The story of Saddam Hussein is a legend of going from poverty to the pinnacle of power, and from glory to the abyss. Before becoming the dictator who terrified the world, Saddam's childhood was full of hardships.
His father died before he was born, and his mother was so grief-stricken that she almost knocked him out. Fortunately, the persuasion of a well-meaning doctor allowed Saddam to come into the world. However, what awaits him is not a warm family life, but the merciless beating and abuse of his stepfather.
To escape this nightmarish family, the teenage Saddam Hussein fled to Baghdad to join his uncle. The city became the starting point of his political career. Here he joined the highly influential Arab Baath Socialist Party and was actively involved in various political activities. In 1958, the young and vigorous Saddam Hussein even participated in a daring assassination attempt that targeted King Faisal II of Iraq. Although the operation ended in failure, the experience allowed Saddam's name to begin to emerge in Iraqi politics.
However, the road to the pinnacle of power has not been easy. Saddam Hussein was imprisoned many times and even forced into exile. But instead of dampening his will, these setbacks only strengthened his thirst for power. After decades of hard work and planning, Saddam Hussein finally ascended to the throne of Iraq's supreme leader in 1979.
The acquisition of power gave Saddam Hussein a boost. He began to implement his own policies in a big way, on the one hand, vigorously developing the economy, which led to a significant improvement in the living standards of the Iraqi people; On the other hand, he also began to engage in a cult of personality, brutally suppressing dissidents and turning the whole country into a hall of his word. In the process, Saddam Hussein gradually changed from a beloved leader to a dictator who was spurned by the international community.
However, the pinnacle of power did not bring peace to Saddam. On the contrary, his life was full of doubts and fears. It is reported that Saddam Hussein has more than 20 luxurious palaces, each of which is extremely luxurious, and gold products can be found everywhere. Some estimate that his personal fortune could be more than $2 billion, not counting the treasures hidden in French mansions.
However, in these splendid palaces, Saddam Hussein lived a life that was far from commensurate with his wealth. He sleeps only 4 hours a day and never shakes hands. This seemingly bizarre behavior actually stemmed from an assassination attempt that nearly killed him.
It was an ordinary afternoon in the '70s, when Saddam Hussein, though not yet fully in control of the supreme power in Iraq, was already in a high position. That day, a confidant brought him a beautiful book that was said to come from an admirer. Saddam had intended to read it carefully in the evening, but as he left the office, he suddenly became suspicious and asked the guards to check the book. It turned out that his instincts were right - the seemingly innocuous book turned out to be a well-disguised bomb.
This moment of horror left an indelible psychological shadow on Saddam. Since then, he has become extremely suspicious and no longer trusts anyone easily, even those closest to him. In order to escape assassination, Saddam Hussein began to live a "nomadic" life. His whereabouts are erratic, today at the presidential palace in Baghdad, tomorrow at the country house in Tikrit. He even arranged for multiple teams to set off at the same time, each with a double similar to his body, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake.
Saddam's sleep also became extremely irregular. He woke up almost every day around three in the morning, and then began to move back and forth between different palaces, for fear of being caught. He never stayed in the same place for two nights in a row, because, in his opinion, the longer he stayed, the greater the risk of exposure.
In this way, the once invincible "lion of the Middle East" has turned himself into a frightened bird, living in fear and anxiety all day long. Everything he had - power, wealth, status, could not give him a real sense of security. Because he knew in his heart that in the eyes of those who coveted his power and life, he was just a living target, and he could fall at any moment.
What is even more embarrassing is that Saddam's family relationship was also shattered because of his excessive desire for power. His eldest son, Uday, is a prime example. Uday behaved perversely and did all the bad things, but he was connived at by his father. Perhaps in Saddam's eyes, only a ruthless person like Uday can sit firmly on the country he has laid down. However, this distorted family relationship will only accelerate the collapse of his rule in the end.
In 2003, when U.S. forces invaded Baghdad, Saddam's regime collapsed. The dictator who once called for wind and rain was finally pulled out of the hole in the ground of a farm. When he was dragged out of that filthy and cramped hideout, his embarrassed appearance contrasted with the brilliance he once had.
The fall of Saddam Hussein also opened a new page for Iraq. However, the Americans' ambitious attempts to establish a "Western-style democracy" in Iraq do not seem to have had the desired results. After Saddam Hussein's ouster, Iraq was mired in sectarian strife and terrorism. Tensions between Shiites and Sunnis have intensified, armed groups of all kinds have emerged, and ordinary people are living in misery.
Ironically, Iraqis who chanted the slogan of "freedom and democracy" are now nostalgic for security and stability under Saddam's rule. At least at that time, they didn't have to worry about being killed by bombs when they went out, and they didn't have to be persecuted because of their religious beliefs. This begs the question: Is Western-style democracy really suitable for all countries? Or is the Iraqi people not ready for democracy?
In recent years, China's cooperation with Iraq has brought new hope to the war-torn country. In 2021, China signed a series of cooperation agreements with Iraq, including the construction of more than 1,000 schools and a 2,000-megawatt photovoltaic power plant. These projects will not only improve the living conditions of the Iraqi people, but will also lay the foundation for the long-term development of the country.
Looking back at Saddam's life, it is not difficult to find a paradox: in his pursuit of absolute power and security, he ultimately lost everything, including freedom and life. His story teaches us that true happiness does not come from external material things and status, but from inner peace and tranquility.
Today's Iraq is struggling to find its own path to development. Neither the American-style democracy nor the Chinese model of aid can be copied or copied. Each country needs to find the most suitable development model according to its own history, culture and current conditions. As far as Iraq is concerned, how to promote the democratic process while maintaining stability and how to resolve religious contradictions while developing the economy are difficult problems that need to be solved urgently.