Iraqi "journalist" throws shoes at Bush

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I just laugh when i hear people complain about the suffering of Iraqis now, totally ignoring the facts about what life was like under Saddam...

 

Anyways, I dont care how you feel about GWB. The fact of the matter is he is the president of the united states of the america and there was an attempted assault on him on foreign soil. I hope he gets punished to the fullest extent of Iraqi law (which, from what I read could be 2-7 years).

 

 

 

 

[Texsox]

Funny thing is, if Hussain were still in power there and he stood up and threw a shoe at him, he would be visiting his virgins by now.

 

Hussein had higher approval ratings. There weren't bombs falling from the sky, blowing up on roadways, etc.

[Texsox]

I just laugh when i hear people complain about the suffering of Iraqis now, totally ignoring the facts about what life was like under Saddam...

 

What was life like for the average Iraqi under Saddam? Did 100% live in fear of a bomb destroying their homes or killing themselves? 100% of the people are affected by living in a war zone. There was food in the stores, goods available to purchase. There were jobs to go to. It will be a long time before Iraq is back to the level of normal they had under Saddam.

[mr_genius]

Hussein had higher approval ratings. There weren't bombs falling from the sky, blowing up on roadways, etc.

 

he always won by 100% of the vote too

 

 

but i really don't care if the Iraqi's are ruled by a dictator, that's what they want apparently. honestly, we just need to get working on becoming self-sufficient on energy and we can finally leave that part of the world to it's own demise.

Edited December 16, 2008 by mr_genius

[lostfan]

I quite honestly don't care about how the Iraqis lived, then, or now. It wasn't our business until we made it our business (for other reasons which have turned out to be BS), something I wish we'd quit doing.

[NorthSideSox72]

I just laugh when i hear people complain about the suffering of Iraqis now, totally ignoring the facts about what life was like under Saddam...

Sadly, under Saddam, Iraq and Iraqis were better off. And the argument that they'll be better off in 10 or 20 years now free of Saddam, is pointless, because Saddam would have been gone anyway. Iraqis are significantly worse off because of this war, and that's an impressive feat. If BushCo had bothered to pay even the slightest attention to how the building of such a factuous nation should proceed, instead of simply handing it off to political appointee goons, then perhaps an argument could be made that Iraqis could have been better off.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

I quite honestly don't care about how the Iraqis lived, then, or now. It wasn't our business until we made it our business (for other reasons which have turned out to be BS), something I wish we'd quit doing.

True.

 

[lostfan]

Sadly, under Saddam, Iraq and Iraqis were better off. And the argument that they'll be better off in 10 or 20 years now free of Saddam, is pointless, because Saddam would have been gone anyway. Iraqis are significantly worse off because of this war, and that's an impressive feat. If BushCo had bothered to pay even the slightest attention to how the building of such a factuous nation should proceed, instead of simply handing it off to political appointee goons, then perhaps an argument could be made that Iraqis could have been better off.

It's too bad it took us 3 or 4 years to finally figure out what the f*** we were doing.

 

It's like the plan was like this:

1. invade country, destroy army (this should be easy, we're good at it)

2.

Edited December 16, 2008 by lostfan

[NorthSideSox72]

It's too bad it took us 3 or 4 years to finally figure out what the f*** we were doing.

 

It's like the plan was like this:

1. invade country, destroy army (this should be easy, we're good at it)

2.

As I've posted before, it was the underpants gnomes method of nation building...

 

Step 1, invade Iraq.

 

Step 2 *pause*

 

Step 3, democracy and happy Iraqis!!!!

 

They focused so entirely on the military aspect that they didn't think about what to do when they actually bought and owned Iraq. Staggeringly bad planning.

 

[Pants Rowland]

What was life like for the average Iraqi under Saddam? Did 100% live in fear of a bomb destroying their homes or killing themselves? 100% of the people are affected by living in a war zone. There was food in the stores, goods available to purchase. There were jobs to go to. It will be a long time before Iraq is back to the level of normal they had under Saddam.

 

That!

 

It wasn't our business until we made it our business (for other reasons which have turned out to be BS), something I wish we'd quit doing.

 

That!

 

Sadly, under Saddam, Iraq and Iraqis were better off. And the argument that they'll be better off in 10 or 20 years now free of Saddam, is pointless, because Saddam would have been gone anyway. Iraqis are significantly worse off because of this war, and that's an impressive feat. If BushCo had bothered to pay even the slightest attention to how the building of such a factuous nation should proceed, instead of simply handing it off to political appointee goons, then perhaps an argument could be made that Iraqis could have been better off.

 

and That!

I just laugh when i hear people complain about the suffering of Iraqis now, totally ignoring the facts about what life was like under Saddam...

 

Anyways, I dont care how you feel about GWB. The fact of the matter is he is the president of the united states of the america and there was an attempted assault on him on foreign soil. I hope he gets punished to the fullest extent of Iraqi law (which, from what I read could be 2-7 years).

 

This, not so much. Please explain to me again why someone with no prior criminal record deserves to be locked up for years for throwing a shoe at the US President. Is the President of the US so important to the nation of Iraq that he deserves such reverence? We Americans are not nearly as important as we like to believe and our leaders are no more important than anyone else for that matter. In the words of Crash Davis, GWB is as full of s*** as anyone. The reporter should not have thrown his shoe at Dubyah, but he should be fined and released in fairly short order.

[lostfan]

This, not so much. Please explain to me again why someone with no prior criminal record deserves to be locked up for years for throwing a shoe at the US President. Is the President of the US so important to the nation of Iraq that he deserves such reverence? We Americans are not nearly as important as we like to believe and our leaders are no more important than anyone else for that matter. In the words of Crash Davis, GWB is as full of s*** as anyone. The reporter should not have thrown his shoe at Dubyah, but he should be fined and released in fairly short order.

If someone did the same to a visiting President of another country I'd guess they were going to face some pretty stiff consequences too.

[Pants Rowland]

If someone did the same to a visiting President of another country I'd guess they were going to face some pretty stiff consequences too.

 

No, I understand the law is likely written to have stiffer penalties for assault on the leader of any sovereign nation. I just get the impression that some posters here feel this guy should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law not because he attacked another human being or even because he attacked the leader of a sovereign nation. Rather, it seems that what some feel he really did wrong was to have the audacity to do it to our President.

[lostfan]

No, I understand the law is likely written to have stiffer penalties for assault on the leader of any sovereign nation. I just get the impression that some posters here feel this guy should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law not because he attacked another human being or even because he attacked the leader of a sovereign nation. Rather, it seems that what some feel he really did wrong was to have the audacity to do it to our President.

I agree, I just feel that our President is the same as a President/Prime Minister/General Secretary/King/Queen from any other country, and it works both ways.

[bmags]

Convicted of attempted shoe-facing.

[knightni]

It's like the plan was like this:

1. invade country, destroy army (this should be easy, we're good at it)

2. ???

 

3. Profit!

 

 

My God, GW Bush is an Underpants Gnome!

[NorthSideSox72]

3. Profit!

 

 

My God, GW Bush is an Underpants Gnome!

About 6 posts too late.

 

[Texsox]

I think we have a blind spot to other forms of government. From an early age we are taught that democracy is the greatest form of government. And of course it has worked well here. But for some countries, other forms will work just as well. We all work for companies that function just fine without electing officials every year or two.

 

The problem is not in the form of government, but in the nature of man. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is something that happens when men, and it always seems to be males, obtain this power. For some reason, hubris and ego take over and unless there are some powerful reigns, they become unbearable as rulers.

[caulfield12]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20081219/wl_time/08599186745800

 

Article on the possible fate/s of the reporter and consequences for Maliki.

[Balta1701]

THE Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at United States President George W. Bush has appeared before a judge in his jail cell because he is too injured to appear in a courtroom, his brother says.

 

The allegations came as Iraq's hot-tempered parliament speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, announced his resignation after a parliament session erupted into chaos as lawyers argued about whether the journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi should be freed, Associated Press has reported.

 

Al- Zaidi's hearing reportedly began at 10am (1800 AEDT) yesterday.

 

The al-Zaidi family went to Baghdad's Central Criminal Court expecting to attend a hearing, his brother, Dhargham, said.

 

He said the family was told that the investigative judge went to see al-Zaidi in jail, and to return in eight days, Associated Press has reported.

 

"That means my brother was severely beaten and they fear that his appearance could trigger anger at the court,'' Dhargham said.

 

However, Iraqi officials and another brother have denied that the journalist suffered severe injuries after he was wrestled to the floor after throwing the shoes during a press conference by Mr Bush in Baghdad on Sunday.

Link

 

Link2

Iraq's parliament speaker announced his resignation Wednesday after a parliamentary session descended into chaos as lawmakers argued about whether to free a journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush.

 

The speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, has threatened to resign before and has been suspended for embarrassing the prime minister with erratic behavior.

 

On Wednesday, after arguments erupted among lawmakers over the fate of the journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the speaker said: "I have no honor leading this parliament and I announce my resignation."

[Texsox]

I was just listening to a report that has me now comparing this flinging a shoe to flipping him off. The shoe is not meant to hurt anyone, but it does seem to be the equivelent of flipping him off, or any of the other gestures of anger.

[Balta1701]

I was just listening to a report that has me now comparing this flinging a shoe to flipping him off. The shoe is not meant to hurt anyone, but it does seem to be the equivelent of flipping him off, or any of the other gestures of anger.

The last time I flipped someone off, they imprisoned me for several weeks and tortured the hell out of me.

[knightni]

The last time I flipped someone off, they imprisoned me for several weeks and tortured the hell out of me.

That'll happen in The Vatican.

[Balta1701]

That'll happen in The Vatican.

"How old is the earth?"

"4.56 billion years"

"Punch punch punch"

[Texsox]

"How old is the earth?"

"4.56 billion years"

"Punch punch punch"

 

Rock Jock humor. I love it.

[Texsox]

Speaking of the Vatican. Pope John Paul II forgave his would be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca, and was instrumental in having the Italian President pardon him and have him released from the Italian prison. Now he was immediatly transfered to Turkey for crimes he committed there, but I always thought it sent a great message about Catholicism and forgiveness.

 

Imagine what a message it would be to the rest of the world if Bush spoke about freedom of speech, of being able to protest in a democracy.