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NEWS >POLITICS > BUSH SHOE ATTACK ILLUSTRATES FAILURE OF SHOE STORE RECONSTRUCTION

BUSH SHOE ATTACK ILLUSTRATES FAILURE OF SHOE STORE RECONSTRUCTION

December 14 2008

Baghdad, Iraq – While few would argue that the war and reconstruction in Iraq has been a success, the reality of the failure of the US efforts have not been so clearly illustrated as they were during a press conference on Sunday. The surprise attack against President George W. Bush, who was speaking with Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki, illustrates for some not only the dangers still present in the country, but also the basic failure of the shoe industry throughout the country.

“So what if the guy threw his shoe at me?” said Bush. “Let me talk about the guy throwing his shoe. It's one way to gain attention. It's like going to a political rally and having people yell at you. It's like driving down the street and having people not gesturing with all five fingers. ...”

The reporter who threw his shoes at the most powerful man in the world was not available for comment, but it is theorized that the attack was meant as an insult directed towards the President. Presenting the sole of a shoe is considered a major insult throughout the Arab world, though it isn’t clear what the reporter was protesting.

“It could have been any number of things. It could have been the destabilization of the country, the thousands of civilian deaths, the annexation, the puppet government; these are all major issues that any responsible reporter could have been upset about,” said Scrape TV Middle East analyst David Gershwin. “It could also have been that he had a bad seat and was under pressure from his bosses. One thing I know for sure is that comfortable shoes have been an overlooked segment of the reconstruction effort. While he shouted something about widows and orphans, it’s likely his behaviour was affected by his poor shoe situation.”

Orthopaedic doctors recommend well padded shoes when standing or walking for extended periods of time. Poor footwear can result in foot problems and issues with the legs and back, which can at times cause irritability.

“Iraq was for a long time the most developed country in the region, but despite that footwear was never a focus. Blame Saddam, blame the culture, but there was very little focus on comfortable shoes,” continued Gershwin. “Stopping the insurgency is one thing, making sure people are comfortable is another thing entirely. For long term success the incoming administration would be well advised to look at less obvious issues like arch support.”

For the record, there is no official footwear department in the United States government or the Pentagon and it is unclear if President-Elect Barack Obama has any designs on creating such a department.

“President-Elect Obama is in close contact with the White House. We will look at all possibilities and concerns in bringing stability to Iraq and her neighbours,” said transition team spokesperson Nick Shapiro. “We are all aware of the situation and are equally aware of the value of sensible shoes.”

According to Iraqi officials there limited shoe manufacturers within the country, resulting in low quality independently produced footwear throughout the nation.  
“The one thing this shows is that despite the surge there is still a significant amount of chaos inside Iraq. We have gone a long way to stabilizing the country but very clearly there is still a long way to go,” continued Gershwin. “Whether it’s RPG’s or shoes, insurgents or reporters, Iraq is still a tough place to make a living, or apparently hold a press conference. The one positive thing this incident does show is that President Bush still has great reflexes. Of course he’s been dodging the euphemistic shoe for many years so he should be well practiced.”

We attempted to contact a number of shoe retailers about their plans for the region. We were only able to reach officials for Payless.

“We’re currently looking into our options in Iraq,” said a spokesperson. “We don’t want to be the last ones in on the reconstruction.”

Edward Bastil, Political Correspondent

NEWS >POLITICS > BUSH SHOE ATTACK ILLUSTRATES FAILURE OF SHOE STORE RECONSTRUCTION

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