They have executed Saddam Hussein

[mummydear]

He's dead

here

Now lets see what happens .

But what's best for society - to spend huge amounts of money and resources on keeping these evil people in prison for years and years. Or do away with them quickly and spend the money - which could save the lives of thousands in some countries - on health, education etc

I don't like the death penalty but can see how they get what they deserve. It's no worse than he's dealt out to others.

Ballbaby - so...we would be no better than the people we are condemning to death??

'Kill them - it's cheaper'.

Find the whole videoing and photo issue appalling. Surely there weren't that many people witnessing that they couldn't have been searched and any possible recording equipment removed. The newspapers are full of it and I cannot be the only one sickened by double page phtographic spreads of the whole ritual. Rightly or wrongly executed, the propaganda machine on the back of this is itself offensive and those responsible can hardly now lay claim to the moral high ground.

Up until pretty recently , whole families went to see public executions, children and all, people would go early to get front row seats. As I understand it, it is still common practice in parts of the world.

Yes, Kitty. In this country it's called "Big Brother".

Indeed it is . Human beings are basically llike baying hounds, the only thing that changes is what we're "morally" allowed to bay at.

I haven't read all the thread but my view is that executing him was wrong, wrong, wrong. Yes he was bad but for how many years did western governments turned a blind eye to his despotic conduct because they preferred Iraq over Iran?

He should have been left to fester in prison, just like they did to Rudolf Hess. Killing him will not bring back the lives he took but it will turn him into a martyr for those who still believe in him.

Ghandi once said "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind". Martin Luther King reiterated this during the civil rights era. I wish our leaders were of the same calibre.

good quote speedy! forgot about that one. So Old Testament. Yes, Arab countries DO have a right to their own justice system, but the circs. surrounding this one have been determined by non-Arab countries.

Alternative, fair scenario - Brits and US invade Iraq, find there are NO WMD, apologise profusely, and leave quietly closing the door behind them.

I am another shocked at the images we are being shown by the mainstream media. I know when there have been beheadings of civilian hostages you could hunt them down on the net but they weren't there for all to see unless you really had the desire to see them.

I can't help but relate the images that have been on our news and plastered across our papers with those of hostages being videod by terrorists.

I am not suggesting SH is innocent (far, far, far from it).

The fireworks going off lastnight made me think of all those people living in war zones.

I ended up dreaming about this.

I saw on the news those really sick images and mobile phone video of the executioners taunting him before his death and dancing around his body

Do we really need to see/hear/know about this?

Why shouldn't we know about this though? I think if you are interested then it should be available to see.

I think if all knew everything that this man had done, we would be happy that he is dead. Except, the way he died was too kind .
He ordered hundreds of women to be beheaded in front of their small children, just on the basis that they may/may not have been unfaithful .He gouged out prisoners eyes and entrails and forced them to eat them.
He had a metal human shredding machine FFS, with parts of bones and blood spewing out from under it.Apparently this was his favourite thing.................Need i go on??

Too right, I am not happy with all this being kind to Saddam stuff. I think this sort of stance can only be taken by people who have never suffered in the way monsters like Saddam cause people to suffer. Sitting at home with all the mod cons, protected by a civilised society etc, then it's easy to wag a finger and say that execution is wrong.
If he had brutalised your families and murdered your children are you seriously telling me you wouldn't kill him yourselves if you could?

Haven't read the whole thread but have to say that I completely disagree with the execution and the filming thereof. It's not about being kind - it's about maintaining the moral high ground. It's wrong and wrong in every cicrumstance. There is a good reason why the victim is not the judge...

Wrong in one person's opinion, not wrong in my opinion.. if he'd tortured then beheaded your mother in front of you when you were 4 yrs old you may think differently..

i would urge some of you to read Aloha's links at the start of this thread.

just because some of say this hanging is wrong does not mean we think saddam was a good man.

Someone mentioned "Sitting at home with all the mod cons, protected by a civilised society etc, then it's easy to wag a finger and say that execution is wrong." - Because the majority do not believe in the capital punishment is one of the reasons that we can consider ourselves in a "civilised society"

No one on here was being "kind" to Saddam!! Let's make that clear!! Everyone said he was a monster etc. What he did is not the issue here. Those that disagree with capital punishment do so because of the fundamental reasons behind it being wrong. To kill another is wrong.

Ready, would you disagree with CP if you watched your family being slaughtered?

kitty- yes i would still disagree with it.

I already answered that very same question in another Saddam thread yesterday... I said...
"If my entire family was wiped out by the actions of one man, I would feel utter devastation! My world would collapse. Having that person killed would not ease my suffering, it would not take the pain away, it would not give me any sense of relief at all. Of course I would have feelings of immense anger towards that person; and in my darkest moments killing him would cross my mind (I'd be lying if I said otherwise) but what would it acheive?? Nothing."

So basically, I understand what you are saying, but I still disagree with Capital Punishment, always have, and always will.

There we differ, I don't disagree with it for men like saddam and I would certainly want to kill the person with my bare hands who had killed my children and family.

French connection. How do know all of these things about Saddam? Or, is it just comforting for you to think they are true as to do so is a fillip to your commitment to killing people??

Pann, there's a message in chat with your name on it!

Oooh! Like being summonsed somewhere! thank you, I'll go see......