FORUMula1.com

[Irv the Swerve]

Saddam Hussein will be hanged before 3:30am GMT tonight after being found guilty of crimes against humanity in ordering the deaths of 148 Shi'ite villagers in the town of Dujail in 1982.

[darwin dali]

Former Pres. Gerald Ford died and James Brown as well. 'Tis the season to die I guess...

[Stephen]

Great, I hope Bush and Blair are happy now!

[certom]

i'm against capital sentence, but i'm against this one becuase as for each muslim, his death will be as a gratification for him and he will be honoured like a martyr..

[Irv the Swerve]

Wait until you see the backlash the forces are going to get by the Iraqi people. Total bloodshed.

[darwin dali]

Well, they're talking about the failed Iraq policy and contemplate withdrawal within the year or so. Maybe some more troops that get killed (right now the figure is 2998) will speed up things, especially here at home in the decision making process - the dems will take over next month...
I have no problem with the bar steward getting hanged per se. It's easy for us to take the high road and condemn the death penalty, but once you get to live under that kind of terror and witness all the despicable horror caused by tyrants like Saddam, you may have a totally different view.

[Marco]

Just seen the death video, can't help but feel this is over the top. I certainly won't be going out celebrating, he may have been a 'nasty man' but didn't do anything that other leaders have done, even President Bush.

[Stephen]

Have to admit watching that too, but I have a question, does hanging someone kill them instantly, or do they die of strangulation?

[Irv the Swerve]

Have to admit watching that too, but I have a question, does hanging someone kill them instantly, or do they die of strangulation?

They have a trap door, so when it falls, Saddam falls too and breaks his neck instantly.

[darwin dali]

If the hangmen know what they're doing, it's actually a pretty 'humane' way to die. During the fall from the gallows the noose breaks two vertebrae in your neck (again if they do it right), which immediately paralyzes the body because the spinal cord is severed, which actually prevents the brain from feeling much pain. At the same time, the carotid arteries and the jugular veins get completely blocked by the noose, which stops bloodflow from and to the brain respectively. After about 3 min. the brain will cease to work due to lack of oxygen, even though the heart might still continue to beat for another 10 minutes the hanged is considered dead then.

[Selcouth_Feline]

which stops bloodflow from and to the brain respectively. After about 3 min. the brain will cease to work due to lack of oxygen.

So, you could actually be hanging there for three minutes, with a broken neck, and still sort of conscious?? I know there are probably a lot more painful ways to go, but even so....that's really not nice.

[darwin dali]

You're most likely not very conscious though because the brain will be flooded with impulses signalling all kinds of weird things happening. All the neurotransmitters will be out of whack and all the endorphins will be excreted (and we know what that does to your brain). The brain will be most likely completely overwhelmed and shut down proper functioning almost instantaneously, i.e., you're unconscious.

[Stephen]

I feel physically ill now, thanks!

[darwin dali]

You're welcome - you asked for it

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen, my friend, especially with a weak stomach, awww...

[Stephen]

You're welcome - you asked for it

You're so beastly sometimes!