The Indigestible

IRAQ — Disorder was the rule of the day as, over the weekend, more than 650,000 persons killed since the Iraq war began suddenly returned to life. They immediately began trying to rebuild their war-torn neighborhoods, ousting the various Islamo-terroist cells that have sprung up in the vacuum of leadership imposed on that nation by the US in 2003.

In the US, further disorder came in the form of 3,000 killed US soldiers suddenly appearing in the midst of their friends’ and families’ homes to help them all celebrate the new year. Added to that were the nearly 3,000 killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

Meanwhile Osama Bin Laden, the nominal leader of al-Qaeda, turned himself in to Pakistani authorities, at the same time issuing the decree that Islamic terrorism the world over was to come to an immediate end, saying, “Now that Saddam Hussein is dead, it is clear the US is the victorious nation and the one right with God.”

President Bush only had words of humble gratitude to speak. “These miracles are showing all of us how great the power of The Lord is. I am but His humble servant, like unto the slow-of-speech Moses. To God alone is the greatness attributed.

“Be at peace, world, for the tyrant is finished.”

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Today, of course, we’re beset by the spectacle of dozens slobbering erroneously over the corpse of Gerald Ford. Much is being made, for instance, of the fact that he pussed out on Nixon — folks, the pardon wasn’t a good thing. Nixon was a fucking felon and deserved to go to prison. Pardons are for people wrongfully convicted, not lying little toads who overreached their bounds.

I think there’s a little padding being put in place here — the righties are trying to shore up support for Bush being pardoned in the next couple years, once his slimy ass gets the impeachment it deserves.

Meanwhile, even while ministers and heads of state were composing vapid homilies to honor a president who was made remarkable by circumstance rather than leadership, Saddam wasn’t simply being killed; he was abused in his final moments.

As Saddam Hussein is led towards the trapdoor, one of the unseen observers shouts “go to hell”.

In response Saddam Hussein is sarcastic, asking “do you consider this bravery?”

The worst part is that the killing didn’t do a damned bit of good. Just hours after the former Iraqi president was killed, video footage of his hanging was circulating online. Iraqi reaction is not positive.

Walking round in Baghdad this evening, as people hurried home in the black-out to celebrate their New Year’s Eve in the security of their own homes, it seemed that everyone knew all about the new video.

The people I spoke to, who seemed to be Sunni Muslims, were shocked by it.

They also appeared to be distinctly nervous that the video would sharpen the already serious sectarian divide here.

Under Saddam Hussein, prisoners were regularly taunted and mistreated in their last hours. For many of them, death must have come as a relief.

But the most disturbing thing about the new video of Saddam’s execution for crimes precisely like this, is that it is all much too reminiscent of what used to happen here.

It is going to be increasingly difficult for the government of Nouri Maliki to convince Sunni Arabs here that Saddam’s execution was not merely an act of retaliation.

Hooray for our side, hooray for the side of “justice” and “freedom”.

I find most telling about this entire detestable episode the singular fact that the Textard Il Duce is not crowing loud and long over this — nor are any of his pathetic cronies. From vale to peak, nary a snivel of delight from a Wormtongue. Why, you’d almost think they were ashamed of themselves … until you remember that shame is a human emotion. Thus they are obviously remaining silent for another reason.*

Silence, often, speaks far more loudly than demaogoguery.

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* It’s almost as though they’re anticipating something happening in the next couple years. Hmm, what major event may be taking place in, say, 2008?