[lbo-talk] re more should be would be

[Stephen Philion]

Doug wrote,
Steve, I don't get the point of playing down Saddam's crimes. There's not
much doubt that his regime was barbaric. "They did it too!" isn't  that much
of a defense really.

--I'd agree, there's no point playing it down, that's not what I aim to do.
I do find that the crimes he committed are not what is behind this trial and
that this trial, whether conducted in Iraq or outside Iraq will be little
more than a show trial designed to rationalise the (illegal) American
invasion and occupation of Iraq.

It's one thing (and reasonable) for you to say Saddam's regime was barbaric.
It takes on entirely different significance when a Bush or Clinton cites
that regimes barbarism as justification for the invasion or a trial to
justify an illegal invasion.