December 16, 2008
Questions That I Have for the Secret Service
Jon Friedman in 23/6:
1. Shouldn't you have jumped in front of that shoe?
2. Shouldn't you have jumped in front of that second shoe?
3. Second shoe = the one thrown after being removed from foot after first shoe was thrown.
4. Let's say people had three feet. Would you have allowed a third shoe to fly unimpeded?
5. While the shoe was in the air, were you like, "Oh, its just a shoe."
6. Same question about the second shoe.
7. Do you think this is funny, "Throw a shoe at me once, shame on--you. Throw a shoe--you throw a shoe, you can't throw a shoe again."
8. Is there not "protection training" for lunatics launching objects?
9. Let's say there isn't training for that--but do they tell you that if someone does throw (or shoot) something to be on the alert in case they want to repeat this behavior?
10. Where were you?BONUS QUESTION: Do you think the Iraqis want us there? (Hint: their journalists are throwing their shoes at Bush)
Posted by Abbas Raza at 10:57 AM | Permalink
Comments
"1. Shouldn't you have jumped in front of that shoe?
2. Shouldn't you have jumped in front of that second shoe?"
maybe the Secret Service is practicing for the incoming President?
"Hint: their journalists are throwing their shoes at Bush"
their SUNNI jounalists don't want us there.
Posted by: bob k. mando | Dec 16, 2008 11:24:18 AM
It's interesting that Shrub gets typical admin. reponse ! I'm sure they're 'very concerned' and 'working to correct this important situation'. He'll be getting a response sometime soon... maybe like New Orleans.
Posted by: Just Reading | Dec 16, 2008 11:28:05 AM
This is the cheapest catharsis imaginable, played out for the same infantile mass that elected him.
Posted by: roy belmont | Dec 16, 2008 11:30:52 AM
As close as we'll get to justice but I'll take it.
Posted by: Steven Augustine | Dec 16, 2008 11:44:15 AM
Shoes for Christmas
Category: Politics
Lots of people complained that throwing shoes at the president was an act of violence, and therefore beyond the pale of what should be allowed. I think they're wrong, that it's a harmless expression of naked contempt, and that there ought to be more contempt expressed towards this president, but let's compromise. No throwing shoes. How about politely handing them to him?
The Rude Pundit had a brilliant and obvious idea.
This morning, the Rude Pundit decided to honor the efforts of Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi shoe-tosser, by taking out a raggedy old pair of sneakers, putting them in a Priority Mail shipping box, helpfully provided by the United States Post Office, and shipping them to President George W. Bush at the White House. He included a note that read, "This is a farewell kiss from the American people, you dog."
Since throwing objects at the president is generally considered a crime, the Rude Pundit figures sending shoes to Bush is a small, good thing, a gesture of contempt that has context. Sweet Christ, at this point, there should be giant sacks of shoes heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20500, like letters to Santa.
None of you can have any objections in principle to that, I should hope. Let us all make our own small protest and send George W Bush a little Christmas present, a polite version of an upraised middle finger, and box up some old shoes and send him a deluge of metaphorical and symbolic disgust.
It would also be nice if the shoes were at least serviceable, so maybe the White House could follow up with one last decent act by donating them to the needy.
Alternative suggestion! I really like the idea mentioned in the comments. Since the shoes won't actually be seen Bush and will probably be thrown out, cut out the middleman and do this:
Donate a pair of shoes to the local charity of your choice.
Send Bush a postcard, stating, "A pair of shoes has been donated to the needy in your name. This is a farewell kiss from the American people, you dog."
Simple, cheap, and it gets the message across just as well, while also doing something good.
Posted by PZ Myers
Posted by: dave ranning | Dec 16, 2008 11:55:10 AM
What Roy Belmont said.
A thrown shoe is not going to make up for the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens who have been killed, maimed and traumatized by my government.
Had the shoe hit Bush square in the face, breaking his nose, well, even that would not have been enough.
What would be justice is Bush and Cheney and their minions being tried for war crimes, specifically the crime of torture. The day I see Bush in the docket at the Hague is the day that justice will finally start being served. But we all know that is never going to happen, pace William Gaddis, there is no justice, there is only the law, and in this world, Bush and Co. are the types who make the laws and not follow them.
I say good for the journalist who threw the shoe. At least one person got to express how they felt in a semi-direct manner. But it's not enough.
And it's not funny. Not when you think about the events that made the journalist want to throw his shoe.
Posted by: Luc D. | Dec 16, 2008 12:22:54 PM
8. Is there not "protection training" for lunatics launching objects?
The lunatic did not launch and object. The lunatic had an object launched at him.
Posted by: Jared | Dec 16, 2008 12:48:28 PM
For a more interactive experience, the Norwegians have come up with this:
http://flash.vg.no/grafikk/2008/bush/kast_sko.html
Posted by: Dave Ranning | Dec 16, 2008 12:54:08 PM
Friedman's questions raise the spectre of the "Shoe Incident" being an inside job. Bush is putting himself in harm's way to show us that the Iraqi threat has not been neutralized. Given the recession this was the best thing that the CIA's PsyOps boys could come up with. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Posted by: PeteChapman | Dec 16, 2008 1:44:21 PM
care? tis only bush and anyway throwing a shoe at someone in that county is like calling someone a cunt in this country. personally i think the shoe wouldnt do that much damage i mean theres not mush to protect in that stupid little head of his is there?
Posted by: dannii | Dec 16, 2008 2:05:35 PM
Shit! did they miss.
Hint: their journalists are throwing their shoes at Bush
Hint: watch television in any country bar the US. no ones want you there, except the Oil companys.
Posted by: J | Dec 16, 2008 2:34:41 PM
In reply to your inquiry:
1) No. This prez is a dick. When we saw the reporter, we went "This is gonna be good!"
2) See above. When he missed we went "Doh! Give it a second shot, son."
3) We know what you mean.
4) Three feet? Is the third shoe being thrown at Bush?
5) No... It was more like "YYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSS! NOOOOOO! Missed!"
6) Again, no. More like: "Are you kidding me? Missed again? From that range?"
7) Yes. Actually that IS funny.
8) To protect worthwile targets? Yes.
9) Yes they do... But again it depends on the target.
10) We were all looking from the sides. After he missed the second one it was like: "Oh well. Lets 'detain' him or something."
Bonus Question: No. We should've never been there. Hence answers 1-10.
Posted by: Secret Service Frank | Dec 16, 2008 3:38:39 PM
Be careful with what you say or shoes will be outlawed.
Posted by: Dan | Dec 16, 2008 3:54:31 PM
I bet the shoe-bomber is kicking himself right now.
Posted by: laced with explosives | Dec 16, 2008 5:00:39 PM
Interesting list but there is a serious issue here. That second shoe came pretty quick so I don't think the SS could have gotten up there before it, but when you see the clip, there could have been 5 more shoes before anyone got to Bush, and NO ONE got in front of Bush. That's just not right.
And how come no one went back to check those shoes? Couldn't the shoes have had a hand grenade inside it?
I realize this guy had to go through security, and I'm sure the security was significant, but this clearly showed a hole in Presidential security.
A SS agent should have gotten in front of Bush WAY quicker than one did, and a SS agent should have gotten between the shoes and the Prez WAY quicker then they did, assuming that they ever did.
I certainly hope they provide better service to the new guy.
Posted by: mark | Dec 17, 2008 12:04:59 AM
"A pair of shoes has been donated to the needy in your name. This is a farewell kiss from the American people, you dog."
Brilliant.
Posted by: WestVirginia | Dec 17, 2008 12:57:44 AM
What kind of third-world country throws shoes? The kind that have terrorists that can't afford bombs. This whole thing is stupid and doesn't really deserve the time it got. Also, Luc D, you are an asshole. I bet you don't even know an Iraqi, do you? I bet you have never been to Iraq, nor are you in the military. I just got back from fighting terrorists in another country so you can complain about how bad America is. Truth is, is that the media only shows you what they want. You follow the media like a sheep. Who don't you join the Marines and see how they treat us. For the most part, we are welcomed, literally with open arms. The funny thing is, no matter how much idiots like you make me mad, I'll die protecting your right to freedom any day. And that my friend, is why this America.
Posted by: James D | Dec 17, 2008 1:55:06 AM
James, this is actually the internet.
Posted by: Aaron | Dec 17, 2008 2:39:43 AM
"The funny thing is, no matter how much idiots like you make me mad, I'll die protecting your right to freedom any day. And that my friend, is why this America."
There's an idiot born every minute...
Posted by: Pepito | Dec 17, 2008 8:35:34 AM
Dear Secret Service guy:
The pair of shoes which was thrown at Mr. Bush in Iraq has links to Pakistan. But you knew that. That's why you didn't move. Right? This was going to be the pretext to invade Pakistan? Bush being thumped by a shoe?
i) The journalist had visited Pakistan 20 years back.
ii) He received his training of throwing shoes by a Pakistan based militant organization.A gujrati organization called Lashker e Jotichor. LEJ. Not to be confused with Lashkere Jotachor. That's a whole different organization different sect, a non feminist approach to nouns.
iii) The DNA sample of leather has revealed that the animal whose skin was used for manufacturing the shoe had traces of grass which is grown in North of Pakistan and this skin was collected by a Jihadi organization on Eid-ul-Adha.
Mr. Bush, Washington Post the Wall Street Journal, the Times of India and Kabul Daily, and Bernard Levy immediately blamed Pakistan.
Christopher Hitchens is writing an expose in Vanity Fair about how he visited the homes of rich cobblers in Pakistan who make their livelihoods off of the skins of poor animals procured on the excuse of giving to a religious charity.
Now the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan are writing an OPeD. NYTimes soon to publish. But for now, fearing an invasion by the US they have decided to ban this Jihadi organization and launch a country wide operation against all shoe wearers in Pakistan. And shoemakers. Nation wide curfew. House arrest for all Pakistanis. Because no one has suffered more then Pakistanis from the acts of Jotichors.
Posted by: maniza | Dec 17, 2008 9:02:47 AM
"Shouldn't you have jumped in front of that shoe?"
Well, our service wouldn't be very "secret" then, would it?
Posted by: Michael Drake | Dec 17, 2008 10:03:28 AM
James D: You are the sheep, my friend. If you die, it won't be to protect my freedom, because my freedom is in no danger of being taken away. You will die in service of the oil companies. If you are a marine like you say you are than you are nothing more than a Rent-A-Cop for Shell, BP, Exxon, whoever. The fact that you would sacrifice your life at the altar of big oil makes you the dumb one, not me. The only people who want to curtail my own personal freedoms are the men and women who run our government. From what I can gather, the rest of the world just wants to be left alone to do as it sees fit, which is fine with me, but not so much with people like you. You are nothing more than a small cog in a criminal machine. In other words, you are expendable. Your death, should it occur during the current occupation, will not prevent anything from happening in the future nor will it add to anything because it will be meaningless. So have fun playing Cowboys and Indians. Hopefully you will live long enough to grow out of being a child. Adults think for themselves. You obviously aren't ready for that yet, which is why you are a Marine. Supposedly. I doubt it, though. I'm sure you're just another frustrated fat guy sitting at a desk, working for peanuts, alone and very, very frightened that your existence is but a quick blip on the radar of humanity. Which it is.
Posted by: Luc D | Dec 17, 2008 12:52:04 PM
Heres how it seems to work, as far as I can tell; in the NWO, it is assumed that all are expendable, including presidents and prime ministers and governors ad nauseum. No one is immune, even in the elite, if you fuck with the wrong people. Madoff is learning that lesson as we speak, yeah? So, as long as you do what you were told, you were safe. What more proof of this do we need, then Messrs. Bush and Cheney. Shrub did exactly what he was sent to Washington to do, bring down the american dream machine, and bring the world to the brink of nuclear chaos. I suspect he might even earn a bonus for his work. One totally random side thought that always bugged me. Why didn't the precious twins ever have to serve their country in any capacity. I think that would have gone far to salvage Bush's attempts at appearing well-meaning, but miss-guided.
And bravo to the brave Quixote who challenged the mighty windmill. He will make a wonderful hero, if he lives, and an even better martyr, if he should die. Good night, and may you find your peace and love.
Posted by: horselover_fat | Dec 18, 2008 2:19:27 AM
Do you think if we started sending old shoes in the mail to Mr Bush that they might not publicise it ?
Posted by: Graham | Dec 18, 2008 6:55:02 AM
idk Bush did kind of look like a ninja in that video. Very redeeming.
Posted by: Gregrio | Dec 18, 2008 8:44:26 PM
You know, how did they ALL know it wasn't a shoe-bomb (seriously)?
And why didn't Bush stay down behind the podium?
Posted by: g | Dec 19, 2008 1:25:13 AM
That was the first time I've seen Bush lean to the left.
Posted by: Erika | Dec 19, 2008 10:28:23 AM
Sure, lots of you think this little shoe episode was funny. Tee hee hee, giggle giggle giggle. Sounds like some of you are even sympathetic to the smelly footed journalist, Al-Zaidi. Respectfully, I have a suggestion for you -- take a peek at http://www.Hoxic.com and see how you feel after watching Al-Zaidi's evil terrorist muslim bretheren.
See how they treat Americans. See how respectful and cordial they are to us.
See how funny you think that website is. I think every senator, congressman and military personnel should need to watch those videos to see what kind of barbaric, animalistic monsters we are up against.
Suddenly, the thrown shoes won't seem so trivial and entertaining.
Posted by: Muslim Terrorists Are Evil | Dec 22, 2008 9:23:50 PM
Whoah!!!! I went to Hoxic.Com and my lunch went down the front of my shirt.
Bastards!
Posted by: Joe | Dec 22, 2008 9:26:48 PM
Does Hoxic.com stand for HOOOOOly sh%^#@t plus TOXIC?
I can not friggin' believe anyone would do that!!!
Posted by: Saran | Dec 22, 2008 9:31:00 PM
Re: http://www.Hoxic.Com
I definitely should not have eaten before going into that site. Don't ask me why.
Sick, sick, sick!
Posted by: Carl | Dec 22, 2008 9:34:26 PM
But it is a religion of peace, like all religions. Just a few "fundamentalists", who have gone a little to far.
Just don't say anything bad about the Psychopathic Space Daddy, or I will kill you.
Of course, if you invade my country, I have a right to defend myself, and the UN should back me up, if it had any control outside of the Security Council.
Posted by: Dave Ranning | Dec 22, 2008 10:06:59 PM
Of course, under Sadaam this Bozo and all of his moron supporters - like all the really intelligent commentators here - would be tied up, blindfolded, and pushed off a 4 story building. Then gassed. Then shot. Kinda wish S/H was still in power so you could enjoy the endless war with Iran and his murderous gas attacks. Ah...not a peep out of you, eh? And not a word of coverage about the vast majority of Iraqis who repudiate this embarrassing fool. The Hate Bush crowd, not amazingly so, are those who remained silent when Iraq was crying for freedom, too simple-minded to understand it has nothing to do with oil.
Posted by: FlyoverSlob | Dec 24, 2008 1:16:21 AM
I wonder how many shoes will be thrown on inauguration day
Posted by: Susan | Dec 25, 2008 6:50:10 AM
To the guy above who suggested Hoxic.com as a shock site...
I had no idea as to what the word shock meant.
every politician in America should be required to watch every video on that site before taking office.
Posted by: Spongebob | Dec 25, 2008 7:41:16 AM
You know what - this was funny - know what isn't funny?
That journalist is spending the rest of his life in Ving Raimes in Pulp Fiction style horrifying agony. Yup - someone is going medieval on that idiot for this - not funny.
Secondly - say it was a gun and he didn't miss? Do you realize what kind of hell on earth that would have caused?
So yeah where THE FUCK was the Secret Service who's fucking salaries we pay with our tax dollars to keep the President alive thus making sure we don't go straight into World War fucking III!?
Posted by: the Rev. Spyro | Dec 26, 2008 11:08:56 AM
Actually, the reporter that threw his shoes was not Iraqi, but Egyptian.
All in all though, I agree, the Secret Service should have been more alert. In the video, the guy who grabs the reporter as he throws the second shoe was'nt even an agent...
Posted by: Lyly | Dec 27, 2008 1:17:38 PM
So is some loser in bare feet now supposed to dictate American foreign policy?
Maybe you would like Saddam back? Better yet, let's put Uday in charge!
Posted by: Man Overboard | Dec 27, 2008 7:43:44 PM
I wish I had not been so tempted to see what hoxic.com was about....
Posted by: Jack Clarke | Dec 28, 2008 3:31:36 AM
He should have thrown a shoe with spikes on them.Poisoned spikes would have been a nice touch.
Posted by: Health E-Smoke | Sep 2, 2009 11:58:31 PM
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