An Iraqi Message, On Our Behalf..
I bet most of you witnessed yet another funny moment in History. And thanks to YouTube, it’s there to stay for everyone to see..
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLds-TZMGw[/youtube]
I haven’t laughed this hard, while watching the news, in a while.. a long while actually..
Now, before anyone stresses the point, i don’t personally agree with what the reporter did.. However, it’s too “poetic” that it sure is funny as hell.. And for Arabs, the message this action delivered is too.. I don’t know, Arab.. See, for Arabs, this is considered a major offense, and it represents the idea that the person being thrown at is lower than low, and is not welcome at all.. But i guess, when looking at the US Iraq Invasion timeline (yes, it’s an invasion), Bush had this coming..
I mean, It’s ironic.. How the US can practically rape any country that fits that alleged “Profile” of terror, backed by the poor tax payers money, inflicting all it can from damage, culturally, socially, physically and financially, all under the white flag of “Protecting Peace, Fighting terror, and anyone who’s a threat to our way of life”.. Moreover, the foreign policy used by the Bush Administration made sure that THEY are a threat to everyone else’s way of life.. Stepping over everything, causing societies to crumble from the inside, For all the corrupt causes and reasons, any country in the middle east can be tomorrow’s target.. How many are being taken down in progress so far?
And Financially, this was has been a disaster.. More money has been paid to fund war, causing ridiculous amount of casualties from both sides for too long.. How much have been paid to aid the reconstruction of Iraq? an approximate 20% of what have been paid for war.. And after all this, Bush actually had the retarded logic to travel all the way to the ruins of Iraq, and prance around the microphone claiming that the US did progress in dealing with the threat and putting Iraq back on its feet? Does the x-president read the news? Iraq is eating itself from the outside.. Yeah, crunching the numbers, it seems like indeed the fuel and food levels in Iraq now have returned to what they used to be before the ’03 invasion.. But have you seen the people lately? the struggling government? Things are literally “going down”. You’d expect the people to be angry, and If you’re an Arab, you’d expect a shoe flying right at you if you actually agree with what Bush is saying.
I wonder, if it was better for the reporter to be shot on site in self-defense of the president other than being held in custody.. Because God only knows the kind of hell he’ll be going through.. The locals would see him as a hero by now, and for the Arab world and the rest who share the same opinion, that reporter had summed in one action what we all wanted say.. I can say that metaphorically, the guy delivered what I had in mind about Bush’s presence in the Middle east in General, and his recent visit to Iraq in specific.. Makes me wonder if the action was actually meant to be delivered that way to deliver a message more than to actually hurt him.
On another note, Bush really impressed me with his fast reaction.. He had the fast reflexes of a cat, and a brain of a walrus, and a human-like sense of humor when he commented on the shoe size.. And i guess this should be added to Bush’s wall of achievements.. And it’s probably a first in any presidential history.. There’ve been people who were assassinated, nearly bombed away, poisoned, physically attacked.. But a Shoe?
Congratulations George Jr, You did it again, you made your father proud too.. A glorious end for a “glorious” 8 year presidency.. As for the secret service has another item added to the “morally” fatal weapons to frisk for..
Finally, my message to the reporter:
You did, on our behalf, what none had the guts to do, Arabs and non-Arabs allike.. Thank you, in a way..
Yours,
Lou..
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I really missed this place
We missed you too! And what a great post to come back with.
He has a lot more coming on the way. No one will forget his negative contributions to the planet. We owe it to this Iraqi journalists, and thousands of innocent dead civilians, to do what Ray requested in the previous post and mail a pair of dirty shoes! Bush will live a miserable life after his Presidency, I hope he wakes up in the middle of each night sweating with the guilt that will hit him soon. If he was an Arab or an Eastern European he’d be imprisoned for his crimes against humanity.
Glad to be back, Esra’a..
As for Bush.. The Iraqi people may be encourage to topple off Bush’s head with shoes, as they did with Saddam’s Statue.. That would be “something” lol.. The guy delivered a strong message through his act, since i don’t think he actually wanted to kill Bush more than insult him.. Would the people follow his lead? they’re already protesting his arrest..
Your message started off good when you said, “i don’t personally agree with what the reporter did”, but the rest is lost in your own bias.
Al-Zaidi was a former Baathist who supported Saddam Hussein and his war crimes and now you thank him? Where was Al-Zaidi and other pathetic losers like him to protest Saddam when he was slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people? Now he throws a shoe because he’s sour his genocidal party was ousted and you thank him?
I somehow highly doubt the reason Al-Zaidi threw the shoe was any of the reasons that you mentioned, because Baathists are incapable of valuing human life. Thanking him is like thanking a terrorist in an undisclosed location who calls for the death and destruction of America. If you’re not willing to thank both of them, then save your thanks for something else.
Alan with all due respect I don’t recommend you claiming that other people’s posts are biased when your comment as well is brimming with it. Do you see Lou talking about Saddam? No. Do you see him talking about the Baathists? No. You brought it up somehow to justify Bush’s grave mistakes in this war. Correct me if I am mistaken.
The “genocidal party” you’re talking about wasn’t simply ousted. It was replaced by a brutal and clueless foreign occupation which resulted in chaos, bloodshed, and severe crimes against humanity.
Bush deserves the shoe. No one cares about al-Zaidi’s politics. There’s no need for irrelevant remarks here.
This is taking it a bit too far. Throwing a shoe at someone is a sign of disrespect in Arab cultures. Blowing yourself up in a conference room is terrorism. He did not do that, clearly because he is not a terrorist, but rather an individual who disrespects Bush (and for good reason.) There is a difference.
Neither does the Bush administration, and this has been painfully clear for the past 8 years.
You miss the point. Al-Zaidi is upset because the genocidal party he favored was ousted. I can hardly believe a Baathist is capable of compassion or gives a rat’s *** about Iraqi lives.
You miss the point again. The guy didn’t just throw a shoe. He is a member of a party that slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people. My point being that your attempt to personify him as a hero is the same as attempting to personify a terrorist as a hero just because of a comment the terrorist made that you may agree with.
Neither did Saddam’s regime, and that was more painfully clear for 23 years.
Alan,
Please paste where I called al-Zaidi a hero or attempted to personify him as such. I expressed solidarity with the message. There is a difference and you should recognize it.
Frankly I say the same about the U.S government.
In this specific incident, he merely threw a shoe. If he threw a shoe while saying, “in memory of our beloved Saddam,” the situation will be different, and locals will be outraged instead of supportive.
That still doesn’t verify your message.
Well, this writer is “thanking him” and the other one is “admiring him” and you are cheering their posts. You don’t need to use the word “hero” when you write praises in ways that personify him as such.
Personally, I find it highly offensive that anyone could admire a Baathist after all that the Baathist did to all those hundreds of thousands of innocent peoples.
That doesn’t verify yours either.
I am agreeing with the theme of the post, and I can relate to their general argument. How is that “cheering?”
I don’t think either Lou or Ray knew this man to be a Baathist because, again, no one focused on his identity more than they focused on the gesture itself. For a very long time, all we knew about him is that he was a journalist working for a television network. You are somehow trying to make it seem like we are supporting Saddam and his followers, but that is far from the case, we are simply stressing the message and not the politcs of the person who sent it.
In any case, I already made my argument clear, so I will let Lou and Ray speak for themselves.
Anyone who knows a little about Al-Baghdadiya knows they are pro-Baathist.
And others who don’t know anything about it don’t make that connection. It should be clear that there are still people watching this who don’t even know the name of the journalist and yet are supportive of the incident.
Well then it’s the tragedy of ignorance that people cheer or “are supportive” when they have failed to discover all the facts. Maybe you should send al-Zaidi and al-Baghdadiya some filthy shoes too while your at it.
It’s worth noting that not once did Lou actually bring up the name “al-Zaidi.” Therefore assuming that Lou is somehow expressing his support for an apparent Baathist and Saddam’s politics is just way beyond the truth and beyond the message of this post. The first time it was brought it up, it was in a comment by you Alan. This is what I have been trying to explain throughout my argument.
Stop spinning the facts here. Which “reporter” is he talking to in the quote above then?
That doesn’t really make sense and is not a testament to anyone’s ignorance.
If I were in a conference and someone stood up and said, “I condemn Bush’s presence in Iraq,” I would nod in agreement to this simple statement. It’s called a knee-jerk reaction. I wouldn’t go on Google, find out that person’s name, his politics, his background, and nod an hour later only when I find out that the person’s clean of any terrorist ties.
On TV, what we saw, is a journalist who was at first unnamed who seemed to be extremely upset with Bush’s policies, policies that we are also tired of. People supporting it are neither tragic nor ignorant, they simply reacted very quickly to the statement, which is perfectly normal.
The reporter was unnamed. That is the fact. Did he say the “Baathist, Saddam-loving reporter”? No. Everyone knows it was a journalist/reporter who threw the shoe. Not everyone knows his name or his background. This is really simple Alan and I’m not sure why you’re insisting otherwise.
Didn’t the US government sponsor Saddam during most of this 23 years?
Condemning Bush and abusing your journalist credentials to throw a shoe is a little bit different, first of all. But I’d rather not get into that aspect of the whole thing.
Forgive me if I am a little appalled by your writer’s choice to admire a man, al-Zaidi, who has a background of supporting violence against thousands of innocent people.
As an American I am truly sorry for our actions in Iraq – lost innocence, women, children and men. I never voted for Bush, and I felt 8 years ago that his election would bring trouble for all in the world. I am full of joy for Obama’s election. I only wish that the youth of Iraq will seek respect for women and all their citizens. Iraq possesses so much significants in regard to advances in science and culture on a civic level. It is imperative that there is balance between religion and government. However, I must say, the shoe is small justice for the years of wrong.
We must find peace. Feed the hungry and educate the uneducated regardless sex and class. The greatness of a nation is found in it’s people, regardless of sex, race and religion.
If you can read Arabic, you’ll find this amusing: Link
Dear Alan..
I’ll break down my reply in small sentences, so bare with me.. Hoping that you won’t twist the meaning, nor look too deep at one way, while the topic’s intent is the complete opposite way..
Have you spent any time reading? As knowing what the topic aims to send? Understood the content and it’s intended context?
See, the topic talked about Bush,The iraqi invasion and the aftermath of the latter..
I didn’t list the Reporter’s name, because it’s not the point..
I didn’t list the association/party he’s affiliated with, because it’s not the point..
I didn’t even ask people to inform me of who he is or who was he rooting for, because it’s not important..
I even explained what the action means in the Arabian culture.. Come to think about it, looking how the western media is seeing this, how the heck does throwing a shoe be regarded as an act of terror? When somebody throws a shoe at you, not that i’m saying they will, but assume that a shoe is flying towards you in projectile motion, Would you be scared of the shoe? or would you be appalled by how demeaning that a Shoe, that walks on dirt, is a soon-to-hit-your-face event..?
See, in the Arab world, as Esra’a kindly mentioned, and i pointed out in the article that seems you overlooked, this is a very disrespectful action.. And guess what, Bush isn’t a bloody do-gooder, nor does he deserve any kind of respect.. Why? I guess if you actually read the topic, you’d know that..
I don’t care if Barney the dinosaur threw that shoe, and several hours later it turns out that he was in the Anti-Teletubbies faction of Iraq.. The main point is, Bush was hit by a shoe.. PERIOD.. How’s that for a farewell kiss (which what the reporter said before he threw the shoe)..
I think we can agree that the shoe wasn’t actually intended to cause a concussion and then lead to a certain death.. So, try to absorb this difference in culture, and stop trying to make me a Baathist, when i actually wrote this topic on my laptop DIRECTLY after i saw it in the news, and posted it later on when i was able to connect online.. And then, the next morning, i read the news and looked more into it..
Sorry to disappoint you, but am rooting for the disrespect of a republican pig, not a reporter who’s on the other side of the sun by now..
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Yours,
Lou..
Another thought comes to mind.. What would Saddam do if this was done while he was still alive? The people were so afraid of his unjust tyranny that they threw their shoes at his Statue.. Were they trying to kill that statue??
In America getting a shoe thrown at you is bad because its a sign of hostility, much like getting a cup or anything else thrown at you – not necessarily because being hit by a shoe is demeaning. As for shoe-violence, has anyone seen Austin Powers? If so, you may remember that when hit by a shoe he states: “Who throws a shoe? Honestly you fight like a woman!” To this day I only have heard of girls using shoes like stilettos in fights. It seems that Americans view shoe throwing as unmanly and a tad wimpy. That may account for the reason why some Americans may view this as a dumb way of protesting. I however, think the intention behind the gesture is more important than the action itself. It is at a heart a way of saying: “fuck you.”
Lou, thank you. I actually appreciate your response (unlike the immature responses I received for my comments on the other thread).
I never tried to make you a Baathist, Lou. I also never said the throwing of a shoe is an act of terror, so I am unsure how you extracted that from my argument.
I simply said applauding or thanking someone who has the background of a criminal from the things that are known about him is no better than applauding some terrorist in Afghanistan or Pakistan for a comment they made and you may agree with.
How can you (not you directly, Lou) throw a shoe at someone who you call a murderer, and then you yourself be part of an ideology that is murderous? I wish he would have thrown a harsh question at the president instead.
If someone threw a shoe at Saddam, we would hear no more of him. He would have never left that room alive.
In America we have many religions. We respect all of those who choose to worship in their way, by the majority. This is not to say that there is a minority, out of ignorance who choose to seek their own view of religion and government. We all speak of words on how things should be, get over it. Life is too short to worry about another person’s soul. We need to worry about our own! It is so easy to past judgment on others, but looking in a marrow might put a person in perspective. We all must face death alone, and face that which greets us after, so treat each other with respect and kindness. It is not that hard to be tolerant of others, and still have your own belief. The killing must end — the gift of life is not ours, but chosen by a power greater then us. It is not science.
Lou, thanks for the great post.
I was reading through the commentary and one thought came to mind: Of course we’re all biased! That’s why we’re posting. The more important thing is to know what biases you hold and share them when it makes sense.
Dear Alan..
To clear something out.. I didn’t say that you said it was an act of terror.. I added an extra point regarding the fuss this shoe has caused on how the west saw the action.. But i’m sure now you know how it feels when you stuff the Baathist party in my intentions to promote the action done by the “….” reporter..
It’s a misunderstanding, so no harm done..
I was thanking his action.. If you read the thread carefully, you’d notice what i wrote in the end.. “Thank you, in a way”.. Meaning that am actually thanking him for throwing that shoe at the one person i really fantasized of throwing my walking sandals at..
Let’s just stay focused on what the topic is really about, and let the argumental ad hominems aside, Shall we?
Am glad that we’re clearing out points and intentions here, without resorting to faulty assumptions in moments of rage or mockery..
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Yours,
Lou..
I have tried to express an American view on the issue at hand. I see that this debate is limited among the Islamic world. We are no longer separated by opinions, since there have been a sacrifice of American young lives; with wives and children at home wishing and hoping for a homecoming. America has made it easier for people in Iraq to live a life full of more freedoms. America has spent billions of dollars to bring a since of democracy to this nation. In the aftermath of our invasion people went to the streets full of joy! The alternative is the past. What do you want? Just think about the past with the rule of the devil, you know. People would disappeared in the night and their family would search for their loved ones — only to be informed that their bones were identified in a mass grave. I do not believe in the policies of Bush, but those who created so much suffering in Iraq are those who are from other nations in the region who HATE Americans. It is up your citizens to decide what kind of society you want. The world is becoming smaller, so think smart. When we are gone, God bless the future!
Where is your voice?
You must think I am CIA
Huh???
Fools
Freedom to murder, got it.
False, hand full of people does not equate an entire nation.
I don’t’ know what planet you from but this is still happening AND the people who are just getting killed regularly creates a bigger number than the people who used to go missing. I rather see 10 people go missing and find them in mass grave, than 1000 being killed by the Americans or the extremists they created.
Old fools made it sure that the future of the younger generations will be fucked for all eternity just because of greed and/or ignorant view of the world.