Reuters reports that Muntazer al-Zaidi, the journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush, is the talk of Iraq. And get this — “In Najaf, witnesses said demonstrators threw shoes at a passing American convoy.” Better shoes than bombs.
The Mahablog
Politics. Society. Group Therapy.
A more fitting ending to the Bush years could not be imagined. Shoe number 1″ because Bush is dog”, Shoe number 2 “for the widows and children”. Bush’s most characteristic statement: ” it doesn’t bother me”. Yes dear. everyone on the planet knows it doesn’t bother you and that is the point.
I can’t remember (1/20/01 seeming so long ago now)… does the outgoing president ride in a motorcade to the Inauguration of the successor?
If so… it would be a hoot if the crowds along the route hucked old, beat-up shoes of every description (preferably worn in a cow pasture the night before) at Bush’s limosine.
To borrow from the Firesign Theater: Shoes for Science! Shoes for Industry! And Shoes for Freedom from Tyrants!
Join The Million Shoe March
The net is just full of comedy about the really big shoe this morning. Old one-liners that refer to shoes are being recycled everywhere to good effect, and a few Republican Patriots are weighing in with steel-toed jackboots of their own. Stiletto heels for Condoweezie? LMAO!
But here’s the real punch line: let’s all send Bush a shoe or two for Christmas. Here’s the address:
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Extra props for manure-encrusted farm boots lolz.
It is my understanding that the president and president-elect ride together in the motorcade. I would hope that people don’t throw shoes at Obama.
Or Bush. This whole thing has made me realize that while I was to see him stand trial for his actions even for him I am against extra-legal violence.
You have got to be kidding me…….He is our President, whether you like it or not. The shoe was thrown at all Americans. Stand up for your country.
The shoe was thrown at all Americans.
The hell it (they, actually) was (were). Bush may be the POTUS, but he sure as hell doesn’t represent me or my country.
I agree with Maha about Bush not representing me.
The shoe was thrown at all Americans.
Mark, you’re implying all Americans are small-minded, lying, shameless tyrants. Speak for yourself.
MNPundit, if Bush rides with Obama, I agree, absolutely no shoe-throwing. However, this incident doesn’t come close to “violence.” I can scarcely imagine what that Iraqi journalist has seen over the past six years. His act was the cultural equivalent of the “F you!” shouted at Cheney, in the Katrina aftermath. For small men, small gestures– the kind they best understand.
I have a pair of fancy dress shoes, if I chuck one at your face from 12 feet away it is going to do some damage. Look at the vid, that first one was really thrown hard. I agree the guy meant it in “Go Cheney yourself!” vein.
The hell it (they, actually) was (were). Bush may be the POTUS, but he sure as hell doesn’t represent me or my country.
I disagree. We’re American citizens, we live in this country. Bush DOES represent us. It’s unfortunate but that’s part of the responsibility we all share as Americans.
What about all the Republicans who stated Clinton wasn’t their President? Am I not entitled to my own opinion; and, my opinion is that W NEVER represented me any way whatsoever. He was one BIG embarrassment day after day for way too long. You just had to watch David Letterman’s Great Moments in Presidential Speeches to see how poorly he represented this country. It was very sad that this country had to suffer the indignity of his presidency.
This is a guy who managed to make Richard Nixon look like a choirboy. Also, I do not believe that he became President in any legitimate and honest election. I did not vote for him; signed every impeach Bush petition available.
Good grief! You’re horribly trivializing the violence that Bush has done to Iraq by calling this incident “violence.”
We’re American citizens, we live in this country. Bush DOES represent us.
By that logic, foreigners upset with Bush’s policies toward their county may as well direct their attacks at random American citizens. Your position strongly whiffs of the old Vietnam-era “Love it or leave it” mantra, which was BS then, and is BS now. The American president is not some hereditary figurehead or totalitarian tyrant, unless we choose to make him or her so.
So, again: BUSH DOES NOT REPRESENT ME. Done with that now.
Again: Muntazer al-Zaidi reminds me of the Chinese shopping-bag man who stood in front of the tanks in Beijing in 1989. Bush may just be a guy who, like anyone else, is bruised if whacked in the face with a shoe, but he’s also the most powerful person on the planet. He has come very close to destroying Muntazer al-Zaidi’s country, bringing it endless misery and death. The “responsibility we have as citizens” lies in standing up to abusers of power.
My comment above was supposed to begin with this snip:
[I]f I chuck [a shoe] at your face from 12 feet away it is going to do some damage. Look at the vid, that first one was really thrown hard.
“What about all the Republicans who stated Clinton wasn’t their President? Am I not entitled to my own opinion; and, my opinion is that W NEVER represented me any way whatsoever.”
Okay, I’ll give you he was never representing us, but we still are responsible for his actions. I firmly believe he is one of the worst presidents ever no doubt, and the next time I vote for a Republican will be the first.
But I’m not saying love America or leave it. I agree that’s BS and ridiculous, it’s too hard/expensive to renounce citizenship and get it in another country. I’m not asking you to leave it or love it. I less than love America in a lot of ways myself. But we’re all citizens that means we share some responsibility for our government’s actions.
And directing attacks at Random Americans would, like the shoe throwing, be justified or understandable but ALSO WRONG. Being a citizen means you have to stomach the bad with the good and try to fix what you can.