Saddam's Husein's classy execution

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

does this apply to war also?

There is an obvious difference between wars and execution of incarcerated people. CG or CB may be the only place on earth where war is used as an analogy justifying the death penalty. If I'm missing some major philosphical work on this please direct me. The analogy seems to me ridiculous and not even worth debating.

Wars of aggression are an entirely different matter (still not really apposite) but I'm presuming you aren't referring to those.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by non sequitur

Talk about an anti-climactic trial -- trying someone who is already dead. How much press is that going to get? Is the timing of the trials of coincidence? I don't know whether it is or not, but it's an interesting question.

Oh, I imagine it will be a riveting experience for his co-defendants. Especially if they saw the video of Saddam's hanging on YouTube.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

There is an obvious difference between wars and execution of incarcerated people. CG or CB may be the only place on earth where war is used as an analogy justifying the death penalty. If I'm missing some major philosphical work on this please direct me. The analogy seems to me ridiculous and not even worth debating.

Wars of aggression are an entirely different matter (still not really apposite) but I'm presuming you aren't referring to those.

Nice ad hominem, instead of addressing the issues. Do courts really buy this shtick?

Some people argue government should never be involved in the intentional death of other people. If that person is a complete pacifist, then his position is consistent.

We are just wittling away here.

You seem to admit that killing by government in some instances is legitimate. So the questions arise, when is it legitimate and why and when is it not and why not?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Do courts really buy this shtick?

What is this supposed to mean? All the courts have said is if Texas (for example) wants to execute people, under our federalist system it can because it's not "cruel and unusual punishment." The courts have said nothing like that capital punishment is good or virtuous public policy. I assume the Supreme Court that condemned it as cruel and unusual punishment when the court was differently constituted condemned it.

If there's a legal opinion out there saying we kill in war so we can execute people convicted of henous crimes because there's no difference please cite it.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

What is this supposed to mean?

Your ad hominem attack by stating "nobody ever argues that" excepting you idiot morons here on CG and CB. If in court, you would not always attack the listener.

That's the shtick. BTW, it doesn't intimidate.

I imagine if I paid you your 600 dollars per hour I would get a more polished argument.

Of course, the Supreme Court will not decide whether something is moral or honorable, just allowable under our laws. And those who once disallowed it, may have done so under personal idiosyncratic predelictions, not under some discernible legal standard.

Resorting to "Texas" as being incapable of reasoned argument is beneath you. You'd be up in arms if somebody accused another person that "black persons" couldn't decide matters civilly. And I would to.

There are very scholarly works on death penalty, a fact of which you are well-aware. And many analogies are made therein.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Your ad hominem attack by stating "nobody ever argues that" excepting you idiot morons here on CG and CB. If in court, you would not always attack the listener.

That's the shtick. BTW, it doesn't intimidate.

I imagine if I paid you your 600 dollars per hour I would get a more polished argument.

Of course, the Supreme Court will not decide whether something is moral or honorable, just allowable under our laws. And those who once disallowed it, may have done so under personal idiosyncratic predelictions, not under some discernible legal standard.

Resorting to "Texas" as being incapable of reasoned argument is beneath you. You'd be up in arms if somebody accused another person that "black persons" couldn't decide matters civilly. And I would to.

There are very scholarly works on death penalty, a fact of which you are well-aware. And many analogies are made therein.

Are you defending the argument that killing in a just war is the same as executing convicted criminals? I don't think even Waters meant that. He trolls his own board.

Texas employes the death penalty and I don't think it's possible to support the death penalty with reasoned argument. I don't think anyone seriously even tries anymore. It's kind of like slavery. Sorry but it's not bigotry to say that. Hats off to most states (virtually all north of the Mason-Dixon line) for ending it as a practical matter.

[creekster]

There can be little question that the execution of Saddam has been a PR debacle. Has Saddam ever looked so dignified and justified as when he demanded of his executioners if they were acting as men or as honorable Arabs? (This paraphrased dialogue occurs in the cellphone video clip circulating on the web)

As to the death penalty, I have always felt that it is a bad idea for some of the reasons stated in this thread, but also primarily becasue the studies show it doesn't work as a deterrent. OTOH, I am not morally offended by its use, and if it involved a crime against my family I am sure I would be willing to pull the switch, but as a social policy it is not a very good one, in my mind.

[danimal]

I think that videotaping it probably has had some positive consequences too. Iraqi's have been watching the video like mad. It's much harder to have conspiracy theories when you see his head hanging in a noose.

[MikeWaters]

so when do we get to hang muqtada al sadr?

[MikeWaters]

I think if executions were public and not 20 years after the fact, they might be more of a deterrent. Maybe not.

Prison is obviously not a deterrent. And we put people in prison. But I don't hear anyone clamoring to get rid of prison. Ok, no one but the far left, anyway.