My thoughts…on stuff

My thoughts on…Saddam Hussein’s sentence

November 6th 2006 -

I first read the news over at Mad Bull’s blog, and heard it at my first class this morning. Saddam Hussein, once feared tyrant, the self-proclaimed reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, now convicted war criminal, was sentenced to hang yesterday for crimes against humanity. I wasn’t surprised that he was found guilty. I mean c’mon, he’s Saddam Hussein. I think Stalin would have a better chance in court than he did. I wasn’t surprised at the way they want him executed. No fancy humane lethal injection or gas chamber. Just hung, like a common dog.

Bush and company must be loving this. They got to debase the mighty ruler, finding him in a spider hole, looking more like a vagrant than a dictator, capturing him and reveling in the fact that he co-operated like a little child, a far cry from the proud, defiant ruler he once was. They dismantled his empire brick by brick, and took the lives of his sons, his would-be successors. And now they get to complete his humiliation. It’s almost sad to see a man utterly destroyed like this, even if he is a tyrant. But Saddam isn’t going to give them the pleasure. He’s going to fight to the bitter end, shouting “God is great” in defiance. There’s a sort of understated courage in that, and I have a grudging admiration of him for it.

But while the media has a field day with the news, and the Bush administration uses it to deflect attention from its failures in Iraq, what about the people of Iraq? Won’t this divide them even further? Won’t this bring about another round of sectarian violence in Iraq? Won’t this give U.S. troops a harder time maintaining peace? Wouldn’t it be better to let the vendetta go and let him live, because a lot of people will suffer, all because they refused to spare one man’s life. I guess in the end, I’m left asking the same question as Mikhail Margelov: “Who benefits?”

Related Posts:

1. My thoughts on…Saddam Hussein’s execution
2. My thoughts on…Saddam Hussein skipping court
3. My thoughts on…Zacarias Moussaoui’s sentence
4. My thoughts on…Abu Al-Zarqawi’s death
5. My thoughts on…Bush getting the boot

9 Responses on “My thoughts on…Saddam Hussein’s sentence”

1. 
   Mad Bull Says:
   November 6th, 2006 at 8:06 pm

   I think he’ll be more of a rallying point for splitting the Iraqi people if hes left alive. Hang him high, I say!

2. 
   Ricardo Says:
   November 6th, 2006 at 11:55 pm

   He deserves to hang but it will backfire based on the way they went about it. It solves nothing in the long run because the US has created dozens of new tyrants by screwing this thing up.

3. 
   Abeni Says:
   November 7th, 2006 at 6:09 am

   Don’t think it means much at all.I never was in favor of the invasion to start with but of course a sentence had to be passed as the grand finale.

4. 
   Mighty Afroditee Says:
   November 7th, 2006 at 10:54 am

   I think that he should hang, as the cruel dictator that he is. Problem is, he will become a martyr for the fanatics.

5. 
   The Seeker Says:
   November 7th, 2006 at 3:24 pm

   Boy AfroDitee, If he should be hung what should be done to Bush and Sharon

   To be honest I found that the entire trial was a sham.. we all knew he was going to hang before it even started.. I would have felt better if he was put on trial before an international Tribunal, How is his case different from Malosivich?

   In any case what’s done is Done His Death and his Life make little difference, People bent on Killing each other will always find excuses

   BTW dont you find it a bit coincidental that his sentence comes out so close to the US Mid Term Elections?

6. 
   Kingston Girl Says:
   November 7th, 2006 at 5:40 pm

   On a side note, I’m finding it funny that your first source of international news was mad bull’s blog!

7. 
   Nick Payne Says:
   November 8th, 2006 at 7:49 am

   Thanks for the comment.

   I think there would be mass bloodshed whatever the outcome had been. Iraq is a complete and utter mess. By becoming tangled up in that nation’s affairs, we have weakened our ability to handle countries that have acquired or are intent on acquiring deadly weapons like North Korea and Iran.

   We have not picked our battles wisely and whatever happens now - in the region and probably now globally too, it will be a “via dolorosa” for many.

   You ask like Cicero, who benefits? In the long term nobody truly does - a lesson that George W. Bush is learning via the mid-term elections, even as we speak.

   God bless anyway

   N

8. 
   Enemy of the Republic Says:
   November 8th, 2006 at 8:28 am

   I don’t agree with capital punishment, despite the emotional satisfaction it brings at times. And this one will turn on the States. Not good.

9. 
   cooldestiny Says:
   November 9th, 2006 at 11:35 am

   With all the crimes he’s being tried for, I’m not so sure we’ll live to see him actually get hung like a common dog (that was funny, btw).

   With the way the elections have gone for the republicans, they will need to come up with something else to praise themselves for. Unearthing Saddam isn’t gonna cut itl

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