Is the Iraqi government stepping up to end violence a bad thing?

Question

These insurgence are setting bombs off and killing civilians murdering woman and children. Why are there those that say swift justice is no better than Saddam? Saddam gased, raped and brutily tortured. They will act according to the law. What else can you do, tell them to stop? They should know better... Please give me a reasonable arguement. I'll listen...

Answer 1

The problem is, they DON'T know any better. Centuries of tribalism and religious divisions aren't going to be overcome by a few months of "democracy," especially among a people with no history of democratic thought. Democracy didn't develop in the western world overnight. It was a long and involved process of gradual change, assisted by the spread of education and inexpensive media (penny-press newspapers). With the right to a democratic society also came responsibilities....to uphold the process even when you disagreed with it, and to avoid the "tyranny of the majority" to protect the rights of minorities as well. The execution of Saddam Hussein will do nothing to stop the violence, nor can a government still riddled with factional disputes. The battle now is between two religious factions, the Sunnis and the Shias....it's nothing more than a civil war. And with no background in democratic thought, it's virtually impossible for either side to consider surrendering anything for the good of the entire nation. Religious-based nation-states have always relied on the repression of others to maintain their hold on power.Only a "secular" approach to nationhood ensures that the population considers the well-being of the nation over their own particular political and religious goals.

Had Saddam's trial been a little more fair, at least the rest of the world's Muslim leaders wouldn't be able to criticise it the way they are. There's no doubt the verdict would have been the same, but, as the old saying goes, justice must not only be done, but it must also seem to be done.