We keep hearing about Saddam’s Baathist party, with never any explanation what it is or what they believe. This may help fill the gap: Saddam’s Brain. It seems it’s basically an Arab version of Naziism, with a mystical vision of race, violence, and purity. It has some Leninist elements as well, like the parallel organization of state and party, and in recent years has tossed in a bit of Islamicism as well. “Flexibility”—change in position as demanded by the mysticism of power—seems to be one of its basic principles. Its founder, like Pol Pot, Abimael Guzman (leader of the Peruvian Shining Path movement) and Ali Shariati (a leading theoretician of the Iranian revolution), was an alumnus of the Sorbonne.
This a bad article, but does
This a bad article, but does have some good information on the Baath Party. But this article is the work of Neocons they think all Nationalism is “Nazi.” I disagree with the title “The ideology behind the thuggery.” What is his ideology? His house is full of books about Stalin. And He loves and tries to be like Stalin. The Neocon who wrote this does not even tell us about Saddam’s Worship of Stalin!!!
What is his ideology?
Stalin. Stalin. Stalin.
I think “Saddam’s Baathist party” is more Stalinist and should not called “Nazi.” Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and Abimael Guzman all used fake and perverted nationalism to advance their Marxist goals. Saddam has sadly done a very good job of becoming Stalin, by killing large numbers of members of his own party. The Baathist party was anti-communist so Saddam Stalin worshiping is total perversion of the Baath Party. The Baathist party in Iraq is a creature of Saddam and has little to do with any wider Political Ideology. Saddam is disliked by almost everyone.
The Baath Party as Founded was one of many of the Pan-Arab Parties of the of the Post-Colonial Period. It was based on the idea of a rebirth of Arab Civilization, Pan-Arab Nationalism, and anti-Communism. As founded in some ways the Baathists may be like some forms fascism, in Italy or Spain. The Baathist party is also in power in Syria.
Try the Frontline site for much better information on Saddam Hussein:
Saddam Hussein on Frontline:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/saddam/
Do we know whether or not Saddam has actually studied Stalin’s tactics?
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Saddam studied Stalin. Stalin is his hero. Stalin came from a humble background. Stalin was brought up by his mother. Stalin used thugs. Stalin used the security service. Stalin hated his army. And so does Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein models himself after Stalin more than any other man in history.
He has a full library of books about Stalin. He reads about him, and when he was a young man—even before he attained any measure of power—he used to wander around the offices of the Ba’ath Party telling people “Wait until I take over this country. I will make a Stalinist state out of it yet.” People used to laugh him off. They shouldn’t have. It was a very serious proposition indeed.
Thanks for the links and
Thanks for the links and info.
I don’t think the piece is based that much on neocon dislike of nationalism—it’s point seems to be that calling Saddam a “nationalist” doesn’t really capture what he’s about.
More on Saddam and
More on Saddam and Nazis:
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/transcripts/2002/nov/021108.siegel.html
Apparently the uncle who brought him up was a Nazi fan.
So far in this thread,
So far in this thread, Baathism has been compared to Stalinism and Naziism. Can we please have a definition of Baathism independent of the comparisons, the epitaphs and Saddam’s psychotic personality?
Read the first linked
Read the first linked article.
“Apparently the uncle who
“Apparently the uncle who brought him up was a Nazi fan.”
Hmmmm……kinda like a certain Chief Executive’s grandfather.