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Putting him in prison does that too.

If you want a logistical arguement, the fact is that in America, only major industrialized country with the death penalty, it costs a lot more to go through the appeals process to kill someone then it does to feed and clothe them for the rest of their lives. Several million more. I can't imagine it helps Iraq finantially, as well. As for the rape charge, I agree and disagree. But I don't think in those cases many rapists get the death penalty, so I don't know if the arguement applies.

You forgot the third option, and let me just say, three words: Send the Terminators.

Congratulations. You've now turned real death into a form of entertainment.

All righty, my cultural anthropology side cries out in response to this stuff.

The different views we have on Saddam's death are all pretty different and such. People defend their views based on their own worldview and cultural bias.
You have to keep in mind though that the Iraqi government made the decision to kill Saddam (like someone else already said). Iraq is a country quite different from ours (duh). Their beliefs, history, traditions, and culture are things that we can't always understand.
So you don't believe in the death penalty, well so what? That doesn't mean other people have to not like it too. Maybe in their culture or religion killing criminals is acceptable. Its ok to kill bad man, in fact your supposed to kill bad man. Who are we to say their cultural views are wrong?

Also, I hear the argument that America is the only civilized country that practices the death penalty. Well, we also have one of the most lenient systems too. Have you seen prisons? Three meals a day, television, gym, library, etc. Jeez. There's homeless familys who'd love that.

Yeah, other countries may not do the death penalty, but they can have really nasty punishments that can include whippings, beatings, dirty slimey prisons, etc.

Whether or not you believe in harsh punishments, many countries and cultures have done those kinds of things for thousands of years. It's pretty ethnocentric to expect them to stop because "it isn't right" or because we spit Gandhi quotes at them.

Yes, all views are ethnocentric in origin. We're not gonna get rid of that unless you remove oppossing cultures, and to me, that doesn't sound at all desirable. While I respect the point made by cultural relativists, it doesn't provide any solutions to problems, it just points things out.

I never said I don't believe in the death penalty. I just think that in this case, death did nothing except create controversy through media representation.

Who are we to say someone else's views are wrong? You yourself are saying everyone else's views here are wrong because we're not culturally neutral. That is a bias in itself, and the flaw of cultural relativism.

In truth, I don't give a damn what someone else's culture is. I am still entitled to my opinions and views. My view is that Saddam's death did nothing for anyone. And I shall keep this view.

Oh, and I am a Social Anthropologist myself. Just in case you want to know. I study under Adam Kuper and Eric Hirsch at Brunel University, England.

2008 will most likely be the turning year for USA, Hopefully we won't be under Martial Law, but I do remember that scary night listening to the TV or radio, I forget which, and hearing "Bush will be going for his 3rd election"

Yes, i know that's against the law, but it's not against the law to throw us under Martial Law is some disaster happens....

I may not post here again, if you want me to, PM me. I just saw this and decided to leave something that scares me.