Execution

I do not believe that criminals should be executed, or tortured for that matter. Lets face it, for the most part life in America, Europe and many other areas of the world are so safe, trouble free and easy that it is all to easy to assume everywhere else is the same. However I recognize I live far from the places in the world where death, torture and persecution are a daily reality everyone faces. But still we continue our daily lives safe in the knowledge that ignorance is bliss.

So when images of Berg's execution come our way its naturally disturbing to many, being far from one's daily life experience or expectations of normal treatment of human beings. One is easily drawn to the conclusion that it is barbaric and the perpetrators are obviously "animals". What exactly was barbaric though? Was it the taking of a life by any means? Was it the use of a knife and beheading? The release of the video?

If it was the taking of a human life, even an innocent one, is that any less barbaric than the thousands of civilians who have died during the Iraqi invasion and occupation? Where those civilians for the most part guilty of anything worse than being in the wrong country at the wrong time?

If it was the beheading then who are we to judge what is barbaric? This is the supposedly quick means used to kill animals on a farm. If they had shown a street execution as by Nguyen Ngoc Loan, would that have been any less repulsive? Remember that "civilized countries" have been beheading, shooting, injecting, gassing and electrocuting people for centuries. While many countries see themselves about such things now the USA still managed to execute 65 people last year. How about if they had strapped Berg in a chair and electrocuted him as is still done in Florida.

If it was the release of the video that disturbed so many then I say don't watch it. No US TV network to my knowledge has shown it, you have to go hunt it down on the Internet. The people complaining about the video are simply rubbernecking on the Internet. The availability of images from the Berg execution video are less disturbing than those release by mainstream media channels (AP) of the burned security guards in Fallujah, or the photos of degrading torture of live people in Al Ghraib.

Ultimately I have to say I do find the Berg execution barbaric and if I watched the video I know I would find it repulsive and disturbing. I previously saw a video of an execution in Afghanistan by similar means and I have to say it was the most disturbing thing I've ever seen in my life and I don't really want to see it again.

Nor do I condone the execution or sympathise with the executions in any way. I feel that the perpetrators are no less guilty of a crime than any other person, army or state that kills people in the name of some cause that they believe is fundamentally better than everyone elses.