Security Cartoon: Overly Specific Countermeasures

Tags: comics, overreactions, security theater

Posted on December 19, 2008 at 2:08 PM • 22 Comments

Comments

Tom Welsh • December 19, 2008 2:58 PM

Amusing indeed. But I have never understood why anyone would want to actually attend a Bush press conference. The only privilege that gets you is the outside chance of asking a question of your own. But he isn’t going to answer any of the questions that are asked anyway! Instead, he is going to make a little speech on a subject of his own choosing – like all politicians.

The real fun is reading what he says, which can be done later over the Internet from another continent.

HJohn • December 19, 2008 3:12 PM

Now, that is funny!

In all fairness, I think the President handled the incident well. (Once my coworker across the hall reads that, I may be ducking his shoes!)

But that’s a great comic. 🙂

Have a nice weekend!

Michael Ash • December 19, 2008 3:13 PM

Let’s not forget that if you replace President Bush with a Boeing 767 then this suddenly becomes 100% true-to-life.

peri • December 19, 2008 3:15 PM

That was the funniest thing I have seen this week! It’s the obvious counter-measure to take given the TSA’s obsession with shoes.

moo • December 19, 2008 3:35 PM

I don’t know why this shoe thing is getting so much attention in the media. President Bush once had a live hand grenade lobbed at him during one of his appearances, and I don’t remember seeing any significant media coverage of that.

Anonymous • December 19, 2008 3:37 PM

Actually, as soon as I saw the words “Overly Specific Countermeasures . . . At President Bush’s press conferences”, I knew what the cartoon would be about.

jbl • December 19, 2008 3:38 PM

Actually, as soon as I saw the words “Overly Specific Countermeasures . . . At President Bush’s press conferences”, I knew what the cartoon would be about.

(sorry, didn’t mean to be anonymous)

Gary • December 19, 2008 3:39 PM

The difference was the grenade did not go off. The shoes on the other hand were already off 😉

Brenda • December 19, 2008 3:42 PM

arrghh.. all i can think of it the SMELL

Joe Buck • December 19, 2008 5:23 PM

For me, the funniest thing is that the media felt obliged to explain that throwing a shoe at someone is considered highly insulting in Iraq (as it it would not be highly insulting if it happened in the US, Europe, or anywhere else).

Henry the Horse • December 19, 2008 6:15 PM

@Joe Buck: in some countries, throwing a shoe at someone is part of the mating ritual, so don’t judge too quickly …

Ed • December 19, 2008 7:03 PM

@Henry

Call me a nay-sayer, but you didn’t hear that from the horse’s mouth.

Bruce Schneier • December 19, 2008 8:27 PM

“In all fairness, I think the President handled the incident well.”

Agreed. I wish he’d handle the aftermath as well, as well.

Bruce Schneier • December 19, 2008 8:29 PM

“For me, the funniest thing is that the media felt obliged to explain that throwing a shoe at someone is considered highly insulting in Iraq (as it it would not be highly insulting if it happened in the US, Europe, or anywhere else).”

Yes, but — to be fair — shoes are a particular thing in parts of the world: more insulting than throwing something else of equal heft and size. Kind of like throwing rotten tomatoes would be in the U.S.: it’s pretty icky being thrown in any culture, but in the U.S. there’s extra metaphor.

Curt Sampson • December 21, 2008 12:23 AM

My first thought was, “That looks rather like my office.”

In Japan, of course one always leaves one’s shoes at the entranceway (“genkan”) of a home, and home parties tend to look just like the cartoon. Not so well known is that some smaller and/or older offices do the same, and guests are given slippers at the door.

cjs@cynic.net

John Waters • December 22, 2008 4:03 AM

I think that some policymaker somewhere has a bit of a fetish…

As for the shoe incident, those lightning fast reactions on the part of President Bush were truly inspirational. I also think that his reaction may indicate that he’s had inanimate objects thrown at him in the past.

Cowboy • December 22, 2008 9:15 AM

I’m not sure if ducking is the most presidential response. I’d almost rather see a John Wayne approach and shoot the guy before the other shoe drops.

HJohn • December 22, 2008 12:31 PM

@Varsity: “He handled it well only because he’s clueless”

Nice personal insult. Truly an intellectual assessment on your part.

@John Waters: “As for the shoe incident, those lightning fast reactions on the part of President Bush were truly inspirational. I also think that his reaction may indicate that he’s had inanimate objects thrown at him in the past.”

Probably just reflexes. Most people would duck. I was impressed that he called off his protective detail and prevented it from becoming a bigger scene. He also made light of it, “I saw his sole.” It has made for some good comics, like the one above which is funny, but some people just make too big of an issue out of it.

@Cowboy: “I’m not sure if ducking is the most presidential response. I’d almost rather see a John Wayne approach and shoot the guy before the other shoe drops.”

Cute. Then again, could you imagine the media coverage and comics on that response? LOL

Merry Christmas, bloggers.

craig • December 22, 2008 9:12 PM

Is it just me or does “Bush Shoe” and “Bushuru” sound too similar? Like father, like son .. sort of. (Bushuru: look it up if you don’t remember).

Robin Eriksson • December 23, 2008 1:44 AM

A funny sidestory to this is that the manufacturer of the shoes in question have seen sales of that particular model skyrocket from 40.000 in December last year to 370.000 this year, 19.000 of which are destined to the US.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/12/23/shoe-turkey-bush-face-markets-cx_je_1222autofacescan01.html

Gerrit Bos • July 29, 2011 3:05 PM

The link to the graphic is dead, but the 404 error probably gives away too much detail from a security perspective:

ERROR
The requested URL could not be retrieved

While trying to retrieve the URL: http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6404759,00.jpg

The following error was encountered: