Throwing Shoes in a Free Country

I've had this conversation with a friend of mine on numerous occassions.  It's interesting how the U.S., probably the most free, secure and generally tolerant nations on earth when it comes to overall human rights is always taking crap from these brave human rights group.  Environmental wackos, Amnesty International-type groups, the U.N. and everybody else are always criticizing the way we treat various cultural and lifestyle groups. 

While I believe we should be held to higher standards, I've always found it amusing how these same groups are never as critical towards, say, China or Russia or any of the middle-eastern nations who control their people with an iron fist.  Why not?  Could it be that if they went over to China and tried their whiney protests they'd be thrown in prison forever - or worse? 

Now I sometimes look at things a little differently than most, but this guy who threw a shoe at President Bush makes my point.  A kook throws a shoe at the President, he's arrested, and the arab world protests that his rights are being taken away and he should be released.  Interesting.  Then I consider this reporters fate if, say, in 2002 or so, he would have thrown a shoe at Saddam when he was giving a press conference.  He would have been executed almost immediately, anybody who dared protest would have been thrown in jail - or executed likewise.  Their would be no uproar.  It wouldn't even have been news. 

I argue this incident exemplifies the tremendous positive work that has been done in Iraq - because of President Bush and the U.S. military.  Consider it - because of America, a crazy Arab reporter can THROW A SHOE at the President of the United States and not be afraid of nearly instant death.  The U.S. military, led by Bush, has done more to secure the human rights of Iraqis than a 1,000 human rights groups working for 100 years could have done.

Too protest oppression and alleged human rights abuses in an already free country is easy.  It requires zero courage.  Further, it lets the protestor be more picky.  I mean, in totalitarian dictatorships, they'll throw you in the gulag if they don't like your face.  In America, we catch crap for throwing a bunch of terrorists in a resort prison at Guantanamo Bay.  Just an observation...