Bestial Triumphalism
Hi. As promised, here is what Ralph had to say about the hanging of Saddam Hussein excerpted from an email he sent to me the day of the hanging – I haven’t read anything quite as loud and clear and on the mark — using, as always, his artist’s eye to observe the nut of a situation:
I am so glad this time of the year is over and the filthy crown of it all was the wretched ‘… lynching’ of Saddam Hussein. I feel ashamed to belong to the human race. It was the most disgusting display of bestial triumphalism I have ever seen in recent times and the US and UK administrations hid behind the ‘democratically elected’ BaghKKKdad cartel to silence someone who knew more than they could get him to tell. I wish Hunter was here for all our personal reasons of course but also for the perspective that was always his to give. He never shirked the harsh reality of our outrageous behaviour and said it as it is. We have assumed a right we have not earned. I am sorry about this outward display of despair. I always believed that we would change when we saw the error of our ways, but now I know it cannot be true.
I emailed him back and asked permission to post his comments for you, he agreed and continued on:
It is just that I am so disgusted to see such scrofulous, mean and dirty activity by what seemed like a gang of armed masturbators(as Hunter would probably have said)! Taking pictures on a cheap phone is about as bad as it gets. The lousy, crippled skylight of their minds dripped with the scum of depravity that had absolutely nothing to do with any rule of law. It stunk of acrid revenge and the mess that is now Iraq. I see no way out……..
— Ralph Steadman, Kent England, January, 2007.
Thank you Ralph.And send our love to Anna too.
Until next time, your friend,
Anita Thompson
