December 30, 2006
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Saturday 30 December 2006
Amsterdam, Netherlands
"Saddam Hussein." Literally the first words I heard when I switched on the radio in my bedroom this morning just before 8. Oh. So he's dead. I heard the reports on the radio, the reporter from somewhere in the Middle East and also the sickening hyped-up version of the CNN announcement. A voice that would normally announce a game show now announcing the death of a tyrant.
Am I happy that Saddam is no longer on this planet? You bet. I'm totally convinced that he was the most gruesome type of dictator possible, with a psychotic and unforgiving outlook on what government should be or what human rights actually are.
Do I think he should have been executed? Absolutely not. I'm against the death penalty in any situation, for any criminal - even ones as utterly despicable as the Butcher of Baghdad. For once I agree with the Dutch government, and with EU Commissioner Michel, who both called the execution barbaric. No person or institution on this planet should be allowed to kill a human being. That's my belief. I do not believe in the 'an eye for an eye' credo.
Saddam should have remained in prison until his dying day, and he should have faced the numerous trials that no doubt would have awaited him. He should have heard the voices of the people who suffered so much because of him. And he should have given evidence on his defence in those trials. His victims deserved the opportunity to face him in person and in word. Because then the world could maybe also have heard some of the methods used by Western agencies such as the CIA, who, when they already knew plenty of the atrocities he had committed in Kurdistan, continued to support him with the same weapons that killed his people. It might have been an eye-opener. I'm sure there was a big sigh of relief in the CIA headquarters when the noose around his neck killed the beast.
OK. Lighten up. What you see in the picture above is a Dutch coin, a so called 'dubbeltje' or 10 cents coin. 10 Guilder cents, that is. The guilder was the official currency of the Netherlands until the euro took over in the form of coins and banknotes 5 years ago. Up until today however, people who still had guilder coins in their possession could take them to the Dutch Central Bank and have them exchanged for euros. But for the coins today was the last opportunity (the banknotes can be exchanged until 2032) - so from today the above coins, part of a very small collection of coins I have, only have collector's value, but no longer monetary value. And that feels kind of sad. I was and am in favour of the euro, but to see the guilder disappear forever does hurt just a bit.
Goodness, another sad story. And there's a storm outside tonight as well. Things just won't cheer up. Well, I'll try and be very positive tomorrow for my last post of 2006!
Comments (3)
I loved guilders when I visited Holland.
Hope the storm passes you bye quickly.
I'm of the opinion that Saddam should be left to rot. Hanging was too good for him. Plus I don't think it matters whether he is dead as there is probably someone waiting to fill his shoes somewhere else.
Wasn't Saddam one of your future ex-husbands at one point?
You expressed my sentiments about Saddam precisely. I was aware of his hanging somewhat late evening a day or two ago as the new HDTV I've just invested in broke in with the news. I'm of the opinion that being reduced to living out his existence in a small cell with no human contact, no literature, absolutely nothing beyond food and water would have been a far worse punishment for him than hanging. That would have been a small measure of justice meted out to him to have him suffer personal torment. Ah well, it is done, and nothing can undo what he did for all these years.
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