The Hitler Paradox and Saddam Hussein
I wasn't going to comment on the Iraqi court's verdict on Saddam Hussein and I would prefer to avoid Godwin's law, but I have been surprised at the response of some people at HP and the comments indicate my views on the subject.
I was intending to reduce the rhetoric and argue a logical case how qualms over capital punishment could not apply to dictators, their henchmen and others guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide but instead I will argue that the Hitler "paradox" is obvious enough:
suppose, for the sake of argument, that Adolf Hitler had been captured alive and put on trial at Nuremberg, would anyone here seriously have opposed the death penalty towards him??
5 comments:
suppose, for the sake of argument, that Adolf Hitler had been captured alive and put on trial at Nuremberg, would anyone here seriously have opposed the death penalty towards him?
Probably not, but at that time there was less opposition to the death penalty generally.
My opposition to the death penalty is absolute. I am against it for every crime under all circumstances, irrespective whether the criminal is responsible for one death or millions.
Some folk, who are normally against the death penalty, seem to make an exception for people like Saddam.
I fundamentally disagree with such exceptions.
I suspect, MB, that we both know the answer to your last question. Which is yes. There always are fanatics for every cause, you know...
Oops! I have fired off that comment without reading the previous one. Yep.
Benjamin,
you are disingenuous when we discussed the issue I had to point out at length that dictators would probably reside in special prisons, receiving all the privileges of normal prisoners plus a few more, because of the scrutiny.
now you could have acknowledged all of this and said yes, that is true but I have an absolute objection to capital punishment, instead you are shifty and obtuse about the bleeding obvious (how dictators would be looked after), which all in all is disingenuous and why I shall ignore your contributions, they are worthless, they are a posture, by all means demonstrate principles but don't argue about verifiable facts or reasoned conclusions, as if they're important to you, which they are not.
Calm down, old boy.
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