If you are going to talk about Saddam's death and have an honest debate about it, it's only fair to talk about the atrocities he committed against his own people, his neighbors and the plans he had for America and it's allies.

Check www.regimeofterror.com for some examples you haven't heard detailed that were in the Duelfer report.

It was dreadful, the ghoulish watch, the inane comments, the predictions and the unhealthy circus atmosphere. I too, kept thinking about Pinochet. If Bush is finally impeached couldn't he also be accused of killing thousands of Iraquis and Americans and war crimes?

Our dear Mr. Nugent overlooked the quintessential element of the equation here--"Bush's war' is going exactly as planned.
If one allows that Bush and Co. are planning to let global warming "smeak up on us," and then use this as a reason to "nuke" certain "real dirty targets" and take over the Third World--actually in order to ultimately exploit the "poor masses" like never before (read huge labor camps)--than Phil is wrong to assert that Bush's war was poorly thought out...
Here one should consider how the Government actually did commission a study in response to warnings of global warming--and the subsequent "news" was the most ominous forewarning yet...
First, you "brainwash" the American people with glimpses of the "crazy beast" at work in Iraq, ect., and then you use your "toehold" and the excuse of global warming to spring forward into your altruistic "police action..."
On the other hand, after the Buddhist monks self-immolated in Vietnam, soldiers massacred the fellow monks--and Pres. Dien released a statement saying he had no hand in the punitive "action," rather it was some "rouge army element..." And isn't this the same thing with the hellish gassing of the Kurds--no one could actually tie it to Saddam...
Surely Saddam was a murderer..., but than again, wasn't his fatal folly in being "stupid" enough to let the West arm him with those weapons of mass destruction...
Alas..., live by the sword, die by hanging...

I get back to what the Greeks said of civilisation. That we are only as just as we treat our unjust.
I guess that is to which all great societies aspire. Once again, we failed...

I am not a label. I have no "Jones" about the death sentence, although I am philosophically opposed to it, because I believe in the statement above most of all. How can two wrongs make a right?
It was gruesome, our salacious attraction to CNN and the headlines as it came to be. I waited once the verdict and sentence came out just to see how we as a species would react, and predictably we displayed the lowest level of what we are capable of doing...voyerism of our own sickness as a people. Is it possible to go any lower?

These are sad times as we begin a new year. What can we expect in the coming months if this is what occurred in the last few years of existence. I am not a label. Not a liberal, not a socialist, not a conservative, or an independent, or a libertarian. What I am is a human being and I am ashamed to be so these past few years. I am frustrated because I feel powerless in making change that allows us to be more human.

That's how I feel too, Deborah. . ..

Clearly Saddam was no angel. His crimes were great and yet much of this was done with the consent of the United States government, especially throughout the 1980's. In this sense it is difficult to listen to any commentary from the American authority in Washington without choking in disgust. The forked tongue of George W. Bush, the Texan executioner and his dogmatic fat mouthed hypocrisy merely adds gasoline to an ever growing worldwide fire of hatred towards all American authority (even the good sides of it) and the inherent lies it spouts when it speaks of freedom, justice or the cause of democracy. Whether it be the Indonesian, Suharto, the Philippine, Marcos, the Chilean, Pinochet, the Nicaraguan, Somoza (he's a bastard but he's our bastard), the corrupt and often brutal Shah of Iran (the acclaimed greatest accomplishment of the CIA), or even the now executed Saddam Hussein of Iraq to name but a few of America's “democratic” gems that received 100% backing from the freedom loving American government and with complete disregard for their brutality and murderous form of rule—just so long as they served select corporate interests at the expense of the American people's international safety and integrity as a human rights oriented kind of people (the higher and true meaning of our constitution).

The premature execution of Saddam did conveniently save Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld and other treasured US citizens from embarrassment and denied the world the chance to hear firsthand testimony (most likely protected and censored by US National Security acts) from the once American sponsored butcher on just how the American government had set him up (in more ways than one), backed him and then back-stabbed him―the why of it all and I guess Saddam's argument could easily have been something like, 'no doubt I'm bad, I was born into mediocrity, I rose through the ranks of society and when power was within my grasp I took it, . . . as you can see by the chaos of today that spreads throughout Iraq and beyond into the greater Middle Eastern region, it required a strong man to rule the chaos and most likely only a strong and ruthless man like myself, can replace me. In this sense Saddam, like Arafat, Gadafi or for that matter the mentor of these men, the pan-Arab ideologist, anti-colonist pro-terrorism revolutionary, Abdel Gamal Nasser, are all excellent manifestations of the American Dream, since they are men from mediocrity, men that come “from the rabble” that have seized power in the Middle East and thus are counter to the “Status Quo”, the affluent, or even the weakening royal blue bloods; that is men who are a consequence and reaction to the “Status Quo”, the affluent, or the obviously weakening royal blue bloods, and therefore they are men that have in the inner core of their being a mutual bond with the common and less privileged individual in the Middle East—they symbolize to the masses of the Middle East what a common individual can accomplish no matter what lot they were dealt here in life. Thus people from this part of world can identify with these men under the principle that for better or for worse, “he was one of us”.

My sympathy is with you Deborah. . .

Clearly Saddam was no angel. His crimes were great and yet much of this was done with the consent of the United States government, especially throughout the 1980's. In this sense it is difficult to listen to any commentary from the American authority in Washington without choking in disgust. The forked tongue of George W. Bush, the Texan executioner and his dogmatic fat mouthed hypocrisy merely adds gasoline to an ever growing worldwide fire of hatred towards all American authority (even the good sides of it) and the inherent lies it spouts when it speaks of freedom, justice or the cause of democracy. Whether it be the Indonesian, Suharto, the Philippine, Marcos, the Chilean, Pinochet, the Nicaraguan, Somoza (he's a bastard but he's our bastard), the corrupt and often brutal Shah of Iran (the acclaimed greatest accomplishment of the CIA), or even the now executed Saddam Hussein of Iraq to name but a few of America's “democratic” gems that received 100% backing from the freedom loving American government and with complete disregard for their brutality and murderous form of rule—just so long as they served select corporate interests at the expense of the American people's international safety and integrity as a human rights oriented kind of people (the higher and true meaning of our constitution).

The premature execution of Saddam did conveniently save Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld and other treasured US citizens from embarrassment and denied the world the chance to hear firsthand testimony (most likely protected and censored by US National Security acts) from the once American sponsored butcher on just how the American government had set him up (in more ways than one), backed him and then back-stabbed him―the why of it all and I guess Saddam's argument could easily have been something like, 'no doubt I'm bad, I was born into mediocrity, I rose through the ranks of society and when power was within my grasp I took it, . . . as you can see by the chaos of today that spreads throughout Iraq and beyond into the greater Middle Eastern region, it required a strong man to rule the chaos and most likely only a strong and ruthless man like myself, can replace me. In this sense Saddam, like Arafat, Gadafi or for that matter the mentor of these men, the pan-Arab ideologist, anti-colonist pro-terrorism revolutionary, Abdel Gamal Nasser, are all excellent manifestations of the American Dream, since they are men from mediocrity, men that come “from the rabble” that have seized power in the Middle East and thus are counter to the “Status Quo”, the affluent, or even the weakening royal blue bloods; that is men who are a consequence and reaction to the “Status Quo”, the affluent, or the obviously weakening royal blue bloods, and therefore they are men that have in the inner core of their being a mutual bond with the common and less privileged individual in the Middle East—they symbolize to the masses of the Middle East what a common individual can accomplish no matter what lot they were dealt here in life. Thus people from this part of world can identify with these men under the principle that for better or for worse, “he was one of us”.

It strikes a very sour chord for us as Americans to be in this place at this time, and yes, having just returned from a rather innocous place like Europe, where we were supported, I can feel the energy range from subtle disregard to seething hate coming from the populace as I spoke in my very American accent. It is sad indeed. I want to wear a sign stating my lack of allegience to my own country because I have no ownership to the events that are occurring now. The CIA, even at it's most weakest point right now is and has been a major component of the true "axis of evil", as any thinking person knows. The literature is there to corroborate their acts that are no less innocent than the acts perpetrated by Saddam. We are a cruel and unjust people who hide behind lies to dupe the general masses. Our government has succeded in doing so. Unfortunately, it is also the non thinking people who vote them in. If you go to anywhere else in the world you can engage in an intellegent, informed conversation about the state of geopolitics with nearly any person, regardless of their socio economic status. That's because their very survival depends upon staying informed and aware. Here, we sit around like herds of cattle watching psuedo acts of war in the form of sports on television, allowing our minds to turn to jello. We are ignorant to the great scam taking place under our supposed watch. Other people in other countries cry out at the injustices because they know what is happening, and they try to make change. But unfortunately they are not fortunate like we are and have no legitimate venue to act, so they act in violence. Until we in this country have the same events perpetrated upon our personal lives, like those in other countries who are not blessed, we will remain fat, ignorant and bloated with arrogance. Harsh assessment on this last day of the year, but I had to get it out and renew my stance in making what change I can for the next year.

This goes to show the world just how BLOOD THIRSTY and EVIL the majority of U.S. citizens are! Look at the sports that they love. We can look back at the Roman Empire and see where we are and where we are going. We "HUMAN MONKEYS" refuse to change, therefore, we keep going around in circles, repeating the same mistakes. The technology changes, but the attitudes remain unchanged. We as a nation have been very bad neighbors to the rest of the world for a very long time. It will get to be HELL ON EARTH before it gets better! And it will be MAN-MADE, not some imaginary god that causes it!

In just six short years, George W. Bush has taken the US from the world's only superpower at the height of its influence, to an over-committed has-been. Have you noticed the expression “American Century” is no longer bandied about? The writing's on the wall, although it may be a little early to read the message loud and clear. US allies and countries that depend on the US for protection are running for cover, seeking new alliances. Political and moral influence has significantly waned; the economy and currency are about to take a bath. Because if Iran leads the charge in getting petroleum priced in Euros, the US will no longer able to impose a dollar inflation “tax” on the rest of the world. Namely, it will not be necessary to buy dollars in order to purchase oil, which is the situation at present. The only hesitation I have in welcoming a significant decline in US influence is that it will allow China to assume the role of top nation even sooner. But you can't blame George and the neo-cons entirely, because the US public voted for GWB. Even assuming the presidential elections were rigged; some 45% must surely have voted Republican. Of course us Brits. elected Tony Blair's NuLabour, but only 36% of voters selected a Labour candidate. And when you look at those eligible to vote, Labour support was around 23%. Hardly a mandate.
But bottom line, you have to admit everything GWB touches turns to s***. .
Considering the level of US indebtedness, you guys in Blue States might want to consider seceding from the Union and declaring independence.