What's your position on Saddam's execution?

[ButterflyBlood]

I'm going with the second option. Although I'm certainly not going to shed any tears for him once it happens. Will worry for our troops though.

[JohnLocke]

1. I oppose his execution because I want him to be tried in a *real* court, for *all* his crimes.

[patrice]

14. When he is found Guilty, he can be made to work for those whom he Hurt.

That would be more punishment to him than Martyrdom.

Life in Prison, no parole, no contact with Media. Work. Nothing but any kind of work, maybe even work that benefits his Victims. He should be Their slave.

[orleans]

19. i wanted him to be tried for all his crimes too. what the hell happened

to that? surely they knew that he would be found guilty for this trial--why can't this "law" be changed to allow for the other trials--
?

don't all of his crimes count or matter?


guess not.

[krispos42]

44. We can't try him for gassing the Kurds...

...after all, the fact that is was US-made poison gas sold or traded to Saddam's regime under Reagan might come out... and we don't want to rename National Airport again, do we? And think of the poor guys working on the new Reagan currency! I mean, jeez, they're going to put his portrait on ALL of the greenbacks now, and the coinage as well. And the design team that's going to put book-end carvings of Reagan on Mt. Rushmore, on Washington's left AND Lincoln's right.

Imagine the glory, glowing under the powerful floodlights...



:puke:

Didn't the Bible say something about idol worship? Or was it idle worship? And aren't the Repubs doing BOTH????

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. Yeah, killing Saddam (or whoever that is)

really solves a lot and sends a great message to the world.

[aaronbees]

3. Oppose in all cases

Lifelong principle for me. And I absolutely agree with you on shedding tears and worries for the troops.

[pitohui]

4. ok i'll be the first to say it

dude's a scumbag found guilty in a court of law and the little birdies in the trees will sing more sweetly for his passing

[WindRavenX]

5. doesn't mean we should resort to *his* level of dealing with punishment

That, and we're turning his death into mental masturbation for the war hawks. Justice is hardly being served.

[Posteritatis]

6. His level wouldn't even bother with a show trial. (n/t)

[WindRavenX]

11. true

I find the whole the saga of post-capture Saddam to be quite telling of how we, our culture, has regressed so much. It's pretty much a mockery of everything this country used to stand for.

It's as if people believe that by killing Saddam--and taking glee in it-- will someone justify the rape and destruction of Iraq by the US. It's pathetic.

[Posteritatis]

15. You're right, that particular belief is

And I wish enough of a real trial had happened that the entirety of Hussein's crimes were released - including the ones that are politically inconvenient. (What, you were wondering why he was tried for a comparatively small massacre and not using nerve gas on the Iranian military? Convenient omission, wasn't it?)

That said, I'm not exactly going to mourn his passing, no matter how that passing comes about. I'm not going to cheer at it either - especially since it isn't involving the aforementioned full trial.

[WindRavenX]

17. I hope no one mourns his passing

I just wish it wasn't so...obviously politically manipulated.

Like I've been saying, the world has been an awful lot like a Tom Clancy novel as of late.

But yeah, I'm certainly not going to shed a tear for that asshole--or Cheney, or Rummy, or any other modern evil men.

[Trajan]

22. This still doesnt mean that he should be executed ...

Sure .... Saddam is a thug and murderer ... But HIS immoral behaviour doesnt in and of itself compel US to act immorally ...

Just because HE would perform summary execution doesnt mean we should ...

[patrice]

18. Becoming the thing you Hate is so Easy, and "satisfying".

[patrice]

16. Make him a Slave. That would be more Punishment to him.

Execution insures his place in the Public-mind forever amongst Sunnis. Capital Punishment is BRIEF. Martyrdom is a great and eternal Spiritual Blessing. "We"'re doing him a Favor.

[AlienGirl]

33. Slavery is also unethical, and likely to result in inhumane treatment

I think he should be jailed, but treated humanely and given the same opportunities to change as any other life-prisoner. He can, if he chooses, simply rot in his cell until he dies; or he can embark on a course of self-examination that may result in him eventually understanding why his actions were wrong and voluntarily working to make things right.

This is the course that I believe an ethical society would choose: repair the damage that has caused the murderer to murder if the murderer assents, and keep them where they can't hurt anyone else. But don't allow them to sell their labor for less than the going rate (it is bad for the non-criminal workers) and don't mistreat or kill them.

Tucker

[donheld]

56. If you think he got an honest fair trial your kidding yourself n/t

[AlienGirl]

7. I oppose it, and all other instances of the death penalty.

[Gwerlain]

8. From the asshole perspective,

he should rot in prison for the rest of his sorry life. And it should be long. And suck.

[patrice]

9. He was Cheney's employee. He's been fired AND his death, aside from

being morally wrong in general principles, will Really inflame Sunnis in Saudi Arabia.

Imprison him forever, with no Media connections. Make him a slave those whom he hurt.

Capital Punishment is Ugly, Ugly and Stupid, surrender to the very thing that you hate in the person the State is Killing for you. If murder is wrong for any One, it's wrong for Every One.

[Dr.Phool]

10. You left out an option.

I support his execution, but there should be a lot more swinging beside him.

I too, oppose the death penalty in most circumstances, but under certain circumstances, Saddam was a mass murderer, as are Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc., etc., et al.

Good riddance to Saddam, and I hope the aformentioned meet a similar fate!

[cali]

54. You do not oppose the death penalty

if the only people you want to see executed are the ones you deem to be the most heinous. Your statement makes a mockery of your supposed opposition to the dp.

I oppose Saddam's execution just as I oppose the dp in all cases.

[Justitia]

12. Other: America should not be executing the leaders of sovereign nations.

And please don't even attempt to bore me with "really, it's not us, it's the Iraqis themselves executing him".
No one on this planet is falling for that horse shit.

This nation has gone fucking mad. And we're about to reap what we sow, Christ almighty, get ready.

[Patchuli]

13. I oppose execution

because: 1. It will make him a martyr to some and cause more trouble and; 2. it would be more punishment to a man who lived a pampered life to be a prisoner for the rest of his life and; 3. hanging is horrible.

I say put him in the hoosegow cleaning toilets as long as he lives.

[Bobbieo]

20. Agree with Patchuli - They are taking the 'Saudistic' approach -

let's watch him die. It will backfire into a great deal of violence.

[patrice]

21. I second that motion. n/t

[TheFarseer]

23. I give my tacit support to this

allthough I fail to see how this makes my life better, or anyone's life better.

[Old and In the Way]

24. Should have been tried in an International Court.

If the Iraqi's had gotten rid of him in a coup, that's one thing...but he was removed by the US and by an administration who had a vested interest in keeping his execution local. There will be no justice for Iraq or Hussein...only the interests of the Bush family are being served.

[AlienGirl]

34. I agree whole-heartedly with that, he should have been tried in the Hague

[Eugene]

25. I'm opposed.

I am against the death penalty on principle.

Killing Saddam risks making him a martyr among the Sunnis in Iraq
and Arabs in general.

I will shed no tears for Saddam, but justice can be served with his
imprisonment.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

26. Oppose for Other Reasons~

I want to hear him speak freely, against that which was brought against him.

This is not possible in the New Bush America.

[Zenlitened]

27. It's hard not dwell on how much of America has died to bring about his death.

Was Saddam Hussein "a bad man," as our kindergartener-in-chief so eloquently puts it?

Yep.

But what the fuck have we done? Closing in on 3,000 dead American troops now, tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens dead... and all of it based on the lies, delusions and daydreams of Bush's neocon handlers.

It's disgusting. The heart and soul of this nation has been shattered, the ideals of the young men and women who signed up to serve their country have been brutally misused, all to knock one lousy piece off the chessboard.

Tragic.

Saddam who?

The price has been much too high. Throwing America's military might, our economic strength, our role as "sole superpower," our belief (however shaky) in America as a beacon for freedom and justice... all of it, thrown away to get one man.

It would be laughably stupid if it wasn't so tragic and sad.

Yeah, Saddam whats-his-name will be gone. Mission accomplished. But, what exactly was the mission again? What was "victory" supposed to feel like?

And what about Osama? He bin-gone-awhile, too, it seems. Out of sight, out of mind. But we're not supposed to talk about that, lest we be branded "Bush-bashers" or "terrorist enablers" or something even worse, like "Liberals." As if you or I could POSSIBLY do ANYTHING to enable America's enemies more than Bush and the band of idiots who prop him up already have. :grr:

What a fucking mess. If I thought the neocons had the brains to declare victory and get out the day Saddam hangs, I might be able to see something positive in this, heck I'd hand him the rope myself.

But what's next? Did you see that photo-essay posted by DUer Stephanie earlier tonight?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2994927

One look at those hapless, halfwit mugs and I'm more afraid for our troops -- and the Iraqi civilians caught in the crossfire -- than I have been in weeks.

:(

[WindRavenX]

29. yeah, wtf happened to Osama?

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO OSAMA

This needs to be fucking blasted 24/7.

Osama: dead or alive-- remember that?

Fuck, this country is in the gutter. Pathetic all around. And this mockery of trial/punishment is the cherry on top of this.

[pacalo]

28. Yes, he was a bad man, yadda yadda yadda...but he had nothing to do with 9-11

& he didn't have WMD. But his vulnerable country did have oil, unlike Darfur & Rwanda; Bush didn't bother with the leaders responsible for their respective genocides. For Bush, Saddam's execution is personal & it has nothing to do with Saddam's crimes against his people.

[Clarkie1]

30. What about "I'm not an Iraqi citizen, so I don't have a position?"

We Americans are so ethno and ego-centric sometimes it's mind-boggling.

[WindRavenX]

36. a-fucking-men

:thumbsup:

Meanwhile, Osama is still out there. Where's the fucking justice in this?

[pacalo]

38. That would be a good point if so many in this country didn't have a vested interest

in the consequences brought about by Bush's string of misjudgements about Iraq. I'm talking about the sons & daughters sent to Iraq based on Bush's lies who will be on the receiving end of the escalated violence brought about by Saddam's execution.

And what can be more egotistical than Bush's audacity to focus on removing Saddam from Iraq rather than using those same insurmountable resources on capturing Osama Bin Laden?

[Nutmegger]

41. He was tried in a kangaroo court on an American base

and I'm not suppose to have an opinion?

Ok...

[dailykoff]

48. If you're an American citizen, this war is being fought to "protect" YOU.

Saddam was allegedly a gathering threat to the US and we preemptively removed him, remember? Your indifference amounts to tacit agreement with this lie and this depraved criminal aggression, and you are absolutely dead wrong.

[atre]

31. Saddam was a bad man...

... but his execution does not help the situation in Iraq, and may make things much worse.

His conviction also rests on very dubious legal grounds - one of the most important precepts of criminal law is that you cannot justly be punished for activity that was not illegal at the time you committed it (no ex post facto laws). This is one of legal philosopher H.L.A. Hart's first principles. We ignored that principle in Nuremburg (but with compelling justification); here, I don't see how it can do us any good.

[Igel]

32. Support.

But take no pleasure in his death. Or any other, for that matter.

[MGD]

35. #3 for me please. Now is just not a good time to execute him. nt

[Behind the Aegis]

37. I do not support the death penalty.

Also, like a few others here, he should have had a real trial, at the Hague. That kangaroo court was a mockery of justice and does not bode well for the shattered Iraq.

[TankLV]

39. I don't want bushco to silence him.

I want him around to tell about bushco crimes against humanity...

[Nutmegger]

40. The "trial" was a joke

Either way he was going to be found guilty but as least he could have been given a fair and decent trial. For god's sake, that's what we stand for. Not "fake trials".

[Ariana Celeste]

42. I oppose the death penalty, period.

Who, what, when, why, how, I do not care. I oppose the death penalty.

[SmellsLikeDeanSpirit]

43. No because his trial looked and sounded half ass. Was there even a jury?

[Raine]

45. Other...

I want him to spill his guts on the dirty dealings of the chimp regime. Saddam was a monster but he was the USA's monster and the thanks he gets for that is noose. x(

[SeattleGirl]

46. I oppose it because I oppose the death penalty.

Period, end of sentence.

[dailykoff]

47. Show trial, trumped up charges, rigged verdict, travesty of justice

making an even bigger laughingstock out of the US and its "values" than the former Soviet Union. But shhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone!

[dicknbush]

52. Bingo...

THis is exactly true!~

[Infinite Hope]

49. "I oppose his execution as I oppose the death penalty in all cases" n/t

[ribrepin]

Oppose in all cases

But in Saddam's case I think it will just stir things up more. What a perfect way to end the Christmas Season.

Let the old bastard rot in prison and publish his picture every year to let the world know how old age and prison are treating him.

[ribrepin]

50. Oppose in all cases

But in Saddam's case I think it will just stir things up more. What a perfect way to end the Christmas Season.

Let the old bastard rot in prison and publish his picture every year to let the world know how old age and prison are treating him.

[dicknbush]

51. I oppose it because the entire process emanates from a lie and a fraud

The illegal invasion of Iraq is what made this trial possible. Everything that proceeds from that point is in my mind illegal. It is equivalent tot he courts that may have been set up after Germany invaded Poland or France.

[951-Riverside]

53. I support the DP but opose his death because his trial was a sham.

[AtomicKitten]

55. I voted opposed - other

Although I oppose the death penalty in all cases, more importantly we have no right to invade a country and put their leader up before a puppet kangaroo court and execute him. It is wrong on so many levels.

[Malmo Blue]

57. ...it will make the situation in Iraq far worse

The situation is already BAD with a capital B in Iraq.
We've got Sunni's and Shi'ites killing each other on a daily basis - and now we're inviting the Baath Party into the mayhem?! Just let Saddam rot in jail; that way he could think about all the shit he's done in the past. We could throw in Gim Rummy there too, they haven't met each other since the 80's. Happy reunification!

[newyawker99]

58. Hi Malmo Blue!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Malmo Blue]

62. A little off-topic, but what the hey...

Thanks! :D
I couldn't find any particular threads for newbies to say "Hi", so I just commented on Saddam's DP.

[Freddie Stubbs]

59. How about let the Iraqis decide?

:shrug:

[warrens]

60. Kangaroo court

He had no chance. Hell, half his lawyers were murdered. This should have taken place in The Hague, not in front of a bunch of Shia who hated his guts.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

61. I oppose it because he's president of Iraq

Our war was improper from the start in 1990. So we should have never been there to bring down the government, depose and arrest Saddam.

Yeah, he's a murderous thug, but he was a local thug. He had no ambition to attack the U.S. Just a minor ambition to annex Kuwait (not exactly a Democracy itself).