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stuneville Administrator
Joined: 09 Mar 2002 Total posts: 10190 Location: FTMB HQ Age: 46 Gender: Male |
 Posted: 12-11-2006 19:52 Post subject: |
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Well, initially they weren't ever going to let Mandela out, either.
I know what you're saying, though. I'm only *just* on the "string the bugger up" side of the discussion. I may change my mind yet. |
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| Jerry_B Great Old One Joined: 15 Apr 2002 Total posts: 8265 |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 10:32 Post subject: |
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| stuneville wrote: | | Agreed - to his supporters, who are many, where there's life there's hope. |
Not really - his supporters are in a win-win situation. If he dies, they have a martyr. If he lives, they can perhaps carry on doing things in his name. Neither works in any long-term sense.
This is different to Mandela because the general consensus was that his incaceration was a bad thing - you're not really going to get the same sort of response from so many people WRT Saddam Hussein. And Mandela had, of course, not been formally tried and sentenced for crimes against humanity - if he had, and clearly so, his supporters would have been few and far between. |
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| crunchy5 Great Old One Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Total posts: 1951 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 11:05 Post subject: |
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| Jerry_B wrote: |
Not really - his supporters are in a win-win situation. If he dies, they have a martyr. |
In normal times this would be true, but in bush's Iraq the whole martyr concept has lost value, there being so many, especially in one so flawed as saddam. |
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| WhistlingJack Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Total posts: 4297 Location: The Sewers of The Strand Age: 9 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 11:12 Post subject: |
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| Jerry_B wrote: | | And Mandela had, of course, not been formally tried and sentenced for crimes against humanity - if he had, and clearly so, his supporters would have been few and far between. |
Depends - if Mandela had been subject to a trial such as Saddam's (which, as I've said before, even Amnesty International don't believe was entirely fair), would his supporters really have shrugged their shoulders and accepted it? |
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| Jerry_B Great Old One Joined: 15 Apr 2002 Total posts: 8265 |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 13:16 Post subject: |
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| crunchy5 wrote: | | In normal times this would be true, but in bush's Iraq the whole martyr concept has lost value, there being so many, especially in one so flawed as saddam. |
I doubt that his supporters would see it in that way. |
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| Jerry_B Great Old One Joined: 15 Apr 2002 Total posts: 8265 |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 13:19 Post subject: |
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| WhistlingJack wrote: | | Depends - if Mandela had been subject to a trial such as Saddam's (which, as I've said before, even Amnesty International don't believe was entirely fair), would his supporters really have shrugged their shoulders and accepted it? |
No, not the really dedicated hardcore. The same would be the case with Saddam IMHO. |
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| filcee Beer Monkey Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Total posts: 889 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 17:47 Post subject: |
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| My cynical prediction for Saddam Hussein; he won't make it to being executed...either the stress of incarceration, trial and appeal will be too much for him & he'll die of natural causes, or he'll somehow gain access to lethal drugs (is he on any medication ATM?), and commit suicide... |
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| crunchy5 Great Old One Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Total posts: 1951 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 13-11-2006 18:24 Post subject: |
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| Jerry_B wrote: | | crunchy5 wrote: | | In normal times this would be true, but in bush's Iraq the whole martyr concept has lost value, there being so many, especially in one so flawed as saddam. |
I doubt that his supporters would see it in that way. |
Perhaps you're right after all we've done our damnedest to make his reign look like some sort of golden era and that ain't easy. |
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| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13303 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 15-11-2006 00:20 Post subject: |
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http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/
| Quote: | Dalai Lama calls for sparing Saddam Hussein's life
13/11/2006 15:21
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama urged Iraqi authorities on Monday to spare the life of Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death this month, saying the guilty should get a chance to reform.
A U.S.-backed Iraqi court found Saddam guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to death for his role in the killing of 148 Shi’ite villagers after a failed assassination bid in 1982.
"The death penalty, although fulfils a preventive function, is clearly a form of revenge," a statement from the Dalai Lama’s office in India said.
"However horrible the act committed, His Holiness believes that everyone has the potential to improve and correct themselves.
Human rights groups and legal experts have called Saddam’s year-long trial, during which three defence lawyers were killed, deeply flawed. He may have an outside chance of escaping execution through an appeals process which could take months.
Tibet’s spiritual leader, who lives in exile in India, praised the European Union for opposing the death penalty to Saddam.
The verdict has satisfied countries the former Iraqi dictator invaded but caused resentment amongst some Arabs who see him as the victim of a U.S.-inspired show trial.
"His Holiness hopes that in this case, as in all others, human life will be respected and spared," the statement said. |
Hope springs eternal... |
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| Jerry_B Great Old One Joined: 15 Apr 2002 Total posts: 8265 |
| Posted: 15-11-2006 00:23 Post subject: |
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| filcee wrote: | | My cynical prediction for Saddam Hussein; he won't make it to being executed...either the stress of incarceration, trial and appeal will be too much for him & he'll die of natural causes, or he'll somehow gain access to lethal drugs (is he on any medication ATM?), and commit suicide... |
And then you'll probably get all sorts of conspiracy theories springing up...  |
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| filcee Beer Monkey Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Total posts: 889 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 15-11-2006 10:42 Post subject: |
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| Jerry_B wrote: | | filcee wrote: | | My cynical prediction for Saddam Hussein; he won't make it to being executed...either the stress of incarceration, trial and appeal will be too much for him & he'll die of natural causes, or he'll somehow gain access to lethal drugs (is he on any medication ATM?), and commit suicide... |
And then you'll probably get all sorts of conspiracy theories springing up... |
See my post on the Predictions for 2007 thread... |
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