Bush’s Democracy In, Iraqi Shoes Out

The U.S.-led Iraq war, which claims the death of more than 4,200 American soldiers and $576 billion from the tax payers, has been reproached from the first day it was launched. About one month before Bush leaves, Obama, the president-elect repeated that he will end the Iraq war. What Bush hopes most may be the improvement in Iraq, because it matters much, not just to the political value for Republican, but to the final judgement for Bush’s political career.

President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq on December 14, signing agreements about American troop’s stay in Iraq and a strategic framework between the two countries with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “There is still more work to be done,” Bush said at a press conference with al-Maliki, “the war is not over yet.”

Just after his speech, one Iraqi journalist hurled two shoes at Bush, who later reported jokingly that they were size 10 shoes. “I didn’t feel the least bit threatened by it. It’s like driving down the street and have people not gesturing with all five fingers.” Bush said. But the shoe-hurling turned Bush’s smile a little bemused and the Iraqi Prime Minister’s face nervous.

That western cowboy is really “not a misnomer” – he ducked agilely. The incident is undoubtedly the most dramatic one in the diplomacy history of this year. American nationals who watched or read this news might well think about America’s responsibility and the way it exports its values. How can a president, elected by voters, receive such a treatment?

This incident is a display of Iraqi anger against a war that creates the biggest “false information” in American history, and that caused the biggest humanitarian disaster this century has seen. It suggests that this war could only offer America more insecurity. If the president is so embarrassed, how can he soften up the rancor between the two nations?

This is also a news war of “face.” Even though these two shoes are nothing compared to all nuclear warheads in the world, they demonstrate the strength of a nation! Through them, we see that the Iraqi people are angry to an extreme! At least, Bush got no victory in this smokeless war.

Frankly speaking, that Iraqi journalist is very brave. If it had been Saddam Hussein who he had thrown his shoes at, then the journalist and this piece of news might disappear from the earth, and of course no discussion would have followed. But in my view, this is also about freedom of the press, not only about so-called democracy. The fact that this piece of news was reported doesn’t mean Iraq, under the control of American troops, is a society of democracy and freedom! It doesn’t mean that no one dared to hurl shoes in Saddam’s time, either.

Bush and Saddam are two completely different people. Bush is an American national, the representative of American forces that still stay in Iraq, while Saddam, a tough dictator who was, after all, a man on Iraqi’s own side. In Saddam’s age, the president might be a dictator, but oil was Iraq-owned, the country was rich and the Iraqi people, at least, supposedly safe, while at present, the president might not be a puppet, but is the oil Iraq’s? Iraq today is war-chaotic and badly-off and its people unsafe, at least for the moment. Now, Iraq is not a sovereign country, nor does it have its human rights. If we compare Iraq in Saddam’s age to Iraq today on purpose, and even see the shoe-hurling as democracy, then we are actually confusing the nation with the democracy.

Iraqis, who don’t care who is ruling their country, just desire a safe and dignified life. It is a passable democracy for most people, presuming it helps economic growth, takes care of the vulnerable people, provides a channel to seek solution for livelihood difficulties, and supports a variety of thoughts. We all know that the Secretary of Defense was guarded by heavy security every time he made a sudden visit to Iraq, so Mr. Bush’s face-to-face meeting with local Iraqi journalists, was so valiant it should be praised, indeed. The question is, did Bush give up his own values with this courage, just for a pair of size 10 shoes flying at him?