Headline: Iraq Bids President Bush Farewell with a “Shoe Bullet” Surprise Attack

I allowed myself a small moment of satisfaction when I saw the video of an Iraqi journalist, a Mr. Zaidi, throw his shoes at President Bush on his recent trip to Baghdad.  The fate of this Mr. Zaidi is still murky (supposedely after he was taken from the press conference the journalists in the room could hear his screams as the Iraqi police went to work on him) and I hope he is given a fair trial.  The news is all over the Middle East and not surprisingly is here, in China, as well.

When I opened up today’s local Paper (边城晚报) I saw this article.  Arguably more important is the reception the story has had on the Chinese web.  China Smack does a good roundup of the feeling on Chinese internet forums here.

Some clippings:

This Iraqi journalist, with a style of a national hero, will definitely get admiration from me and the world.

Well done! I support him!
Chinese journalists, jia you!
Look how brave the Iraqi journalist is!
I hope Chinese journalists throw dog poo at him [Bush]!
And make a statement for our country!

Bush must have seen the Matrix. That skill of avoiding the shoe, an ordinary athlete could not do it. He truly is a great elder athlete…

Thousands upon thousands dead, an economy that has been set back 20 years, almost all resources plundered clean, religious sects massacring each other = you can throw stinky shoes at an American president that is about to step down.

This (news) shows that the democracy of Iraq has been greatly improved.
If any one dared to throw shoes at Saddam, he might have already been fed to the lions.
The United Sates had spent billions of dollars and thousands of human lives to gain the right for Iraqi people to throw shoes. Chinese people’s right for throwing shoes needs to be gained by the Chinese themselves.