Saddam Executed Soon

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
41

[quote]Professor X wrote:
DS 007 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
bigflamer wrote:
Does anyone else think that pro life christians believing in the death penalty is somewhat odd?

Hmmmmmmm.

I sure as hell do. It is like the “Conservative Christians” are the main ones cheering on frying someone in a chair until their eyeballs pop out.

And yes, I do have a problem with people being executed for crimes committed in excess of 10 years ago…much like that Tookie Williams case. While some may argue whether individuals can truly change or not, it is amazing that so many “christians” seem to be against forgiveness.

Is it odd also that so many enlighted, liberal ‘progressives’ are out there fighting to abolish the death penalty while working to ensure that abortion can be protected, even expanded, all in the name of a ‘woman’s right to choose’?

The protection of ‘reproductive rights’? What about the child’s right to LIVE and subsequently reproduce? Forgiveness? What must we forgive this unborn child for? I must not be ‘enlightetened’ enough to understand it.

Poor argument for the simple reason that those who are for the right to choose often also question at what point “life” of a newborn begins and at what point it becomes a “baby”. Considering there is not some universal accepted stance on when that is, you can’t then assume that anyone but you would consider an early abortion “murder”.

However, since your stance is that abortion equals murder, you could also be considered a hypocrite if you were for murdering others for crimes long past.[/quote]

Oh. So since we don’t know for certain when life begins, or at least, we don’t know for certain, then abortion is a-okay? I’ll call bullshit on that and leave it.

It seems that any argument that you don’t make is a poor argument in your estimation. Odd. But common in those that idolize themselves.

42

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Dustin wrote:
Our government just opened Pandora’s Box. Iraq is bad enough as it is.

Saddam will now be a martyr for millions of Muslims

Dustin

I do agree with this. I think our children will be screwed over this for decades to come.[/quote]

Well. If we abort enough of them we should be a-okay! If we get 'em first then Saddam’s avengers can’t. Man. You are completely full of shit.

43

[quote]orion wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:
Nice to see that yet another thread is quickly devolving into a jab at “fundamentalist” Christians (as if that is the only group making a distinction between abortion and capital punishment). As Thunder has pointed out, what isn’t being taken into account is the question of guilt.

There is a huge difference between taking the life of an innocent human being (whether you agree or not, most Christians believe the unborn are every bit as human as you and me) and taking the life of a human being responsible for the deaths of thousands. One is murder, the other is not (in the eyes of most Christians). I don’t see why that distinction is so strange…

I think the answer is in part something Prof X wrote above:

You either believe that people can change or you don`t.

I do not care either way, but as a Christian you MUST believe that people can change, call it “finding Jesus” if you must…

To rob someone of that chance by killing him before his time, you rob him of his chance of redemption and therefore endanger his eternal soul.

In a way it could be argued that it is worse to execute a guilty man than killing an innocent child, because the soul is more important than the flesh, and the child?s soul goes straight up to heaven anyway.[/quote]

Above we have the most idiotic, assinine post ever made on any message board anywhere. Maybe one of stupidest things ever said. You deserve to be beaten with your little pink purse for that one, asshole. Why don’t you stop posting and crawl into a corner and cry for Saddam. Maybe you’ll cry some of those stupid thoughts out and you’ll be able to think straight.

44

[quote]Dustin wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:

“Our” government didn’t do anything except hand over a once dictator to the current Iraqi government. I could be wrong, but I think you’re mistaken about Saddam’s “martyrdom.”

The current “Iraqi government” is a puppet government set by our government.

Seriously, why is everyone so up in arms over this?

Saddam can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned. I just don’t see anything positive coming out of his death. It’s going to make an already bad situation in Iraq even worse.

Saddam was a grade “A” dictator, he deserved death, and the people he tormented deserve to see him put to death.

Looking at the chaos in Iraq now, I can see why Saddam was a grade A dictator, as you call him.

When a population wants to act like savages, they must be put in check with brute force, that is all they understand. Saddam did so quite successfully.

It’s closure to a half century of fear, anguish, and terror.

Not if you were a Sunni. Now American soldiers will have to deal with them and I’m sure they won’t be happy that their leader is dead.

Saddam’s death is a good thing.

Try telling that to a soldier in Iraq whose going to have to deal a pissed of group of already maniacal Sunnis.

Until you’ve had to watch your wife raped and killed by your own government, I suggest you withhold your moral indignation.

Why don’t you withhold your sob-stories. I don’t give a damn about the Iraqis or their freedom. I wish our moronic president would focus some energy on the problems we have here in the states.

I guess I’m callous or uncivilized, whatever, “The tree of liberty could not grow were it not watered with the blood of tyrants.” F*#k Saddam–I’m glad he’s dead.

What does the tyranny of Saddam have to do with our liberty?

Dustin[/quote]

Oh, wow. The dummies are out in force today. I’ll just deal with two of your points as to point out all of your shitheadedness would take a month. First - the good thing coming out Saddam’s death IS his death. Get it? He’s dead. That’s GOOD! Second, what does Saddam’s tyranny have to do with our liberty? Nothing. You got it. So let’s put a fence around the nation and not pay attention to anything else going on in the world? I doubt that’s what you want. I’m sure you have your pet causes that you want shitloads of money spent on. Saving the ducks of Antarctica from frostbitten toes? Save the whales? Do those things affect our liberty? Does Darfur affect or liberty? No. But should we go in there and kick some ass for what’s gone on there? Fucking right we should? Bush AND the UN should pull their heads out on that one and act. Now get some opinions that make sense.

45

[quote]LBRTRN wrote:

There is no place for personal revenge in Christianity, but the state is a different matter. Render unto Caeser what is Caeser’s…

[/quote]

But what when every man is Caeser and the state? A downside of democracy is that every man and woman eligable to vote bears a piece of the responsibility for the evils and injustices committed by the state as well as the goods.

Is revenge really a different matter when it’s the mob throwing stones as opposed to the individual?

46

[quote]LBRTRN wrote:
Nice to see that yet another thread is quickly devolving into a jab at “fundamentalist” Christians (as if that is the only group making a distinction between abortion and capital punishment). As Thunder has pointed out, what isn’t being taken into account is the question of guilt.

There is a huge difference between taking the life of an innocent human being (whether you agree or not, most Christians believe the unborn are every bit as human as you and me) and taking the life of a human being responsible for the deaths of thousands. One is murder, the other is not (in the eyes of most Christians). I don’t see why that distinction is so strange…[/quote]

I dont either.

Not being able to make such a basic distinction is a good indication of how screwed up our society’s moral compass is.

47

[quote]DS 007 wrote:
Saddam is dead and I will not mourn him. Just as I would not have mourned Hitler had he been pulled from his bunker by the Allies and made to stand trial at Nueremburg, ultimately hanging with those who carried out his genocide. I also will not rejoice the death of another human being. To do that, in my view, would reduce me to a place nearer to Saddam himself.

Ultimately, the death of this killer will resonate with the left in this country. It’ll become more fuel for the anti-war/anti-Bush rhetoric and hatred. For these liberals, Saddam will become a new Che Guevara.

Just like Che and Castro the only thing that seperated Saddam from the likes of Hitler, Mao and Stalin is the polical and military might to kill beyond his relatively limited geographical scope. If only more of those ‘Scuds’ could have reached Tel Aviv, eh?

So while the leftists align themselves with Saddam and his ilk in order to point out the ‘evil’ that is George Bush, condemning his execution to highlight the ‘barbarity’ of the U.S. (as opposed to the more ‘enlightened’ and ‘reasoned’ killing of our Muslim counterparts), realized that politics does indeed make strange bed-fellows.

For while you can understand the liberals desire to emulate the Soviets and their infatuation (or is it truly love?) with Castro, socialism being their common philosophy. Saddam and his regime were far from progressive. I guess there is some truth to the phrase “My enemy’s enemy is my friend”.

Finally, when the media and our democrat congressmen tell us that Saddam ‘wasn’t that bad’ and should still be drawing breath, realize that many in Iraq are celebrating his death, albeit with fewer family members alive now than would be alive had Saddam never lived at all.
[/quote]

Your first paragraph was very well stated.

Only time will tell as to what you predicted in the rest of your post. I had a discussion with a friend of mine who was involved in military operations in israel. He could not understand how men like Arafat or Castro could ever be applauded. His conclusion was that it is
born of ignorance. These people really do not know what these monsters did.

Whatever the case, anyone who puts Saddam
on any type of pedestal is a despicable human being and their opinion deserves not a minute of our time.

48

[quote]Dustin wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:

“Our” government didn’t do anything except hand over a once dictator to the current Iraqi government. I could be wrong, but I think you’re mistaken about Saddam’s “martyrdom.”

The current “Iraqi government” is a puppet government set by our government.
[/quote]

Lets not rehash this tired argument…please. If you want to believe that, knock yourself out, but don’t state it as uncontested fact.

[quote]Seriously, why is everyone so up in arms over this?

Saddam can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned. I just don’t see anything positive coming out of his death. It’s going to make an already bad situation in Iraq even worse.[/quote]

Well, it may or it may not, but again, their courts made the decision and it was their people who suffered under his rule…

[quote]Saddam was a grade “A” dictator, he deserved death, and the people he tormented deserve to see him put to death.

Looking at the chaos in Iraq now, I can see why Saddam was a grade A dictator, as you call him.

When a population wants to act like savages, they must be put in check with brute force, that is all they understand. Saddam did so quite successfully.
[/quote]

It isn’t anywhere near as simple as that. Without getting too much into it, you really need to research the history of the Sunni and Shiite conflict. The Baath party was a continuation of bloody Sunni rule over a largely Shiite population that started under the Ottoman Turks. Do you really think we would respond any different after a few centuries of oppression? Besides, check out Iraq before Saddam–it was hardly a place in need of a dictator…

[quote]It’s closure to a half century of fear, anguish, and terror.

Not if you were a Sunni. Now American soldiers will have to deal with them and I’m sure they won’t be happy that their leader is dead.[/quote]

Try telling that to Sunni Kurds (who, BTW, make up a majority of the Sunnis in Iraq) Again, see the history of the area. I’m not saying that it excuses the violence, but it explains it. There is a lot, and I mean a lot, of pent up aggression on the part of 70% + of the population towards the Sunnis, and understandably so.

[quote]Saddam’s death is a good thing.

Try telling that to a soldier in Iraq whose going to have to deal a pissed of group of already maniacal Sunnis.[/quote]

How 'bout I try telling it too the thousand of families who lost loved ones at the hands of Saddam?

[quote]Until you’ve had to watch your wife raped and killed by your own government, I suggest you withhold your moral indignation.

Why don’t you withhold your sob-stories. I don’t give a damn about the Iraqis or their freedom. I wish our moronic president would focus some energy on the problems we have here in the states.[/quote]

So then don’t worry your pretty little head about that poor Iraqi soldier you mentioned earlier. I don’t give a damn about Bush and I don’t give a damn about your feelings vis-a-vis this war, or how we entered into it (I’ve already said that has nothing to do with my position). What’s done is done, and the world is now short one more dictator.

[quote]I guess I’m callous or uncivilized, whatever, “The tree of liberty could not grow were it not watered with the blood of tyrants.” F*#k Saddam–I’m glad he’s dead.

What does the tyranny of Saddam have to do with our liberty?

Dustin[/quote]

Well, Dustin, when did I ever say it has anything to do with our liberty? I don’t know what assumptions you are operating under, but I got news for you, I’m not some flag waving, pro-Bush conservative. I don’t think Saddam had anything to do with 9-11 and I don’t think he possed any threat to our security, but am I glad he’s dead?–yep!

49

[quote]DS 007 wrote:
orion wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:
Nice to see that yet another thread is quickly devolving into a jab at “fundamentalist” Christians (as if that is the only group making a distinction between abortion and capital punishment). As Thunder has pointed out, what isn’t being taken into account is the question of guilt.

There is a huge difference between taking the life of an innocent human being (whether you agree or not, most Christians believe the unborn are every bit as human as you and me) and taking the life of a human being responsible for the deaths of thousands. One is murder, the other is not (in the eyes of most Christians). I don’t see why that distinction is so strange…

I think the answer is in part something Prof X wrote above:

You either believe that people can change or you don`t.

I do not care either way, but as a Christian you MUST believe that people can change, call it “finding Jesus” if you must…

To rob someone of that chance by killing him before his time, you rob him of his chance of redemption and therefore endanger his eternal soul.

In a way it could be argued that it is worse to execute a guilty man than killing an innocent child, because the soul is more important than the flesh, and the child?s soul goes straight up to heaven anyway.

Above we have the most idiotic, assinine post ever made on any message board anywhere. Maybe one of stupidest things ever said. You deserve to be beaten with your little pink purse for that one, asshole. Why don’t you stop posting and crawl into a corner and cry for Saddam. Maybe you’ll cry some of those stupid thoughts out and you’ll be able to think straight.[/quote]

So if someone explores your little fairy tales a little bit and tries to think them trough you have a very strong negative emtional reaction.

Interesting.

Anything else you would like to share?

Plus if any pro death-penalty Christian ever accuses me of moral relativism I am going to laugh so hard I shall wet myself…

50

[quote]etaco wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:

There is no place for personal revenge in Christianity, but the state is a different matter. Render unto Caeser what is Caeser’s…

But what when every man is Caeser and the state? A downside of democracy is that every man and woman eligable to vote bears a piece of the responsibility for the evils and injustices committed by the state as well as the goods.

Is revenge really a different matter when it’s the mob throwing stones as opposed to the individual?[/quote]

Your analogy isn’t really accurate. I would hardly equate democracy–especially our brand–with mob rule. Don’t look too much into the Caeser comment, either–I made it in an attempt to show that the state is not necessarily held the same standard as the individual, nor can it be.

IMO, when you take a life unwarranted, you owe a debt to both God and society. You’ve violated one of the most basic rules of civilization, and in a nation that has condoned the death penalty, you’ve, in effect, given up your own life. God may forgive you, but you still owe the debt. Actions have consequences, and they should be commensurate with the severity of the crime. A nation should be hesitant to use capital punishment, even to a fault. But there are instances in which the death penalty is warranted: killing, rapping, and pillaging an entire population seems, to me, more than enough to warrant such an action.

51

[quote]orion wrote:

I think the answer is in part something Prof X wrote above:

You either believe that people can change or you don`t.

I do not care either way, but as a Christian you MUST believe that people can change, call it “finding Jesus” if you must…

To rob someone of that chance by killing him before his time, you rob him of his chance of redemption and therefore endanger his eternal soul.

In a way it could be argued that it is worse to execute a guilty man than killing an innocent child, because the soul is more important than the flesh, and the child?s soul goes straight up to heaven anyway.[/quote]

In the bible they stoned people and that was ok with god

however killing your children was not ok with god

case closed

52

[quote]orion wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:

There is no place for personal revenge in Christianity, but the state is a different matter. Render unto Caeser what is Caeser’s…

So for a Christian it is unacceptable to kill someone for revenge or even to judge them, but to elect someone into office that does the dirty work for them is acceptable?[/quote]

Do you think it’s ok for anyone to kill for personal revenge? It’s unacceptable for everyone, IMO, so does that mean the atheist is being inconsistent if he supports capital punishment? It’s not a matter of electing someone to do the dirty work…

And don’t confuse judging (in the moral sense) with making a judgement in the legal or factual sense. I’m not going to say person so-and-so is going to hell, or that I’m a better person in general, because he did such-and-such, but I have no problem with acknowledging that a person has violated the law and that violation caries with it certain penalties.

Only a few thousand year old ball game…

Well, I suppose in theory, but hardly in an arbitrary manner. The law is sovereign and all are subject to it, including all us Caeser’s. But we’re getting way off track. Like I said, it’s open to interpretation. Taking the Bible as a whole, it seems to condone capital punishment and not personal revenge, and that is how most Christians have interpreted it. They make a distinction between guilt an innocence, and I don’t see an inherent contradiction in that position.

53

[quote]LBRTRN wrote:
etaco wrote:
LBRTRN wrote:

There is no place for personal revenge in Christianity, but the state is a different matter. Render unto Caeser what is Caeser’s…

But what when every man is Caeser and the state? A downside of democracy is that every man and woman eligable to vote bears a piece of the responsibility for the evils and injustices committed by the state as well as the goods.

Is revenge really a different matter when it’s the mob throwing stones as opposed to the individual?

Your analogy isn’t really accurate. I would hardly equate democracy–especially our brand–with mob rule. Don’t look too much into the Caeser comment, either–I made it in an attempt to show that the state is not necessarily held the same standard as the individual, nor can it be.

IMO, when you take a life unwarranted, you owe a debt to both God and society. You’ve violated one of the most basic rules of civilization, and in a nation that has condoned the death penalty, you’ve, in effect, given up your own life. God may forgive you, but you still owe the debt. Actions have consequences, and they should be commensurate with the severity of the crime. A nation should be hesitant to use capital punishment, even to a fault. But there are instances in which the death penalty is warranted: killing, rapping, and pillaging an entire population seems, to me, more than enough to warrant such an action.
[/quote]

The “mob” reference should be read broadly. The issue is how does the burden of responsibility of a single Christian seeking revenge differ from many of them seeking the same. When you speak of society being owed a debt what are you referring to but a large collection of individuals? When society reclaims this debt is this not the same as each individual claiming a psychological or moral compensation out of the death of another?

For a Christian living and participating in a democratic society the weight of both the spiritual and the secular responsibilities rest. My point in this is that these dual responsibilities aren’t necessarily entirely consistent if one believes in both the strict Christianity and the death penalty. Your argument, as I read it, seems to implicitly acknowledge, or at least make no effort to refute, this dichotomy. To be clear, I’m not arguing for or against the utility of the death penalty or any other measure; that’s for another post.

On a side note, while I’m not a fan of hip-hop in general, I do think it’s a little harsh to put people to death just for rapping.

54

[quote]LBRTRN wrote:

Well, I suppose in theory, but hardly in an arbitrary manner. The law is sovereign and all are subject to it, including all us Caeser’s. But we’re getting way off track. Like I said, it’s open to interpretation. Taking the Bible as a whole, it seems to condone capital punishment and not personal revenge, and that is how most Christians have interpreted it. They make a distinction between guilt an innocence, and I don’t see an inherent contradiction in that position.

[/quote]

I suppose the other side of the coin is the old tried and true “kill them all and let god sort them out.” Although it’s a bit catholic for my tastes.

55

[quote]DS 007 wrote:
Oh. So since we don’t know for certain when life begins, or at least, we don’t know for certain, then abortion is a-okay? I’ll call bullshit on that and leave it.

It seems that any argument that you don’t make is a poor argument in your estimation. Odd. But common in those that idolize themselves.[/quote]

How old are you? Your arguments come across like teenaged angst more than actually trying to make a point. My posts didn’t have anything to do with claiming abortion was “ok”. It had everything to do with letting you know that not everyone believes it is “murder”, while your stance clearly shows you think BOTH abortion and death for a crime are BOTH murder…making you a hypocrite to support one and not the other. I know it hurts to admit that, but damn, get over it.

56

[quote]DS 007 wrote:
Oh, wow. The dummies are out in force today.
[/quote]

You’re off to a great start. Usually when debating you’ll have any easier time getting your points across to others when you’re not calling them names.

Your mother is a whore! There, now I’m on your level.

Saddam was scum. No argument here.

I didn’t say we shouldn’t be concerned with what is going on in the world. Don’t put words in my mouth. Iraq, however, was as much a threat to the U.S as Canada is.

Oh, so now I’m a tree-hugger? I’ve never been called that before.

I know this is a weight training website, but try not to sound like a stupid meat-head.

Are you in the military? It’s easy to say we should do this, or we should do that, sitting behind a computer screen.

[quote]
Fucking right we should? Bush AND the UN should pull their heads out on that one and act. Now get some opinions that make sense.[/quote]

Okay hard-charger, you lead the way! With all this aggression you have, you should join the Army or Marines.

Dustin

57

[quote]LBRTRN wrote:
Lets not rehash this tired argument…please. If you want to believe that, knock yourself out, but don’t state it as uncontested fact.
[/quote]

Are you that naive as to think this Iraqi government is calling the shots?

I’m not one to ignore history, but I think it is safe to say that the next ruler(President, Prime minister, or whatever) that the U.S. government puts into power over the Iraqis will have to be pretty ruthless to restore order, and maintain it.

We will see in the next few weeks and months.

I wasn’t. I was talking about U.S soldiers.

Oh yeah, we’re short one dictator and pissed off the rest of the world invading his country based on outright lies and propaganda.

You posted the quote. I asked what the quote had to do with the liberty of America.

Calm down. I never said you were any of those things. I’m just not sure that Saddam’s execution will benefit anyone, that’s all.

Dustin

58

[quote]Professor X wrote:
DS 007 wrote:
Oh. So since we don’t know for certain when life begins, or at least, we don’t know for certain, then abortion is a-okay? I’ll call bullshit on that and leave it.

It seems that any argument that you don’t make is a poor argument in your estimation. Odd. But common in those that idolize themselves.

How old are you? Your arguments come across like teenaged angst more than actually trying to make a point. My posts didn’t have anything to do with claiming abortion was “ok”. It had everything to do with letting you know that not everyone believes it is “murder”, while your stance clearly shows you think BOTH abortion and death for a crime are BOTH murder…making you a hypocrite to support one and not the other. I know it hurts to admit that, but damn, get over it.[/quote]

I’ll try to make is simple and succinct:

Death penalty for murderers(with murder being the destruction of another life on purpose and with bad intent): JUSTICE

Death penalty to an unborn child who hasn’t done ANYTHING to ANYONE? MURDER

I am never foolish enough to “play” GOD so I cannot determine at which point exactly a embryo has a soul (though the DNA starts its cascade of events very quickly after the fertilization of an egg has transpired)so I,in my humility and inability to truly “play” GOD, will err on the side of caution rather than presumption; and regard “it” as a “life” at any stage after conception.

59

[quote]PtrDR wrote:
Professor X wrote:
DS 007 wrote:
Oh. So since we don’t know for certain when life begins, or at least, we don’t know for certain, then abortion is a-okay? I’ll call bullshit on that and leave it.

It seems that any argument that you don’t make is a poor argument in your estimation. Odd. But common in those that idolize themselves.

How old are you? Your arguments come across like teenaged angst more than actually trying to make a point. My posts didn’t have anything to do with claiming abortion was “ok”. It had everything to do with letting you know that not everyone believes it is “murder”, while your stance clearly shows you think BOTH abortion and death for a crime are BOTH murder…making you a hypocrite to support one and not the other. I know it hurts to admit that, but damn, get over it.

I’ll try to make is simple and succinct:

Death penalty for murderers(with murder being the destruction of another life on purpose and with bad intent): JUSTICE

Death penalty to an unborn child who hasn’t done ANYTHING to ANYONE? MURDER

I am never foolish enough to “play” GOD so I cannot determine at which point exactly a embryo has a soul (though the DNA starts its cascade of events very quickly after the fertilization of an egg has transpired)so I,in my humility and inability to truly “play” GOD, will err on the side of caution rather than presumption; and regard “it” as a “life” at any stage after conception.[/quote]

Good for you. What does that have to do with what was written? I personally would never abort any child I helped create…if I could prevent it from happening. However, I also don’t believe it is the government’s duty to step in and regulate the action as there are instances where a woman should be able to make that choice. I think the goal should be education and a social change through media, not government regulation to reduce the act.

There seem to be some of you who believe that anyone who isn’t against all abortions is somehow FOR the act of killing babies. Perhaps it is beyond some of you to consider that what is not wanted is more government control. Maybe it is too much to consider to understand that a social change is wanted instead. This life is about choice. I would rather help people make the right one than force them to believe exactly as I do.

What a concept.

As far as the death penalty, what was being discussed was death for crimes long past for individuals who can cause no further harm to society. Why ignore the possibility that an individual can change over time? Is it really your job or anyone else’s to pull the plug on someone’s life if they may act completely different than 10-20 years ago all in the name of retribution? What if that person could do more good alive than dead? What if they are now involved in programs to deter youth from going down the same path?

Is it still as simple as “justice”? Why does playing God have an on and off switch?

Just a question.

60

[quote]JD430 wrote:
The difference between us and Saddam is that as much of a piece of shit as he was, we still had strange feelings about the whole thing. I can guarantee you that none of those emotions ever crossed his soul when he was gassing thousands or stuffing them in meat grinders.[/quote]

The last sentence is ridiculous given the fact that he, personally, never killed anyone. His underlings did. This means that, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the man was executed for other peoples’ doings. Stick that in your cud and chew on it.

Saddam’s crime - the crime of any dictator put to the gallows - was not murder, but power. For dictators don’t kill, they command others to do so. The only thing that separates their commands from a homeless bum’s is the factor of power. Thus, Saddam’s only crime was being too powerful (yet ultimately, not powerful enough).

The murder of any powerful individual by his inferiors is an affront to nature. By killing off powerful individuals, you leave behind nothing but mediocrity. Most people understand this to a certain extent, so long as their own status in the power hierarchy doesn’t come into play.

For instance, people toss back trophy fish for this very reason. But we’re not so good about applying it to human affairs, because the weak will always require scapegoats, and powerful people serve this role when they fall out of favor.

So, who wins from the execution? From any execution? The state, of course.

Self-proclaimed arbiter of life and death. More power to it. That’s not a positive outcome.