The flying shoes weren't about 'freedom' as Bush and Condi claim

[bigtree]

It was a reaction to their policy of oppression in Iraq. The dissent is a reflection of how encumbered the thrower felt by Bush's opportunistic invasion and occupation of his country. The frustration that the Iraqi man expressed with his act is good a measure of the resentment many Iraqis feel at the arrogance of Bush in choosing their sovereign government for his cynical coup and installing the present regime behind the force of our military.

If Bush actually means what he says about 'freedom' he'll insist that the shoe thrower is released unharmed.

[merh]

1. But Condi and GWB are right - had he thrown shoes at Saddam

and had he been caught, he would be dead.

I pray for his sake that he is not punished for his free expressions.

If you through a projectile at the president and are caught, you would be incarcerated.

Hold these idiots to their applauding the expression as a freedom, don't let that man suffer for saying what so many of us and so many of the Iraqis feel.

[uppityperson]

2. "insulting the Iraqi state" is what his charge will be.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081215/ts_nm/us_iraq_bush_shoes_3
TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi remained in detention on Monday, accused by the Iraqi government of a "barbaric act." He would be sent for trial on charges of insulting the Iraqi state, said the prime minister's media adviser, Yasin Majeed.

[merh]

4. And a US citizen that throw something at a speaker could face

charges.

What was it that Ann Coulter's attacker was charged with?
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1022042coulter1.html

I hope that GWB intercedes for the fellow - his laughing it off and making jokes about it may well be the best defense the man has.

[uppityperson]

5. I can picture Helen Thomas doing this.

Yes, someone in the USA throwing a shoe at him would probably face other charges. I hope as you do that he intercedes, takes the guy's history into account.

[bigtree]

6. folks make their protests while suffering all sorts of oppression

The fact that he likely won't lose his life is important, but that distinction between Saddam and Bush wouldn't have made much difference at all in how compelled the man felt to openly protest his country's invader and occupier. That's the point Bush was making. It wasn't a demonstration of any 'freedom' This man obviously didn't feel free from the U.S. occupation or the U.S. enabled Iraqi regime.

Iraqis who have been responsible for opportunistic oppression and violence against their neighbors, at Bush's bidding and support, now have him in custody. I doubt he made the calculation that there wouldn't be serious repercussions for his act under the present Iraqi regime. I imagine that he views Bush's and Saddam's reigns with a great deal of similarity.

[merh]

9. Didn't say he felt free from the occupation

He did freely express himself and wasn't shot on the spot.

My point is, LET BUSH BE RIGHT - so that he can blow this off and his minimizing the incident will keep the man alive. For the man's sake.

[bigtree]

10. well, he's not dead yet

. . . heard he had his hand broken by the thugs who took him into custody.

[EFerrari]

7. I was thinking that in order to have free expression and not free speech "zones"

or pre-emptive arrests of videographers like in St. Paul, we may need to go to Iraq.

[merh]

8. No shit, I posted the article about the guy who throw the pie

at Ann Coulter, they charged him with assault (a felony) and a couple of misdemeanors. He was only excercizing his freedoms.

[DainBramaged]

3. I've got a shoe for them