Redstate

You Know The Rest Of The Song

By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Featured Stories | Foreign Affairs — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

If the death of Saddam Hussein is not considered an occasion for dancing in the streets of for raucous celebrations--though dancing in the streets and raucous celebrations certainly cannot be begrudged those who had to suffer so greatly at the dictator's hands--it is only because the inherent humanity of Saddam's many foes might cause them to regard death, even Saddam's death, with a subdued silence. Merely because one is exposed to a monster does not mean that one must adopt the monster's ethics and while celebrations over Saddam's death are certainly merited, it is notable indeed that so many have chosen to view life and death with a greater sense of solemnity than Saddam could ever muster in his own black and pitiless soul as he casually ordered the killing of one perceived opponent after another. "Of all manifestations of power," Thucydides wrote, "restraint impresses men the most." The restraint of so many who have every right to cheer themselves hoarse at the news of Saddam's death is an awe-inspiring thing. It is not forgiveness of an enemy, but rather the most dazzling display possible that the enemy has been vanquished. The silence of so many of Saddam's foes is the greatest expression of their contempt for a man-resembling thing who was as contemptible as he was destructive.

There are principled ways in which to express doubts and reservations about the the death penalty and its application to even one so deserving as Saddam Hussein. Joshua Trevino--with his typical thoughtfulness and eloquence--does so here. However much you may be in favor of the death penalty in general and however much you may feel the penalty deserved to be applied to Saddam Hussein in particular, Josh's words are well worth reading.

Of course, some words aren't well worth reading. Josh Trevino has cataloged them as well.

In the end, what is there to say? Only that there is much that needs to be done in rebuilding Iraq before we can consider the reconstruction complete. Only that there are many who will perpetrate violence to satiate their lust for power but who will fool the credulous into thinking that they are perpetrating violence to commemorate the "martyrdom" of Saddam Hussein. And only that December 30, 2006 is a far better day than December 29, 2006 was--thanks to the loss of one man-resembling thing.