Letters to the Editor
Xrandadu Hutman
Published Letters: 2709 Editor's Choice: 52
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Sympathy (of a sort) for a dictator
[Read the article: Turning Ahmadinejad into public enemy No. 1]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am amazed at this whole spectacle. Ahmadinejad comes to the U.S. on an alleged goodwill mission, and people are acting like moonbats.
First, the whole debate over whether he should be "allowed" to visit the WTC site, or speak at Columbia University, is a crock. Last time I checked the U.S. was the land of the free, where people could travel and speak without a permission slip. Yes, that even includes people you hate, or who you think are out to do you harm.
I watched Ahmadinejad being interviewed on CBS's "60 Minutes." The interview was very strange. Scott Pelley's questions were more like an interrogation. I know that is sometimes the 60 Minutes style, but he was relentless: "Will you give me a yes or no to whether you will pledge that..." was the typical question. He also asked, "Can you think of something positive to say about President Bush?" What the hell question is that?
Ahmadinejad's answers were sometimes quite evasive, but he pointed out that all heads of state sometimes hedge their answers. I think there was a language barrier problem as well. I would have liked to hear Ahmadinejad definitively answer the question as to Iran's allowing bombs and bomb-making materials to cross into Iran, but it's hardly surprising he didn't. I also would like to have heard Ahmadinejad definitively clear up his stance on whether Israel has a right to exist -- even in a hypothetical case where they found a compromise with Palestinians. He didn't.
That said, Ahmadinejad did give a very definitive "no" answer as to whether Iran wanted to make a nuclear bomb. Not that you have to take his word for it...
But the overall effect of the interview was strange. This is the first major interview with the man in a while, just prior to his visiting the U.S. Why did Scott Pelley have to make it into an inquisition? As Ahmadinejad pointed out, it really did seem as if the reporter was acting as an agent for the U.S. government, setting up a perception of him in advance of war.
The situation at Columbia is also interesting. Calls for the administration not to let him speak were absurd. Many leading the charge against him were pro-Israel groups. My point of view is: If the man's views are idiotic, then let him speak and expose himself to ridicule.
This seems to have been what happened with his comments about homosexuals. He said something to the effect of, "We don't have homosexuals in Iran like you do in the U.S." In news reports, this was shortened to, "We don't have homosexuals in Iran," which naturally makes him look like a retard.
This de-contextualization of Ahmadinejad seems to be common practice. It's like the news is being written by Pentagon propagandists. The same happened during the "wipe Israel from the map" brouhaha. What Ahmadinejad actually said was quoting somebody else, who said, "Israel will disappear from the pages of time." This was mistranslated, I think on purpose, to "Israel should be wiped off the map." Basically he was quoting something else, making a passive statement about what would likely happen, and not stating any intention. But it was turned into something where it sounds like he's stating a very hostile and aggressive intention.
My feeling is this: Ahmadinejad may in fact be a brutal dictator. Undoubtedly Iran is cruel to those of its citizens who speak out against the government or who violate Islamic codes in a way the state disapproves of. I find it likely Iran is helping the insurgents in Iraq, and funneling money to groups working against Israel.
However, the use of propaganda methods to make him look even worse than he is has the reverse effect on me. I see through the bullshit, and it makes me end up sympathizing with the man. I don't think any amount of wrongdoing makes it OK to smear people in a manipulative or dishonest fashion. I don't care if you're fightin' the good fight, trying to sway the ignorant who are less sophisticated, or whatever. The way Ahmadinejad is being demonized is bullshit.
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Backpedaling time
[Read the article: Rabbit Bites: Look at those carrots ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Okay so here is my morning: I wake up, completely groggy and in a foul mood. I need coffee. I log on to various websites, mostly news. I go to Salon and click on whatever pisses me off.
"Rabbit Bites" appears. I write a mean message about the bunnies.
Then I have coffee. Exercise. Eat a banana, some oatmeal. Shower. Shave. Feel refreshed.
While doing so, I think, "Aw crap, the bunny video wasn't really that bad. Actually this one was kinda good. They kept it short and sweet, and lampooned something actually worth lampooning."
Then I think further, "The bunny video people probably do other stuff, and this is a side-project they do to cool off. They can't be bad people. After all, anybody who points a camera at a bunny can't be bad. So what am I doing, taking a crap on their bunny video? Why? That's not right."
So -- sorry bunny people. Keep making funny bunny videos. Or other funny videos. Maybe give the bunnies a break and make videos with kittens. Then I'll watch for sure.