Got justice?
Wag of the Finger
Tony Snow
Tony Snow: “The government is investigating the conduct of some people within the chamber and I think we'll leave it at that but the one thing you got to keep in mind is that you got justice. This is a man who killed hundreds of thousands and was executed for it according to the laws of the country, and in accordance with legal traditions that have made international scrutiny."
Not specified
I find it remarkable that Tony Snow can say with a straight face that we "got justice," especially when he follows that with the assertion that Hussein was executed in accordance with law ... I think progressives need to be extremely cautious about this "justice" frame. It is an easy starting point for the drivel about America haters and liberals wanting to coddle Saddam rather than kill him, befriend our enemies rather than fight them etc.
How about trying to reframe the war on terror and the march of freedom and spreading of democracy in terms of one concept: the rule of law. Are we not a nation based on laws? Do we not pride ourselves on a political/legal system where "no man is above the law"? So, we can all agree that Hussein was a despicable man who did despicable things, but let us not pretend that his execution had anything to do with law ... or justice in a legal sense.
Did you forget Chad?
The occupation of Iraq is multi-national. It's called the "coalition of the willing." See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_of_the_willing
Yes, it's bullshit, but it is provably not an out-and-out lie.
Law needs order?
This does seem like a frame to avoid. Conservative "justice" has a lot to do with revenge, authority, and irrevocable decisions. It also undermines efforts to protect human rights when "justice" is rushed and used for PR. "Quick, look busy! Execute somebody!" I'd hate for people to hear "justice" and start thinking in terms of authorities, in their elite wisdom, deciding what happens to the underlings.
A good way to rescue justice might be to reframe it as orderly? Justice and order, law and order, orderly trials. Saddam's execution was disorderly; it was a failure of order and justice. That might help to undermine conservative efforts at "justice" as disorderly and amateur, and missing the big picture of an orderly civilization. That's all pretty accurate-- progressives believe in systems, not simplification. It also seems like orderliness undermines some of the authoritarian aspects of justice, making it more about a group working together instead of a "decider" at the top.
New! Rule of Law
I am not a lawyer, but there is a double standard in play here. Bush is also directly responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis without justification. Because the American people elected him, we are responsible as well. And isn't Noriega still in a Florida prison? Are we coddling Noriega? And what is international about our war in Iraq? The U.N. is not involved and did not support the Iraq war at all.