I’m sure you all have seen what happened yesterday when the Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at the soon-to-leave American president. I have to say I was surprised. I had mixed feelings and didn’t know if I should laugh or not.Professionally as a journalist myself, I found what the reporter did was extremely wrong. Journalists have their voices and pens (and now the internet) to express whatever they want to protest against. However, I was kind of relieved. As an Iraqi citizen, I believe Bush deserved this ending that the entire world will remember and cherish. I mean what the wrong the man had done was huge. His failure to prepare for an invasion aftermath caused Iraqis and Americans hundreds of thousands of souls, not to mention the destruction of an entire country, the millions who have migrated and the creation of terrorism in Iraq. Well, you know the rest. There is no need to go into details here.
When I saw the video, all I could think of was what Bush will do for the rest of his life after he leaves the White House. Will he ever be respected? Remembered for at least a good thing he did? Now, the republicans will say, “But he removed Saddam!” and then I’ll reply, “and brought hundreds of Saddams instead and destroyed an entire functioning country.”
One of my colleagues at work who is not a supporter of Bush said despite his opposition to Bush, he started feeling sorry for him. I told him he shouldn’t. This man- whether he intended it or because he’s stupid- has been nothing but a bad thing in this world. I don’t even think he really understands how gravely disastrous what he has done in harming Iraqis and Americans. Thanks to Obama the world started believing in America again.
The reaction in the Arab world was expected. Extreme happiness and appreciation to what the reporter did. Iraqis have even created a facebook group right after the incident, praising the reporter and calling him "hero." This morning, the number of the group members was around 900. Now it’s far more and is increasing. Also, a crazy Saudi wealthy man offered to buy the shoes for $10 Million. In addition to that, Arab people started exchanging jokes via email and cell phones. One of the jokes reads, “A new presidential order says no journalist attends a press conference wearing shoes.”
Anyways, now Bush has one last thing to have the world remember him with. If I were him… Nah, I’ll keep this to myself. lol
The reaction in the Arab world was expected. Extreme happiness and appreciation to what the reporter did. Iraqis have even created a facebook group right after the incident, praising the reporter and calling him "hero." This morning, the number of the group members was around 900. Now it’s far more and is increasing. Also, a crazy Saudi wealthy man offered to buy the shoes for $10 Million. In addition to that, Arab people started exchanging jokes via email and cell phones. One of the jokes reads, “A new presidential order says no journalist attends a press conference wearing shoes.”
Anyways, now Bush has one last thing to have the world remember him with. If I were him… Nah, I’ll keep this to myself. lol
Like you I had mixed feelings. On one hand, people are free to express themselves with words, not with throwing things. On the other hand, if anyone deserved it, it was Bush. I've never supported him, his war or his stupidity. It was a fitting ending to a miserable presidency. I hope they release this reporter soon and that he survives this experience. If Bush was a true leader he would have asked the Iraqi government to release him and not punish him.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting how the war still wages on, people die, yet there is little news about iraq, until a guy hurls simple clothing. And its the biggest deal. Just a thought! Oh, and noticed the Family Guy clip!!!!!! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhen the history is written on the War, whenever there will be a documentary, a book, tv show...this will be the last image shown. Amazing
Dude, I swear every time I see this Family Guy video, I burst out laughing.
ReplyDeleteThe shoe image is very similar to what happened to Saddam's statue face when Iraqis were beating it with their shoes. Such a small world. Same ending for two war criminals.
i laughed when i first saw the clip. sorry if that makes me immature or evil or rotten. bush deserved it... and much more.
ReplyDeleteI have watched the shoes sailing through the air over and over. CNN seems to enjoy showing the video all day long. When I first saw the video, I knew instantly that the thrower was going to be hailed as a hero by millions of people. I said, "Hell Yes!" and smiled a very big smile. If I could meet this man, I would shake his hand!
ReplyDeleteIn the future, when someone looks up George Bush Jr., I am certain that near the top of the list will be this video. Bush has almost no respect anywhere in the world. This shoeing is a very well deserved ending to his disastrous Presidency!
I wonder what would have happened in Saddam's Iraq if a reporter had thrown a shoe at Saddam?
ReplyDeleteIt surprised me when you said that under Saddam Iraq was a "functioning country". Any country can function then I guess ...
"CNN seems to enjoy showing the video all day long."
ReplyDeleteDavid, wait until you see Aljazeera and Alarabiya!!!
Oh and did you see Craig Ferguson saying "Now Sarah Palin wants to be a president even more!!!!!" God I can't stop laughing.
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"I wonder what would have happened in Saddam's Iraq if a reporter had thrown a shoe at Saddam?"
He would be executed, if not his entire family.
"It surprised me when you said that under Saddam Iraq was a "functioning country"."
Saddam was one of the horrible tyrants who might be enjoying hell now with Hitler. However, Iraq was functioning like most states in the world. We had a relatively normal life compared to Iraq's situation now. We had electricity, clean water, schools, functioning government institutions, construction, nightlife, resorts, tourism, safety, infrastructure.
Today, none of this functions the way it used to. People die not only from lack of safety, but also from lack of medicine, lack of clean water, from heat exhaustion... and the list is long.
I can't blame you wondering, my friend. After all Bush has benefited your country a lot. But please try to see beyond his help to you and understand that he is as criminal as Saddam was. Both were responsible for the death of many people.
Avram,
ReplyDeleteSome examples of the non-functioning Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/world/middleeast/16iraq.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
and this:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/unseen-iraq/2008/12/dec_8.html
Bassam, that Palin joke is soo funny! I am obsessed with her, in a i cant stand her sorts way, so that just makes me roll over!
ReplyDeleteAnd one of your posters commented what would happen to the reporter under Saddam. I just read this post at the NYT and the reporter said he would be executed, his family and probably the reporters that witnessed the event. And probably that lady that went to Iraq that one time on the Family Guy! Ha! So we need to invade Iran?!
http://baghdadbureau.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/on-the-spot-time-froze-as-the-shoes-flew/
i loved it!
ReplyDeletei read today the US embassy is asking the main office of TV al-baghdadia in cairo to close down due to the actions of its reporter. so much for freedom of speech! the big superpower flexes its muscles. 9if this is iindeed true) does america have the power to insist the TV station closes? maybe they should just do what they did to al Jazeerah to neuter it (besides bombing it's offices!) by having their friends buy the station or change the management.
ReplyDeleteone more thing, i read in all the message boards here people are mailing their old smelly shoes to the white house in solidarity to the journalist. if you google 'mailing shoes to the white house' you can read what people are saying in many blogs. here is one
ReplyDeleteThis morning, the Rude Pundit decided to honor the efforts of Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi shoe-tosser, by taking out a raggedy old pair of sneakers, putting them in a Priority Mail shipping box, helpfully provided by the United States Post Office, and shipping them to President George W. Bush at the White House. He included a note that read, "This is a farewell kiss from the American people, you dog."
Since throwing objects at the president is generally considered a crime, the Rude Pundit figures sending shoes to Bush is a small, good thing, a gesture of contempt that has context. Sweet Christ, at this point, there should be giant sacks of shoes heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20500, like letters to Santa.
Bassam, maybe this reporter was just fed up with the fact that neither written nor said comments that are against how these wars are managed are never ever being something Bush take any notice too?
ReplyDeleteSure he could have stood up said what what most of the world have said the last years. But he would only have made two words and it would have been stoop. Had he had any luck they would have let him say it all and they would just nod as they do and continue as before. People are fed up. He is one of them. whether we agree with the sort of action or not we can all agree that his message is clear, he got it out and thousands upon thousands of people agree with him. Here in Sweden a blogger have stared asking people to send their shoes to the White House or to Bush's ranch. People are going to do it.
However I think we all ought to remember that Bush is just a front figure, the rules are really behind the scenes. Sadly I have gotten more and more convinced that it is those people who rule whether the U.S has a democratic or a republican as president. And those people should not be able to fool us to believe that "Bush" came up with all rules and wars just by himself. Sacrificing him is easy for them.
Yes, Nadia. But Bush was the president. He was the one who made the decisions or approved them. It was mostly up to him (I guess!).
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't feel that Bush has benefited any country in the Middle East Bassam, and that includes Israel ... He's hurt us as much, if not more, than his father did ... I think the US attitude in general does that, but that's a long discussion which is not related to the blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite sure Iraq isn't as 'functioning' as it was back in Saddam's day but you have to believe that that comes with time, no? At least that's what I hope what is in the near future for Iraq and her people.
Yes, Avram. I'm hoping by 2009 Iraqis choose who will best help them reconstruct their country. The ones we elected for this term showed us nothing but corruption and personal and religious interests.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt from the December 16, 2008 edition of the Wall Street Journal:
ReplyDeleteOn Sunday, as everyone in the world now knows, a young Iraqi TV reporter named Muntander al-Zaidi took the opportunity of a press conference to throw his shoes at George W. Bush and call the President a "dog". Congratulations, Iraq: You really are a free country.
Yesterday, the New York Times queried dozens of Iraqis from across the country for their views of Mr. Zaidi's act. Reactions ranged from enthusiastic support to the feeling that it was unprofessional for a journalist and no way to treat a guest. One Iraqi feared that the President would take some sort of terrible revenge, but he relaxed after Mr. Bush laughed the incident off. Another, who claimed to have spent five years in Saddam's jails, offered that "the journalist has to throw flowers on Bush, not a shoe, because Bush saved the Iraqi people from a bloody regime."
So everyone has an opinion, and everyone seems prepared to share it (along with their name and city of residence) with a newspaper that somebody in the Iraqi government is likely to read. For its part, the Iraqi government is not amused. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called Mr. Zaidi's stunt a "shameful, savage act" and demanded an apology from the reporter's employers. So far, none has been forthcoming, and Mr. Zaidi potentially faces jail time for harming a visiting dignitary.
Mr. Zaidi works for an anti-American TV outlet, and was known to sign off on his televised reports from "occupied Baghdad." But if Mr. Maliki wants his revenge, he could do no better than to let Mr. Zaidi walk free. As for Mr. Bush's critics, both in the West and the Arab world, they will see one more opportunity to bemoan the folly of Iraq's liberation. We suspect many Iraqis will reflect on what would have been the fate of any journalist who dared to throw his shoes at Saddam Hussein.
Indeed.
"I wonder what would have happened in Saddam's Iraq if a reporter had thrown a shoe at Saddam?"
He would be executed, if not his entire family.
Some day, Bassam, perhaps you and others who share your opinion of Mr. Bush may come to look at him from another angle.
The ones we elected for this term showed us nothing but corruption and personal and religious interests.
Then, it is up to you to find people who are better prepared to run your country. And I hope you do. Because that was the whole point of this endeavor as far as I am concerned. That is, that it be the people of Iraq's choice. Not some dictator's.
Lynnette, In Sweden there is a question circulating:
ReplyDelete"What would the US people have done to a person who bombed them, sent thousand of missiles on them and armies to take over their cities?"
Give him flowers?
An Lynnette, if you had a father who abused you, your family, two brothers and 3 sisters. Then came a person and bombed the whole house with the intention to free you all from your abusive father. Your father did not die though, right away, but the police came and took him. You mother however did not make it. She got killed in the attack and so did your 3 brothers. One of your sisters lots her hearing and the other one lost a leg. Are you great full? Well if I use your same apology you damn well should be. That person freed you from your father. That your mother and brothers got killed that was not his intention. So remember that now you have an opportunity thanks to that man who killed your mother and brothers and injured your sister to live a life without abuse. Be great full and show you apprisians to the man who killed your mother, brothers and injured your sisters. You three thanks to that man can now live a life without abuse. Is it difficult? Well well some day you may look at that man from a different angle. And do remember that if you go and make a good life for yourself and your sisters its thanks to him. I know there will be people who will try to convince you that's its your own making despite that man who killed your family. But then you can come to me and I will remind you as you do here that no Lynnette you see anything good that happens in your life is always thanks to that man who killed your family. Because he made you free from an abusive father. Be greatfull. And if anything goes bad well then Lynnette that is always your own fault. Don't come complaining that it might be a side effect from loosing your mother, bother and having injured sisters to take care of. One day Lynnette when you stand there thinking you have made it. Let us remind you that all that was made thanks to the man who killed your family. Because if he had not done that you would still be living with your abusive father. What are you telling me; nobody know what could have happen, he could have been gone in other ways? Things could have been done differently. We are not god to know that only one way and the bomb way was the best. You say you were not asked if you agreed to the bombs drooped on your house... Well well you seem to forget that after all what that man did for you you better show some more greatfullness that ideas such as that. One day Lynnette one day when you stand there thinking you have made it we will remind you over and over again its thanks to that man who killed your family you are where you are.
Have you guys tried the game yet?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sockandawe.com/
Bravo !
ReplyDeleteC'est la meilleure action que pouvait avoir la nation Iraquienne contre Bush !
Nadia,
ReplyDelete"What would the US people have done to a person who bombed them, sent thousand of missiles on them and armies to take over their cities?"
This. And around a hundred years later we would make silly skits of it.
But since we really have no intention of colonizing Iraq, that is not the best analogy. The abusive father is.
That your mother and brothers got killed that was not his intention.
No, it certainly was not. And no one should feel grateful for that. Nor any of the other mistakes that were made. But if you ever wanted a change to the status quo in the Middle East, then something had to be done. There are very few people in this world who would even make an attempt, however ill fated it might have been. No one would get involved unless there was something in it for them. That is the cold, hard truth. In the case of George W. Bush you may believe it was for the oil, many do. But regardless of why you think he did it, it has given Iraqi's a chance to make something of their country. Something that could benefit future generations. Do I think they will bear responsibility for what their country looks like in the future? Damn right, I do. You are not little children, you are adults. You are intelligent. If you don't like something, find a way to change it. One that doesn't include extreme bloodshed, or a return to a dictatorship.
Things could have been done differently.
To get rid of Saddam, you mean? Certainly. But it wasn't just Saddam that was the problem. Saddam was a product of a system that has been in place for years. And even now it remains to be seen if anything in that system has really changed. A lot is being asked of the people of Iraq. Only time will tell if they are prepared to meet the challenge.
The shoe thrower should not receive jail time. He did not use a lethal weapon (unless he has really, really bad foot odor). He did not even hit anyone. His intent was to make a statement. The punishment should fit the crime. If I were the judge I would be a little creative. Make him official shoe shiner to the Iraqi parliament or something. Not to exceed a year. And perhaps supply them with new shoes.
If I were George W. Bush, I would ask for the shoes he threw, sell them to that Saudi for $10 million and donate it to a charity.
"Make him official shoe shiner to the Iraqi parliament or something."
ReplyDeleteIn our culture it is better to serve time in prison than become a shoe shiner, especially for a bunch of turbaned, sectarian and corrupt parliament members.
"The ones we elected for this term showed us nothing but corruption and personal and religious interests."
ReplyDeleteYou know what's sad? Is that I say the same thing about my government ... Is an honest human being who values his country and her future more than the power/seat too much to ask for these days?
In our culture it is better to serve time in prison than become a shoe shiner,...
ReplyDeleteBut then you have to feed him. Well, you're supposed to, anyway. But better how? His intent was to insult the President. So, for the punishment to fit the crime, you have to devise something of equal value. Shoe shining would be a step down from journalism, in my book. And it kind of fits with the shoe thing. *shrug*
...especially for a bunch of turbaned, sectarian and corrupt parliament members.
Well, I just chose them because there were a lot of them.
You could pick whatever you wanted really. My point was that prison seems a little extreme for the crime.
Is an honest human being who values his country and her future more than the power/seat too much to ask for these days?
Don't feel bad, Avram, people in Illinois are asking the same thing.
Lynnette, I am Iraqi, I love Iraq more then you will ever do or Bush will ever do.
ReplyDeleteI will never be grateful for the mess U.S invasion has created and the mismanagement of a total war.
All the war crimes, all the crimes against humanity I will remember them all with all the unjust things that have happened to Iraqis before. You may not like things that way and criticise it from right to left and that's not new at all : )
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Avram and Bassam we have a similar problem in Sweden too.
The Swedish government is giving the deaf ear to all arguments and protest against turning the country into a police state.
Its as if high ranking politicians have stopped working for what's best for the people, the country and democracy.
Now all the care about is how much more can we spy on ordinary citizen in the name of protecting them.
It has come to such a point that a lot of Swedes think Sweden is no longer a real democracy.
Just look at EU these days. The current constitution is clear if one country says NO to the new constitution well then it will be stopped. So we have 3 countries who said NO. After the two first said no, some changes where made. Then after that Irland's people said no. So what do high up politicians do? Respect the vote? No. They are now working on a new vote next year. And most governments don't even dare having referendums in their countries and vote for it even though.
The way I see it is that the world is turning into a place where almost all countries have a group of high up politicians who are becoming more and more distanced from the rest of their people.
It looks more like we will see a future with more and more governments against the people.
Maybe that is why they are so keen on turning the societies to police states, sort of controlling the people in a way dictators have only dreamt about. 1984 might be not so far fetched.
Nadia,
ReplyDeleteI am not asking you to be grateful. You have a right to your feelings. Everyone does.
All the war crimes, all the crimes against humanity I will remember them all with all the unjust things that have happened to Iraqis before.
Many, many people have had unjust things done to them in many parts of the world. But it doesn't mean that they cannot go on and create something of value for their children and their children's children. If one only remembers the tragedy of a situation then one may miss the opportunities that may come along.
And, Nadia, you may not believe me, but I am sorry for the loss of innocent lives.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it is that the world is turning into a place where almost all countries have a group of high up politicians who are becoming more and more distanced from the rest of their people.
It looks more like we will see a future with more and more governments against the people.
yes nadia, this is happening all over the world. the powerful rich and elite want to stay in power (regardless of what lynn says about 'create something of value for their children bla bla and find a way to enjoy your little morsel of cake while we subject you and enslave you') and will do everything in their power to keep it this way.
if you are in sweden contact the pirate party. i had the opportunity to meet and travel w/someone who ran on their ticket in the last election, he was really smart. wrt democracy and the police state he was very informed. i think there a lot of very progressive people in sweden. find them and organize.
in solidarity.
‘Boots throwing syndrome’ hits journalists worldwide
ReplyDeleteThe echo of the Iraqi journalist’s scandalous ‘shoe attack’ on President George Bush has reached the Ukrainian city of Odessa, where a journalist has done the same to one of the Ukraine-NATO Coordination Council leaders.
...
In Odessa, during the opening ceremony of the Euro Atlantic Cooperation Centre which took place in the South-Ukrainian Pedagogical University, a journalist expressed his protest is a similar way.
Around 100 students were present at the ceremony. Oleg Soskin, a member of the Ukraine-NATO Social League Coordination Council, was making a speech when he was interrupted by a journalist from one of the local TV channels, who shouted: “Students, you’re young and promising, don’t you listen to these stupid and marasmic old men!” The journalist then took off his boots and threw them at Soskin.
Later the journalist, whose name is yet unknown, said that “the issue of boots’ is very vital in the world these days. Just remember how Bush had shoes thrown at him in Iraq… and as for our case, a boot is the most effective way to fight NATO’s expansion in Ukraine.”
Hi Annie! Glad to hear you know of the Pirate Party!
ReplyDeleteI visit a lot of its members blog very often : )
Agree with you Annie, its scary what the world is turning into. Those in power (especially what I see here in Sweden where I live) have become almost fanatical about how much they want to surveillance ordinary people. Why this extreme rush that they can not even wait until studies and research is presented about its effects on free societies.
I remember when I lived in Iraq I longed for to be left a lone from the government. Now with these new surveillance laws here in Sweden and the EU, we will see the transformation into police states where the government is spying on its people.
20 years from now Iraqi children will be singing the praises of George W. Bush.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm bet that a "journalist" like you preferred a despotic tyrant who slammed women into rape rooms, executed children with chemical weapons, organized useless wars of conquest with Iran and Kuwait, suppressed free speech, tortured anyone who disagreed with him and violated dozens of United Nations edicts.
So you've got that going for you.
Directorblue, Bush is no different than Saddam. He had also invaded countries, threw bombs over civilians and created a battlefield ground for terrorists who did not exist in Iraq. Because of him and his arrogance (sometimes I think stupidity, as well) people's lives have been destroyed. If Saddam's army raped women, Bush's army raped and abused men.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing in life is that history is not merciful for those who commit crimes like Hitler, Bush and Saddam. Hopefully one day in my lifetime I will witness Bush's trial for his crimes against humanity, the humanity he might never even thought of in his entire life.
If you are a true American, you should be ashamed of him. At least he had caused your country's economy rescission and your fellow Americans their lives cost in a war that had never been planned for well enough to win.
Bush will remain for the rest of his life haunted by the images of the dead US soldiers and innocent Iraqis. That is even worse than being tried in a court. That's torture he deserves!
Merry Christmas! I hope you don't have a shoe on your Christmas tree. It might be traumatizing for your fellow conservatives.
Bush was making this trip like his last triumphant gesture of winning the war in Iraq and he deserved the humiliation of having a shoe thrown at him and this being what people will remember most of this trip.
ReplyDeleteI can not wait until he vacates the white house and finally turns our country over to an administration that really gives a damn, because by his actions these last eight years, he has not.
nadia, Why this extreme rush that they can not even wait until studies and research is presented about its effects on free societies.
ReplyDeletethis is the whole point of rushing it thru, before people realize what the implications are.
hey did you notice this week (it hardly hit the news here because of the reaction last time)
Cut cables bring down phone lines between Europe, Asia, Mideast
here is the funny part..
"This is a very rare situation," he said.
ha! not so rare at all, it just happened recently. before long they will have whatever kinds of spying things embedded in all these cables.
what are the chances these big cables just happen to be severed all at once. last time they said it could have been some ship that accidentely severed them. please!
Internet and phone communications between Europe, the Middle East and Asia were severely disrupted Friday after three undersea cables were damaged in the Mediterranean, France Telecom said.
"The causes of the cut, which is located in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia, on sections linking Sicily to Egypt, remain unclear," a statement said, while a spokesman said it was unlikely to have been an attack.
oh yes, very unlikely indeed.
privacy is a thing of the past i am afraid.
....
merry holidays everyone. (i mean that!)
:)
i must admit, i kind of chuckled when i first heard about the "shoe inncident " too. But now that i have read the reporter has been beaten, maybe worse, it just adds to all the sadness in Iraq.
ReplyDeleteSee also, on "You Tube" "Claire Fisher Support Our Troops", very well done...whether you agree with her or not.
i, too, love the "Family Guy" clip...hilarious".
i found your blog through Dr. Sami's...
Thank you so much,
tracy