Ahmadinedjad is not my cup of tea; but then again, no other Middle Eastern leader is.

I would dare say that if you took any Middle Eastern leader, put them under a microscope, did enough research and scrutiny on them, you would be able to demonize that leader for the same reasons that Ahmadinedjad is being vilified in our main stream media today. Sorry, but you will not see these leaders marching in gay pride or pro-Israel parades. They come from a very different culture and set of problems than we do, and that is just the way it is.

I want to see the big picture in all of this. I don’t want to let the trees blind me from the forest. In this endeavor, I do not find it useful to take my set of cultural and morale beliefs and project them onto other people. I do not find it useful taking mental positions on whether or not Ahmadinedjad is a good or bad person, on weather or not Ahmadinedjad is a holocaust denier or not. All of this is noise, static and distraction.

What I want to know is why our media, for the past three plus years has obsessed and focused so much negative attention on this person. For what purpose and to what ends? These are my conclusions:

On the run up to the Iraq war, the same pattern existed in our media with regards to the vilification of Saddam Hussein. Our media was obsessed with him. They continually told us what a bad person he was and how he violate human rights and how he was an admirer of Stalin and on and on and on. Our media also told us that he had WMD and that he was a mad man. You saw how all of that turned out. Didn’t you?

I have also come to the conclusion that our main stream media, overall, has become nothing more than stenographers for the power structure in this country. From the looks of things, I would say that the power structure in this country wants a war with Iran.

It is also no secret that once you vilify, demonize, and dehumanize someone, it makes it much easier to go and knock him in the head, bomb his country, and start a war with him. Because after all, he’s not like us and he don’t think like us.

I guess that what I am trying to articulate here is this: Don’t let your heart become filled with hatred for Ahmadinedjad. If you do, you will never see the big picture. We are currently undergoing a huge PR campaign by our leadership, through our media to create the conditions for war. See it for what it is and don’t get caught up in the details. Whether Ahmadinedjad is a good or bad person will make no difference once the war starts.

of the actual decision making. It also seems like we as murikans will always find odd things about non-western leaders. I'm not talking about his holocaust and Israel stuff (which I'm not sure we have a clear picture of), just language and mannerisms and other cultural norms which don't resonate the same here as there. Apparently we go for the phony cowboy type here.

And I'm tired of hearing that my feelings about that weaselly little liar are going to indirectly cause us to go to war with Iran.

Sorry. Bush and the PNAC neocons officially announced war (that they pre-planned) the night Bush referred to Iran as part of the Axis of Evil.

then that's alright.

"It is also no secret that once you vilify, demonize, and dehumanize someone, it makes it much easier to go and knock him in the head, bomb his country, and start a war with him. Because after all, he’s not like us and he don’t think like us."


Are you now saying that my position, which is that I hate the M.F.'er, can not lead to war?

Did I misinterpret that paragraph?

http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/traps/2007/09/27/saddam-offer-of-going-into-exile-in-return-for-1-billion-was-rejected-by-bush/

It appears that Bush had an offer to get rid without war a month before invasion.

blinds me from seeing 'what' I need to see.

I can only speak from personal experience. It may work different for you. If so, go with it.

Reminds me of the 19th century colonialist jingoism. Savages in need of civilization. Their culture and mores are mocked openly, their traditions dismissed as nothing but barbarism, etc. No wonder Muslim countries hate the West.

Instead of asking Ahmadinejad productive questions, the Columbia University students and their Dean wasted time asking questions they knew would be seen as very provocative and embarassing for Ahmadinejad and lead to more "heat than light" as they say.

Personally, I don't know wheather Ahmadinejad is sincere or not in his mission of "rapproachment" in visiting the US. But being a left-of-center minded person, I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt.

When we focus on individual personalities, we lose sight of the big picture.

The Iranian president is not all that powerful, yet we are supposed to believe that he's a holocaust denying lunatic who is just a moment away from acquiring a nuclear arsenal and annihilating Israel. Nevermind that is not within the scope of his power, and he'll likely be voted out of office long before Iran can build a working nuclear bomb.