I'm probably alone in this, but I find the shoe-throwing neither amusing nor laudable

[Bake]

Like him or not, and I happen to loathe him, Bush is still the President for another month or so. The guy was a journalist, right? Couldn't he have WRITTEN something extremely critical of Bush? No, he just had to lose his cool and assault him. He must not be much of a journalist.

And for those who say, "Oh well, it was only a SHOE," I've got a size 10 wingtip I'll gladly bounce off your head, and see if it hurts. Watch the BBC video -- the guy didn't just lob the shoe; he fired it.

Violence is never the answer. I hope this "journalist" is punished. I'm sure he already has been.

Perhaps if we are visited by Chinese leaders, we should throw things at them? I don't think so, but all of you who think the "journalist" is a hero should at least be consistent, and get your shoes, rotten eggs, tomatos, etc. ready.

Bake

[AndrewP]

1. I don't care about Bush. I'm just sad this incident will take up so much news time

[StudsT]

179. BREAKING: IRAQI TV claims shoe-throwing reporter being tortured at US-run prison.

Source: Current TV

<snip> The TV Channel announced that Al-Zaidi is in a difficult condition, with broken ribs and signs of tortures on his thighs. Also he can not move his right arm.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3646287

StudsT

[Warren Stupidity]

181. Instead of the 24/7 assault on the upcoming Obama administration?

Yeah, what a shame.

[AndrewP]

183. Yeah, like that isn't going to happen anyway cupcake.

[hlthe2b]

2. We've already had about five similar posts... all were locked

after the flames grew hotter and hotter. Just sayin... I'll step out of this one as I think all that needs to be said has been said, the past two days.

[Lex]

3. It's common act of insult in that culture.

putting it in context

[Orsino]

43. Yeah. It's not clear whether the "attacker" intended injury at all...

...or was completely sane.

[slackmaster]

200. One culture's INsult is another culture's ASsault

To put it in another context, how would you feel if someone other than George W. Bush had been the target? Someone you like.

[NorCalDem]

Let me know when the Chinese bomb us and then come to visit...

This mans actions, although probably over the top, are ONE HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT called for and perfectly okay imo.

[Ichingcarpenter]

30. Where is the Green Zone in the United States? I can't find my Chinese Green Zone

Do you know where they put it? I'm also looking for my allocation of fresh water
and electricity from my Chinese overlords. Did you get your allocation yet?

I just saw the Chinese Blackwater shoot 34 Americans at traffic stop and get away with it.

[AZ Criminal JD]

176. The Japanese bombed us

Should we attack Japanese leaders that visit the U.S.?

[thewiseguy]

4. Violence is never the answer. I hope this "journalist" is punished!

Thanks for playing! :rofl:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

16. "As his screams were heard as he was drug out of the press room..."

MSNBC just reporting. Hope the Bake is happy now. JFC, I hate hypocrisy.

[Bake]

68. What did he THINK was going to happen?

That the security people would throw flowers at him?

No, I'm not happy about any of it.

Bake

[Taverner]

5. Agreed

[wtmusic]

6. He is a hero.

Violence is only an answer to violence.

[polichick]

7. Oh good grief - how many Iraqis are dead or maimed because of this guy???

[baby_mouse]

192. But, but SHOES! SHOES against the PRESIDENT!

oooooo. Tsk tsk.

[rateyes]

8. Because of Bush that reporter had been tortured and nearly beaten to death...

I think he's been punished enough.

[maxsolomon]

9. you're right. you are alone.

if the chinese leaders invade america, kill or displace 20% of the population, loot our cultural & natural resources, and install their preferred form of government while telling us to be grateful, then yes, we should throw things at them.

throwing things at the powerful is one of the few means the powerless have had to express themselves. those 2 shoes said more than a lifetime of words ever could.

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. No, he's not.

Fuck the fact that it was bush. This man threw objects at The President of the United States. No world leader should have the reasonable expectation of physical safety in front of journalists ever again. As far as I'm concerned, the precedent has been set.

How ironic that the guy was kidnapped and tortured by Sunnis "because of bush", and now he's probably going to lose his liberty if not his life and people will say it's "because of bush".

[wtmusic]

49. IMO you have an absurd and misplaced respect for aristocracy.

Bush, The President of the United States, isn't fit to lick this man's shoes.

[DonEBrook]

59. Count me in...I think it was a stupid and juvenile thing to do.

...

[IsItJustMe]

85. I don't think you get it. It's a cultural thing for Arabs to throw their shoes as a way of showing

displeasure, not juvenile. Unless of coarse if you consider Arabs juvenile because of their culture.

[DonEBrook]

161. I think Arabs are juvenile because of their culture.

Happy?

[moondust]

94. Wrong.

He threw the shoes at George W. Bush--not at the President of the United States. If you've ever been in the military you've probably heard the old adage that goes something like this: "Respect the rank, despise the man." The shoes were clearly thrown at the man, not the rank.

[uppityperson]

104. Not nec the Sunnis. He never found out who kidnapped him.

Could have been anyone, even people mrbush backs. Shoe throwing is showing disrespect in their culture. Notice how the other guy didn't even flinch? Wasn't much of a "physical safety" issue.

And where did you get the Sunnis kidnapped and tortured him? Everything I've been able to find says he never found out whom they were.

[cherokeeprogressive]

I typed Sunni by mistake. I had read somewhere that it was Shiite militias.

"Al-Zeidi, who is in his late 20s, was kidnapped by Shiite militias Nov. 16, 2007, and released three days later."

http://www.680news.com/news/world/more.jsp?content=w121545A

As far as the physical safety aspect goes, had the chimperor been looking somewhere else the shoe could have caused significant harm imo.

I'm going to stick with my original opinion: That you can hate the man but should respect the position. I think a precedent was set here that is not necessarily a good one.

[uppityperson]

134. The shoe was thrown at the man, not the position. That is my opinion.

I read elsewhere (Reuters) that his kidnappers were never identified, thank you for that link.

I am going to stick with the opinion that mrbush was disrespected, not The Presidency.

[Enthusiast]

117. Bush shouldn't be president.

Both elections were tampered with.

[northernlights]

166. no world leader who starts wars of choice

against countries that are clearly no threat to them *should* have a reasonable expectation of safety, from journalists or anybody.

They *should* fear for their lives. Maybe that precedent will cause other assholes like * to think twice before invading other countries. Or at least spare us the spectacle of endless * photo-ops.

[question everything]

193. No, he is not. Last year I posted my disagreement with Chavez offending Bush

at his U.N. speech. Got a similar reaction here.

Bush is still our president. We replace our leaders with democratic elections, we do not overthrow them by a military coup. If people here agree to a precedent that our elected officials should be mocked and attacked while they represent us, don't be surprised when a president that we like will be attacked in a similar manner.

[Career Prole]

198. "We replace our leaders with democratic elections"

I remember when I used to believe that, too.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. No justice, no peace.

[MellowDem]

140. There was no justice under Saddam Hussein in Iraq..

so I guess it was alright that we went to war? Saddam had a violent regime. Violence solves violence right?

[babylonsister]

11. Maybe we're just astounded that a -gasp!- journalist exhibited a

shred of principle and integrity. Yes, he did it his way according to the customs of his country, but I think he was brave, and think it was well deserved.

[otherlander]

28. Yes.

:patriot: <--- Wish I knew how to make one of those flying an Iraqi flag.

[Bake]

72. I think he went a little beyond "customs."

From what I've read, in the context of this event, it is a customary insult to show the soles of your shoes to the insultee. Perhaps that is a euphemism for throwing them; I really don't know. Or care.

I suggest that he reserve his customs for people who understand them. In a global world, some customs are ridiculous.

Bake

[babylonsister]

86. Trust me, most of us understood him loud and clear.

I can understand his rage. Just look up the body count in Iraq, Abu Ghraib, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

[northernlights]

169. maybe * should have saved his customs

for people who understand them. Instead of thinking he could shove his values down their effing throats.

Damn those Iraqis. They just don't understand all * has done for them. Ungrateful wretches. :sarcasm:

Frankly if *, or any other leader, wants to go around the globe starting wars, they damn well better understand those silly customs of other countries.

I mean, just think. If * had understood Iraqi customs and culture, he might have realized that turning a country of warring tribes loose against each other may not be the best idea in the world.

[el_bryanto]

12. I agree more or less

I mean I don't think he should be punished other than detained. But other than that this was not the best way to oppose the Bush Administration.

Bryant

[sinkingfeeling]

33. And what would you suggest an Iraqi do to oppose the Bush Administration?

[el_bryanto]

167. Wait a month? n/t

[TlalocW]

13. Yeah, I'm not too happy with it either

After all, the guy missed.

And if your hypothetical Chinese leader had invaded our country on false pretenses and killed hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens and was being welcomed by the puppet government he installed, then throwing a shoe would be the least someone could do.

TlalocW

[wtmusic]

15. LOL it wasn't for lack of trying nt

[wtmusic]

21. If Bush wanted to gain an ounce of respect

he would set him free. No harm done.

But what's chance that petulant little prick-in-chief would wake up now?

[sinkingfeeling]

14. When the Chinese have occupied this country for over 5 years, I'm sure I'd be ready to throw more

than my shoes at a Chinese leaders who claimed to be bringing 'a gift' to Americans under occupation.

You need to think about and have some empathy for the Iraqis. More than a million have been killed and almost 1 in 10 have become exiles. Their country has been destroyed. Get real.

[leftchick]

17. are you aware of his background?

kidnapped by militants and detained by the US freedom fighters. I would be pissed off too.

[T Wolf]

18. Considering the hand-job our media has given the asshole for eight years, anything a journalist

writes that is negative toward Junior is ignored.

I commend the Iraqi newsman for making a comment in a manner that was noticed. And it was a grave insult in their culture, thus appropriate.

[Cha]

186. And, I'm reading this reporter is

considered "a folk hero" in the Middle Eastern Countries.

And, btw, bush isn't the president of the United States.. too bad the OP believes that shit.

[NNN0LHI]

19. Invade and occupy America and you would be lucky if it is shoes I am throwing

[MellowDem]

143. If only simple analogies worked

In this case, not quite. Imagine we had a violent dictator like Saddam who was removed? Or imagine they removed Bush even! Not quite the same, not quite. It's rare to find good analogies in stuff as complicated as world affairs.

[NNN0LHI]

153. Do you really think the Iraqis appreciate us removing Saddam?

[MellowDem]

156. I'm not sure

I'm sure some do, and some don't. I think a lot of them are undecided actually. Time will tell how they feel about it in the end. They won't ever be happy with American involvement, but they might eventually settle with it as the lesser or greater of two evils. It all depends on how Iraq's future is from now on. Just look at the Korean War (unfortunately usually "forgotten"). It's a great example of how perceptions of a war, 50 years on, change. Many younger South Koreans abhor the US, some of it irrationally, yet many older South Koreans actually respect what the US did, even though we supported a brutal dictator for years in the South. It's all about the lesser of two evils and the final outcome. Lucky for South Korea, they had a decent outcome. Much like South Korea, I have a feeling that Iraq will become the "forgotten war" 50 years from now, with it being taught in history books as an irrational and unwise war fought mainly in reaction to the new perceived threat of Islamic fundamentalism (much like the Korean War was based off the defunct "domino theory" of Communist expansion). I can only hope it turns out well for the Iraqis.

[NNN0LHI]

159. Good well thought out answer

Thanks for taking the time.

Don

[Connie_Corleone]

20. Well, I'm not going to pretend to be self-righteous.

I laughed my ass off. I was sorry Bush was able to duck so quickly. I watch the video several times just to laugh my ass off again and again and again.

The journalist was "punished" two years ago when he was kidnapped and beaten.

[jobycom]

Just out of curiosity, do you have some reason to suspect the OP is pretending?

[Connie_Corleone]

57. I never mentioned nor implied anything regarding the OP.

I was speaking for myself only.

[GodlessBiker]

22. Violence is never the answer? Never? Ever?

Would you have thrown a shoe at Hitler or Stalin?

[reggie the dog]

136. probably not, I am a chicken shit

but I would have thought it would have been really cool if you had done it.

[Avalux]

23. Bush is responsible for hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis.

Maybe this man himself lost family members in Bush's invasion and occupation? Bush deserves no respect, even if he is the president.

[last1standing]

24. As with every story, context makes the villain a hero or a hero the villain.

Through the eyes of an American, that shoe thrower was a villain. He assaulted the President of the United States, and whether you like the man or not, you respect the office. What that journalist did was unforgivable in that it insulted every American, not just one.

Now, through the eyes of an Iraqi, the shoe thrower is a hero because he stood up against the most powerful human being in the world and took symbolic revenge for the deaths of the million dead innocents who have had no voice till now. The man he fired those shoes at, is a murderer and oppressor. He deserved no better.

In the end, I see the Iraqi story as closer to the real truth as this event happened on Iraqi soil and they have been the wronged party for so many years. And really, what does this hero/villain care about insulting Americans? What have they ever done for him or his people but bring death and misery?

[barbtries]

54. i'm an american

and i am not insulted by the man's actions. in my opinion gw is deserving of far worse.

[last1standing]

67. You see the story in a different context.

I've presented two major contexts but there are an infinite number of ways to look at this scenario.

[reggie the dog]

139. I am American and I am not insulted

Bush started an illegal, immoral war under false pretenses. He said it was a crusade (W. is a history major like me so he knows damn well the connotation of "crusade" in the context). I am glad someone insulted bush. I have an anti war shirt that I wear often, I never voted for W. I think he is a disgrace, I use videos at school with images of signs saying "bush lied millions died". I am a fan of the "fuck bush" shirts and I can understand that the office of president, like any office, is open to insult. Why is W. so insulted? Probably because he abused the office he was ELECTED to. W. is a disgrace to the office of President of the United States. He is my president even thought I never voted for him so yes part of the insult against W. is against me but you know what? I can deal with it. I understand that the USA is probably so far to the right because of media manipulation. Perhaps people like me (I fancy myself to be part of the talented tenth) have not done enough to spread the message that yes, some people are smarter than others, and yes some people understand more about the world they live in but that if you find youself in this category you should use you wits to HELP those less fortunate than youself. The whole problem I see around the world is people using their "wits" to outsmart other people who are less intelligent then they are. At any rate my country chose W. in 2004 and sad to say he is my president and sad to say we all should be ashamed of him and sad to say beacause of him people around the world have come to despise us Americans. It is to the point that I try to pass for French when I am in other EU countries. Hell, I went to get hash on the street in Bruxelles last month and there was grafitti in the "muslim" neighborhoods saying things like the mild "fuck USA" to the more violent "die America". I told the people I was buying from that I was French, but my accent gave me away and I admitted that I had grown up in the USA but insisted that I was French (I have the nationality thanks to my wife) but that my parents worked in the USA for a while. They asked about W. and the war and were really cool when I said I thought the war was BS. Then they asked about what life was like in the USA and I explained that it was too dog eat dog, they said they had heard that before too and that they were happy to live in Belgium. At any rate I am ashamed of W. and my country and the only bit of redemption we have at the moment is electing somone who is not white (yes in many places around the world this is what makes us Americans look cooler again). Now if only Obama could really change the country for the better then perhaps people would no longer feel the need to insult the office of the President or Americans. America has to be cool to other countries for that to happen though.

[MellowDem]

148. I'm not so sure how Iraqis view Bush

I'm not even sure they hold him responsible for the "deaths of millions of Iraqis". I think most of them hold each other responsible for that, considering they're the ones on the ground getting blown up every day by some Shiite or Sunni militia. While on the one hand many Iraqis surely dislike Bush, they are not exactly comfortable saying for sure they wish they still had Saddam. It's like the South Koreans or even Filipinos. A lot of people dislike America for their intervention, yet view us as the lesser of two evil outcomes. Time will tell how the Iraqis view this particular (and hopefully last) US intervention.

[jobycom]

25. Did you feel that way about the Sons of Liberty and that whole tea-party thing?

Bush didn't just offend a few people over there, he lied to start a war that slaughtered a million of their sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. I'm amazed that shoe-throwing is the worst he's faced. If some foreign leader lied about my friends to murder them, I wouldn't spend a lot of time respecting his office or worrying about protocol.

And we frequently protest foreign leaders. We may (though not always) stop short of throwing shoes, but maybe that's because we are able to express our opinions in other ways, whereas in Iraq the right to expression is extremely curtailed.

And anyway, name a country that has lied to start a war to murder a sizable percentage of our people? Do you think if our government welcomed Osama bin Laden to Ground Zero to give a speech that people would restrict their outrage to a few choice editorials?

[Sequoia]

178. Well said !!!

Maybe our president should respect his own office and things like this would not have happened. Bush did not respect himself as president, to him it was a joke, a way to push others around..."I'm the war president", chuckle, chuckle. .

[asteroid2003QQ47]

26. Blow it out your ass! n/t

[guitar man]

27. after being tortured under Bu$h's occupation

after seeing his country invaded and occupied because of outright lies, probably lost many family and friends. God knows what all this man has endured under the reign of terror that the idiot-in-chief and his cronies have wrought upon his homeland. I don't know what he may or may not have written about the atrocities to date, but if he feels simply writing it was not enough and felt compelled to toss his shoes as a final act of frustration, I'm not going to judge him for it.

[Robbien]

29. Well, we will wait and see if your opinion changes if your country is occupied for six years

and hundreds of tons of bombs have been dropped daily on your beloved country, family and friends for six years. And you keep losing loved ones to either them being killed by your occupiers, by being disappeared by your occupiers or by street gangs out to make a buck.

You see your beloved country full of history and pride and honor and education turned into one huge garbage dump where all citizens are treated as scum.

Then we will see if your opinion changes. I'm betting you would throw something a lot more dangerous than just shoes.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

31. The guy was clearly angry and emotional and I don't find it funny either.

Not so much because he did it to Bush but because of what I imagine is happening to the man as we speak. On Stephanie Miller today some dumbass freeper called in to claim that the reporter throwing his shoes was a sign of "progress" because no one would have dared do that to Saddam. Uh, wrong. I seriously doubt he's going to fare any better at the hand's of the Bush's puppet government. Furthermore, if that's a sign of "freedom" in Iraq then we don't have any here. Just think about how the Secret Service would deal with you or me if we lobbed footwear at the POTUS here in the States. I was at the DNC in Denver as part of the AZ delegation. We had nosebleed seats that just happened to be right in front of where the Bidens and the Obama family were sitting. Someone tried to hand a t-shirt up to Michelle Obama's mom in the balcony. The agents put the kibosh on that. That's how hyper-cautious they are.

This incident with the shoes worries me because I fear others will get ideas from it and people are going to get killed. It's not funny at all and I wish people would stop joking about it and the MSM would stop covering it so much.

[Peregrine Took]

32. I love every aspect of it and can not understand anyone who doesn't.

No offense but you remind me of the kid in class who, when the nun left the room, warning us all to "be quiet," would raise her hand (and it always was a girl) and "tell" on anyone who talked.

Aw, come on!

After all he's done to us and the whole world and is still screwing us with his last minute anti environment and Endangered Species loosening of regulations - you can't enjoy this huge public "put-down?"

[mrreowwr_kittty]

37. Yet I seriously doubt that you would ever try something like that here.

[stillcool]

40. I might..expecially if I'd already

been tortured. Although Bush is our President..not the Iraqi's..oh wait..

[WI_DEM]

109. that's the thing 99.9% of DUers who laud this guy would not have the guts to actually do

what he did.

[stillcool]

115. No they wouldn't...

it surprises me when Code Pink, ANSWER, and other protesters get scorned and ridiculed. The United States has lots of bravado, but no soul.

[reggie the dog]

141. I will say it loud

I AM TOO SCARED TO DO WHAT THIS GUY DID, but I think he did something really great for the world too. I would have been too scared to march to Selma too, but thankfully other people were not. Hell I would have been scared to sign the Declaration of Independence....

[stillcool]

155. Me too...

I doubt very much I'd put myself in that position regardless of the circumstance. I wish I was wrong, and that there was something in this life that I'd be willing to face the consequences for standing up. Not yet. I think that is why journalists and politicians are not more outspoken. It has consequences.

[Warren Stupidity]

188. Oh that's the thing?

I'm confused 'cause according to the OP the thing is that it was DISRESPECTFUL and that this guy should have instead written an article expressing his opinions, which presumably would have had much greater impact and exposure, being all RESPECTFUL of our PRESIDENT and all properly journalistic and professional and everything. Now I find out that really the thing about it is that none of us (except for those awful Code Pink and IVAW idiots) would have the guts to do something like this.

[Bake]

199. I went back through my OP .... I never said diddly about being "respectful"

Or "disrespectful," either. You have a reading comprehension problem, apparently. Respect, or the lack of it, has nothing to do with my position. I don't want ANYONE throwing stuff at the President of the United States, particularly since we're getting a new one - a GOOD ONE - in a little over a month.

Bake

[treestar]

50. The shoe doesn't have the cultural significance here

Booing would be what we would do here.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

53. And you might get shot by Secret Service for throwing something.

I don't know how that man was able to lob 2 shoes at him because you damn sure wouldn't be able to pull something like that off that at any event with SS in presence here.

[Bake]

121. Have you seen the video? He didn't "lob" the shoes.

Had they hit their target, it could have caused injury.

Bake

[mrreowwr_kittty]

133. Oh I did. He was trying to hit Bush for sure.

I just can't believe he had the time to do it TWICE!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

62. Americans have been throwing things at Bush since his inauguration.

There's a reason people have to take loyalty oaths to get into the same building as him.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

83. It's not just about Bush.

Secret Service wouldn't allow my friend to hand a t-shirt up to Michelle Obama's mom where she was sitting in a balcony in Denver. Yeah, security was tight there but you'd think it would be at least as tight during a Bush visit to Iraq. He's a shitstain but he's OUR shitstain, like it or not, and if he were assassinated it would not be a positive thing.

[Laelth]

114. So, reporters at press conferences will have to appear nude from now on?

Come on, it was a shoe. The reporter didn't do anything deadly or dangerous. The Chimperor was in no real danger. Security was plenty tight. Please, don't we live in enough of a police state already without Democrats demanding tighter security?

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[mrreowwr_kittty]

129. Okay, try throwing a shoe at a dignitary with a bunch of Secret Service around here in the US.

Let us know how it works out. If you can, that is.

[Laelth]

137. I'd get mauled ... just like the reporter in question.

Even so, the person at whom the shoe was thrown would have been in no real danger if I had to go through all the necessary checks to get into the same room as the Chimperor.

Seriously, are you advocating tougher security? Naked journalists? How much more of a police state do we Democrats want to create?

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[mrreowwr_kittty]

147. Having been at several recent political events, including as a delegate to the DNC

I can tell you it can't get much tougher than it is. Besides, I never argued for tougher security procedures, so I don't understand why you are accusing me of that. I do question why the reporter in Iraq had the time to take both his shoes off and throw them both directly at a head of state. (Yes, I know the head of state in question is our current shit-for-brains POTUS)

[reggie the dog]

142. You point out that

security services in the USA are more paranoid and quicker on the trigger than those in Iraq?
Interesting....

[mrreowwr_kittty]

152. I don't know if they are or not. I've only observed them in the U.S.

Like everyone else here, I've only seen the footage of the Iraqi reporter throwing his shoes and then being tackled and I am completely puzzled by it. There's no way in hell it would get that far here.

[wiggs]

194. "Enjoy" and "amusing" aren't quite right. It actually is very sad that this was deemed

necessary by someone and even sadder that it strikes an appropriate note. Count me among those who find it meaningful, poignant, important, impactful to one man, symbolic, physically harmless but symbolically harmful, specific like a laser.

I don't see America as the target; I see one man diminished greatly in stature. That's not fun, amusing, or enjoyable. No celebration...the magnitude of crimes and misdeeds doesn't allow it. And the guy won't see the light of day for a long time (wasn't the Tian An Min guy in jail for decades?). But it may be the first and only justice the world gets re this administration.

[tekisui]

34. No ones words written for an article gets played on an international loop.

He did good. Made a brilliant point, without hurting anyone.

[Johonny]

90. I have to agree

When's the last time MSM talked about anything an Iraqi wrote? This simple act did more than a thousand words he could of written. To not understand that is to not understand the mass media.

[Catherine Vincent]

35. Can't wait for Letterman and Leno's take on it.

:)

[RadiationTherapy]

36. Booorrrrinnnnng.

Fuck Bush. Fuck quiescence.

[stillcool]

38. I have no problem...

with it at all. Next time he should choose the American style of throwing tomatoes. After all Iraq is now an American state.

[yardwork]

41. I think that the whole scene was probably planned in advance.

Otherwise, why didn't the secret service tackle the guy the minute he stood up and started to hurl the first shoe? They let him get off the second one before they made a move. Seems very fishy to me.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

42. Better shoes than the marshmallows thrown by American "jouranalists".

Although, a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers would have sufficed.

[stray cat]

44. Freedom of the press is great - I would have liked to see it exercised instead of an assault

[Ichingcarpenter]

46. No questions or comments were allowed by the Press

By either Bush or his stogie
So much for your 'free press'

[stray cat]

51. I have mixed feelings - I picture a similar situation with Obama as a target

and don't like the way that comes across. And there will be people who feel justifiably angry at him even though it is clear Bush is an entirely different story.

[DonEBrook]

61. Well, that will be "different." Somehow.

:eyes:

[Ilsa]

69. Bush doesn't read critical op-eds. Everyone except Bush knows

what an immoral and dangerous man he is.

[arcadian]

45. This is the most idiotic post I've ever read on DU.

Ever done sometyhing courageous? Nevermind, I know you haven't.

[Bake]

75. You know nothing about me. Nothing at all.

And there's a vast difference between courageous and foolhardy.

Bake

[tjwash]

47. But this, on the other hand, was hilarious.

HA-HA!! bush making jokes about never finding the wmd's that he used an an excuse to start the war HO-HO!!.

I'd say the guy throwing the shoes was pretty damn subdued.

[irislake]

48. President?

War criminal. Worse than Pinochet.I wish the rest of the press had thrown theirs too.

[BurtWorm]

52. I have to confess to finding it sort of amusing.

I'm glad Bush wasn't hurt (I think), mainly because I don't want to feel sorry for him. I don't think Zaidi is a hero, but I can't blame him for being so angry toward Bush.

I keep thinking about how this would sit with me if it happened to any other president, and I think it would sit differently. I think Bush asks for a lot of the contempt people feel toward him. And the truly sad thing is, he brings shame on our country's head. It's shameful to have a president whom people think nothing of throwing shoes at, who is a magnet for insults and hatred. Bush brings shame on our heads. And he doesn't care.

[ananda]

55. Bush is NOT a legally elected president.

So, as far as I'm concerned, the reporter
threw his shoes at someone who is a rogue
usurper of the job.

[stuntcat]

99. yah

a lot more than shoes could be thrown at him. And I'd probably laugh, sorry everybody :hi:

[Malikshah]

56. "Bush is still the President" This line means nothing.

It is high time people move beyond the institutional way of thinking. Bush has been anything put the leader of this country. He is a war criminal in the eyes of many. He has gotten off easy thus far. Do not sully the Office of the Presidency by trying to equate Bush with it.

There are times when one needs to move beyond politics and focus on the accountability of human actions. Bush must be held accountable. Until that time occurs, there will be those who do not see a President. They just see a war criminal along the likes of Saddam Hussein, Mussolini, or Idi Amin.

Bush does not belong in polite society. The fact that people even speak to him is an affront to the million dead civilians.

[Raksha]

58. I agree...you're probably alone in your opinion, or pretty close to it.

[Laelth]

60. Once again, bake, you're pretty much alone.

Actions can be speech, and one courageous Iraqi spoke for billions of people around the world when he threw those shoes.

Sorry you won't join us.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Greyhound]

63. Not alone, but thankfully rare. n/t

[Ilsa]

64. Oh, lighten up.

Lighten the fuck up. That man is a war criminal, and yes, the throwing of a pair of shoes is at least some reasonable expression of anger to HIS FUGLY FACE. Not likely that Bush* would ever read an op-ed criticizing his dasdardly deeds.

Who would be decrying Hitler's death if any one of the multiple plans for his assassination had succeeded? I'm not saying Bush* IS Hitler, but he has been just as dangerous and almost as deadly.

[mzmolly]

65. I doubt it was planned.

I'm guessing that he just lost it. Keep in mind he's "our" President, he's not the President of Iraq, we/they hung him. I ask what's worse, a shoe or a noose? I'm not of the "the guy's a hero" mentality, I'm of the, it's about time SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE held Bush SOMEWHAT accountable.

Just my 02.

[RoseMead]

66. I'm with the Rude Pundit on this one

"The Rude Pundit is not going to hide his fucking glee at the incident. He's not going to "respect the office" or some such shit because Bush doesn't respect it, so fuck him - take a fuckin' shoe in the face - it'll probably be the only punishment our criminal president ever faces in his lifetime...

Someone should be there every day of Bush's life to throw shoes at him."


But don't worry, you're not alone. There are several other finger-shakers crying "Naughy! Naughy!" over this incident, too.

[snake in the grass]

70. You are no alone.

Unfortunately.

That shoe was most likely the closest Bush came to experiencing justice for his crimes. That's right, crimes. Real ones. Horrible and unspeakable ones. You know, more than just a blow job at work. If it is true that his family has suffered directly under the rendition programme, then I am only sorry that he missed.

[newtothegame]

71. I'm not amused but sort of for a different reason...

Most DU'ers are DELIGHTED that our President had shoes thrown at him because they can't see past their unreal hatred of the individual. I on the other hand am distressed that this is where our Presidency has gone...

[uppityperson]

105. you are not alone in being distressed @ where our presidency has gone.

[northernlights]

175. no way my hatred of * is "unreal"

It is all too real.

He's a usurper of the presidency, a liar, a thug, a torturer and a mass murderer. Words cannot express how much I despise him.

[SammyWinstonJack]

73. "Violence is never the answer." Too bad bu$h doesn't think that.

"Fuck that, he tried to kill my daddy." gwbu$h

He then shocked and awed the crap out of the Iraqis who did nothing to him or us.

Seems that george DOES think that violence IS the answer.

[noiretextatique]

74. off with his head

how dare he throw shoes at a man who is responsible to the illegal occupation of this country (not too mention a million or so deaths). this man deserves an award. he has more courage the MSM and the democratic party combined.

[IsItJustMe]

91. About what I was thinking. The guy has more courage in one pimple on his ass than our entire

msm combined. With the exception of KO and RM of course.

[northernlights]

76. dear half-baked,

if we are visited by Chinese leaders after, without provocation, they've:

* bombed our infrastructure into ruins,
* killed a significant percentage of our civilian population directly with bombs, grenades and bullets,
* killed a significant percentage of our civilian population indirectly through starvation and disease
* tortured and humiliated innocents including women and children,
* turned another signifant portion of our population into war refugees

I'll hail anybody with the courage to throw shoes at them as a courageous hero. Hell, I'll supply the shoes.

This man has seen family and friends killed by Bush. He has himself been kidnapped and tortured because of Bush. He has every right to hate Bush. And he has every right, thanks to Bush, to express his hatred and contempt for Bush.

[Bake]

88. Under those circumstances I'd be surprised if there weren't a much "stronger" reaction

So would you applaud the "journalist" if he had, say, fired a gun at the President of the United States?

Bake

[SammyWinstonJack]

163. But he didn't, did he?

So would you applaud the "journalist" if he had, say, fired a gun at the President of the United States?

[northernlights]

164. moot point

since he couldn't get a gun into *'s photo-op.

Would I laud him? No, because I don't want Darth Cheney with even more power.

But I certainly wouldn't blame him in the least if he did and would probably feel a some degree of relief at justice served. * is a torturer and mass murderer. I personally would like to see * and his administration tried for treason. And if found guilty, convicted and punished appropriately.

[Dangerously Amused]

77. Well violence may not be the answer, BUT... violence begets violence.

And as Bush is the most dangerous and violent person on the planet right now, and since even if it connected the shoe couldn't even begin to inflict the pain and agony on him that he has gleefully inflicted upon so many others including women, children and elderly... I can't help but see this as a teeny tiny measure of poetic justice.

Therefore, given that the shoes didn't connect, and given that I do respect persons who stand up to injustice and speak truth to power... I find it both amusing and laudable.


Having said all that, I still appreciate and respect your position. Cheers!

[Bake]

201. Thanks for a reasonable response!

I respect your position as well. This is the kind of exchange we ought to see more of on DU, not the "half-baked" name calling.

:hi:

Bake

[Chulanowa]

78. Would writing something scathing have had the same effect?

Does George Bush sit down with a cup of coffee and read the Al-Baghdadi paper every morning? Does he tune in to the punditry on al-Jazeera? Do many others outside the target market of Arab media sources?

Plain and simple, no.

This was not a demonstration for us. It wasn't an action meant to show the world what the reporter thinks. It was a quite personal gesture towards George Bush, to ensure the drunk fucker got the message.

Is it "good" that Bush got a shoe chucked at his noggin? Probably not. Especially since Zaidi is probably going to be sitting in a cell for a while. But honestly it's pretty much the only way to get the message across to Bush that he is loathed.

[Gregorian]

79. Start a war that kills and maims, and you should expect at least shoes.

I want to see you go through what that journalist did, and then make this post. I can guarantee you would fall short of Gandhi or Jesus. I would.

[acmavm]

80. You hope THAT guy is punished? You fucking hope the journalist

who through a shoe at a criminal mass-murderer is punished?

Works fail me. Actually they don't. But I just came back from being banned off the board.

[Bake]

102. I'm not sure a lot of people separate the office from the man

And I'm also not sure some people will know the difference once we have a new President next month.

And I'd like President Obama to remain safe.

Personally, I'm comfortable with the good ol' One Finger Salute, if you just want to insult someone.

Bake

[struggle4progress]

81. I'm almost a pacifist and believe in non-violence. But let me ask you the following question:

If foreigners invaded your (California-sized) country, destroyed its infrastructure and priceless archaeological treasures, created millions of refugees, and after five years you still had only limited electricity and sanitation, how would you feel? If the damage to your society limited healthcare access and police services so much that there were more than a million extra deaths and regular acts of terrorism on the street? If the invaders tortured your fellow citizens and had granted immunity to mercenaries for any and all acts of violence? If the invaders were unable to account for billions of dollars of your country's revenues from a valuable natural resource, which was being loaded unmetered into foreign tankers?

Frankly, I don't know how I would react in such a situation. The disruption has apparently driven many Iraqis to such despair that they are willing to blow themselves up. Sure, it's petty to cheer when somebody hurls shoes at the President -- and it certainly raises some doubts about security preparations -- but perhaps in you were in that situation you might think there was a need for a more substantive response than "WRITING something extremely critical"

[IsItJustMe]

82. I am sure he was punished. He probably has no feet by now.

[emilyg]

84. You are not alone.

[bigtree]

87. he was punished . . . MSNBC said that reporters could hear him being beaten

[EFerrari]

100. His family is proud of him and his brother said to an interviewer

that millions of people would have liked to say the same thing to Bush -- "this is for the widows and the kidnapped and the tortured and the dead". His boss is demanding his release on free speech grounds. The Iraqi government seems not to be charging him with trying to assault Bush but with putting his own minister at risk. (Source: DemocracyNow! today.)

The Iraqi public is apparently not unhappy with this person.

[bigtree]

106. I'm proud of him

. . . he effectively denied Bush his legacy lap

[EFerrari]

111. Yes, he did. He found a way to do it. I suspect the Iraqi government

is going to find a way to let him go quietly, too.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

89. I'm sure the shock-and-awe cluster bombs on Iraqis hurt more than a shoe.

[specimenfred1984]

92. Yeh, who would get mad at a war criminal?

Imagine the lack of self-control after having your entire country destroyed.

[Evoman]

93. Your right....it should have been something meatier and with more substance. Like an Acme Anvil (tm)

[nichomachus]

95. Ah -- the Nancy Pelosi school of disapproval

Write a very stern piece about him and then give him a haughty look. Yeah, that's the ticket. That will make up for the murder of hundreds of thousands of your countrymen, torture, destruction of the infrastructure, destabilization of the region, etc.


This has to be the absolute stupidest OP I've seen in ages. The man had a legitimate beef and took direct action. Bush was there showboating in a PR scam and trying to pretend he was the savior of Iraq instead of the destroyer of Iraq. This was part of his so-called "victory lap." Screw Bush.

The average Iraqi is 3.6 times more likely to die a violent under the Bush regime in Iraq than he was under Saddam's regime. If I were an Iraqi, that would kind of piss me off.

[Bake]

103. By your logic, journalism is useless.

The only thing that works is throwing shoes.

I just disagree.

Bake

[Elderon]

96. Not amusing or laudable

You are right...

it should have been flaming dog poop

THEN I would have been amused

[malaise]

97. I didn't know he was President of Iraq

:puke:

[BrklynLiberal]

98. I totally disagree, and put the man who threw the shoes in the same category as this man:

The courage of one man standing up for what he believes, knowing the consequences and willing to endure them..
The sad part, in both instances, is that the man was alone. No one had the courage to stand with him.

[WI_DEM]

108. that man had courage to stand up to tanks but didn't use any weapons on them either.

[otohara]

207. It Wasn't A Shoe Bomb

size 10, ha, ha - no WMD's either - so what?

[alfredo]

101. But that act of defiance could be the tipping point for the Iraqi people.

His act could encourage others to stand up against the occupation and the puppet government. I'd rather our soldier not be in the middle of any potential uprising.

[earth mom]

107. This has got to be the most ridiculous post I've seen on DU in awhile-it belongs at freeperville.

where the rest of the bullshit defending * belongs. :eyes:


Do you even realize how many MILLIONS of people * has allowed to be killed in his name and yet you whine over the political correctness of a goddamn shoe?!!!

While in the next breath you say "Violence is never the answer. I hope this "journalist" is punished." :wtf:

p.s. FYI-* is NOT the President of the United States. He is a thief who was able to steal the office so he could rob, cheat, steal and kill!!! :puke:

[Bake]

123. Screw you. I've been here a lot longer than you have.

And I'm not a freeper, thank you very much.

God forbid anyone should disagree with the mob. What if he had taken a shot at Bush? Would you be applauding that?

Frankly, I don't give two shits about whether it's a "customary" insult or not. Insult him, fine, flip him off, fine. Attempt to injure him, not fine. And yes, I realize Bush started an illegal war and ought to be tried at The Hague. Why don't you campaign for THAT to happen?

Bake

[lonestarnot]

110. President of what? Surely you do not mean the United States!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

113. "President of what?"

[Qibing Zero]

112. Oh I'm sorry, which of the two should be punished?

I mean, I'm pretty sure you said the guy who threw the shoe should be punished, but I'm thinking you really meant the guy who has the blood of a million or more on his hands. Right?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

116. It is shocking that this is the worst that has been done to him in 8 years

but at least it's somethin! and a long time coming!

[awnobles]

118. Yes,

you are alone on this.

[StudsT]

119. Bush earned much worse than shoes... and he should be thanking his lucky stars it wasn't

some of what he dished out to the iraqi people through his criminal and murderous policies.

I am very glad this imagery made it out, as I heard there was talk of trying to confiscate it, and this imagery hopefully will be in every school students text books on how many of the iraqi people felt about our president and his illegal invasion and occupation.

farewell chimp!

StudsT

[ZombieHorde]

120. Have you heard about the war in Iraq? Have you heard about the torture?

If you haven't heard of those events, then your post makes perfect sense.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

122. Alone? No, 21% is a lot of people. -nt

[Bake]

125. Nope, I'm not one of the 21 Percenters.

I'm a longtime DUer who had the gall to voice an opinion different from the DU Mob.

DU, in many ways, is just the mirror image of freeperville. No dissent from the received wisdom allowed. I'm sure there are freepers who are just as earnestly hoping some white-hooded extremist takes a shot at the President-Elect and would happily cheer him on.

Bake

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

135. I only implied that the 21 percenters' opinion on this matter might match yours

but hey, if the shoe fits.

[Bake]

149. There are a few of us, from what I've seen today.

And we're not freepers.

Forgive me for daring to think differently from the mob.

:sarcasm:

Bake

[Warren Stupidity]

182. 'different'? nope.

Your thinking is quite traditional. Very conservative and proper. Tightly buttoned.

[Vanje]

214. "but hey, if the shoe fits."

Take that bad boy off, and hurl it!!!!!!

[Pithlet]

154. Then why are you here?

If DU were the place you say it is, I certainly wouldn't be here. Why waste your time at such a place? Yes, we certainly do have a number of people here with extreme positions on things. But your characterization of this place as a whole is ridiculous, as is your characterization of people who support the shoe thrower.

Look, if you want to hold the position that the man shouldn't have thrown the shoes, fine. You're entitled to it. But surely you can understand why others might have some empathy for what the man has been through, even if you choose not give it any weight yourself. Do you honestly not see that that is why people understand why he did what he did? He threw shoes at a man who is responsible for the death and torture of his colleague. If what he did is not a reasonable reaction to you personally, can't you at least understand how that wouldn't be understandable to others? Come on, Bake.

[Bake]

158. Of course I understand it!

I even SYMPATHIZE with it, to a certain extent! I just don't ultimately agree with it.

But the "mob" in GD/P is driven largely by knee-jerk reactions, as evidenced not only in this thread but in the multiple other threads on the same subject.

So why do I stay? Because I can, as long as Skinner allows me to be his guest. I occasionally even contribute something of value to the discussion.

But I will say this: GD/P ain't what it used to be.

Bake

[Pithlet]

160. You're not making much sense.

It's not a knee jerk reaction if it's understandable, now is it? It's not the you not agreeing with it that's getting to me. That I can sort of see. It's not a good idea to throw objects at a head of state. It's your blanket condemnation of everyone here on DU who does. If you sympathize with the man, and can understand why he did what he did even though you don't agree with it, then why doesn't it follow that you can understand why DUers would agree with it? Why would you consider that a kneejerk reaction? That makes no sense. Your response only kind of reaffirms what I initially thought when I read your OP. You're looking for something to disapprove of on DU, something that you consider yourself above. But it's not a kneejerk reaction to support the actions of a man who has been driven to the brink. It's not kneejerk to be sympathetic to his cause. It's totally and completely understandable. Just as you said so yourself.

[uppityperson]

168. Did you post this in GD because GD/P is that way?

[Bake]

204. It's hard to tell them apart these days.

But I stand corrected.

Bake

[DaveJ]

190. I admire you for wanting to stick around these days. n/t

[StudsT]

170. if your post was deleted you would have a point...

however, since you are obviously allowed to have an unpopular opinion here that certainly doesn't make this place just like 'freeperville' nor you a digital martyr - lol - though that is the popular refuge for folks who find their opinions here unpopular.

However, equating killing someone with insulting someone is much more characteristic of 'freeperville' imho

you know what they say: can't stand the heat...

StudsT

[Downtown Hound]

124. You expect people to just put up with the invasion and rape

of their country and not throw a little temper tantrum now and again? Your post smacks of somebody living in complete and total safety arrogantly judging those whose shoes we couldn't even begin to imagine to fill. I wonder how polite you'd be to a foreign dictator that conquered the U.S. and killed and tortured countless Americans. You'd probably be wishing you had a lot more than a shoe to hurl at the asshole.

I'd just like to say that we as Americans have no business judging the Iraqi people or how they resist our brutal and immoral invasion. We put them in this situation. We have no one to blame for how they react but ourselves.

So yes, even if you're not alone, you are definitely a minority here. And for that I'm grateful. And I'd advise to to take a long hard look at yourself and ask why you think you have any business passing judgment on a man expressing his contempt for the man that has caused him so much pain.

[VOX]

126. Sorry you're taking so many rockets on this, Bake. I hear what you're saying...

That this kind of assault simply isn't cricket, and not the kind of thing one wants to see when heads of state are vulnerable.

That said, the probability of something like this happening was far from small. BushCo has screwed Iraq up one side and down the other. The guy was reacting viscerally to all the bullshit, and expressing his anger in his cultural mode -- showing or throwing shoes is a significant insult in that part of the world.

Bottom line: Is it funny or laudable that objects were hurled at Bush? No, it is neither. But is it a surprise that this happened? Hardly. Just another nauseating page in a miserable epic that has no winners, but lots of losers -- starting with the Iraqi people, who've paid the biggest price.

[DainBramaged]

127. What do you say to the families of all of our children who have died?

Should Booshe escape scott free? A shoe fired at his face is the BEST the world can do at this moment in history to show it's displeasure with this evil little scumbag.

[Bake]

138. Then press the NEW President to have Bush prosecuted.

That's the way it SHOULD BE done in civilized world.

Bake

[Fumesucker]

197. In a civilized world bushie would never have invaded Iraq..

Tit for tat.

[Bake]

205. I see. Fuck civilization. Every person for himself/herself.

Survival of the strongest.

Yeah, that'll work out real well.

Bake

[leftofthedial]

128. As committed to peace and to words as I am, words have never defeated fascism.

Actions speak louder than words.

I wish he would have nailed the bush boy in the middle of the frigging forehead.

[IsItJustMe]

130. It is being reported that this reporter had the living shit beat out of him and a large trail of

blood could be seen where they led the guy off to. Just wondering if this was enough punishment for you yet, or do you want some more.

You seem to have an authoritarian streak running through you that I find neither admirable nor enlightening.

[Waiting For Everyman]

131. "Violence"? Awwww, he ALMOST got a BOO BOO.

Your opinion is as valid as anybody else's, but it's just as valid for lots of people to disagree with you. That doesn't make them freepish.

You're casting asparagus on their view so I'd expect some back. (I'm not casting any, just noting that usually happens.)

[EFerrari]

132. You only push people so far before they fight back.

I have some Doc Marten boots that could probably put someone into a coma.

But there's no way I can blame this man.

[ljm2002]

144. I respectfully disagree...

...and the reason is that this evil nitwit of a president has benefited from the most sycophantic, disgusting excuse for a press corps(e) in this country that one can ever imagine. So someone who has lived through the horrors brought to Iraq by Mr. Bush shows his *humanity* by finally losing it when Bush goes on about the wonderful benefits he has bestowed upon Iraqi society.

Normally I could see your point. In this case, I think that his symbolic act was the best thing he could have possibly done. The fact that he was overcome and did it in the heat of the moment makes it better, not worse.

Good for him.

And normally I would not say that, and it is not just irrational Bush-hatred speaking. No, a symbolic act like this is a fitting end to Bush's "Legacy Tour" -- it will forever be embedded in the history of his regime, a grace note as his horrid symphony thuds to a close.

[TexasObserver]

145. Yes, it's just you and a few other misguided souls.

The journalist is one of the few people in the world who has reacted rationally to being imprisoned and torture. Your concerns for Bush are an indicator that your values may be suspect. You appear to favor good manners over people not tolerating being treated like animals.

[Sugar Smack]

146. I "agree" with you. Writing something scathing would have been more "effective"

a message than the "violence" commited here instead. Instead of hurling his shoes at "president" Bush, a strongly-worded document would have been much more "appropriate". It's "worked" so well in the past. I'm "very disappointed" in that young man; he should be "ashamed".

[MellowDem]

150. I agree

His anger is personal and understandable, but so are many Iraqis'. Using his position as a journalist to do this only degrades their anger and their message. It's hard enough to feel sympathetic for those Iraqis that killed each other as fast as possible after Saddam was out of the picture. A lot of people's humanity must have died after living for years in an oppressive and violent regime.

[malaise]

151. Ah well, the world disagrees

[Cleita]

157. Bush should consider himself lucky that it wasn't a bullet, considering

the suffering he has brought to the Iraqis and this Iraqi in particular. I thought that this protest was very restrained making a statement not an issue. Bush was really stupid making a surprise visit to that country this late in the game and even stupider holding a press conference in a hostile nation. This only emphasizes his arrogance, his meanness and his cluelessness. IMHO he deserved anything he got. Not only because of his meanness is he filing a complaint, the man could be let go if Bush drops charges, but in his meanness he won't do that. It probably will cost him his life in the future because the next time it probably will be a bullet. His enemies will remember that when he could have been a statesman and forgiven this man, he was mean and vindictive instead.

[Thickasabrick]

162. How would you feel about a pie? Better? n/t

[Mugweed]

165. Would it be wrong...

to suggest he should have thrown a live grenade?

[BlooInBloo]

171. Let me know when the guy who ordered the deaths of your neighbors and family members...

comes to tell you lies, and then tell me how inappropriate throwing a fucking shoe is.


EDIT: The height of arm-chair bourgeois concern-trolling.

[tigereye]

172. it's sad, ironic and indicative of the disastrous and foolish choices this admin

has made. I don't think it's funny, either.

[FreeState]

173. I think your missing the cultural aspect of this

throwing a shoe in Iraq is not a violent act - its an act used to humiliate. When Saddam was toppled his statue was pelted with shoes. Its the equivalent of throwing a pie in someone's face in the US during the 70s.

[Iggo]

174. I find it amusing and laudable.

[mrbarber]

177. It's not amusing....

It goddamn heroic.

To bad you can't see that, but I guess it's easy to criticize behind the safety of your computer, huh "bake"?

[Warren Stupidity]

180. What is insulting is the nine people so far who rec'd this post.

That man is a hero.

[deaniac21]

184. I beg to differ. This man is a paragon Iraqi intelligence and

protest.

[PerfectSage]

185. I also found the dude who throw eggs at Bush's limo during his 2001 inauguration to be amusing

and laudable.

Can't wait till Jan 20 to see how many shoes are flung at that useless fucker's limo this time.

[Bake]

208. I found that incident amusing also.

And is there a difference between the two incidents? Of course there is.

Bake

[anonymous171]

187. If Bill Clinton was hit by a shoe, freepers would laugh.

Why should we act any different when it is their guy?

[Bake]

209. Ummm ... let me think for a second ... BECAUSE WE'RE BETTER THAN THEY ARE!!

DUH! Let's get down to freeper level. That's pretty childish, don't you think? "They did it first!" Or, "That's just what they'd do!"

Yeah, that's really encouraging.

What do you think Barack Obama would say about all this? Here's a hint: It probably wouldn't be the majority view in this thread.

Bake

[DaveJ]

189. I agree, it's not very productive is it.

Wrong on so many levels. No good will come of it.

How are liberals any better than freepers when we laugh at violence in any form? Sure Bush is as evil and sadistic as they come, but it's scary to see people gather any entertainment from it in any manner. What if it's part of the Right's overall goal, to maintain anarchy, chaos, a society where people get pleasure from seeing violence. It's sad that people respond to you just to ridicule you POV. I would not have even bothered responding if I just wanted to argue.

[baby_mouse]

191. Yes, it was so "reprehensible" wasn't it? He should have had "respect" for Bush's "office".

[baby_mouse]

195. Well, He IS being punished, apparently.

As of the front page. I anticipate your comments with interest.

[lostnfound]

196. How many of his family members have been killed or injured?

It wasn't violence, it was a kind of free speech taken to a level commensurate with the crimes committed by this emperor. If he'd written ANYTHING, it would not have been read by as many people who saw the video on TV.

If a foreign leader repeatedly bombs your home town and kills numerous friends and family, and you throw a SHOE at that leader, I'd be inclined to describe it as remarkable self-restraint.

[slackmaster]

203. I know quite a few Iraqis who are willing to overlook the bad aspects of our invasion

They fled their country because Saddam Hussein was torturing and killing their family members.

[pipi_k]

212. Oh thank goodness

things are so much better over there now!


There's a thread someplace else on this site showing some pretty graphic photos of little kids blown to pieces.


I wonder if they, or their parents, are as willing to overlook the "bad aspects of our invasion"

[slackmaster]

202. I agree with dbaker41

The guy is a classless fool.

[Guaranteed]

206. I'd agree if anyone was hurt or the symbolism of the act wasn't so strong.

A lot of things could have happened differently to make the incident more condemnable.

But they didn't. Chimpy didn't get hurt. No one was all that upset by the incident- I don't think anyone could truly have feared for their life for anything more than a moment, in the confusion. And the Secret Service didn't shoot the guy.

If I could choose between going back and "disallowing" the incident to happen, or letting it be, I'd let it be, the way it was- at least at this point. I think it was a good thing for the world, and will continue to be as long as it does not incite others to violence.

[pipi_k]

210. Beg to differ...

Bush never was, and is not now, the legitimate President.



People who think he was, or still is, must have forgotten how he was (s)elected in 2000, and how 2004 was rife with voting machine fraud.


Aside from that little fact, to berate the shoe thrower because he didn't just write something nasty about him...that just seems real judgmental to me. The man saw his country torn apart...maybe even lost friends or family members in Bush's bastard war.

IMO, to judge the man for his action would be rather like judging a family that reacts with violence after seeing the murderer of their loved one acting all smug and self satisfied when he's let go on a technicality.

Easy to judge others when you're not in their place.

[Vanje]

211. The Shoe heard round the world!

was thrown for me, and millions of others world wide.

Bush's legacy : Flying footwear.

I hope that George W. Bush will be ducking Tassled loafers, Ballet slippers, Nikes, Converse, Clogs , Jimmy Choos, Scuba Fins, deck shoes, Go-Go Boots , Mary-Janes , Mules ,Sabots , Wing-tips, Doc Martins , Tony Lamas, ....... for the rest of his presidency. ...For The rest of his life.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

213. George Bush is responsible for millions of people being killed

if you don't think that is justification for a pair of shoes being thrown at you. I feel sorry for you.