The public execution of Saddam to me contains several elements of the carnival and some of them in extreme ways. Here we see images of the “audience” actually verbally taunting Saddam and even throwing objects at him, no one there is a spectator they are all performers. The execution itself violates one of the most fundamental laws we have in society which is not to take a human life. In the spectacle of Saddam’s hanging, laws are (literally) suspended and only under this context is it legal to terminate a human life. An element of the carnivalesque is challenging authority through laughter, the public hanging of Saddam does not just merely challenge authority but it destroys it. Saddam used to be face of tyranny and power, the one who controlled everything from laws to daily life and in the hanging, citizens from all the social classes came together as equals to witness the overthrowing of a once powerful authority. But the carnival is merely an illusion it’s a way for the people in control to provide a controlled setting to challenge authority and what is this hanging really saying? The new Iraqi government (one’s who replaced Saddam) just replaced Saddam as the new authority and they are sending a message of fear; yes we have the authority to take a human life if we deem it necessarily. What is really disturbing about all of this is how some children took the “performance” aspect quite literally (heavily due to the exposure through television) The url that I will be posting at the end is a link to the article and a video of Saddam's last moments. Where must we draw the line for being merely a spectator to actually being a performer?
Image is from bbc.co.uk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6221751.stm
No comments:
Post a Comment