rssDiscrediting Muntader al-Zaidi
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 2:09 pm
- 13 Comments
Delicately and respectfully, Matthew Yglesias argues that Dave Dilegge is missing the point when he writes that “those who have strived — and died — to ensure Iraq’s freedom and future place as a responsible partner on the world scene are brushed aside for the latest bash Bush melodrama” — namely, shoe-throwing Muntader al-Zaidi — because the reasons why soldiers consider themselves to have fought in Iraq is vastly different from the reasons President Bush ordered Iraq invaded and occupied.
For my part, I don’t understand why Dave thinks that U.S. troops are in any sense “brushed aside” by al-Zaidi’s actions. Who’s brushing them aside, exactly? The Iraqis? Well, yeah, sure — they don’t like being occupied, and don’t particularly feel grateful to the U.S. troops who comprise the occupation. Would it be any other way if, say, the Iraqi army marched into Tennessee and said that Tennessee was going to implement a totally new political system and part of doing so involved reserving to the Iraqis the right to burst into the homes of individual Tennesseeans and detain those who resisted the new way of doing things?
Another thing about al-Zaidi. I’m not going to say any names here for the time being. But I’ve been noticing on the internets that people are saying he’s a Baathist because of this New York Times Baghdad Bureau blog post saying al-Zaidi was “the head of the student union under Saddam Hussein.” Now that’s missing the point. First of all, Iraqis under Saddam did whatever they had to do to survive given the reality of a totalitarian regime. Baghdad metal band Acrassicauda wrote a song praising Saddam so they could get some funding for equipment. Did al-Zaidi head his student union because he wanted to head a student union or because he believes deeply in the glory of Saddam Hussein? I don’t know and you don’t either.
And it’s completely irrelevant. al-Zaidi has become a symbol in Iraq and the Middle East because the occupation of Iraq is an unwelcome intrusion. Calling al-Zaidi a Baathist is a particularly pathetic way to put one’s head in the sand instead of confronting this simple reality. (You know who were also Baathists? Thousands of the so-called Sons of Iraq.) Watch the al-Jazeera video that Siun put on FDL. Are all of these people Baathists? Or are they Iraqis who are expressing the perfectly normal nationalistic reaction that the foreign leader who ordered their country invaded and occupied is a bastard?
Last thing. From a counterinsurgency perspective, the deep antipathy Iraqis feel to the U.S. has to be considered a relevant fact. If al-Zaidi threw a shoe and Iraqis either didn’t care or denounced him in the streets, that would be strategically significant. Instead, they’re texting their friends about him and passing out candies in his name. That’s strategically significant. I, of course, haven’t served in Iraq, so I have no idea what goes through the head of an Iraq veteran when he or she sees al-Zaidi so venerated. But we’re not dealing with a population that wants the U.S. there, we’re dealing with a population that wants the U.S. out. No intelligent strategy can afford to assume otherwise.
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13 Comments
Comment posted December 16, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
Comrade Muntadar al-Zaidi has bravely stood up to the infidels. Before he is criticized for not previously standing up against acts of genocide committed by previous IRAQ regimes, everyone should know he was really, really busy (buying shoes I think). I am sure he would have faced his firing squad and torture by with great courage.
Comment posted December 16, 2008 @ 8:51 pm
Seems like you missed Dilegge's point. It's about the hero-hype distractions of the shoe show, treated as if as important or meaningful as the sacrifices of those making positive contributions to the solution in Iraq.
Comment posted December 18, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
Regardless of how popular or unpopular OUR president is, HE MUST BE RESPECTED!. Specially by foreigners. I hope the new LIBERATED Iraq does what it is supposed to and punished this insubordinate moron with 7 years in prison. Im sure he will find tons of supporters in there.
Those of you who think it was okay to disrespect our president should get out of the country. Go to Canada or Iraq, only then will you begin to realize how precious this country is and what respect it deserves.
Comment posted December 18, 2008 @ 5:12 pm
Regardless of how popular or unpopular OUR president is, HE MUST BE RESPECTED!. Specially by foreigners. I hope the new LIBERATED Iraq does what it is supposed to and punished this insubordinate moron with 7 years in prison. Im sure he will find tons of supporters in there.
Those of you who think it was okay to disrespect our president should get out of the country. Go to Canada or Iraq, only then will you begin to realize how precious this country is and what respect it deserves!
Comment posted December 18, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
SPENCER ACKERMAN, you are a horrible, horrible journalist.
Comment posted December 19, 2008 @ 9:15 am
Regardless of who that “journalist” was, it was very wrong for him to endanger a foreign leader. First, he is a member of the press and should remain impartial at all times (believe it or not, journalists should NOT impose their opinions on others!!). Second, I don't care WHO it was, it is WRONG to insult a foreign leader and there SHOULD be consequences. There is a way, a time and a place to express one's opinions and throwing shoes at our PRESIDENT at a press conference is unprofessional, stupid, dangerous and insulting to the American people. Journalists should be insulted by his actions. YOU should be insulted by his actions. The world should be insulted by his actions. With freedom of speech comes a certain responsibility!
Comment posted December 20, 2008 @ 8:54 am
MUNTADHAR AL-ZAIDI
Hail The Hero
Brave young man Muntadhar Al-Iraqi
It’s a shame you had to hit a coward
You had to beat a zero
We honor you with Shoelitzer Prize.
The shoe will bring out the truth
Shoe is the symbol of Liberty. Freedom.
We are proud of you.
Beat the bushit out of these scums.
Allah is with you and Iraq.
We thoroughly admire your bravery
Throw away these occupiers.
End this intrusion
Resist and trample these Americans.
Code Pink – carry on.
Comment posted December 21, 2008 @ 5:37 am
Why should anyone respect a man who lied to the American people and took us to war on false pretenses? Bush should be put on trial, not respected, and as Americans WE should be the ones who put him on trial, because he lied to us, and as result thousands of propel died. And I will most certainly not move to Canada or Iraq or anywhere else, as an American it is my responsibility to keep people like Bush –and those who call blind respect for lying president patriotism– in check. If people like me moved to Canada, imagine how more screwed up our country would be right now, the only thing standing between ordinary Americans and utter disrespect from the rest of the world is people like me who show the world that we are a free society that can be self critical, and we do hold our leaders accountable and don’t just yell slogans in their support like robots, because that’s what happens in dictatorships!
Comment posted December 21, 2008 @ 5:38 am
Why should anyone respect a man who lied to the American people and took us to war on false pretenses? Bush should be put on trial, not respected, and as Americans WE should be the ones who put him on trial, because he did not live up to the responsibility we bestowed upon him and he lied to us, and as result thousands of propel dies, both Americans and Iraqis. And I will most certainly not move to Canada or Iraq or anywhere else, as an American it is my responsibility to keep people like Bush –and those who call blind respect for lying president patriotism– in check. If people like me moved to Canada, imagine how more screwed up our country would be right now, the only thing standing between ordinary Americans and utter disrespect from the rest of the world is people like me who show the world that we are a free society that can be self critical, and we do hold our leaders accountable and don’t just yell slogans in their support like robots, because that’s what happens in dictatorships!
Comment posted December 21, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Why should anyone respect a man who lied to the American people and took us to war on false pretenses? Bush should be put on trial, not respected, and as Americans WE should be the ones who put him on trial, because he lied to us, and as result thousands of propel died. And I will most certainly not move to Canada or Iraq or anywhere else, as an American it is my responsibility to keep people like Bush –and those who call blind respect for lying president patriotism– in check. If people like me moved to Canada, imagine how more screwed up our country would be right now, the only thing standing between ordinary Americans and utter disrespect from the rest of the world is people like me who show the world that we are a free society that can be self critical, and we do hold our leaders accountable and don’t just yell slogans in their support like robots, because that’s what happens in dictatorships!
Comment posted December 21, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
Why should anyone respect a man who lied to the American people and took us to war on false pretenses? Bush should be put on trial, not respected, and as Americans WE should be the ones who put him on trial, because he did not live up to the responsibility we bestowed upon him and he lied to us, and as result thousands of propel dies, both Americans and Iraqis. And I will most certainly not move to Canada or Iraq or anywhere else, as an American it is my responsibility to keep people like Bush –and those who call blind respect for lying president patriotism– in check. If people like me moved to Canada, imagine how more screwed up our country would be right now, the only thing standing between ordinary Americans and utter disrespect from the rest of the world is people like me who show the world that we are a free society that can be self critical, and we do hold our leaders accountable and don’t just yell slogans in their support like robots, because that’s what happens in dictatorships!
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