Baroque in Hackney: couldn't have said it better myself

Friday, 5 January 2007

couldn't have said it better myself

The New York Times has published a comment piece on the death of Saddam which states the reasonable position so perfectly - and in such dispassionate, cool, clear prose - that I am linking to it here.

8 comments:

chumly said...: Thanks.; 05 January, 2007 08:35
Political Umpire said...: Agree, though as I've said all along the arguments against the death penalty per se are, I think, convincing irrespective of details such as the particular offender or the manner of the execution. As for Iraq itself, the state of the country suggests that the death will not make much difference either way, even with the unfortunate manner in which it was carried out.; 05 January, 2007 11:26
Ms Baroque said...: P-Ump, I am a paid-up member of Amnesty International and will never countenance the death penalty on any grounds. It corrupts society and creates a weight of guilt which must be borne by every member of that society. One reason I am very glad not to live in the USA is because of the death penalty; I can still recall my shock on the day I read that they had re-instated it - RE-instated it! - in, of all places, New York State. I'm still ashamed.

I've already said that I thought the whole manner of this thing has demeaned us, in the West, who were supposed to be ocupying some sort of moral high ground. Well, giving the trial to Iraq was the first step in that process and the conclusion of it is only what could have been predicted.

Who knows how the manner of the execution will affect the situation in Iraq; the point is that the situation in Iraq is part and parcel of the situation everywhere else. Further, this is just depressingly another tawdry mess the civilised world must bear on its shoulders. I've already written about how depressing it was watching heads of state shaking hands with Saddam in the first place, and they have not even ensured that - as one of their number - he was treated with the same accord as the Nazis. We're democracies; we voted these people in; it reflects on US.

The unfortunate way it was carried out also has to reflect on the whole enterprise, from a US/UK perspective.

Anyway, what's done is now done, and Bush and Blair can come out of their holes and start saying things. Yippee.; 05 January, 2007 12:19
Anonymous said...: An excellent article. The Independent did well yesterday too - http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2124251.ece
Blair has maintained a coy silence on the matter, which will wreak even more damage on his battered administration. A sickening business all round - crude, stupid & morally barren.; 05 January, 2007 16:32
Coirí Filíochta said...: It certainly seems that Bush's agenda is one of personal financial gain. War for profit and all that. Check out this story about the privately run detention camp called the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, in Taylor, Texas.

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/01/03/some-dare-call-them-concentration-camps-pt-1; 06 January, 2007 01:31
Elizabeth Baines said...: Hear, hear, Katy.; 06 January, 2007 14:01
The Periodic Englishman said...: Hello Ms Baroque - I hope this isn't bad blogging form, but....

"....agree...the arguments against the death penalty per se are, I think, convincing irrespective of details such as the particular offender or the manner of the execution. As for Iraq itself, the state of the country suggests that the death will not make much difference either way, even with the unfortunate manner in which it was carried out...."

...it's just that Political Umpire says it well. An eerily spooky reflection of my own thinking, and put a fair deal better than I would have managed.

Kind regards etc...; 06 January, 2007 18:33
Ms Baroque said...: P-Eng, as if! You may write and quote away as happy as a lark, on this blog.; 07 January, 2007 10:32