The Bush Shoe-Tosser: Life Imitates Brian
Footwear-chucking Iraqi correspondent Muntader al-Zaidi has a lot in common with a famous Monty Python character.
Adding to the comic relief was the reaction of the Gaddafi family in Libya, who declared that al-Zaidi would be honored for his bravery. “Wa Atassimou group has taken the decision to give Muntazer al-Zaidi the courage award … because what he did represents a victory for human rights across the world,” the charity group, headed by Gaddafi’s daughter Aicha, said in a statement. A victory for human rights would be Libya fessing up to what happened to journalist Abdullah Ali Al-Sanussi Al-Darrat, who disappeared into a Libyan prison in 1973 (without, of course, trial or sentence) and unfortunately holds the Reporters Without Borders record for the longest time behind bars. A dissenter who would attempt the “courageous” act of chucking a shoe at Moammar Gaddafi would similarly disappear without any “courage award.”
But when it comes to recognizing human rights violations, such as using chemical weapons on the Kurds at Halabja or letting Uday Hussein dream up creative torture methods for opponents of his papa’s regime, we find another mirror in Brian.
Remember the Judean People’s Front, er, People’s Front of Judea, who are going to save the world from the Romans via proclamations and focus groups? As Brian hangs on a cross, the PFJ arrives not to swing into action and rescue him, but, as John Cleese’s character Reg notes, “Well, I think I should point out first, Brian, that in all fairness we are not in fact the rescue committee; however, I have been asked to read the following prepared statement on behalf of the movement. We, the People’s Front of Judea (brackets, officials, end brackets) do hereby convey our sincere fraternal and sisterly greetings to you, Brian, on this, the occasion of your martyrdom. Your death will stand as a landmark in the continuing struggle to liberate the parentland from the hands of the Roman imperialist aggressors excluding those concerned with drainage, medicine, roads, housing, education, viniculture, and any other Romans contributing to the welfare of Jews of both sexes, and hermaphrodites. Signed on behalf of the PFJ etc.”
It’s so … United Nations.
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Bridget Johnson is the online opinion editor, an opinion writer, and a blogger at the Rocky Mountain News.
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15 Comments
1. eon:I personally would pay good money to see the various “critics” of our liberation of Iraq going about whacking themselves on the forehead with planks like the monks in “Monty Python And The Holy Grail”. “Hope”fully, after a few years of doing that, they’d realize that the rest of us stopped caring what they “think” a long time ago.
cheers
eon
Dec 23, 2008 - 3:05 am 2. Craig:Classic:
ARTHUR:
I command you, as King of the Britons, to stand aside!
BLACK KNIGHT:
I move for no man.
ARTHUR:
So be it!
ARTHUR and BLACK KNIGHT:
Aaah!, hiyaah!
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's left arm off]
ARTHUR:
Now stand aside, worthy adversary.
BLACK KNIGHT:
‘Tis but a scratch.
ARTHUR:
A scratch? Your arm’s off!
BLACK KNIGHT:
No, it isn’t.
ARTHUR:
Well, what’s that, then?
BLACK KNIGHT:
I’ve had worse.
ARTHUR:
You liar!
BLACK KNIGHT:
Come on, you pansy!
[clang]
Huyah!
[clang]
Hiyaah!
[clang]
Aaaaaaaah!
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's right arm off]
ARTHUR:
Victory is mine!
[kneeling]
We thank Thee Lord, that in Thy mer–
BLACK KNIGHT:
Hah!
[kick]
Come on, then.
ARTHUR:
What?
BLACK KNIGHT:
Have at you!
[kick]
ARTHUR:
Eh. You are indeed brave, Sir Knight, but the fight is mine.
BLACK KNIGHT:
Oh, had enough, eh?
ARTHUR:
Look, you stupid bastard. You’ve got no arms left.
BLACK KNIGHT:
Yes, I have.
ARTHUR:
Look!
BLACK KNIGHT:
Just a flesh wound.
[kick]
ARTHUR:
Look, stop that.
BLACK KNIGHT:
Chicken!
[kick]
Chickennn!
ARTHUR:
Look, I’ll have your leg.
[kick]
Right!
[whop]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's right leg off]
BLACK KNIGHT:
Right. I’ll do you for that!
ARTHUR:
You’ll what?
BLACK KNIGHT:
Come here!
ARTHUR:
What are you going to do, bleed on me?
BLACK KNIGHT:
I’m invincible!
ARTHUR:
You’re a looney.
BLACK KNIGHT:
The Black Knight always triumphs! Have at you! Come on, then.
[whop]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's last leg off]
BLACK KNIGHT:
Dec 23, 2008 - 5:05 am 3. Dr. Lumplevin:Oh? All right, we’ll call it a draw.
Calling this brave hero in the struggle against American imperialism a derogotory term such as “tosser,” is a vile insult and demonstrates inflamatory bigotry on your part. As the founder of the World Association of Narcissistic Knowledge and Egosexual Revolution, self-love is not a dirty word. It is a beautiful expression of love as all expressions of love are.
It is time we cease ignorance and discrimination against people who might have a different love orienation. Stop hating, you jerks!
Dec 23, 2008 - 5:15 am 4. Spindok:Our media goes to great pains to explain the significance how throwing a shoe and calling someone a “dog” is such a big deal insult over there.
However I really doubt that the Arabic media bothers to explain that over here one guy throwing a shoe at another, and missing besides, just makes the shoe thrower look like a wuss who cant even find a decent weapon or throw straight. Not only that but one male calling another a “dog” (as in when he tells you that his wife is pregnant and often accompanied by a chuck on the shoulder) is a manly compliment here.
I think the whole thing is hilarious. I hope the shoe price goes up to 100 million. The Iraqi government can sell it and use the money to build a hospital or something.
Spindok
Dec 23, 2008 - 5:49 am 5. Cybergeezer:I heard the New York Times is trying to extradite this guy and give him an appointment on their politics editorial board
Dec 23, 2008 - 7:36 am 6. In Springpatch:Instapundit linked this op-ed yesterday. As the author says – “A people who invented the zero are now reduced, themselves, to zero.” As insty would say read the whole thing. http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/12/21/bush-shoe-iraq-oped-cx_tv_1221varadarajan.html
Dec 23, 2008 - 8:53 am 7. Todd:Am I the only one flashing on that Austin Powers scene? “who throws shoes anyway, you fight like a girl!”
Dec 23, 2008 - 9:12 am 8. Jay:They also don’t wash their hands after going to the potty. You see, Western Civilization is just that, civilized.
Dec 23, 2008 - 9:20 am 9. ReConUSMC:THE AP LIED !!!!!!!!
SHOE-THROWER A SADRIST AFTER ALL
In its zeal to make Muntader al-Zaidi, the goofball who threw his shoes at President Bush, into an Iraqi everyman, the Associated Press placed Zaidi in the middle of the Iraqi political spectrum:
Over time, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, a 28-year-old unmarried Shiite, came to hate both the U.S. military occupation and Iran’s interference in Iraq, his family told The Associated Press on Monday. …
“He hates the American physical occupation as much as he hates the Iranian moral occupation,” Dhirgham said, alluding to the influence of pro-Iranian Shiite clerics in political and social life. “As for Iran, he considers the regime to be the other side of the American coin.”
Ridiculous! his family now says. Zaidi loves the Mullahs:
On Saturday, Uday, al-Zaidi’s other brother, spoke to FNA and rejected the report by the Associated Press.
Uday claimed none of his family members had made any anti-Iran comments.
“AP has completely lied in its report. None of our family members has made any comments about my brother’s opinion on Iran… Muntader is a Shiite who is fond of Iran,” Uday said.
It’s possible, of course, that Zaidi’s brother misled the AP in order to put Muntadhar in a better light with Iraqi authorities. Sadly, however, “AP has completely lied” is a plausible claim in any political context that implicates the news agency’s commitment to liberalism.
Dec 23, 2008 - 10:03 am 10. Alain:Amazing how this fool is portrayed as being brave when he knows that President Bush won’t do to him what Saddam or Ahmed would do without a thought.
Dec 23, 2008 - 10:05 am 11. Войска ПВО:Of course, on the Pacifica outlet (KPFK), there was breathless commentary about the cosmic significance of this cretin’s attempt at a Thom McCann vertical whack-a-mole. everyone of the gluckers were positively orgasmic about this event.
Methinks that, to borrow from the current pool of metaphors, our friend, Shoeless Joe, is “an ex-parrot, pining for the fjords.”
..yesterday’s news.
Dec 23, 2008 - 1:32 pm 12. Spindok:I am still waiting to see if there is still some rich stupid Saudi actually willing to pony up $10 mil for a shoe.
For much less I would throw one of my shoes at Dick Cheneys photo or something. Passed him in the airport once in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I was on my way home.
All I could think about was ‘Last thing I need is some sort of strip search now’.
No problems but y’all know that we are on our best behaviours in these situations.
Dec 23, 2008 - 2:11 pm 13. Ann:When we DO finally get fed up with the creeping Islamization of America in all of its forms (including Sharia finance, led and taught by our illustrious bureaucrats), our initial offensive action can be as simple as such throwing our shoes.
Dec 23, 2008 - 7:49 pm 14. Pat:When I saw Bush duck those shoes TWICE, then nonchalantly smiling, saying they were a size 10, I had to laugh. Bush is a “good ol boy” who probably has been hit by Laura’s shoes once or twice. The Iraqui throws like a girl…nothing to be proud of.
Dec 26, 2008 - 4:48 am 15. SassyFrassy:THE ART OF SELECTIVE BLINDSIGHTEDNESS or Shoe Throwing 101 re-visited
RIGHT NOW friend and foe here and overseas, want to subject the US MILITARY personnel to indictment and prosecution by the ICC.
GERMANY AND ITALY have actually already indicted US CIA agents for supposedly capturing radical islamic terriorists.
This is an infringement on our SOVEREIGNTY and a dagger aimed at our US MILITARY.
As a result, they may soon want to charge our troops overseas whom are fighting against terriorism, with trumped up “war crime” charges.
Charges like claiming Americans committed genocide, or claim we committed crimes against humanity. There’s a leftist group in Paris, plus Argentina, Sweden, whom want to charge Rumsfeld for allegedly authorizing torture at Guantanamo bay, and abu Graib prison in Iraq claiming 1984 convention against torture, which FRANCE has used in previous torture cases.
it’s really time to put the UN on notice that the days where the USA would mindlessly supply it with money, men, military equipment and blood without conditions are simply over.
In fact the latest—the new UN SEC GENERAL has already stipulated he wants NYC police officers to serve in UN peacekeeping mission in places like haiti, kosovo, and liberia.
here is one more reason why
CLINTON IN 2000 gave his blessing to the whole globalist thing on the UN “INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC). The DEMOCRATS all along want to make US citizens SERVANTS TO THE UN AS OUR GOVERNMENT instead of a country governed by WE THE PEOPLE.
Thankfully Bush saw the serious threat this Socialist star chamber posed to our military and he told them to stuff a sock in it. Apparantly at that time the UN was insulted by it. Although the REPUBLICANS tried twice to negotiate immunity for US peacekeepers thru the Sec Council.
Well, the anti-Americans at the UN wouldn’t have any of it and the Abu Graib prison gave Kofi Annan the opening he wanted. The he tried to wrap himself in the human right mantle by claiming it would be unfotunate for someone to press for such an exemption given the prisoner abuse in Iraq.
We all know that if Mr. Amman really cared a thing about human rights he would have protested the revolving membership of certain countries with human rights track records. However, the Sanctimonious UN and Annan are always silent on the topic of human rights; except when it comes to taking cheap shots at the US
What they are really after is for the US to submit to the will of the UN and it’s International criminal court. What they want is for the US to relinquish it’s SOVEREIGNTY relagating WE THE PEOPLE of the US to the status of servants to the UN INSTEAD of being governed by WE THE PEOPLE
THIS would for example entail that any US citizen or US military can be abducted and US servicemen serving in let’s say Pakistan could be apprehended by local Muslim authorities for an offense, real or imagined slammed into the ICC and flown to the Hage, netherlands where they would rot for months waiting for trial and done ENTIRELY without due process. they would get not trial and no confronting of accusers, No protection from double jeopardy and no unanimous verdict for a conviction.
Take a second to THINK about this all of the globalists within and without the USA think the murderous Al Qaida terriorists should have these rights HOWEVER NOT OUR US SOLDIERS and certainly NOT US CITIZENS.
Even though we can’t guarantee that no American soldier is ever taken prisoner by a foreign state and put before the ICC, we at “least” make sure no US soldier and or civilian meets with this fate.
However, the ICC doesn’t want to recognize the CONSTITUTIONAL rights that we as Americans are guaranteed. GET IT?? They too think our constitution is FLAWED.
Meanwhile the globalists Anti-American ICC supporters criticized Mr. Bush claiming we were “undermining international LAW, the reality, THEY were writing new INTERNATIONAL LAWS TO protect themselves.
Want to know WHAT were the “agreement on the Privileges and immunities of the ICC” ratified with the assent of ONLY 10 NATION–it flat out provides the ICC immunity from “every form of legal process anywhere”.
They stated that the “property, funds, and assets” of the ICC “shall be IMMUNE from search, seizure, requisition, confiscation, expropriation and any other form of interference. And, the ICC and it’s assets they said “are to be exempt from all direct taxes” including local taxes and customs.
Long and short of it—-the ICC MEMBERS have declared themselves IMMUNE form “personal arrest or detention, Legal process of every kind and immigration restrictions.
Oh then then lastly, the “salaries, emoluments and allowances” of the judges prosecutor deputy prosecutor and the registras of the ICC ARE EXEMPT from taxaition.
What hypocrites, it seems to run DEEP in the UN, but it indicates the lengths to which globalists will go to undermine National SOVEREIGNTY.
There’s no mistaking it, the ICC SEVERELY undermines our Sovereignty and has over the years placed our troops at great risk.
It CLAIMS complete jurisdiction over every person in the world and it makes no difference to them whether or not that nation has even ratified the treaty.
And, FRANKLY our own constitution may soon be up to the interpretation of 18 foreign -and for the most part hostile-ICC JUDGES.
Long and short of it, the ICC is literally a dagger in the heart of our US SOVEREIGNTY, our freedom and our independence.
DO you want to know what the ACLU thinks about how ‘STUPID’ they view Americans. Here is what Norman THOMAS one of the Founders of the ACLU says QUOTE Americans will never “knowingly” accept Socialism, but under “liberalism” Americans will accept every fragment; and one day wake up in a Socialist Nation and “wonder” how it all happened.
What we need to investigate is how the DEMOCRATS and ACLU think that they can continue to count on Americans being as stupid as the ACLU thinks Americans are.
Prior to elections we repeatedly had to complain to the REPUBLICANS that our posts were stonewalled by sites because no one wanted to know the truth.
to the present the problem exists.
What we as American’s need to do is to LEGALLY and LEGISLATIVELY NOT LEAVE WASH DC alone until everyone of our FREEDOMS are iron clad protected from flag to allegience to seal to all freedoms.
Right now THE COALITION TO FIGHT AGAINST THE ACLU —whom fights for all the freedoms of WE THE PEOPL will close if they don’t get funding. Want to see how bravely they fight for the public go there and see. If they close, people, wake up there will be NO ONE to protect our FREEDOMS of WE THE PEOPLE.
We need to make sure that the only enemies our troops need to concern themselves with are the Islamic terriorists in their crosshairs not some New world order beauracrat in the Hague.
Now because of our failure to do what Bush said we should have done from the start to tie our exit to political progress. As a result?? We will have to work harder than ever to keep our freedoms.
google OLIVER NORTH AND THE FREEDOM ALLIANCE site and see for yourself what we saw.
Personally Bush turned out to be a classy guy;
honestly, whomever that reporter was that threw his shoe at Bush?? Well, someone should have picked the shoe back up and thrown it back at that reporter. what we would like to know is who paid that reporter to do that hoping that American’s would be too ’stupid” to relize it’s been the DEMS and the ACLU who’s been the problem all along!!
Hope that reporter shoe size was small—–so when he has to take his foot out of his mouth to keep changing feet it won’t hurt so much
Feel free to cut paste and print
Dec 28, 2008 - 9:41 pm