Not The Only Demon In Town; Ahmadinejad's critics are selective and self-serving...

[Purveyor]

Ahmadinejad's critics are selective and self-serving. After all, the Bush administration's record is also objectionable.

When you see one person and nation being demonised, you have to assume that it is for a purpose. It is time for some perspective: why should we take it for granted that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the supreme evil being and a superklutz at the same time?

The ungracious introduction to Ahmadinejad's talk by Lee Bollinger, the Columbia University president, read more like a plea to Fox News and the ADL to give him a break for not calling off the event. Think of all the people who took umbrage at President Bush's intellect and morals being belittled last year. Did Bollinger not realize that he was doing Hugo Chávez imitations?

As the born-again atheist author of Rum, and a not infrequent imbiber, I am no great fan of Ahmadinejad. But he was elected by a much clearer majority, with a much bigger turnout, than his equally religious, teetotalling colleague President Bush. And for those impressed by that sort of thing, the Iranian president volunteered for the front in the war against Saddam Hussein - in contrast to Bush, who dodged the draft, and most of the present White House team, who were then enthusiastic backers of Saddam.

Iran has not invaded any other country since the Islamic revolution. The Shah, who had his own nuclear programme, was a close friend and strategic ally not only of the US but of Israel, and apartheid South Africa. But we forgave him his part in maintaining apartheid, just as we forgave ourselves, and indeed Israel, for arming, financing and supporting a pernicious, evil and racist regime.

So, of what is Ahmadinejad guilty? He supports the death penalty? Anyone would think he was a Texas governor. Is the president of China ostracized for threatening to rain missiles on Taiwan, for not having elections, or for executing thousands of people a year? No, we give him the Olympics, and all the TV channels will be there.

---EOE---

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ian_williams/2007/09/not_the_only_demon_in_town_why.html

[BrklynLib at work]

1. In the greater scheme of things,of what are the accusing Ahmadinejad that Bush has not already done?

and more...
Ahmadinejad is the devil du jour to be used by the media to stir up the sheeple....
a distraction from the important issues that the American public should be incensed about.

Why aren't there the intense, screaming demonstrations and headlines against Bush that there were against Ahmadinejad? In reality, Bush has done a lot more damage to this country.


The only difference, of course, is that Bush is a big supporter of Israel...:(

[xxqqqzme]

2. '...The nuclear issue only makes sense

as brinkmanship, trying to get the US to talk. It is very dangerous and naïve, and perhaps underestimates the craziness of the people they are dealing with. Nixon used being mad as a tactic. Bush has made it a lifestyle option in international politics....'

Indeed, he has.

Great op ed. Thanx for posting.

[Zandor]

3. Holocaust denier, terrorist supporter, Anti-semitic, asshole

That a good start?

[mhatrw]

4. You forgot Emmanuel Goldstein lover!

http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy10.html

Wirthlin's job, Alsop explained, was "to identify the messages that really resonate emotionally with the American people." The theme that struck the deepest emotional chord, they discovered, was "the fact that Saddam Hussein was a madman who had committed atrocities even against his own people, and had tremendous power to do further damage, and he needed to be stopped."

[scarletwoman]

6. Not only that -- his mother was a hamster, and his father smelt of elderberries!

[UnclassifiedProducer]

5. AP: Attacks on Ahmadinejad Strengthen him at home

Iranians Decry Harsh Words for President


Tuesday September 25, 2007 9:16 PM

By NASSER KARIMI

Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranians expressed dismay Tuesday at the tough reception given to their president in New York, saying his host was rude and only fueled the image of the United States as a bully.

The scenes at Monday's question-and-answer session at Columbia University and the outpouring of venom toward President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by protesters during his U.S. visit could bolster the hard-line leader at a time of high tensions with Washington.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6948174,00.html

[bemildred]

7. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt