Monday, November 06, 2006

Saddam Hussein must die...

So Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death by hanging, I do not know my exact stance on this, as I am against the death penalty, but we know that this guy is guilt beyond all doubt, and if one is to look for similar cases to base his sentence on, then we are forced to look at Nuremburg which tried Nazi war criminals - crimes against humanity, the same charge as Hussein had, and those men were condemned to death by hanging as well, so it is not like it is an out of line sentence.

I find it hard to believe that after everything he did that Iraqi's still worship him and are crying that he is to be hanged. I guess this too is probably similar after the end of WWII and how people remained loyal to Hitler, these seem two cases of true "dear leader".

12 comments:

Paul said...

Rick is right. If you are against the death penalty, you must oppose this judgement.

Rich said...

Killing is wrong - full stop. However evil a person is doesn't change that.

Having said that, I think the "trial" of Nicolae Ceauşescu was actually better and fairer than Saddam's. The trial lasted less than an hour. No attempt to cloak it in legal process - the people of Rumania wanted him dead, so they killed him.

Anonymous said...

Killing is wrong - full stop. However evil a person is doesn't change that."

Except in self defence when it is perfectly moral and just to do so....not nice or desired but he who initiates force has validated the consequences.

Anonymous said...

So I take it that red confectionary is supportive of show trials and the death penalty for those whom they disagree with?

Tom Joad said...

so its not like its an out of line sentence.

Groups including Amnesty International believe that both the Nuremburg Trials and this trial are wrong.

I find it hard to believe....that iraqi's still worship him.

WHich Iraqi's? Some Sunnis? Certainly not Shiites.

The Hitler comparison is tired and not particularly relevant.

James is right. It's wrong to kill in cold circumstances, in almost all circumstances. Particulary state-sanctioned murder. And murder is what it is. Its pretty inane to talk about 'moral high ground' in such disturbing circumstances, but lets be clear, the US, and the Iraqi government, just lost theirs.

Just my opinion said...

It's a tough issue and even tougher to explain in a few sentances. It is brilliant that Hussain has been found guilty, as obvious as it was.

Whether to lock him away in a jail or to kill him is another story. The threats of open warfare in Iraq if he dies is a worry as well.

A good point to bring up Welly Girl, I suspect there will be much debate on this here.

Anonymous said...

I suppose he could be exiled...like Papa Doc and Idi Amin... so he can spend his live in comfort in some welcoming third country on the money that he plundered from his countrymen.

The question is vexing, but it is idle coming from a safe, civilised, western democracy.

Anonymous said...

Tom Joad said...

"James is right."


?????????!!!!!!!!!! faint.......thud! ;-)

Paul said...

Oddly enough, the verdict has not yet been released, so we do not know why he is to be hanged. This is a very peculiar way to conduct a trial.

Tom Joad said...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200611060010

Just my opinion said...

The Sun today had a pic of Saddam in his underwear with a headline talking about him being "well hung". UK newspaper journalism at its true finest! :)

Just my opinion said...

And today they put in a cut out hangman game of Saddam!

Brilliant!