Politics is not my strong point. I mean, I’m not some airhead bimbo but it’s definitely not something that I’m mega clued up about.
Which is why when I write this, I fear the backlash that I’ll receive from those who are anti America, anti The War on Iraq and inevitably anti George “Dubya” Bush (GDB).
Fair enough, GDB made some dubious decisions (OK, more than some and definitely more than dubious) but remember, he didn’t put himself there. It was the majority of a population of some 300 million people that did that.
Did he deserve the shoe throwing? Not in my opinion. Why? Because he’s an old man that’s had his run. Let him be. If it’s the most disrespectful sign in the Arab world – I don’t think he deserved it. Watching him helpless on the video made me wince slightly. I know I might get the " what about the helpless Iraqis?" question but do the Iraqis believe that they would have been better off under Saddam?
At the end of the day, GDB was doing his job – he may not have done it well but he did what he believed was right. Isn't that a true representation of someone's character - doing what you believe in despite the backlash you may face?
I just feel sorry for the guy and I never thought I'd say that about "Dubya".
Tuesday 16 December 2008
The Incident
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6 comments:
scrumpy the deep... LOL! :D
but yes, i actually agree wit ya on this one.... i felt slightly bad for him...
i must be going soft........
To call the invasion and occupation of a country under false pretenses 'more than dubious' is an understatement of epic proportions. While it's true that the electorate deserve to be blamed, that does not in any way exonerate him; keep in mind that many a tyrant in human history has been ushered in or welcomed by the people - do we look back and say the tyrant wasn't bad because he was popular at the time he came to power?
Was the shoe throwing an action I would endorse? No. Did he deserve it? Yes. This is a man who has made horrible, inhuman decision after decision (lets not forget the erosion of civil rights in his own country and the endorsement of torture and illegal detentions at Guantanamo) and will never be asked to answer for them. This is as close to a consequence as he's likely to get. Most of us can only dream of being able to cock up so spectacularly without consequences!
I am dumbfounded that you can feel sorry for him! He merely had to face a pair of shoes! He wasn't dragged out of his house at night with a bag on his head, incarcerated without reason and tortured, he doesn't live in a country that has been destabilized and suffers from terrorism, sectarian strife, and appalling standards of living, a situation that only exists because of the war he started. Have you similar sympathy for the guy who threw the shoes, a guy who may have been beaten and denied access to a lawyer as a result, a guy who may end up being imprisoned for his symbolic actions that ultimately caused very little harm?
WOULD the Iraqi have been better off under Saddam? Ignoring the problems the country had because of sanctions throughout the 90s, they certainly were better off in most ways than they are now.
As for the 'doing his job and doing what he believed to be right' argument - this is nonsense. The fact that you should be commended for believing in what you're doing is a ridiculous argument. I could do all kinds of horrendous things - if I 'believe' it's right, does that make it ok? The fact that he bull headedly stayed on a fixed course without ever trying to acknowledge and fix his mistakes is a sign of his ineptitude, not a gold star against his character. Bush did things despite expert opinions and evidence that suggested he not do them; he did things that were probably unconstitutional and most certainly inhumane.
My apologies for rambling, but your post really ticked me off - as you predicted - but I think your argument is without merit. When you look at the scales of justice, they still weigh heavily in Dubya's favour, and he is therefore not deserving of anyone's sympathy.
I have to agree with Antimatter here. For the chaos he has caused, Dubya deserves a lot worse than a shoe being thrown at him, in my opinion.
As for him being a democratically elected president, there are many US citizens who would dispute this. Even allowing for bizarre voting rules, his election to office doesn't make everything he does justifiable. I mean, apparently there was nothing irregular about Hitler's rise to dictatorship...and we all know how that story panned out.
And as for "he's an old man that's had his run" - Saddam Hussein was hanged and apparently then stabbed at the age of 69. He had as much to do with the crimes he was charged for, as Dubya has to do with Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and Iraq in general. Where were those infamous WMDs anyway?
I'd say Dubya got off lightly.
Well we don't really know if the world would have been a better place with saddam in charge do we?
Maybe they had their reasons. Unless you're serving coffee to the joint chiefs of the CIA, we don't know anything about it to make an informed decision.
Also, it takes more than one screw-up to invade a country. Bush himself can't be held responsible. People just pick him because it's easy.
But it's getting to be a little like making fun of the retarded kid in school now...
It just me or does anybody notice the other dude on the podium doesn't so much as flinch even, as if he expected it. The second time around just jabs a hand in front of Dubya, showing his confidence that it's not heading his way!.. hmm.
Gehan: I can be deep! You? Soft? Never!
Antimatter: The dubious was said in a very ironic/sarcastic tone. I'm sorry if I inferred otherwise.
You're right - it doesn't exonerate him and I merely said that he wasn't solely to blame.
He may not deserve the sympathy of anyone but that is your opinion which you are completely entitled to.
Pseudo: Lightly yes but whether it was Dubya or Saddam, I still would have felt sorry for him.
Jerry: Exactly. Because he's an easy target for ridicule, it's exactly like the case you say it is!
Chaarmax: I see what you mean!
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