the rebels. 😉 They’re making steady progress. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/29 "2011-08-23T17:48:06Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > He was hung? Well, they did call him a dicktator. [Appropriate Youtube response.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550/30 "2011-08-23T18:22:39Z")
I want him put on display in a zoo like jail for his victims to yell at and tourists to gawk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-they-hang-gadhafi-like-they-did-mussolini/593550.md?page=1)