A CALL FOR BUSH TO BE
EXECUTED? A PHILIPPINE COLUMNIST'S REMARKS REFLECTS THE THOUGHTS OF
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
Reading the Philippine press
is an enjoyable task, especially if you appreciate competitiveness as a
driving force for quality journalism. There was a time when New York
City enjoyed the services of about 10 daily newspapers. This has been
reduced to one major daily, a few tabloids and a fledgling product of
ideogogues. So to be confronted with five or six quality dailies to
choose from is a rather pleasant experience. Couple that with the fact
that these publications feature quality columnists and excerpts or
reprints from The New York Times
columnists and commentary, and it is easy to see how a New Yorker who
harkens back to the days when journalism was still alive in that city
can really appreciate Manila as a place where the free press flourishes.
One of these columnists,
Conrado de Quiros, writing for The
Philippine Daily Inquirer, made some very compelling remarks
about the
justice of the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and
two of his government's officials (1/17/2007).
"There is no doubt that the
condemned were bastards, but there is no doubt as well their condemners
are bigger bastards. There is no doubt that the Iraqi goverment is a
puppet government put up by an occupation force. There is no doubt that
the occupation is completely illegitimate, backed up neither by the
approval of the United Nations nor by the consience of the world."
Fair enough. It would be hard
to argue with the above statements. I in fact totally agree with them.
Then comes the kicker:
"There is no justice in
hanging Saddam Hussein, Barzan Hussein and Awad Hamad al-Bandar in
their prison unless you also hang George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and
Donald Rumsfeld from the nearest telephone pole, with or without
their royal jewels intact."
I believe Mr. de Quiros is
actually implying in his statement that Bush and Cheney ought to be
castrated before being executed in a timely manner in order for justice
to be done. Of course there are many nuances to his statement. All the
same, these are interesting thoughts, and I feel quite certain that
they are shared by a good many Americans these days. It is just so
difficult for Americans to say such things without feeling intimidated
by the flood of legislation that has been passed that deems practically
anybody a terrorist, and thus vulnerable to punishment by any number of
statutes.
The pre-castration and the use
of the words "nearest telephone pole" demonstrates a kind of rage that
exists
over the policies of the current adminstration. No wonder the Bushites
feel a need to continually press for legislation that can be used
against their political opponents in the name of terrorism. Let's hope
that this rage is converted to some real political action that can
uproot this administration (such as immediate impeachment by the
nearest Congress).