Saddam: The Case for Mercy
 

I know I am going to get flamed for saying this but I don't care. Seeing the recent news photos of Saddam, I can't help but have some sympathy for this man. I will admit that if he is guilty of even half the atrocities he has been accused of committing, then it is hard to argue he deserves any mercy at all. He is a man who showed no mercy to his victims and now the world wants to put him to death and televise it for everyone to see.

Execution may be a fitting punishment for this man but what would be the point of that now? Would killing him bring back any of his victims? Would it make the world a safer place in which to live? He no longer has the power to harm anyone. How would killing him openly accomplish any more than keeping him in confinement for the remainder of his days, which, given his age, would most likely not be for long anyway?

There are a million reasons to throw the book at Saddam and not a single reason to show him even an ounce of mercy. I say we should show him mercy anyway. We have nothing to gain by killing him, yet we have the opportunity to send the message that we, unlike the Saddams of the world, place value on human life, ALL HUMAN LIFE. The killing has to stop with someone. I say let it stop with us.

Boobmaster

I agree.

I'll stand by that... if everyone lived by the honor you have shown with your words, this world would be a far greater place to live.

People like you give me faith in humanity, I only hope that the example you show here influences others to do the same.

:thumbsup

If he had any dignity he would have fought to the death or put one in his own head. He has no honor. A coward. Hitler had too much pride to be pararaded around like an oddity by the allies.


Im not sure where such hippie values come from, but its certainly not from our founding fathers. Did the crime, got a trial, then hung in a public square.

Sorry, no liency for mass murderers.

I don't think he should die because it's too good for him, he's already lost so much respect and destroyed most of the legend he built up around himself by not committing suicide or even making a token attempt at killing his capturers, by keeping him alive like a pet, everyone will continue to remember him as the scraggly dog the special forces found him as, living proof of enduring indignity, not a dead tyrant with a 5 minute disgraced bookend to his life leaving his "accomplishments" as the biggest focus of his part in history.

his life is fucked, he lost everything including his sons

according to this - http://www.politicalcompass.org/ i am:

Economic Left/Right: -0.25
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.05

and i believe he deserves to die for what he's done (simply by looking at what he had done even before coming to power) - yet, i agree that he should not be killed.

however, it has nothing to do with sympathy. he's a fascinating character, in spite of what he may have done, and much can be learned from him. anyone who was able to defy the United States for such an extended period of time, is certainly worth studying...

I think he would be more miserable not dead =) Dying is to easy

I agree, it's too soon to assign him to the dustbin of history. Imagine if (and without drawing moral equivalence) Hitler had lived for another 20 years behind bars. It's an opportunity too rare to pass up.

When you think about Saddam Hussein now, what image comes to mind first? The dictator that tortured his people for so long or the image of him being inspected by that doctor?

I think the impact the images we have seen in the last two days has had more impact in history than we give credit, and certainly if he were to die tomorrow, the image burned in my mind will be the image of him in custody.

Justice is not about revenge.

The death penalty is outrageous and makes the state as bad as the people it prosecutes for murder.

While someone has a breath in them they have the capacity for restitution or remorse.

Yes, Sadam was a tyrant and a blight on humanity, yet killing him is going to help nobody. Furthermore while he is alive he is a living monument to the pain and suffering he caused, while he is incarcerated he is being punished for his crimes.

However, I can't stop wondering how the people responsible for giving him the arms and propping him up during his rise to power aren't under arrest too ? There was a time where political expediency led to more than one western country equipping this man to wreak havoc on his people and region.

Russian excecution style. Shoot the piece of shit in the back of the head.
There is no mercy for mass genoicidal motherfuckers.

I was wondering if I was the only one that thought executing Saddam would be a step backward for "The civilised" worlds eye. To recognise human life even if a piece of shit for a human being to kill one is still wrong and should only be a last resort in a life threatening situation.

Saddam is now a no threat to any human being.
Let em think about his life and if he takes his own life during its remainder then so be it.

No it's not, and no it doesn't. You think if somebody slaughters an innocent person, we should provide them with free (taxpayer supplied) food and shelter for the rest of their life?

There is just a small problem with killing Saddam. The new Iraq laws do not allow the death penalty. The same with the International War crimes court in the Netherlands.

Now I see a US senator tell the media that Saddam has to be prossecuted where he can get the death penalty. Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Basically the US says we want him to die so he dies. I would have to say that this is plain murder by a state and therefore not better as what he has done.

I think he should die! Sorry but I value human life way to much!
To want that SickO to live!

He killed thousands of people he has no value for human life at all! Letting him live is saying you don't care if some SICKO kills people thus making your value on human life as equal to his value because you would let a killer live,making his victims lost lives mean nothing at all.

It's thier lives he took away women men and children they didn't get any mercy did they?Taking away his life is telling the world you value human life and won't tolerate anyone taking another life away from someone!

Glad your not my parents because if I was murdered by him I sure would hope they would fight to fry that piece of you know what.

Human life shoud last till it's your time to go not when some sickO wipes you out just because he feels like it..or had a bad day!

An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth!

Bring back public hangings! Maybe then they will think twice before they kill someone!



JMHO ;-)

Vengeance is what has made the Middle what it is today.
Killing has goto stop sometime and it ought not be when the last man is standing for such a philosophy to prevail.

It won't matter either way..if he goes to Jail he will just get offed in there by a prisoner! so either way he dies ;-)
Thank Gwad!:1orglaugh

But he has the power to hurt people again! He could start killing people again! He did the damage, now he has to pay, if somebody killed my family member, I would hunt him down and kill him MYSELF! Eye for an Eye!

jDoG

After all the years the Republican party spent supporting Saddam, now they want him dead?

It should be interesting to see what he has to say about Reagan and the Bush family, his old allies. :)

why does it surprise you that people might not have got their values from your founding fathers?

wtf?

he couldn't even kill himself to save his dignity.. he has no power to hurt. he's a frail broken man.

bambi - you think a public hanging is going to deter future dictators??? LOL.. too funny.
If you really wanted to get serious perhaps some of the western companies that sold him the weapons he killed people with should face prosecution as well. It's not like he didn't have backing from the US, Germany, France, Great Britain at the time he was committing atrocities.

Get the guys that defended OJ to defend him and televise the trial. Should make very interesting viewing.

Wasn't this guy visited as an ally by Rumsfeld a few years ago?

I think it was during the war with Iran when he was gassing Iranians and before he did it to his own people.

Wondered what was discussed at the meeting and what was given in exchange for what? So many questions.

Whats the odds on him "Hanging Himself" in his cell before the trial?

I know what some of you mean .. he has done some horrible things etc

but seeing him the other night as a defeated tired man resigned to his capture, the humanity in me kicked in and I felt pity for him.

If you kill him it will just be another reason for a thousand towel heads to strap a bomb to their chest...

http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/US/09/30/s...msfeld.80s.jpg

Saddam is an old friend of the Bush family.

Was the US.Germany.France ect there pulling the trigger on his people or gassing them??

Guns don't kill people,people kill people!

If I sold you rat posion to use to kill your rats in your house and you use it to poision your family am I responsible for that? I think not! You Are.

Saddam will Hire an American Lawyer to defend him. He'll get off with 10yrs probation, or a 1-3yr sentence. I bet american lawyers are drooling over he possiblity of defending him if he's trialed in the US.

If I was a known murderer that shot all his victims in the face and knowing this, you sold me a gun for the $, then yes you are responsible.

Giving a tyrant and known killer people poison does not absolve you of responsibility of gassing a bunch of people. It makes you complicit in the act. It's NOT like selling mother theresa some rat bait to clean up calcutta. It's actively making money of arms trading. If you don't believe the people involved knew what saddam would do with it then you are truly naive.

And this in the country where McDonalds is responsible for having their coffee too hot. Believe me if a few Americans had died at his hands due to WMD given to him by the US there would have been some lawsuits.

Everybody keeps saying "killing him wont achieve anything or help any".. i have to disagree. I think that for the victims' families and the people left scarred from his time in power.. will find peace if he is dead.

Having said that, i definitely want them to keep him alive, i think the image we have of Sadam as a powerful president needs to be uploaded over the top of with Sadam prisoner and ideally bitch of large fellow inmate.. so that he can be fully disgraced.

arms trading is a fact of life and is enmeshed within government, governments act on behalf of the arms industry much the same as any other in terms of advancing their cause against foreign arms companies and recieving donations. I'm not so much protesting this fact as pointing out that hanging a dictator would do less to deter future deaths as hanging arms industry CEO's. Impractical and ridiculous yes.. correct and no more ridiculous than your statement? of course.

puppet dictators are a dime a dozen.. the CIA has installed many and will continue to. For better or worse, where there is a profit to be made the US goverment will be there advancing it's interests, like having the taliban over at the ranch for a barbecue to discuss oil pipelines and ignoring their human rights abuses when it suits them. Every country does it. The US is just bigger so you see it more often.

So basically you had problems with my statement when I said,
"Bring back public hangings! Maybe then they will think twice before they kill someone!"

Do you see the word MAYBE there? I didn't said it WOULD I said MAYBE! Meaning doubtful but yet hopefull.
:helpme

Pretty much - it's just a hilarious statement to make in regards to a dictator regardless of any doubt in the statement.

Making him eat smores all day long might satiate his desire for power too. Notice I said "might" meaning I'm hopeful.. but kinda negative on an otherwise brilliant idea.

That and your unwillingness to see the connection between arming and funding killers and being at least partially responsible for their actions.

no merci man:ak47:

No I think not,your responsible for your own actions not me! I just wanted your money!Last time I checked it was legal for me to sell you rat posion but illegal for you to kill anyone with it!



"Giving a tyrant and known killer people poison does not absolve you of responsibility of gassing a bunch of people. It makes you complicit in the act."

Only if I stand there and watch you do it.and do nothing to stop it.SOrry But I don't have time today I am off spending the money you gave me for the rat posion have fun killing your rats!



"It's NOT like selling mother theresa some rat bait to clean up calcutta. It's actively making money of arms trading. If you don't believe the people involved knew what saddam would do with it then you are truly naive."

I don't know if they did or didn't I wasn't there when it all went down were you?YOu seem to know an awful alot about them knowing about it so where is the classified Docs. you have I am sure we would all like to see them!

"And this in the country where McDonalds is responsible for having their coffee too hot. Believe me if a few Americans had died at his hands due to WMD given to him by the US there would have been some lawsuits"

Key word in this COUNTRY Iraq isn't in this COUNTRY is it? Iraq is Iraq And USA is USA Two different countrys with 2 different sets of laws.And two totally different McDonalds! And how do you know not one american died due to WMD over there? I really wanna see your secert files!!


:1orglaugh

It's not really about what you or we want to happen to him.

It's about the iraqi people.
And for sure they won't show any mercy.
It's up to them what they do with him but it won't be anything good.

I agree, I hope they tie him up and cut his feet off first like he and his sons did to their olympic players,then let him sit in his own feces for a few days,then I hope some big dude ass rapes him like he did the women there,then I hope they put him in enclosed air tight sealed room and release the gas on the SOB!

I hope they do try him in Iraq his ass is grass there!

Well you are wrong, why do you think it's illegal to sell a gun to a person convicted of a violent crime! lol
stop pretending to be ignorant.


Yes, when I sell arms to a dictator at war I fully expect him to use them as doorstops, likewise when I sell a race car to a race car driver I expect him to use it as a boat.. not only that, but when I sell a shovel to a grave digger, I expect him to dig up your critical thinking ability... oh wait...

oh yes I agree with you because morality and right and wrong is country specific, for instance I agree that you should be allowed to be raped for what you wear or stone to death for cheating. I also think you should be killed for being here at gfy. In fact I agree with your statement so much that I would even go as far as to say that EVEN YOUR POST CODE should come into play as to whether something is right or wrong. Actually, you know what.. you should probably buy a GPS tracking system to make sure that molesting a child doesn't change from metre to metre.

I'm just trying to help here..

So those of you that don't want to kill Saddam won't want to kill Bin Laden either if we catch him? :(

pardon my rudeness, but FUCK YOU

imagine if your ENTIRE X amount of city blocks worth of people in your hometown were lined up in a mass grvae and had caps vusted in their foreheads and then buried?

you wouldnt have posted this thread, would you have?

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by bhutocracy


If I was a known murderer that shot all his victims in the face and knowing this, you sold me a gun for the $, then yes you are responsible.
.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ME:

No I think not,your responsible for your own actions not me! I just wanted your money!Last time I checked it was legal for me to sell you rat posion but illegal for you to kill anyone with it!

YOU:

Well you are wrong, why do you think it's illegal to sell a gun to a person convicted of a violent crime! lol
stop pretending to be ignorant

ME:

I figured if you were a KNOWN killer your ass would be in jail DUH so I couldn't possibly sell you posion now could I?So I figured you must not of been a known killer seeing how you were standing infront of me and not in the slammer.(Common sense)

YOu:

"It's NOT like selling mother theresa some rat bait to clean up calcutta. It's actively making money of arms trading. If you don't believe the people involved knew what saddam would do with it then you are truly naive."

ME:

I don't know if they did or didn't I wasn't there when it all went down were you?YOu seem to know an awful alot about them knowing about it so where is the classified Docs. you have I am sure we would all like to see them!

YOU:

Yes, when I sell arms to a dictator at war I fully expect him to use them as doorstops, likewise when I sell a race car to a race car driver I expect him to use it as a boat.. not only that, but when I sell a shovel to a grave digger, I expect him to dig up your critical thinking ability... oh wait...


ME:

I guess if you don't have an answer insults always work best..thats so 3rd grade!!


YOu:

oh yes I agree with you because morality and right and wrong is country specific, for instance I agree that you should be allowed to be raped for what you wear or stone to death for cheating. I also think you should be killed for being here at gfy. In fact I agree with your statement so much that I would even go as far as to say that EVEN YOUR POST CODE should come into play as to whether something is right or wrong. Actually, you know what.. you should probably buy a GPS tracking system to make sure that molesting a child doesn't change from metre to metre.

I'm just trying to help here..


ME:

Help me? haha sounds like your on drugs or something,over there! PHYSCO

Then imagine that the man that did this was initially a puppet of your own country.

Has anyone given any thought to the fact that if we keep him alive, there will be hostage situations in an attempt to negotiate for his release? This is a very typical situation when people like him have been imprisoned.

No matter what happens, there will be a reaction for a while, then all will be forgotten. The world today has a very short attention span.

I say fry the scumbag fucker. And most of you would agree if it were your child or mother, or wife that he ordered raped and killed. So, until you have been there, don't say otherwise. Talk is cheap.

This thread is an obscenity.

He murdered over a million people. He's a genocidal maniac.

Time for him to die.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by boobmaster
I know I am going to get flamed for saying this but I don't care. Seeing the recent news photos of Saddam, I can't help but have some sympathy for this man. I will admit that if he is guilty of even half the atrocities he has been accused of committing, then it is hard to argue he deserves any mercy at all. He is a man who showed no mercy to his victims and now the world wants to put him to death and televise it for everyone to see.

Execution may be a fitting punishment for this man but what would be the point of that now? Would killing him bring back any of his victims? Would it make the world a safer place in which to live? He no longer has the power to harm anyone. How would killing him openly accomplish any more than keeping him in confinement for the remainder of his days, which, given his age, would most likely not be for long anyway?

There are a million reasons to throw the book at Saddam and not a single reason to show him even an ounce of mercy. I say we should show him mercy anyway. We have nothing to gain by killing him, yet we have the opportunity to send the message that we, unlike the Saddams of the world, place value on human life, ALL HUMAN LIFE. The killing has to stop with someone. I say let it stop with us.

Boobmaster [/QUOTE

Very well said and I agree :thumbsup

Regardless what anyone thinks it will be up to the Iraqis as it should be and they'll probably kill him.