The official play-by-play
Bush: “Shukran Jazeera” (hehehe)
First Shoe: “This is a kiss goodbye, you son of a dog (Ibn kalb)”
Second Shoe: “this is for the widows, the orphans, and all those killed in Iraq.”
Not only did those comments and the conjoined hurling of shoes spark what would later be known as “shoe-gate,” but it created a flurry of chatter in Western media about the symbolism of “the sole of the shoe in Arab culture,” with sweeping, unfounded monolithic anthropologically-oriented assumptions about “Arab culture” reminiscent of Orientalist fascinations of yester-year. Here are some I made note of in Western broadcast news realm:
ITN: “The biggest insult in the Arab world, to slap your shoe on somebody”
Patty Culhane of MSNBC: “Now people at home might be wondering, “what is the importance of the shoe?” Well in arab culture that’s considered, the sole of the shoe is considered an insult. So it was this reporter’s way of insulting President Bush during his surprise visit to Baghdad.” Were people at home really asking themselves, “hmmm, there must be a REASON why he threw his shoes at Bush. There has be some Arab cultural symbolism I’m missing, and thus, I need media outlets to explain it to me.”
BBC World News does one worse by rolling footage of “the angry arab mob” slapping the toppled Saddam statue with their shoes as the reporter explains the “importance of the sole of the shoe in arab culture”: “But in the Arab world, a shoe branded against anyone is a huge symbolic insult.”
Comparatively these culture claims sound eerily similar to ones made in the 19th century by british orientalists writing on the Middle East. For example, in Anna H. Jessup’s 1897 article “Children in Palestine” for The Biblical World, she makes the profound observation that, “A nursing baby is promptly given anything it cries for –from cooked food to raw vegetables and unripe fruit.” Yes, because responding to a crying baby is only specific to “Palestinian/Arab culture.”
However, for the slippery puddle produced by the attar-like Orientalism seeping through these MSNBC, ITN and BBC off-the-cuff, on-the-spot reports, they seem less offensive when compared to the following New York Times article that appeared two days after the incident. The opening line to the article written by Timothy Williams and Abeer Mohammed “In Iraqi’s Shoe-Hurling Protest, Arabs Find a Hero. (It’s Not Bush.)” is testament to this: “Calling someone the “son of a shoe” is one of the worst insults in Iraq.” I find this analysis more troubling given that the writers of this article had time to sit and cogitate about such a ludicrous claim, and EVEN with such afforded time, to find sources to support their claim! But still they didn’t. Therein lies the most illuminating aspect of this story: Even respected news outlets like the NY Times and BBC see no need to justify essentialist views on the Middle East or Arabs because they see what clearly are opinions as facts about an entire population of people. Even when they get it all wrong.
Actually the most insulting part of his action was not what he did, but said. As he hurled the shoes, he yelled “Ibn Kalb.” Many an Arabic-speaking students are familiar with the dramatically different reaction one gets with the slip of the “Kaf” in place of the “Qaf.” They can tell you the hard lesson they learned. Also, as Will pointed out in his post “A New Arab Hero Emerges,” most likely, it is what you say or don’t say that gets you in more trouble. I mean, throwing a shoe at your rowdy kids is so commonplace that it really has lost a lot of loathsome weight. But, not greeting a relative, that is so rare it warrants the severest of rebukes! I remember refusing to give salaams to my aunt once and, as a result, causing a civil war within my extended family. It was already under frequent discussion that I was very inconsistent with my cheek kisses, and this one incident sent all 30 of my cousins and 10 plus uncles and aunts into a passionate fit against me and my parents. I was literally assigned a hearing with a jury of my peers, waited for a deliberation and was delivered an official sentence-all nine yards! Balah, ma bmzah!
But the best part of shoe-gate was not the throwing of the shoe or Bush’s impressive dodging skills, but his half-wit jokes and political analysis geared at minimizing the historic and political importance of this event:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RFH7C3vkK4]
Bush sounds more like a Kindergarden teacher than a president of 8 years as he explains the Al Baghdadiya journalist’s motivations in a less than subtle attempt to dodge not just a shoe but also the original question posed by a journalist about the so-called political success in Iraqi back to the incident: “Well, to get back to the shoe. It’s one way to get attention…like driving down the street and have people gesture with not all 5 fingers…I don’t know the guy’s cause was…but that’s what happens in free societies.” That’s right Bush, your legacy as President of the US will be reduced down to starting two losing wars, jeopardizing world security in the process, turning a blind eye to the death of conservatively a million Iraqis and the displacement of at least 5 million Iraqis stemming from you “liberation” efforts, a failed economy, choking on a pretzel and now, dodging two shoes at a press conference centered around the “Iraqi victory.”
But in all seriousness, I am not trying to downplay the special place the “sole of the shoe” has or doesn’t have in the soul of the Arab or in his or her “mind,” but there are far more nefariously-regarded things throw. As such, KABOBers created a list of top ten plus “Things to throw…Worse than a shoe” (list originally composed by Fayyad-all the uncredited ones are his contributions):
1. A Rock
2. First Born
3. IED
4. Falafel Sandwich
5. A Zionist
6. A Smart Bomb
7. A bucket of labne (Sunbala)
8. A stack of 3 Million Syrian Lira’s
9. man2ooshe (Emily)
10. Saeb Erekat (Diana)
11. The words “stupid” and “ihmar” (me)
12.Bacon n’ Eggs (Sunbula)
13. A #1 license plate (me)
14. A molotav cocktail (Mohammad)
Lastly, the bigger point that has been missed about these Anthropologists du jour, at the end of the day, getting a shoe thrown at you is undesirable in EVERY culture. Unless of course it’s part of some obscure martial arts training I’m not aware of. Fadi’s comment speaks directly to this point: “Today i threw my shoes at two of my bosses and a coworker; thankfully, hurling a shoe at somebody is considered an insult in only the Arab world.”
Filed Under Arabic culture, bush administration, diana, Emily, Fadi, Fayyad, iraq, Maytha, media, Mohammad, orientalism, sunbula, the Arab Street, The Spitfire-side Chats, Will
im so sick of talking heads dispense wisdom on the meaning of ‘the shoe’. why did the montather throw his shoes? i imagine its b/c he had no rotten tomatoes on hand.
Posted by الفلسطينية | December 16, 2008, 3:13 pmLosing family and country and everything to violence and torture and humiliation must be very liberating experience. Puts you in the nothing left to lose mode. That said. What happens to giving:THE MIDDLE FINGER.
Posted by The Sowrd | December 16, 2008, 3:36 pmthank you! I have been wondering why people have been going on and on about the “symbolism of the shoe”…especially when if they wanted to highlight a difference in Arab/Western insults, “son of a dog” would actually be a better thing to focus on anyway.
Posted by pineappleslice | December 16, 2008, 5:29 pmpineappleslice,
son of a dog = son of a bitch
because female dog = bitch
that’s not a diff in culture.
Posted by Anonymous | December 16, 2008, 5:38 pmGreat post…
One thing is missing from the worse things to throw at Bush list: shuhata, or house flip-flops, the kind you wear to the hammam.
Posted by Will | December 16, 2008, 6:43 pmShoes, eggs, pies, … What next?
Posted by Steve Ballmer | December 16, 2008, 7:51 pmWow, talk about missing the point.
If you were a news viewer, and asking yourself, “Why a shoe?” (Because a lot of people who haven’t apparently seen the talking-head explanations have asked me, ‘why a shoe?’, it’s a pretty common question), what’s the magical perfect answer *you’d* give, that the news anchors should have given, that would have explained it?
Added a ‘Generally speaking…’ in front before making generalizations about Arab cultures?
Furthermore, how do the posts on here saying that the guy’s a ‘New Arab Hero’ not make similar generalizations? How is that not Orientalist?
Posted by Joe | December 16, 2008, 9:16 pmWill,
What’s funny about that is that in my last minute editing fury I, after painful deliberation, I decided to delete a whole rant devoted to the shahata. Once my better judgment is less than or equal better.
Posted by Maytha | December 16, 2008, 11:39 pmJoe,
The point is not how to explain it, but that they felt the need to explain it, with no credible evidence or support. Focusing on a mythisized (and yes, the anthropologist in me did make up that construction) and mystified end-all cultural anathema shifted attention off of the real reason for the throwing of the shoe.
Considering the fact that the Al-Zaidi did most of his reporting on the plight of widows, orphans, and children in the Iraq War, I suspect that he threw the shoe, not because he wanted to insult Bush, but that he was f&^*ing pissed off! Imagine listening to these stories, seeing the devastation all around, on a daily basis, in your own life-for years!-and, then, sitting there, the symbol of the american government stands before you and says: "we're honoring the sacrifices that I just described in the best possible way — by building a freer, safer, and more hopeful world. By signing these agreements we're showing the people of Iraq the United States of America keeps its word. And we are showing the people of the Middle East that America stands firmly for liberty and justice and peace." Based on this, I imagine he threw the shoe exactly for the reason he explained: "This is for the widows, the orphans, and all those killed in Iraq." For Al-Zaidi and millions of other Iraqis' lives, the euphemistic political fantasyland constructed by Bush speech-writers had no grounding.
At the end of the day, this is a case of lazy reporting: the making up of a preposterous claim with no evidenciary support, and other journalists relying on the claim made by the first to break the story. Same thing happened in 2000 when one news outlet called a presidential winner too early and all other stations followed suit.
Posted by Maytha | December 17, 2008, 12:36 amwhats a shahata??? you mean shib shib? fucking medinia….
great post ya maytha!
Posted by Tarik | December 18, 2008, 5:18 amI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmI thought your own take on this was rather interesting. Personally, as I sat there watching with incredulity and a sense of “shardenfroider” that an Iraqi journalist sent one shoe and then the other hurtling at George Bush’s head, I could only reflect on how the same Iraqis, some five year ago, were directing the very same shoes at the face of another much vilified leader: Saddam Hussein.
You’re right! In Arab culture, showing the soles of the shoes is a sign of great disrespect; and throwing a shoe then becomes a symbol of even greater contempt. Bush’s recent unscheduled visit to Iraq, as part of a supposed “victory lap,” crowning the “achievements” of his eight-year presidency, ended in ignominity with a shoe in the face.
Yet it is interesting to note, that despite the catastrophic blunders, the explosion of sectarian violence, and the ceaseless attacks against U.S. troops, President Bush was eventually able to reverse flagging U.S. fortunes and to return some credibility to the U.S. invasion. He did this after much procrastination by instigating the now famed “Surge” which was coupled more importantly with a significant U-turn on many key policies in Iraq. However, despite this downward trend in violence and the apparent slow and often hesitant, but steady march by the Iraqi people towards rebuilding their shattered nation, the best gesture by way of gratitude that President Bush could muster on his final visit to Iraq was a pair of shoes flying towards his face. That’s gotta get to you, don’t you think? I just think it’s pretty damn funny!
It is worth mentioning that recently, President Bush’s closest friends have embarked on a co-ordinated attempt to defend his record while promoting his greatest accomplishments these past eight years. Those closest to the President say its time to set the “record straight,” namely because such a finale to the eight-year Bush symphony, of which they themselves have been part and parcel of, will reflect positively on them as well.
Sadly though, such efforts will come to naught. History has the unfortunate habit of remembering presidents for events such as the shoe-pelting incident of Sunday morning. Therefore it is likely that Mr. Bush will mostly be remembered for nothing more than as “the President who had a old pair of size-ten shoes thrown at him at a press conference.”
I was sad though, that on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush didn’t get such a “warm” welcome as he did in Iraq. Maybe those Afghani journalists still have something left to learn from the Iraqis.
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 18, 2008, 12:08 pmit’s funny how highly you think of yourself… it shows in EVERYTHING you write…
Posted by Anonymous | December 18, 2008, 7:45 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmBlah . . . at least some of us chose to include our names and not hide behind the “Anonymous” mask . . . Shame, Shame!
Posted by Carlos "Sibawayhi" Gonzalez | December 19, 2008, 5:25 pmExactly Carlos! Thank you for choosing unapologetic candor over supine cowardice. Anon 7:45pm, I welcome all commentary with a constructive aim-be it critical of my views, elliptic expression or helping me to fine-tune argument/s, and locate key points I might have missed or did not take into consideration.
But I’m not in the market to debate a claim of elevated egosim when the claimer does not support their statement and is not willing to have a transparent discussion-and to me, being upfront with your identity is part of a transparent discussion. And especially if it a comment is mean-spirited with no constructive resolution.
So, if you choose to respond and want to have an open discussion about this, locate one of those “EVERYTHING” instances, and reveal yourself, I more than welcome it.
Posted by Maytha | December 19, 2008, 5:52 pm