Monday, December 15, 2003

He's Nothing But A Thug and Flawed Principles

Writing for the Telegraph, John Keegan provides a decent overview of sovereignty immunity laws beginning with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 which ”...created the principle that sovereign states, and therefore their sovereign heads, are both legally and morally absolute,..." Keegan’s opinion piece is entitled "The next challenge is how to bring about a much deserved execution" so I don’t think he is lobbying for protecting Saddam.

I linked the article from a post by Robert Clayton Dean, at Samizdata, who also gives a nod to sovereign immunity but, like Keegan, doesn’t seem to be of a mind to protect Saddam’s hide.

I personally don’t think that Saddam, or any ruler, of a country deserves any special considerations.  I’m as much of a sovereign as any so called ruler of men, as are you, and I don’t note any special protections for my hide, or yours, if I’m a murderer and a thug.  Sovereign immunity isn’t a principle, it’s a tool of self preservation for tyrants, both benign and murderous.  A thug is simply a thug.  Just because a thug was a “ruler” of a country, does not deem the thug worthy of any special considerations.

Posted by John Venlet on 12/15 at 04:35 PM
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