> But the point is this. Yes, bad people here in the States will use the
> capture of Saddam for base political purposes. They may even succeed at
> doing so. But the fact is that a _murderous dictator_ has been toppled
> from power, his equally murderous sons have been eliminated, and the
> dictator will in all likelihood face a trial in an internationalist
> court for his crimes.
Not if the Iraqis I heard this morning on BBC Radio have anything to say about it.
I made the same point about the reality that the US knocked off a thuggish regime the other day, and I stand by it, despite the vulgar gloating that's going on stateside (a pro-Bush relative of mine was practically cackling about this yesterday, and I had to stop myself from saying, "Since when did you give a fuck about the Iraqis?"). But this --
> It's a bit like bitching about the moon landing. Yes, there is poverty
> and war and starvation here on Earth, but it was a magnificent
> accomplishment, a major event in world history, and _pretty fuckin' neat_.
"Neat"? As in "way cool" and "rad"? And a "major event in world history"? Certainly a major event in US elite political circles and the depthless media that serves them. Historical context gets to change as conditions warrant, and the capture of Saddam, while a good thing for the Iraqis (who should try him themselves under their own supervision), is merely Noreiga on a larger stage. The former client and geopolitical asset who went off the rails is finally punished for his disobedience.
DP