Death for a Dictator
From CNN:
"WACO, Texas (CNN) -- President Bush Sunday said the trial that led to the conviction and death sentence of Saddam Hussein is "a major achievement for Iraq's young democracy."
Hussein was ousted from power following the U.S.-led military invasion in 2003. A five-judge panel sentenced him to death by hanging Sunday after he was convicted for the brutal 1982 crackdown on the Shiite town of Dujail."
Read the rest here: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/05/saddam.world.reax/
Now, I've never really thought of myself as either pro or anti death penalty, but I'm having a hard time rejoicing in the death penalty verdict for Sadaam.
Granted, the guy was a ruthless dictator who slaughtered millions of people be it Shiite, Sunni, or Kurds. He was a tyrant who abused his power to the detriment of his people.
But I don't see how killing him is helping Iraq's democracy.
Is the fact that he's no longer breathing going to give Iraq a working infrastructure? Is it going to stop the rebel insurgencies? Is it going to give every woman and child access to education?
No.
So what does it do? Is his death symbolic of the end of tyranny in Iraq? Is it reason to hope? I really don't know.
I guess I'm having a hard time being happy that someone's dying.
Terry Davis, secretary general of the Council of Europe said something I agree with in the aforementioned article.
"What Iraqi people need is justice not retribution."
So which is it?
posted by Anonymous @ 8:27 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
My question is:
How many people do you have to slaughter--innocent people who were gassed and tortured--before you lose your rights...even to live?
How can a person like that (this is separate from te Iraq War debate) deserve to live? You may question what good it would do...but how could you question the grotesque past of this man and the inevitable punishment for his horrific war crimes?
Nobody should ask for a rejoicing celebration when he dies. But honestly, this is not a one-time killer. This is not a vehicular homicide. This is not a DUI. This is not a single rape. This is not embezzlement.
This is genocide. A government official who used his power to exterminate innocent people.
The death penalty is a difficult topic. The fact that our judicial system is frightfully imperfect makes it a risky business. But if a defendant was ever deserving of a penalty of this severity, it would be this man.
I read that headline today and my first reaction was "How stupid." I'm against the death penalty for a lot of reasons which I'd be happy to share.
But, on a side note, did anyone notice how different Sadaam was "presented" by the media during his trial as compared to how he was shown pre-war(s). Pre-war he was shown as a caricature, big mustache, firing guns in the air in front of military parades, a mad man. But, if you read some of the things he said about his trial and the occupation of his country a la black suit and hair cut, he seems like he could have been a real president. I'm not arguing that he was a good guy or leader, because history seems to show he wasn't. But, I find it interesting to monitor how my own views of the world are shaped by the presentations of the media, and Sadaam was a good example (in my opinion).
I absolutely agree w/ Toddrick, I think he should have the opportunity to mull it over in a cement box for the rest of his days. It does worry me a bit to think what might happen when we leave Iraq (hopefully soon) and the possibility of Saddam's cronies sprining him from his cell and helping gain some power back. In my opinion, people will only tolerate anarchy for so long and will eventually come to prefer even dictatorship to anarchy. I read today that a recent count estimated that 150,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed during all of this. Who knows how accurate that is, but that's sounding a lot like anarchy to me.
While I think it's pretty unlikely Saddam will ever have any significant power again, as long as he's alive it's possible and that's a scary thought. I guess the execution question is kind of damned if you do and possibly (albeit remotely) damned if you don't.
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