Judgment at Baghdad? I Don't Think So.

One of the best films of all time (at least in my opinion) is Judgment at Nuremberg. It tells the story of the war crimes trials of Nazi leaders after the end of WWII. The movie stars Spencer Tracey, Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Maximiliam Schell, Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, and even more. Anyway, it tells of the nobility of men as well as their depravity. It manages to do that rather even-handedly. It shows the nobility of the German defense lawyer, and the depravity of the accused. It shows how sitting in judgment by the victor after a war is tricky business.

Could someone make an equivalent film about the trials of Baathist Party leaders in Iraq? No, I don't think so. The trials had the same characteristics of a Stalin show trial. The defense had only token opportunity to work on behalf of the defendants. The first judge withdrew because he didn't want to be a part of a kangaroo court. One of the defense lawyers died at the hands of assassins, while all of their family members were threatened. This trial in which Saddam was sentenced to death had all the predictability of a farce. If a film director tried to make such a film it would result in a sleazy B film.

We Americans try to hold ourselves to a high standard in behavior, but we don't measure up any better than our enemies. Sadly, we seem to behave just as poorly when all is said and done. Do I believe that Saddam committed crimes against humanity? Yes, I do. Should he have been removed from his position and put to death? Yes, I agree. But did either one of those two things take place as it should have? No, most definitely not.

We removed him from power under the guise of protecting the world, while we really just wanted to dominate the Middle East and make the world safe for ExxonMobils. We rounded Saddam up and put him on trial by a bunch of our puppets. Was it just coincidence or irony that his death sentence came down just a few days before the November 7 election?

The UN Working Group on Arbitraty Detention concluded:

Even prior to the conclusion of the trial, the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in its Opinion 31/2006 dated 1 September 2006[2]: (a) has held that the detention is arbitrary within Category III of the Working Group’s categories (failure to provide a fair trial) [see para. 27]; and (b) has called upon the governments of Iraq and the USA to remedy the situation by providing a fair trial. [see para 28]

We can and should do better than this. What an unsophisticated way to go about it! God help the war criminals that brought all this about. If there be any justice in this universe, they're time will come.

Death Watch: Saddam Hussein

According to my calculations, the Iraqi government will hang Saddam Hussein within the next half hour. Several newspapers say on their web pages that the execution will take place between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. December 30, Baghdad time. That means between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. central standard time. Only time will tell. Anyway, when this brutal, vicious, motherfucking dictator gets killed, we'll just have Fidel to watch...unless someone else pulls a Turkmenbashi and dies unexpectedly.

I'm not a supporter of the Iraq war, but I have to acknowledge that the world will be better off without Saddam Hussein. Go to hell, Saddam!

Castro Wins!

According to the Nuevo Herald in Miami, American and Iraqi authorities have agreed to hold Saddam's execution tomorrow before 6 a.m. The Associated Press' source is a high-level Iraqi official who requested anonymity, because he does not have authorization to speak to the press. The source says that American forces will turn Saddam over to the Iraqis shortly before his execution.

Okay, so it looks like Castro will win the "stayin' alive" battle against Saddam. He's outlasted Pinochet, Somoza, Stroessner, and God only knows who else.

I Must Not Know How to Yawn

According to Piero Salzarulo, a professor of psychology in Florence, Italy, a yawn "gives a sense of well-being comparable to an orgasm." Even more, on a pleasure scale of 1 to 10 a yawn rates an 8.5 according to a study done by Robert Provine, professor of psychology, at the University of Maryland. Well, that leads me to only one conclusion: I don't know how to yawn. I mean, if yawning is comparable to an orgasm, I would be doing it all the time! However, the faces of people yawning and having an orgasm sure do look similar.

Santas of the World Unite!

You have nothing to lose but your...chains? Yep, that's right. In Italy a new group has sprung up called the "Movimento di liberazione dei Babbi Natale da terrazzo" (Movement for the Liberation of Santa Clauses from Terraces). Many people attach Santas to their terraces or to their balconies during the Christmas season. They appear to be climbing a fence or climbing a wall. However, lately many of the have gone missing, replaced with a letter from the MlBNt saying that they have "liberated" the Santas into the forest where they are happy.

By the way, the "Movimento autonomo per la liberazione delle anime da giardino" (Autonomous Movement for the Liberation of Garden Gnomes) has denied any responsibility. They say that they work only for the liberation of garden gnomes and to work for other beings would just be a distraction.

Well, It's Not Like...Uh...Surprising

News flash - The Iraqi Supreme Court has ruled that Saddam Hussein's death sentence remains valid, and that he must hang within the next 30 days. This guy didn't have a chance from the day he got captured. I mean, c'mon, did you really think a puppet government under the direction of the U.S. would acquit him? By an almost unbelievable coincidence his death sentence came down just before the 2006 elections in the U.S. But, even that couldn't help Bush and company. Maybe they'll try to kill him before the start of 2007.

Okay, let's predict. Who will die first, Fidel Castro or Saddam Hussein? In spite of it all, it's lookin' like Saddam might go first. Who would have thought it?

Spanish Doctor Says No Cancer for Fidel

Last week the Cuban government requested that José Luis Garcia Sabrido, a physician in Spain, come to Cuba to take a look at Fidel. The good doctor has returned and says that Fidel doesn't have cancer as the CIA reported. In fact, John Negroponte said that the CIA had intelligence to show that Fidel would die before Christmas. Maybe he meant Christmas next year. Evidently, old the old bastard continues to live.

Don't you know that his continuing to live just pisses George W. off? Hell, Castro might resume his duties and be in office longer than George. Whoa!