Comments on: Al-Zaidi, In The Prime Minister’s Office, With A Shoe http://www.1115.org/2008/12/17/al-zaidi-in-the-prime-minister%e2%80%99s-office-with-a-shoe/ west coast cap peelers Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:48:15 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: sarabeth http://www.1115.org/2008/12/17/al-zaidi-in-the-prime-minister%e2%80%99s-office-with-a-shoe/comment-page-1/#comment-77135 sarabeth Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:11:13 +0000 http://www.1115.org/2008/12/17/al-zaidi-in-the-prime-minister%e2%80%99s-office-with-a-shoe/#comment-77135 Here's how things work in <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aabFVZj4gc4g&refer=home" rel="nofollow">a Bush-certified democracy</a> when someone exercises their right to free speech by expressing himself with a pair of shoes: -- You are beaten, first within eyesight, and then within earshot, of the assembled world press. (That's a sign of a true democracy; things are done openly.) -- After you are taken into custody, you are either tortured or just beaten very badly (take your pick). -- You are threatened (openly and democratically) with attempted murder charges and 15 years in prison. An Iraqi prison. -- You have <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/18/AR2008121800766.html" rel="nofollow">no recourse but to grovel</a> before your democratically elected leader: "But I remember in the summer of 2005, I interviewed your Excellency and you told me, 'Come in, this is your house.' And so I appeal to your fatherly feelings to forgive me." It's not clear what Muntader al-Zaidi can realistically hope for from his Grand-Poobah-ship. Maybe he's just praying like mad they reduce the charges from attempted murder to attempted manslaughter? Here’s how things work in a Bush-certified democracy when someone exercises their right to free speech by expressing himself with a pair of shoes:

— You are beaten, first within eyesight, and then within earshot, of the assembled world press. (That’s a sign of a true democracy; things are done openly.)

— After you are taken into custody, you are either tortured or just beaten very badly (take your pick).

— You are threatened (openly and democratically) with attempted murder charges and 15 years in prison. An Iraqi prison.

— You have no recourse but to grovel before your democratically elected leader: “But I remember in the summer of 2005, I interviewed your Excellency and you told me, ‘Come in, this is your house.’ And so I appeal to your fatherly feelings to forgive me.”

It’s not clear what Muntader al-Zaidi can realistically hope for from his Grand-Poobah-ship. Maybe he’s just praying like mad they reduce the charges from attempted murder to attempted manslaughter?

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