"We blew up their entire country and we expect to be greeted with open arms?"

[babylonsister]

I Might Have To Take My Shoes Off



snip//

“Man,” my buddy yelled, YOU DON”T THROW STUFF AT THE PRESIDENT! He’s the president. He’s a head of state. I’m not talking about people off the street – this guy was a member of the press!”

In the middle of a nice, quiet, relaxing Sunday afternoon, I’m supposed to be worried about George Bush? And after I think about it for a minute, I add Barack Obama to the list – I can’t worry about him all the time either.

I don’t know what triggers my response, but it is sudden and unrestrained. “WE BLEW UP THEIR ENTIRE COUNTRY AND WE EXPECT TO BE GREETED WITH OPEN ARMS? What did we liberate? I’ve been following this closer than you have, I guess.

We blow up everything. We wipe out a big chunk of their economy. We kill people by the thousands.

THEN we show up and tell them we will help them rebuild everything we just blew up. Waste a HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS – do you hear me – A HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS doing a half-assed job of that, and now we’re leaving. Oh yeah, and we had no business doing any of this in the first place. I’d be feeling real good about America right now if I was that reporter.”

“But it’s the PRESIDENT, man. The PRESIDENT of the United States. You just can’t do that.”

“Why not? He wasn’t in the United States. That’s their country. We don’t run shit over there.”

“Man, you’re crazy. You DO NOT do that to the president of the United States.”

Our American government plays at a kindergarten-level of diplomacy, a kind of posturing at international relations pomp and circumstance we revere as if we really mean the things we say, while we are very, very likely to be killing someone, somewhere, in secret, at this very second.

more...

http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=63090#

[BrklynLiberal]

1. If it is any consolation to anyone, I NEVER considered GWBush my president.

[babylonsister]

2. Me neither.

My dad predicted Hoovervilles in 2000 if idiot son got in. Dad's a smart man.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Obviously a very smart man.

[bdamomma]

5. me either

[ananda]

10. Bush is a rogue usurper of the job.

He is not the legally elected president
of this country.

[stillcool]

4. I've read about the arrogance..

of the American people, but it is only lately that I understand it all too well.

[babylonsister]

8. Do you mean the guy who thought dim son 'had' to be supported? nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Well, it wasn't showing proper respect to the throne..uhhh...office.

Perhaps, bunny slippers would have been appropriate. Or, pretzels?

Or, IMO, a subpoena to The Hague to stand trial for mass murder. (Served with all due respect and courtesy).

[Incitatus]

7. Maybe he just ran out of flowers and chocolates.

[tomreedtoon]

9. We blew them up, and all we got was this lousy T-shirt.

They should have been more generous.

[Blue_Tires]

11. that is a script of the conversation i had with my dad this morning...

damn near word-for-word

[Laelth]

12. Bush was in no real danger. Security was plenty tight.

Ask him if he wants all reporters to have to attend press conferences nude. That's the only way to stop shoe, belt, bra, and other apparrel-throwers. I just don't get the crowd that's so faux-outraged over this incident. Really. What do they want us to do to prevent shoe-throwing? Don't we live in enough of a police state as is?

One courageous reporter spoke for me and for billions of people around the world with that one, simple, speech act. It was an act of speech, not violence. And it spoke volumes. It's target richly deserved to hear that message.

:dem:

-Laelth

[OwnedByFerrets]

13. Unfortunately, even some of my progressive friends hold this

view. I, however, have NO respect for this stinking piece of shit.

[malaise]

14. Brilliant indeed

The disconnect between the spin in the US and the reality of what was done to Iraqis is a tragic comedy.

The simple truth is (from the article):
Our rhetoric speaks of spreading justice and democracy around the world when what we practice is a doctrine of control of sovereign nations and what we perpetuate is the continued existence of global inequality. If even one tenth of what has gone on in Iraq had happened here, millions of us would have choked to death by now on our own rage at the inhumanity and barbarism of our attackers.

-----------
Fuck Bush and all those defending genocide. Bravo Zeidi!!
Now where are my shoes!

[Mnemosyne]

15. Those always spouting that the Iraqis need to 'stand up' and

'take responsibility' for their country, make me want to heave my boots at their heads. * is a given if in range.

We were not invited there. We decided and then expect them to clean up our mess? Beyond galling.

We need more shoes!!