American News Gurus miss point about Saddam's Hanging
January 6th 2007 01:06
Worst Horn
Here is an example of what many American Commentators are saying
With so many lawless Iraqi killings on a daily basis - many of them innocent women and children - it seems a bit disproportionate for Western media moralists to make such a song and dance about one botched lawful execution; an execution moreover, of a mass murderer who glorified in his guilt.
Not that it was, strictly speaking, botched, since the technical hanging side went perfectly, unlike so many American botched executions by the electric chair and injection which so often go inexcusably wrong.
As for the taunts by the execution guards, how much less degrading than the excruciatingly sentimental English custom of serving the condemned man his favourite last breakfast. Anger drives out fear, I would imagine, far more effectively than a full stomach.
Nor should it be forgotten that Hermann Goering's American captors, after the Nuremberg Trials, made the biggest balls-up of all: they allowed him to commit suicide by poison in his cell. No, when it comes to botched executions, the West is in no position to teach Iraq any lessons.
Worst of all, the hypocrisy is so awful. Imagine if the decision had been reached, as a result of compassionate Western pressure, to spare him. What a farce: Saddam kept alive while every other Iraqi has to go about their business in constant fear of sudden annihilation.
The case against capital punishment is anachronistic in present circumstances. We released the dogs of war. The British State is up to its elbows in blood. Squeamishness in such circumstances is inexcusably crass. How fitting that it should be John Prescott, of all ministers, who sees fit to condemn the Iraq authorities
Many of America's prominant news commentators not including, suprisingly Chris Hitchens who, to date and to his eternal embarrassment supported American intervention in Iraq, show a recurrent failure to understand history. This irony would never have characterised HL Mencken and may simply reflect the declining depth of intellectual comment in the US.
The point about Saddam's execution is this. Leaving aside issues of Capital Punishment and whether it is right or wrong (it's wrong actually but not for debate here) the history of Sunni and Shi'ite conflict illuminates the issues here. When the Prophet Mohammed died he was initially to be succeeded by his son-in-law Ali but his companions instead elected his father in law. Ali was subsequently assassinated and his son Hussain the principal martyr of the faith was killed at the battle of Karbala. Ever since that time the elements of conflict in Islam have involved the followers of the decendants of the Prophet supported by the Shia faith and that of the Sunni, those who back the companions. The Caliphs of Baghdad arose from the Sunni group and over the hundreds of years following the death of the prophet alternately tried to suppress the supporters of Ali or curry their favour. With time, one was never sure who was related to whom but eventually with the reign of the Abassad Caliph Mutawwaquil the companions were finally elevated to their permanent status in Sunni faith and Shia were to be forever locked out of power. It is almost as if the present conflict of ruler over ruled was permanently institutionalised in the Moslem faith, at least in how it is practiced around Baghdad and Iraq. Because Ali was assassinated and became a leading figure in the Shia faith, martyrdom is the essential element of that branch of Islam and there have been many since. The faithful identify much more strongly with these martyrs than Christians do. Shias have traditionally used martyrs for war but this is now going to characterise the Sunni faith. Very wise rulers in Islam have therefore been very careful to make sure that they do not create new martyrs. It would therefore have been wise to have kept Saddam alive until he died in prison of natural causes. In one stroke the Iraqi authorities and the Americans, who are lying about their part in the shameful process, have catapulted a joyful and ennobled Saddam into heaven and created a new movement of terrorists, tomb kissers and self flagellants who will haunt America and maybe us for decades to come.
for more detail watch video at this link http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week1005/cover.html#
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Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Just wanted to comment that, for me, the main issue (apart from capital punishment) is rule of law and the bad precedent of mock trials.
Comment by katyzzz
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It is such a pleasure to have one here whose standard of expression is not equalled.
Your logic and reason cannot be faulted.
I'm not sure I agree with you entirely, there is so much complexity, but respect your professionalism I certainly do, unassisted by the 'useless' expletives.
Congratulations and it's a pleasure to see you here again.
katyzzz
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
I blush at such high praise and should take the opportunity to say that I find your neural examinations always enlightening. Yes, alas, I hate to say it but professional committments have made it very difficult to post as many comments as I would like. I have already been taken to task by my eldest son for this and you would have thought that would have brought me to heel.
Spain
Comment by CitizenKane
Although most have heeded your warning about debating the; how should I say, 'morality' of capital punishment, please for the unenlightened explain your objection to the summit of traditional punishments. As far as I can tell I believe that you are a scientific man so therefore the only possible explanations for this opposition are ones that do not include any religious references (this is not an agnostic remark either). Do you believe in the sanctity of human rights for everyone? In spite of the lack of these rights exercised to victims by the executed man in question? Perhaps a more legally slanted opinion shaped by the objection to the trial? It is true statistically those homicides and other crimes have not shown noticeable declines since the introduction of capital punishment for the particular offense. Quite the contrary in some places where lax firearm laws allow for more fatal shootings in a single state than for a countries entire armies casualties in overseas conflicts for a year. Remembering all that has been said, please tell me a good reason that even a bible-belt evangelist would pause and consider for a moment.
CitizenKane
Comment by Francis
Passionate Apathy
Recall the protests over the Danish cartoons? The 'offending' newspaper was Danish, not American, and in fact the President of the United States issued a statement saying thet freedom of the press should be tempered by respect for others' faiths. The result was the expected knee-jerk "Death to America!" chants. Many things are important to angry mobs, but facts aren't one of them.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Hey Spain01 long time no see. Too long.
Good post as always.
I think the US have been duped in to believing that the title of superpower actually means absolute power.
The circumstances of Saddams execution are fuel for anyone trying to portray him as a hero. If the argument is that he was killed to ensure peace, then I am skeptical that this will happen. Buried in a new monument, in his home town, loyal follower swearing vengence, images of a composed Saddam being jeered at the gallows. Yep, sounds like a formular for the opposite to peace.
But what can we do when short sighted news commentators want to dance on his grave and condemn those who refuse?
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
I think it was the novelist Arundhati Roy who made the point that Osama Bin Laden and Bush were reflections on either side of the same mirror. This echos the aburdity of beginning conflicts with no moral justification other than the language that precedes them like "War on Terror." Two thousand Americans are killed on 9/11 three thousand American soldiers die in Iraq. Numbers of dead never mean anything to the combatants. As Stalin once said, "A single death is a tragedy a million deaths is a statistic."
We don't have the right or the justification to take anyone's life for a whole host of reasons. Too often the court process means that innocent people are found guilty and are put to death unjustly. Having to kill people means that we have paid killers in our midst. As for killing people like Saddam, I would have thought that the whole point of building a fair and a just world is that we don't go around taking lives ourselves because this means we are killers and no better than those we condemn. Despite the misquoting of the bible God made it very clear in the Ten Commandments that only he had the right to take people's lives. So whether I happen to be an atheist or not I can never accept that people who call themselves Christians should support capital punishment. We don't have it in our society and most of the civilised world has abandoned it and will never reinstate it. The persistance of it in America is a statement that Americans are no longer civilised.
Comment by Anonymous
what you said was true....civil war between shiites n sunnis ,this war will never ends...no matter how strongforce offered their help,the war still goes on.Its sad to see thousands of people died in iraq regardless of american soldiers or iraqi civilians.Whether Saddam is dead or still alive after the execution,we all dun have any clue,its only wat triggers my mind is - why is the execution was released thru mobile phone?n d place of the execution was just like an abandon room. where are the officials and the witnesses to the hanging? all covered in black hoods? doesnt dat looks fishy? or still was dis an act just to "end" a chapter of Saddam ? Conspiracy?? Well i think so...