Well, I am sick today, and so in no mood for this kind of drivel.
I call him "Saddam" because there are other figures named "Hussein" around, such as the late king of Jordan. It is just easier and everybody knows who we're talking about.
Plus, if you want to play political games, the guy is a mass murderer and thug. I have less than zero respect for him and would not mourn for one second if I heard that somebody had blown his brains out. Quite the opposite, thank you.
BTW, I have heard it claimed in Madison, Wisconsin that the term "political correctness" was invented on the very progressive east side of Madison (Williamson Street neighborhood, for those of you in the know) as a sardonic moniker. Barkley Rosser -----Original Message----- From: Jason Zanon <jzanon at ncadp.org> To: lbo-talk at lists1.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists1.panix.com> Date: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 7:53 PM Subject: Stupid question about Iraq
>I don't want to freight this question with any baggage about correct
>politics or anything like that; it's an honest query: why is it that
>the ruler of Iraq is referred to in common parlance, even in the press,
>as "Saddam" when it would be SOP to call a high-profile individual by
>their last name in most any other situation? I seem to recall that this
>moniker was bequeathed as a derogatory by Bush the Elder and minions in
>some weak attempt to slur him simultaneously in English and Arabic.
>Anyone that can shed a bit of light on this?
>
>Jason
>
>