So Ahmadinejad is bad. OK. Why you tellin' me now?

[Truth2Tell]

It's interesting to read the back and forth on DU about the evils of Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

I think almost all of us agree that Ahmadinejad is a bad man. He hangs gays. He supports killing innocent people to achieve political ends. He's a religious fundamentalist and so much more. Bad, bad, bad Ahmedenejad.

But why the hubbub all of a sudden? After all, The Iranian leadership has been bad for quite some time, long before Ahmadinejad. And, more importantly, lots of world leaders are equally bad, and many are far worse. And many of the worst are supported by the U.S., which is arguably a condition of greater relevance to U.S. policy than the evils of regimes we don't support. So this is part of the context that gives me pause, and begs the question of why a fuss right now?

The other part of that pause-giving context is that fact that the Bush regime just coincidentally happens to be beating the war drums against Iran right now. And don't kid yourself that the Bush Regime cares about human rights in Iran, cuz I promise you they don't. They care about the same things they cared about in Iraq and elsewhere - resources and power. So they are beating the drums, and dragging out the exaggerated claims about Iran, it's people, and yes, it's quite horrific leader. All to press for another war. That's the rest of the context.

So in that context, the uncomfortable feeling I get from the Ahmadinejad bashing isn't about whether he is or is not a bad man. Despite the distortions of the record and the Bush propaganda points repeated on DU ad nasium, I'll grant the point that he is a bad bad man. The uncomfortable feeling is related to the "why now?" It's about the context.

Why choose the middle of a Bushbot propaganda campaign for war with Iran to post repeatedly about the evils of Ahmedenejad, even if true? Why seek out the few drippings of truth that can be found within the mountain of Bush lies, and throw a spotlight on them? Isn't that Ari Fleischer's job? Why not a few posts about the evils of the regimes in Nigeria? Or Ethiopia? Those might be much more useful in developing a real understanding of foreign conditions that threaten America?

But why use one's energy to bash Iran right now, in the present context? I don't get it. Karl Rove seems to already have that covered.

[Mythsaje]

1. China's not exactly utopia...

Yeah, lot of bad leaders in the world. Lots and lots.

The bad seem to be running things almost everywhere.

Just like yesterday.

[liberalmuse]

2. Thank you! Ding, ding, ding!

Man, you've expressed exactly why I'm frustrated and alarmed, however, you did it MUCH better and nicer than I could. It's like someone activated all those microchips implanted in our brains. "You hate Ah...Amen...madin...uh, that evil Iranian guy. He is an evildoer. When we nuke Iran, you will fall down and worship me..uh President Bush as if he were a gawd. Tee hee."

On edit: I just wanted to add that this is the same stuff people were parroting 6 years ago, except substitute 'Ahmadinejad' for 'Saddam'. He's like 3 times worse than Saddam (and his name is way harder to pronounce, too).

[AuntPatsy]

6. Agree, how obvious can you be? Anyone falling for this is honestly

not paying attention with how the administrations tactics seem to be remaining the same...

they don't give the citizens of this country very much credit it seems.

[Cleita]

3. Bush is as bad. We have no room to criticize anyone. n/t

[goclark]

13. Speak! nt

[eleny]

4. Once again, it's a march to war because of one man

By the time we attack Iran, many Americans will be wetting their pants over the thought of Ahmadinejad eating our children's brains for breakfast.

Heaven forbid we should understand that thousands of innocent Iranians may be creamed by another blitzkrieg. Oh, pardon me, let me clean that up - by another Shock and Awe.

[Emit]

5. They NEED to

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1895988

[wuushew]

7. I would have a drink with Ahmadinejad if given the choice

Why pass up a chance to learn? I guess being spiteful is supposed to make me feel better? I don't think that our country snubbing somebody is very likely to change their behavior so why try? Iran will have problems until they change from within.

People need to accept that and elevate themselves.

[Semper_FiFi]

24. Would you drink to this?

Yeah, Ahmadinejad seems like he would be a great drinking bud.:eyes:

[malaise]

8. Great post but don't forget the real Octoberfest

is the annual UN General Assembly when Americans can villify whichever leader Bush and MSM select as demon of the week. Last year we had this same crap re Chavez.

[rockymountaindem]

9. Can't you give people a little credit?

I mean, do you think those of us here who are going to spend a little time criticizing Ahmadinejad have been brainwashed? Bamboozled? Misled? Hardly.

I, for one, can think for myself. I don't need Bush or his cronies to tell me not to like Ahmadinejad. I can come to the conclusion that he doesn't deserve my respect or approval on my own. So can other people here. Furthermore, regardless of our feelings about the man and his government's policies, I suspect this website would be the last place to find people clamoring for war.

I'm sure that some people only dislike the Ahmadinejad for the reasons you mention, except they probably all post at FR.

[Emit]

21. I had dinner with a neighbor -- a liberal democrat -- recently

When the discussion turned to Iraq, he was adamant about getting out. When the discussion turned to Iran, he was adamant about "defending" ourselves from the "mad Islamofascists" -- "they're all nuts there," he said. And he was really animated about it. I had a really hard time trying to convince him about this whole mess -- that we're being mislead on Iran like we were with Iraq -- and I didn't make any headway with him. He'd be supportive of a strike on Iran, because he has fallen for propaganda about the nukes, and he has fallen for the "fear." We are in a mess right now, and this is why even those adamantly opposed to Iraq might find themselves being mislead into Iran, IMHO. I know a lot of rational people who have been easily swayed by fear in terms of the "mad Islamofascist nuts" in the ME getting their hands on a nuke... I mean, I can recall my mother talking about that back in the 70's.

[Swamp Rat]

10. Bushler&Co want another bogeyman in order to start another war.

Their pea-brained supporters have been trained to accept authoritarian rule, and to recognize the "bad man" chosen for them to be the object of their hatred.

[IndianaJones]

11. People were saying it before...its just not that important to you apparently. nt.

[Truth2Tell]

15. not as important as it is to you... apparently. n/t

[gatorboy]

12. What does he do that's any different from Bush and co.?

He says crazy shit to appease his base just like another political party I know (Hint: It's the party that also says Homosexuality is immoral.).

[riverdeep]

14. Don't forget Holy Joe

On Thursday he and a crime partner filed an ammendment hostile to Iran. He's taking his Joementum right into Iran:

"If something like this passes both the House and Senate, I think Bush could legitimately argue that between it, the War Powers Act and the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations to Use Military Force, he has all the authority he needs to attack Iran."

http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/001747.html

The immediate reason for the upswing in rhetoric is because he's in this country and making an appearance at a University, nothing particularly sinister there. But slowly, they are making the case. In a couple of months, expect to hear how babies are being thrown from their incubators:

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/cohen1.html

[Truth2Tell]

17. how babies are being thrown from their incubators

Don't tell me we're gonna need to bomb another baby milk factory. I hate it when the fight against terraism makes us do that.

[mhatrw]

16. Exactly.

I get on knees and pray that we don't get fooled again.

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."

[Warren DeMontague]

18. We've also been told that this war with Iran is "imminent" for a couple years, now.

Why right now? Because he's in town, so to speak.

[Truth2Tell]

22. A lot of bad apples in town

every time the UN meets. At last year's meeting the MSM and the Admin were bashing Chavez. Talking point this time: Bash Ahmadenijad. And so many DUers go with the program.

[Warren DeMontague]

25. If the current crop of Ahmadinejad criticism leads to anything resembling actual war with Iran

I will eat my hat.

[Truth2Tell]

26. OK, bookmarked. I hope your optimism bears out. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

28. Me too.

Frankly, if I'm wrong, we'll all have bigger things to worry about than my hat consumption.

[Scurrilous]

19. K & R

:kick:

[BlooInBloo]

20. Wow - my over/under of 30 more useless Iran threads was WAAY to optimistic.

[JackRiddler]

23. Thanks for the obvious & welcome point.

Sadly it doesn't seem to be having any effect.

Nuke him! Exterminate the Brutes! Drop the Bomb!

[onenote]

27. uh, because the guy is here in the US being interviewed and giving speeches?

Tends to increase the discussion about him.

Sorry that I have to play the role of obviousman.