Would this be acceptable if it stopped the bloodshed?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....-agree-step-down.html

After all monster Idi Amin was given sanctuary in Saudi Arabia by the Saudi royal family who paid him a generous subsidy in return for his staying out of politics.

[jno]

depends what you want to do, stop the bloodshed or exact vengeance from Assad. It may not be possible to do both. If only one is possible, then I'd say yes. Russia can have him, they seem to llike him.

[sandyRoe]

It seems a very good idea. Years ago dictators could retire to a villa in Switzerland to enjoy their ill gotten gains.
If Saddam and Gaddafi have been allowed to do that a great many lives might have been saved.

[FredPuli43]

Not unknown. There's a village near Cannes which seemed, at one time, to be entirely populated by ex-dictators ! In the end, their people were just happy that they were gone.
It's just practical politics,and a good answer, given that Putin is so against action; he has his own practical reasons, not least being that Russia has a naval base in Syria,which is it's only one on the Med. and, for the moment, the regime seems to have control.

[jake-the-peg]

That's a hard call isn't it?

On the one hand you'd say "Yes, obviously if it stopped the bloodshed in Syria"

On the other what sort of message dos it send to all the other nasty violent dictators? "Do what you want and if it all goes badly you can bargain with the lives of the people"

Russia "likes him" because they have a whopping great naval base there - this'll go nowhere without their buy in

[NOX]

Sadly yes, it's acceptable- rather than years of a bloody civil war, besides once he's living in Chipping Camden it'll be easier for one of his disaffected countrymen to make sure he accidentally trips dwn some steep steps.

[anotheoldgit]

/// On the other what sort of message dos it send to all the other nasty violent dictators? "Do what you want and if it all goes badly you can bargain with the lives of the people" ///

Yes they say that revenge is sweet, but it is all dependant on how far you wish to go.

Capture him and haul him through the streets to the gallows????

That far, would you say?

[jake-the-peg]

I thought you right wingers were big on the notion of deterant?

Does that only apply to civillian criminals?

Generally the international criminal court does not drag people through the streets to the gallows.

Making a decision like this hgh does seriously undermine its emerging credibility - and that is hard won with people like Milosevic facing Genocie charges

[anotheoldgit]

/// I thought you right wingers were big on the notion of
deterant? ///

Yes that may well be, but Right-Wingers are more flexible in their thinking, and are willing to make compromisers if the need arises.

Unlike Left-Wingers who are set in their ways, and refuse to budge one inch from their political doctrine.

[Mick-Talbot]

I thought right wingers were not for turning?

[Gromit]

//Right-Wingers are more flexible in their thinking //

Just what I have always thought.

flex·i·ble
adjective
1. capable of being bent
2. susceptible of modification
3. disposed to yield; pliable

[youngmafbog]

Lets face it, no one has the stomach for yet another war so if the option is for him to leg it or thousands die I thin we have to go for the 'let him go' one. Afterall he will be looking over his shoulders for the rest of his life (Which will probably be failry short)
As for Gaddaffi and Hussain, Gaddaffi swore he would never leave so no option there and it was highly unlikley that Hussain would have gone, certainly with rats like Galloway up his Jacksie.
As for revenge, did the world benefit from the Sadam Shuffle or slaughter in the street at the hands of a mob? No, but certanly their countrymen seemed to get something from it. We have to remember not everyone thinks like us (and they are certainly not a bunch of lefties out in the middle east ! )

[anotheoldgit]

Mick-Talbot

/// I thought right wingers were not for turning? ///

A good and witty response Mike.

But that was just one particular right-winger, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, who refuse perform a 'U Turn' on one particular issue.

This in no way represents the feelings of all right-wingers, just look at how many 'U Turns' Cameron has made, when he has listened to the people.

[Gromit]

// ..look at how many 'U Turns' Cameron has made, when he has listened to the people. //

Cameron does not listen to the people, he follows the polls. When the polls tell him Labour well ahead, he ditches the unpopular stuff.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

1. capable of being bent, ie "not ridged in their views and willing to bend with the times".

2. susceptible of modification, ie "not stuck in the old ways, but willing to modify their views".

3. disposed to yield; pliable ie not rigidly dogmatic in their views

[anotheoldgit]

/// Cameron does not listen to the people, he follows the polls. When the polls tell him Labour well ahead, he ditches the unpopular stuff. ///

And how else would you expect him to know the feelings of the people, if he did not take into consideration 'the polls'?

[Gromit]

AOG

I have read your posts for many years. I would categorise you as the complete opposite of what you claim a right-winger is. You are ridged in your views, stuck in the old ways, not willing to modify your views and dogmatic in your views.

[Gromit]

// And how else would you expect him to know the feelings of the people, if he did not take into consideration 'the polls'? //

I am not saying he should ignore the polls because they are a good indication of what the people think of his actions.

But you said he listens to people. He does not. Most of the things they have had to do U-Turns over he was told by many people they were not good policies. They are the opposite to a listening Government, they are contemptuous of anyone but themselves.

[anotheoldgit]

/// But you said he listens to people. He does not. Most of the things they have had to do U-Turns over he was told by many people they were not good policies. They are the opposite to a listening Government, they are contemptuous of anyone but themselves. ///

That is a contradiction of terms.

If he was told by many people they were not good policies, so much so that he made a few 'U Turns', how could he not have been listening to these people?

[anotheoldgit]

/// You are ridged in your views, stuck in the old ways, not willing to modify your views and dogmatic in your views. ///

Perhaps that is because so many of the old ways are the best ways, and as for modifying my views, no one from the 'Left' has so far presented me with a good enough reason to change those views.

[jno]

perhaps he should listen to them before implementing his policies rather than after? Seeing how often the people have been right and he has been wrong.