Saddam Hussein got what he deserved. But did America?

The hanging scene was disturbing on many levels.

The masked hangmen looked like the guys who chop off heads in hostage videos. The shouted curses hardly lent an atmosphere of justice being carried out. And what was the big rush?

I’m not bothered by a brutal mass murderer getting executed. But the Iraqis somehow managed to make Saddam look dignified and brave.

This all shows how powerful online videos have become in defining public opinion – not just here, but around the world.

And here’s an odd, personal note. The same day I watched the noose go around Saddam’s doomed neck, TMC ran one of my favorite movies – Lawrence of Arabia.

I was struck by the scene when Lawrence warns the feuding Arab tribes that if they don’t stop fighting each other, they’ll be doomed to remain a “little people.”

Their tribal feuds – and British hubris about ending them – defeated and embittered Lawrence.

Now we’re in the middle of it.

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