Iraqis construct shoe sculpture to honor Bush shoe-throwing incident.
By on Jan 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Iraqis construct shoe sculpture to honor Bush shoe-throwing incident.
A large sculpture of one of the shoes thrown at President Bush last December by an Iraqi journalist was unveiled this week just outside an orphanage in Tikrit, Iraq — Saddam Hussein’s hometown. The orphans at the complex helped sculptor Laith al-Amiri build the shoe monument. “Those orphans who helped the sculptor in building this monument were the victims of Bush’s war,” said Faten Abdulqader al-Naseri, the orphanage director, adding that it “is a gift to the next generation to remember the heroic action by the journalist.” Al-Amiri praised the journalist, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, calling him a “source of pride for all Iraqis.” The sculpture also includes an ode to al-Zeidi and mentions the virtues of being “able to tell the truth out loud.”
Update CNN reports that local authorities took down the monument "at the request of the central government" "We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives," said Abdullah Jabara, Salaheddin province's deputy governor.
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The great liberator liberated a man from his shoe. ;)
January 30th, 2009 at 10:04 amLOL! Now THAT’S a shoe!
Wonder if bush could have ducked that one?
January 30th, 2009 at 10:04 amI guess the early 2003 Republican predictions of monuments and squares erected to honor Bush have been fulfilled. Mission Accomplished!
January 30th, 2009 at 10:05 amHey, I just posted this in THINKFAST!
BTW, still no square or statue built to “honor” the Dumbya, as the Neocon’s promised.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:05 amKudos. Nice shoe. Well done, children.
— — — — — — — —
Unbeknownst to most people, there is a nuclear powered catapult being constructed beneath the shoe, and it will one day (when conditions are right) be hurled all the way to a ranch in Texas.
Monty Python’s giant shoe will become prophecy.
The treadmarks will be permanently imbedded in the shrub’s forehead.
And there will be much rejoicing.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:10 amSponsored by “Bush Dunn Shoes”??
January 30th, 2009 at 10:10 amCan this be construed as a Bush victory? It does represent Iraqi nationalism, albeit at Bush’s expense. Anywho this is damn funny.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:12 amThe inscription on the sole:
“Dodge THIS, meathead.”
January 30th, 2009 at 10:12 amYes, it’s to laugh. . . but makes me sad, nonetheless, at further proof of the damage to the US image abroad caused by BushCo. We may have to redefine the cliche “He’s a shoe-in” to mean less of a reassurance that someone would win or earn a post or award, and instead to be an indicator of how low someone has sunk as a politician–or maybe as a human being in general.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:13 amthe Lone Voice of Reason Says:
Can this be construed as a Bush victory? It does represent Iraqi nationalism, albeit at Bush’s expense. Anywho this is damn funny.
Not just nationalism, but in a strange way it represents free speech and freedom of political expression (not that the Iraqis actually have either, but that is very much what the shoe represents). I am very glad (and amused) that they did this.
And, yes, the repugs will, at some point, justify this as a Bush victory of some kind. You just know they will. Or it will be a symbol of terrorism to them.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:15 amCageyCretin Says:
Kudos. Nice shoe. Well done, children.
Unbeknownst to most people, there is a nuclear powered catapult being constructed beneath the shoe, and it will one day (when conditions are right) be hurled all the way to a ranch in Texas.
Monty Python’s giant shoe will become prophecy.
The treadmarks will be permanently imbedded in the shrub’s forehead.
And there will be much rejoicing.
Remember, however, that soon the catapult will need some realignment to focus on a rich Dallas suburb. We wouldn’t want to cause “collateral damage” to innocent cows and cacti. Love the oracular tone of your last sentence, CC!
Another thought on redesigning cliches for fresh use in 09: instead of “my hat’s off to you” as a compliment, how about “my shoe’s off to you” as a warning?
January 30th, 2009 at 10:16 amtelestai2 Says:
Another thought on redesigning cliches for fresh use in 09: instead of “my hat’s off to you” as a compliment, how about “my shoe’s off to you” as a warning?
Well, the computations of accurate delivery are up to the engineers involved. I am but a lowly observer of the shoe.
‘My shoe’s off to you” as a warning might actually catch on, if people used it. I kind of like it, in a strange way. I’ll test the waters with it a bit.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:19 amWhat a childish picture
January 30th, 2009 at 10:22 amThe proverbial “Giving One The Boot”…
January 30th, 2009 at 10:23 amSo he turned out to be united, not a divider, after all.
PEACE
January 30th, 2009 at 10:23 amI must be slow this morning– I just noticed that there is a bush inside the shoe. LOL. (It looked like a tree in the background at first.)
January 30th, 2009 at 10:25 amI still can’t believe he ducked. Who knew he had reflexes?
January 30th, 2009 at 10:26 amI suggest the people of Dallas commission a pair of these lovely sculptures to be placed at the gates of Shrubby’s new dacha.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:29 amMaybe they can use some of that federal stimulus cash and give some people jobs – artists, construction workers.
The shoe is now my personal “Monopoly” token.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:32 amDynamo Says:
What a horrible looking sculpture.
it’s the thought that counts…
January 30th, 2009 at 10:33 amI wonder if there is a person and address in Baghdad where we can contribute to the perpetual maintenance of this most fitting tribute to Chimpy McFlightsuit? Sign me up for a $100 a year contribution.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:35 amAs much as I’d like to, I can’t bring myself to laugh at this. It’s a symbol of how much we have destroyed these Iraqis’ lives. It’s a symbol of their hatred of us.
There was real human pain behind the man who threw those shoes. He was reportedly kidnapped and tortured because somebody did not like his reporting. He saw firsthand and reported on all the orphans we created, and all the lives we destroyed in the name of “freedom”.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:39 amLets see…GW’s incompetence will cost the American taxpayer 3-billion dollars thats $3000000000000 dollars for the invasion and occupation of Iraq – which had nothing to do with the attack of 9/11.
Those orphans have everyright to give Bush the BOOT !
January 30th, 2009 at 10:41 amcorrection – 3 TRILLION dollars
January 30th, 2009 at 10:41 amVery funny thread . The fact that it was built by the orphans of OUR FOREIGN POLICY not so much .
January 30th, 2009 at 10:44 amDynamo Says:
What a horrible looking sculpture.
________________
It will prove to be an enormously popular monument for years to come… all over the planet. Perhaps thhe Iraqis will put up an oversized bronze pile if horse shite in honor of Cheney next,
January 30th, 2009 at 10:48 amWell, they’re not incarcerated – YET! But they were removed from the bench.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:49 amOT, but no where to put it:
Feds: Judges used system to enrich selves
Judges incarcerated juveniles for profit, to their own detention center they had interests in, often despite attorney’s recommendations against it, not really being covered beyond local coverage:
http://bigdanblogger.blogspot.com/2009/01/nepa-poor-judgement.html
January 30th, 2009 at 10:49 amW finally has a sole…
January 30th, 2009 at 10:55 amSuggest they drop this on the Bush library.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:55 amCan’t you get personalized postage stamps these days, w/ like, pictures of your kids on them?
heh… I KNOW what’s going to be on all MY stamps for a long time to come.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:58 amCageyCretin Says:
Not just nationalism, but in a strange way it represents free speech and freedom of political expression (not that the Iraqis actually have either, but that is very much what the shoe represents). I am very glad (and amused) that they did this.
How do you calculate that the Iraqis do not have these freedoms? Relative to what? This statue is in Tikrit, Saddam’s home town; the man who threw the shoe was a Baathist employee of Saddams. That the statue is able to exist is indeed a sign of freedom of speech in Iraq, I don’t know how anyone could deny that. Can anyone here imagine a statue mocking Saddam being erected in Basra after he slaughtered the Shias who rose against him in ‘91?
January 30th, 2009 at 11:07 amMaybe the school children of the world can collect pennies and put one of these up in Preston Hollow.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:09 amHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!
Truly, truly appropriate tribute to our beloved Chimpenfurher!!
January 30th, 2009 at 11:11 amKeltoi Says:
That the statue is able to exist is indeed a sign of freedom of speech in Iraq, I don’t know how anyone could deny that.
Check the updadate, Keltoi.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:28 amWe will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives,” said Abdullah Jabara, Salaheddin province’s deputy governor.
_____________
Somehow, Lurita Doan’s name comes to mind.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:42 amKeltoi
Poor k, will apologize no matter the context….sad.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:01 pmThat “Bush In Shoe” would sell for big bucks on Ebay. I wonder how much it weighs?
January 30th, 2009 at 12:05 pmElBruce Says:
That the statue is able to exist is indeed a sign of freedom of speech in Iraq, I don’t know how anyone could deny that.
Check the updadate, Keltoi.
Ah. My bad, didn’t see that. Perhaps it will be moved to private land, then.
The larger point remains that free speech is vastly enhanced in Iraq since Saddam’s time. Al-Zeidi is a hero in Iraq today; in Saddam’s Iraq he would be decomposing meat in the teeth of a plastic shredder.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:06 pmAh, yes, the bedrock right-wing apologia;
“compared to Saddam, Bush looks pretty good!”
January 30th, 2009 at 12:10 pmtelestai2 Says:
Another thought on redesigning cliches for fresh use in 09: instead of “my hat’s off to you” as a compliment, how about “my shoe’s off to you” as a warning?
—
Let’s see if we can get colbert to change his segment to “Tip of my hat/toss of my shoe”
January 30th, 2009 at 12:13 pmNo the larger point is that you just want to be right so badly that you will twist anything to fit your need.
The real larger point is that the Iraqi’s are now more closely allied with Iran than they are with us……great job there keltoy and bush.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:17 pmKeltoi,
Free speech? Isn’t the definition of “free speech” that you will not be arrested by the government? The shoe-thrower was not only arrested and detained indefinitely, he was also beaten. According to his lawyer, he was also forced to apologize to both Bush and Maliki against his will. The Iraqi court refuses to even investigate whether he was beaten and abused. Other reports say his friends and relatives have now been taken into US custody on suspicion that they are part of the insurgency.
Before the shoe-throwing incident, he was kidnapped by unnamed forces and tortured because of his reporting on the plight of the Iraqi people.
You call this enhanced freedom? It’s basically the same conditions they faced during a totalitarian dictatorship, only now it has our name attached.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:58 pmI would like to see a new phrase to replace the rude ‘Talk to the hand’.
Also, since the Iraqi government doesn’t want it, could we have it to put in the Mall?
January 30th, 2009 at 1:16 pmKeltoi Says:
The larger point remains that free speech is vastly enhanced in Iraq since Saddam’s time. Al-Zeidi is a hero in Iraq today; in Saddam’s Iraq he would be decomposing meat in the teeth of a plastic shredder.
Um, Keltoi, I hate to disabuse you of your sophomoric notions, but Al-Zeidi is STILL IN PRISON in Iraq – and has been tortured, to boot.
Geesh.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pmThe problem over there is they don’t have steel toes. A mukluk to the chops is polite compared to a size 11 steel toe to the cojones.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:48 pmAnd yet the government beat and jailed there new national hero.
Bet they will be regretting that in the near future.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pmoops- their
January 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pmDynamo Says:
What a horrible looking sculpture.
No, what a horrible subhuman scum poster you are.
You just don’t get it, do you?
Stupid POS.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:56 pmThat’s one for the shoe museum.
January 30th, 2009 at 2:37 pmKeltoi:
Sometimes you post things that resemble cognition (said in a lighthearted ‘jab’ :)).
THEN you post like this. The main thing is that you keep changing your story: you want this to BE a symbol of Bush’s success. It is not in any way. In fact, the reporter who threw the shoe is still in prison – exact condition unknown. The Iraqis do NOT have more freedoms than under Saddam – they actually have less (since every single one is a suspected terrorist by the occupying army – the US). So, no – they are worse off now in pretty much every way (7 years of this and they still have no utilities? They HAD utilities under Saddam).
Iraq is a collassal failure of Bush’s, of the neocon/repugs, and of conservative militant expansionist ideology.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:02 pmWhat, they couldn’t fly in international hooligan and shoe salesman Al Bundy for this monumental event in shoe history?
“At midnight, we’re gonna throw a lot of shoes!”
January 30th, 2009 at 3:15 pmnow let’s raise some cash to have this giant clodhopper flown over daria lane and dropped.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pmSince pretty much ALL monuments serve a political purpose THIS QUOTE
“We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives,”
Is utter nonsense. Heck of a Democracy they have there.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:42 pmKeltoi Says:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
THIS was a dumb post.
How do you calculate that the Iraqis do not have these freedoms? Relative to what? This statue is in Tikrit, Saddam’s home town; the man who threw the shoe was a Baathist employee of Saddams. That the statue is able to exist is indeed a sign of freedom of speech in Iraq, I don’t know how anyone could deny that. Can anyone here imagine a statue mocking Saddam being erected in Basra after he slaughtered the Shias who rose against him in ‘91?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
First you talk about their freedom relative to WHAT then you seem supportive of incarceration of a guy who threw the shoe because he is a Baathist. So are you trying to say that only those with the PROPER opinion deserve freedom of expression? Are we really judging democracy by the Standards of what Saddam would do? I remember that Shia uprising. That would be the one Bush Sr encouraged PROMISING our help then watched as they were slaughtered because he made a deal with Saddam even DENYING them the use of captured Iraqi arms. You dont really think Bush is popular in Iraq do you? Who do you think loves him more. Those dead?Those whose family members are dead? Perhaps the ones tortured or THEIR families. Wake up and smell the reality. Iraq was a huge disaster as foriegn policy and the Iraqis are not going to love us for it. It WAS a success in that US oil companies will get their contracts but other than that we should have stayed home
January 30th, 2009 at 3:50 pmWe need one of those right in front of 10141 Daria Place in Dallas, Texas.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pmI just stummbled on your little slamfest. I am kind of confused, how come I keep hearing how biggoted and hateful the Republicans are, Then I read this forum. I say oh no they can’t be democrats can they. They love and respect everyone. Not from what I’ve read on this website. You know what’s wrong with America. We have no morals, no decentcy, and anything thats differant from what we want we drag in the mud. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. You call a former President childish names, you mock what he did and never remember why we had to go to war. you all forgot about the terrorist and the destruction and vote for a guy, (the most liberal senator ever) who don’t have any experiance and say that everyone who don’t support him is a biggot and antipatriotic. That is two faced. a discraced country is what we are. Things didn’t go the way we wanted and right now so we’re going to fix it and vote for someone who never told the same thing twice. He gave speechs to this group and promised them Oh I’ll do this and another group who was apposed to the first promised them stuff too. and all you ever heard in the media was how great this man is and he’s our savior but never told anything about his shortcomings all the while slamming his opponant. if that isn’t biased I don’t know what is.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:50 pmWe are actually winning. Violence has decreased exponentially. (It’s safer than Chicago!) The locals will, and do love their new found freedoms. Like it or not, Sadam was no good and a danger to us all.
You can hate W if you want but you still enjoyed living in comfort here in the U.S. while he was calling the shots. It’s no different in Iraq.
Don’t you think insane lunatics’ running around blowing themselves up has more to do with making orphans than our military?
January 30th, 2009 at 11:00 pmto Dr Hussein:
Now I was and still against the invasion, but i want you and other arabs to ask yourself this question:
What would have happened to you if you decided to throw a shoe against Saddam, Asaad, Qadafi, Ahamdi Nigad, or perhaps Mubarak?
You know what I am talking about here, don’t you?
January 30th, 2009 at 11:37 pmShoe Resistance!
January 31st, 2009 at 2:28 amHey made by god, check out these photos and captions by your glorious soldiers after they’ve killed so gloriously in Iraq.
http://www.irregulartimes.com/gruesomedeadphotos.html
Of course, tanks, carpet bombing, helicopter gunships, white phosphorous, and all the other glorious weapons used to kill a million Iraqis who had not done a thing to us aren’t suicide bombers—so I guess that’s o.k. then.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:51 amNot sure either of us know what your talking about.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:07 pmwiley Says:
——————————————————————————–
Hey made by god, check out these photos and captions by your glorious soldiers after they’ve killed so gloriously in Iraq.
http://www.irregulartimes.com/gruesomedeadphotos.html
Of course, tanks, carpet bombing, helicopter gunships, white phosphorous, and all the other glorious weapons used to kill a million Iraqis who had not done a thing to us aren’t suicide bombers—so I guess that’s o.k. then.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:51 am Recommend (0) | Report Abuse
Those silly soldiers, trying to stay alive by actually KILLING the enemy…..
January 31st, 2009 at 10:02 pm