Shoes, footprints and carbon tax

December 2008 was dominated by shoes and footprints. At an anti-government protest in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, Sirry Hjaltested said that her grocery bills had gone up by half in recent months. She blamed the country’s bankers for the ruined economy. “If I met a banker,” she told the Economist, “I’d kick his ass so hard, [that] my shoes would be stuck inside.” From now on George W. Bush’s Iraqi footprint may be measured by another man’s shoes. As a ‘goodbye present’ in the name of the Iraqi people, TV-journalist Muntadar al- Zaidi hurled his footwear at the outgoing US President who, it must be said, dodged the attack perfectly. Still, as the pair of size-tens was sent flying during a live press conference, its impact is likely to be felt for years to come. The shoes were an instant hit with US comedians and talk show hosts, while