Many do consider Saddam as social revolutionizer and modernizer, because due to many of new laws he imposed and rights he gave, Iraq was one of the most advanced countries in the Middle East . It was also the only country that didn't follow the Sharia but had more of a western style legal system for the exception of personal injury claims. Conflict did arise throughout all this change, many people who like the old way of life did not agree with Saddams revolutionary ways, and he had only had about 20% of the voters, all of which were either working class, peasants, or farmers. The Shi'a were long time opposes to Saddams secular way of ruling the country, and were mostly located in northern Iraq , also known as Kurds. To keep them in check the Ba'ath party either repressed their resources or gave them partial power to certain things just to keep them happy.

Saddam really did justify his Iraqi nationalism because he had a unique role in the Arab world, not to mention he was devout archaeological explorations and promoted Iraq 's role in the pre-Islamic Mesopotamia . He was also a huge admirer of the Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, in the 1970's he visited all 15 of Stalin's seaside dachas in Abkhazia. Saddam also collected many books that had been written about the Soviet leader, and was inspired so much by him that he even constructed many palaces in Baghdad .

Just to show the public that he was the leader, many statues and portraits were erected and display all around Iraq in his honor. Saddam's face could be seen on schools, office buildings, restaurants, stores, and airports. This was one of many ways that Saddam wanted to stay in peoples minds and remember all that he has done.