One time dictator, sometime friend of the US, sometime great Satan, Saddam Hussein, has been sentenced in an Iraqi court to die for his crimes against humanity.
No one can deny that he is a nasty piece of work, someone guilty many times over of crimes against “his” people. Even the most vehement lefty will endorse that view. No one doubts his guilt for a moment.
However.
Leaving aside the huge problems with the death penalty, and the almost overwhelming issues with the judicial taking of life, this has all the makings of yet another celebrated death. Yet another moment when seemingly right thinking people cheer the snuffing out of a life. Not unlike when the Bali bombers were given a similar sentence a few years ago.
Lets make this one thing clear: no one’s death should be celebrated. No death should be cheered, no matter whom it befalls. No matter how evil a murderer or dictator, no matter what they have done in life to make their name vilified across the world, their death should still not be a moment of joy for anyone.
They should be punished, heavily punished – lock them in the darkest cell for the rest of their lives, show them photos of their victims, try and get it through their arrogant skulls that they have done evil against other human beings. But don’t kill them. A corpse in the ground feels no guilt, a corpse in the ground feels no remorse. Let him stew for his many crimes in a dark corner somewhere. Perhaps outside Iraq so no one need be concerned that he’ll escape and take over again. Stick him in the cell next to Noriega, perhaps.
Now, on a related note, could it be have been made any clearer who’s agenda is given priority in Iraq? That’s right, as usual the US administration is playing politics with the whole world. Lets spell it out:
Saturday – The evil dictator everyone loves to hate is sentenced to the harshest penalty known.
The following Tuesday – The Republican party, which prides itself on running a “tough” foreign policy, faces mid-term congressional and senate elections it is widely expected to lose. While, I might add, dealing with a large number of distracting scandals of it’s own making.
Hmmm. Could there possibly be a connection? I can hear the denials being drafted right now.
By the way, in the unlikely event that you’re reading this and your in the US – go out and vote. I don’t care who for, just go and vote because you can and you never know, it might end with Emperor Cheney behaving himself a bit better.
Have a nice election.