Boo hoo: Saddam cries foul

It is obvious from his behavior in court, if not from his years of systematic murder and ghastly torture of innocent citizens, that Saddam Hussein is a deeply disturbed psychopath. He is so used to impunity and total power, that he thinks he can still rule by fear from his captivity. He claimed, for instance, that he knew the name of whoever ratted him out, which means that if he were free today, that person and their entire family, friends and neighbors, hell, probably their entire province, should be in deathly fear of savage retribution. The guy is also media savvy and hellishly manipulative, so now he is crying that Americans have tortured and beaten him in his cell. We wish! Not that we approve of torture, like Cheney, Bush and their pal Alberto Gonzalez, who happen to be so enthusiastic about the idea that they even farm it out to other countries. Yet if there is someone who deserves a good thrashing is Saddam. Luckily for us, despite this administration's best efforts, America is still a democracy guided by civilized principles and the rule of law, not by revenge fantasies. ("We'll smoke 'em out of their holes", and "Wanted: Dead or Alive" notwithstanding).