GERMANY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DIVIDED IF ONLY WE'D KEPT HITLER IN POWER:

Saddam, Stalin, Hitler and History: Conventional wisdom has it that the Iraqi people are better off without Saddam Hussein. But Leon Hadar, author of “Sandstorm: Policy Failure in the Middle East,” takes a look at 20th century history. Looking at Russia and Germany, he finds that the removal of a dictator does not necessarily guarantee a change for the better. (Leon T. Hadar, July 01, 2005, The Globalist)

This is not to dispute that Hussein was a monster like Stalin and Mao — he certainly was. However, the more relevant point to consider is whether whatever or whomever replaces him will be an improvement over the status quo ante.

He begins sensibly enough by admitting that France and Germany were better off as kingdoms than as dictatorships, but it's downhill from there. Saddam wasn't a fundamentally decent ruler, like the Tsar, but a thug, like Hitler, Stalin and Mao.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 1, 2005 1:32 PM