An Iraqi journalist's slung his shoes at the president of the United States in a press conference, . . in Baghdad.
A US Congressmen screamed an insult, regardless if it is true, or not, at the president of the United States in Washington, during a primetime speech, airing across the nation. The accuser, a backward republican congressmen from South Carolina, Joe Wilson, was fiddling on his blackberry before and after he yelled"You Lie" in response to the president's claim that the health reforms he's proposing does not include benefits to non-citizens.
So, which is worse?
Definitely the latter. It doesn't matter if Obama's approval ratings shot up immediately after the speech, or that Wilson apologized for his remark and was denounced by senior officials, or that his opponent's coffers grew tenfold. The important thing to note is that the prestige of the President of the United States was tarnished on 9,9,9. If these types of actions continue in the face of Obama, and I have no doubt they will, the US Executive will not be viewed in the same light as 40, 20, or even 10 years ago. Forget Lewinsky and forget Bush, it was Wilson who ended the President's dignity. And that may be an entirely good thing for the country, and for the world. As far as I'm concerned, modern society has no need for a chief executive, or anything of the sort. Those days are over. And Wilson, unwittingly perhaps, brought all future presidents of the United States down in shame, on television. You'll hear complaints such as, "a dictator wouldn't tolerate that type of disrespect," or "in the US military that type of disobedience is met with strict discipline," yadda yadda.
Am I over exaggerating? Maybe. But why not? Exaggerating is underrated. What other president has been defaced in the public eye at this grand a scale in history? Insults like these are normally reserved for private conversation, not during a public speech, and especially not one that has been regarded as the most important speech the president has yet given.
It remains to be seen just what the consequences of Wilson's disobedience will be and if future lawmakers get any similar ideas. Wilson may get kicked around, become an island of his own, and face his constituents goodbyes in 2010, or he may recover, be proven right, and congratulated by senior republicans for his conduct. This is American politics, after all, and nothing is out of the question.
Update:
I may have exaggerated, just a little, about the event that is now known as the heckling of the Joker. Although I dislike the man who uttered the two words, and think his politics is worse than Obama's, I do think he is right, perhaps not in this instance, but surely on numerous occasions Obama has made false claims. Indeed, Obama is a liar, and Bush is a dog.
In the course of history, it is these moments that stick out, and deservedly so, because they ring true. Obama lies. Plain and Simple. Now, it would have been ten times better if an independent citizen happened to be present during the speech and shouted to all who work for the US Government that they are liars. That would have made history. That moment is still in the future.
