Editorial:
The Execution of Saddam
10:20 p.m. EST--Saddam Hussein has been executed.
Saddam Hussein is "hours" from execution, according to his attorneys. In my editorial of November 6, 2006, "In Moot Defense of Saddam," I set forth my condemnation of what constitutes yet another brutish violation of international law by the Bush Administration and its various agents of opportunity.
Writing at her blog, BlondeSense, Liz notes that Saddam's execution is the result of conviction on capital charges related to "...killing 148 people who were planning to assassinate him back in 1982." In comments on the thread from that article at BlondeSense, I expressed my assessment of what will result from Saddam's hanging. In edited and expanded form, I herewith publish that assessment as an editorial position of The Dark Wraith Forums.
Spiteful vengeance breeds spiteful vengeance. Despite the belief by neo-conservatives and a fair number of supporters of capital punishment that they are the best at all manner of retributive violence, and despite the American people's belief that we are seeing the worst of the quagmire that has become our unjustified, illegal attack on and occupation of Iraq, we as a nation have not even begun to see what horrors may rise from the sands of that grim and ancient land.
The old saying, "Paybacks are a bitch" is an understatement when it comes to the consequences that will flow from the execution of Saddam Hussein. The Sunnis who were Saddam's associates, allies, and family will ensure that the payback for our killing of him constitutes the kind of bitch that will keep on giving and giving, generation after generation. We are opening something far worse than the garden-variety war we've been losing in Iraq.
We are, in fact, about to open a tribal blood feud.
George W. Bush, the man whose base of support in the Christian Right has long looked to him to return America to a country of traditional values, has now succeeded in reviving for all Americans one of the deepest and most ancient of such values. The right of a tribe to exact revenge upon an offending tribe will now be exercised by the Sunnis, be they Ba'athist remnants, al-Qa'ida terrorists, villagers from Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, or some other force with timeless values, old means, and newly inspired motive.
Whether we in our individual leanings be conservative or liberal, Leftist or Right-wing, we are now—perhaps in a way entirely foreign to us in all our modernity—members of a tribe by virtue of an act by the leader. As such, each of us individually now qualifies by ancient rites and privileges of the aggrieved to pay for what has been done to a member of another tribe, one far more attuned to "traditional values" than we.
And yet, when that payback is visited upon us—and it will come to us—we shall scream bloody murder at the injustice of the outrage. That, of course, is to be expected of a tribe that has lost its understanding of tradition.
The Dark Wraith has spoken.
Published 12/29/2006 11:54:00 AM
<< 42 Comments Total
Good afternoon, Dark Wraith.
If I recall correctly, Arabic tribes settled feuds with a very literal eye-for-an-eye even-handedness. For what was done to a male, middle-aged member of one tribe, a male, middle-aged member of the offending tribe must pay the debt. So, if we are then banking on aggrieved Sunnis adhering to ancient tradition, what is done to their leader must be done only to ours.
It is the war which opened the door for retribution upon us all by ancient rites, but the killing of Saddam that would open the door for retribution against our president.
Shakespeare's Sister sits back and waits.
For me this is like being in a theater of the absurd watching events so horrible unfold, but being unable to leave.
The shit will really be hitting the fan soon, all we need to do to speed it up is to strike Iran. Wow.
Good afternoon, Shakespeare's Sister.
the killing of Saddam that would open the door for retribution against our president.
They are joining the back of a very long queue. Somehow, I think we'll all be disappointed.
Mr. Shakes unfolds his lawn chair and joins the vigil.
Good afternoon, Mr. Shakes.
It sort of makes you wonder if someone is going to offer an express check-out lane.
The Dark Wraith prepares the sign "10 NEO-CONS OR FEWER"
Good afternoon, Dark Wraith.
Paper or plastic?
Shakespeare's Sister offers Mr. Shakes, and any other fair-skinned takers, some sunscreen.
Good afternoon, Dark Wraith.
The express lane? Is that the one with the guillotine at the end?
Say what you will abotu those Frogs but they sure know how to lay down the smack during a revolution.
Mr. Shakes rubs in the sunscreen and then resumes polishing the blade.
I feel as if I've stumbled upon a roomful of talking ravens anticipating yet another flesh feast.....
- oddjob (who in a thread over at Americablog commented that in his estimation executing Hussein would more resemble throwing kerosene on an already hot fire than anything else)
DW,
Is it not possible that this is the goal Bush could find unattainable any other way? With the retribution direted at us and our men in uniform, he has the excuse he, McCain and Lieberman wanted all along.
He now would have free reign again with the support of outraged Americans to move on Iran and use whatever force he and his god deem necessary.
"I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." - J. Robert Oppenheimer
Maybe Rove's surprise was just delayed a little.
Good afternoon, Father Tyme.
I have seen that argument advanced. At first blush, I thought to myself, "Naw, Bush doesn't think that complexly"; but then it occurred to me that this is a fairly simple cause-and-effect chain of reasoning, so I now stand corrected: yes, Bush and his neo-con cronies could see this as one of a number of ways they can make that Global War on Terror every bit as generational as they've claimed it will be.
The Dark Wraith thinks conspiracy theories are unnecessary when events can be better explained by the simpletons involved in those events.
If I recall correctly, there is a way of expiating a blood debt in the Islamic world (at least, there is in Palestine). I forget the term, but it essentially involves some ceremony hosted by a neutral party.
Once the current government is out of office, perhaps some kind of expiation can be offered, in lieu of the ancient lex talionis.
Good afternoon, Shakespeare's Sister.
Your first comment brought back memories of a cultural anthropology class I took back when I was seriously considering anthopology as my major.
Somehow the conversation turned to the subject of revenge killings and other means of inter-tribal conflict resolution, and the professor explained various "reckoning" rites, as he called them, which included different numbers of victims depending upon custom and even sometimes the circumstances. Numbers of victims might vary, and the question was posed concerning why, when multiples of the original killing were involved in the revenge, there wasn't a destructive instability in the system since the killings would magnify over time. The explanation was three-fold: first, sometimes there was a tendency to see the retribution as the end of the matter; second, even when the system resulted in back-and-forth tit-for-tat, the effect was often not so much depletion, but more of a "culling of the herd" sort of thing; and third, there were plenty of examples of actual clan wipe-outs.
I thought to myself at the time, "This stuff is way too interesting for me to engage on an academic career level," especially since it was the first time in my academic life that I had heard stories from American history cast as nothing more than fine examples involving clans and tribes to be studied anthropologically. (That's probably why, despite it's rather graphic violence, I so much enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York.)
Adding to my final decision to abandon cultural anthropology were the stories about tribes like the Amind-Marin (about which virtually nothing can be found anymore) and some of the rather skin-crawling sexual moors of some folks in Asia Minor. I think it was the sex stuff, in fact, that ran head-long like a train wreck into my ingrained Germanic Protestantism, sending me back to my math major with a stop at the shower for ritualistic, albeit perhaps senseless, cleansing.
All in all, maybe I should have stuck with anthropology. I could now be in a position to do an on-the-scene ethnography of folks in Tikrit as they sharpen their blades.
Then again, I don't think I'd like being the test subject for that guillotine at the end of their express check-out lane.
The Dark Wraith will stick with reading after-the-fact press releases.
Good Evening all:
Yes, the death watch is on. Will the Shia execute him on the Sunni day of holiday (thereby spitting on that branch of the faith)? Does Bush or anyone around him comprehend what they are risking unleashing? Of course the bastard has it coming, and more, but, is this death worth the thousands upon thousands that have gone into producing this one tawdry result?
For a fascinating listing of the feud, blood debt, and "honor" system of the Arab tribes one need look no further than Revolt in the Desert by T.E. Lawrence. He had to negotiate through that tangled mass for nearly every operation. In our own American history they need only look to the Appalachian mountains where clan and family and honor are still murderously defended. The Indian side of my family also maintains a system of allegience that relies on the ties of family, clan, tribe and nation before even beginning to deal with the outside world.
Yes, indeed, these are ancient lines of battle, but they are going to be broadcast live, in color.
Anybody need sunscreen? I have a fascinating mixture of jojoba and aloe (old indin remedy, seems apropos when watching a blood feud)
Good afternnon, Mr Wraith.
One point I'm still a bit unclear on is how mch this is going to impress Jodie Foster.
Perhaps I should review a list of heads of state available myself to catch her eye....
Good afternoon, Walt.
Indeed, there are ways of mitigating revenge killing. I was under the impression that a surrender of something of considerable value was involved, but not the exclusive component, but I might be wrong about that.
Even so, my initial thought from your comment was, "Well, heck, we'll give 'em George's head on a silver platter," but then it occurred to me that his head on that platter would probably diminish its value too much to be a worthy compensation to them anyway.
The Dark Wraith is glad he thought that one through before creating yet another international incident.
Good afternoon, Progressive Traditionalist.
It seems to me that Ms. Foster is so yesterday's news. If offing a head of state is going to impress a famous actress these days, the actress had better be someone like... uh, like...
Darned!
The Dark Wraith really needs to go to the movies more often.
Good evening, Dark Wraith.
I just read a fascinating article in the Economist about the Pashtun. One method they use to settle blood feuds is the intermarrying of the feuding clans. Hussein has all those half-brothers, and last I checked, Little Babs and Jenna were still available...
The Midwestern Gent pulls up a stadium chair and borrows some sunscreen.
Good evening, The Midwestern Gentleman.
Good Heavens, I hadn't even thought about offering a member of the Bush clan as compensation. If we could throw Jeb into the deal, that would be sweet. We would, of course, have to seal the deal quickly before the opposing side got wind of what, exactly, we were offering.
The Dark Wraith would even spring for the gift wrap and shipping charges.
This is all just so disturbing to me I can't even express it in words. Regardless of how evil a person I might have been in my lifetime, when I put myself in the shoes of Hussein, and imagine being lead to the noose, knowing that in a few seconds, my life will cease to exist, I literally become nauseated.
And if I, a "red-blooded American" can see the folly of Bush and his team of assassins, I shudder to think what others may think, or worse: what they may plot.
It has often been said, even among some Iraqis, that they don't hate America, or Americans, but they do hate Bush. I hope that mindset holds. Nevertheless, I fear for the future after this evening.
That tornado alert that forced Bush and his Stepford wife into an armored vehicle may have just been a coincidence. As a precaution, I'm prepared for more than a night of "unsettled weather" as a result of unspeakable foolishness.
And now, from Baghdad, it's Saddamy Night Live - at least temporarily. With your co-hosts, Blitzer and Hume and Hannity and Drudge and Coulter...
I heard 10 P.M. EST.
Bush must be orgasming.
When will the retribution start? This could be more profitable than a Final Four Pool; and just as temporary. I figure 10:15.
Lock him up forever; no visitors, no magazines; no radio; no clothes; no windows; no tv; no contact with actual humans.
In a cell with a single 25 watt light bulb 20 feet above a stainless steel bed with a small hole for a toilet. And weld the cell shut.
Sounds fairer than death.
Will the American Troops that die over the next days because of Saddam's execution be worth it to Bush and Condi?
We must remind them.
A huge tip of the hat to Toast over at TwoGlasses, who points us all to Josh Marshall's take on all this. As Toast correctly observes, it's not often that mild-mannered Josh opens a can of whoop-ass, but he surely has over this & spot on!
For a taste, here's the closing sentence:
What do you figure this farce will look like 10, 30 or 50 years down the road? A signal of American power or weakness?
- oddjob
Dark Wraith, good evening to you.
Could it be, maybe, that Saddam's death is the last puzzle piece in silencing the many other crimes of the Bush Crime Family? Could this be why Chimpy and his ilk were so insistent that he not go to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for the other trial, the one for gassing the Kurds?
Just curious what your take is on the possibility that this is not just personal for the Bushes ("He tried to kill mah Daddy."), but business.
Regards,
Tengrain
It's done. He's gone.
Let the blood times roll.
*sigh*
How quaint. The Bush Administration upped the execution date to co-inside the death of an American President who criticized Bush posthumously.
Bush and company are notorious for stealing headlines. Now the Ford family must live with the death of President Ford and share the "spotlight" as it were with an infamous person. Nice touch.
Way to go, Karl.
I could be wrong.
Not to be a comment hog but isn't it strange that the Bush Administration is NOT stepping in to deny pictures of Saddam's Execution throughout the U.S. Media but still WON'T allow pictures of American Coffins?
"I have no mouth but I must scream." - Harlan Ellison
Good evening, Tengrain, and welcome.
I wanted very much to make a point about that, but sometimes, despite what might appear to be diatribe in my editorials, my desire to go into certain issues is circumscribed.
Saddam Hussein would have been a destructive force in testimony against not only the Bush family, but an entire clique of Washington powerhouse families and individuals.
On the other hand, I have to imagine that, had Saddam lived, he would have been destrucively maligned not only by the officialdom of Washington, but also by an American press that could not have helped itself but once again serve as the mouthpiece for that officialdom. I cannot recall one instance over the past decade when "legitimate" Washington journalist dared to question any new charge leveled against Saddam. That extraordinary lack of critical thinking among journalists allowed the neo-cons to run amok with one lie after another leading up to the invasion. Subsequently, even as those alleged weapons of mass destruction faded into the vapor of lies they were, the press simply refused to even so much as contemplate that other parts of the story of "Why Saddam Needs to Die" could be fabrications. As I noted earlier, I simply cannot at this point bring myself to believe anything this government says. It has lied, and it has done so systematically at any opportunity that would advance its agenda. Saddam Hussein as the Butcher of Baghdad is precisely a systematic construction of claims that advanced the agenda of the Bush Administration. I simply will not allow myself to be anything other than a skeptic. (And that does not mean I believe Saddam was not a brutish dictator, by the way; it means that I want to know why that mattered.)
My own sense is that the Bush family did, indeed, desperately want Saddam dead. George W. Bush has never shown any interest whatsoever in "justice" as a mechanism for righting wrong. He is a wanton man, as have been others in his family. When George W. Bush is insistent upon having someone killed, it is solely to the purpose of promoting either the public perception of his power or the reality of that power; and given that perception and reality are powerfully linked in the minds of his handlers, I cannot believe that the two are separate things for Mr. Bush.
In the case of Bush being so excited about the getting on with the death of Saddam, the issue then becomes not one of why Mr. Bush was so interested in seeing "justice" meted out, but rather one of what political gain—or, more to the point, what mitigation of political/legal risk—the execution served. Perception (gain) once again becomes married to reality (risk).
From that forensic tack, the perspective I must take aligns with your suggestion: Mr. Bush wanted Saddam dead because Saddam presented a political risk that could be removed at the instant of political gain.
Mr. Bush can kill people. Does anyone not perceive that, now? That, I would submit to readers, is power writ in the large fear of his opponents everywhere.
And thus did George W. Bush use his dual stations as President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces to make it so.
The Dark Wraith is glad for the opportunity to make this comment.
father tyme, how very appropriate to quote one of America's most eloquently angry writers.
- oddjob
My only thought, is that they had to kill so many military personnel to get to this result, when one bullet from a good sniper could have done the same.
Or, hey, why not some good old Polonium-210?
I guess it wasn't flashy enough.....
There was a time right after the collapse of the soviet state that I had a argument with my two younger brothers.It concerned the amout the usa spends on defence compared to the rest of the world.the sharper one{a world class programmer} shut me up with one very sage comment"when the rest of the world realizes how badly we have been screwing them for the last 50 years,we are going to need what we got"
With bush haveing just started a blood feud with some folks who have a long memory about such things,that time is comeing closer I fear
Good morning, Dark Wraith,
What an interesting post and what great comments. I fell asleep before the execution last night but I can only imagine what I missed on CNN. sigh.
I too will pull up a comfy chair this weekend and wait for the fireworks show. I suspect there will be a lot of eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth displays.
I would hope that if another country wished to free us from a despot, that they would simply take him out with a bullet rather than bombing the shit out of our cities first. I fear we've opened a huge box of slimy worms.
Must consult with the cultural anthropology major in the family (my son) later this morning for his take on this.
Just saw this online.
- oddjob
Came here from a link at Shakes' site. I'm pretty much without words, and everyone else has described the complexity of the situation that I see -- and so many others do -- but Bush and his cronies apparently do not or don't care to see. I'll let this pic sum up the rest that is in my head:
http://www.offbalance.com/images/rum_sad.jpg
"Cry 'Havoc', and let slip the dogs of war"
Wingnuts all over the country are calling this a victory for Bush.
The Iraq war is being repackaged and sold to the American People. We are now being told we invaded Iraq to remove Saddam from power, capture him, then execute him.
Too bad it took 3 years to accomplish that goal.
Can we leave now?
Yeah, they got Saddam on the 148 but the U.S. made sure the Gas wasn't brought up cause Saddam bought that Gas from Rummy during the Reagan Administration.
Yet, wingnuts always assert "Saddam GASSED HIS PEOPLE!!"
Yet, no one wants to talk about where Saddam got the gas, weapons, technology, and biologicals in the first place.
The Iraq war is being repackaged and sold to the American People. We are now being told we invaded Iraq to remove Saddam from power, capture him, then execute him.
Well if that's so then perhaps there is one microscopically miniscule good thing to come out of this.
Now that they think the mission has been accomplished they feel free to say what they've wanted to do ever since Poppy decided not to do it.......
I wonder how they will enjoy the crow that they will have to eat as a consequence?
- oddjob
So far this has to be the angriest rant I've seen on this topic.
- oddjob
The key phrase to note is "cull the herd". This is about escalating death so that the have mores will not have to share dwindling planetary resources with the unwashed among us (i.e. you and me).
The execution didn't resemble the triumph of the rule of law to me. He was not executed in the light of day, but in the foul smelling rat hole in which he tortured people. His executioners looked like a gang of thugs. It wasn't serious and ritualistic but rather gutteral and primative.
A sharp contrast to President Gerald Ford's state funeral.
We are now one step closer to televising executions in this country.
Democracy, who are we kidding?
Oddjob's link to Chicago Dyke's rant is incredible.
The more I have been thinking about this today, the more I have retreated into a somber pile mopiness on the couch. I can't snap out of it. I refuse to turn on the television media for fear of my head exploding.
Dark Wraith,
I now know how those who observe the destruction of their country feel when the first cracks in the facade break thru...and the time that Frank Zappa spoke of comes true....when they pulldown the curtains,and the screen,and you see the reality of a brick wall
Good morning, Jaye.
You have hit a nerve with me about that sick extravaganza. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Medieval."
And it was real, and it was in the 21st Century, and we—supposedly the highest of the high cultures on Earth—made it happen.
Can any of the Americans involved in what happened or celebrating in some lynching orgy even so much as contemplate what people a thousand years from now are going to think of us for being this way?
I remember being utterly appalled by the sickos who got into that whole video movie series, Faces of Death, years ago, and I wondered what kind of dangers animals like that could pose to a society. Now, of course, I know for sure: they vote for people like George W. Bush.
Ergo, it was worse than I thought.
The Dark Wraith should probably go to the movie rental store and get one of those old, buck-a-night romance comedies to watch this afternoon.
Check out how the execution was performed, the Sunnis will be pissed:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1980902,00.html