Comments on: “Best regards, Ahmadinejad”

By: slim

slim — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:19:24 +0000

Americans seeing Iran’s REGIME as evil could just as easily have come from memory of all those pictures of hanging intellectuals in 1979 or, more recently, Ahmadinejad’s frequent calls for wiping Israel off the map, which were interwoven chronologically with various acts of Iranian nuclear perfidy with the UN. I’d say Mullah-led Iran, like North Korea and Sudan for starters, don’t need FOX’s help when it comes to cementing a bad image.

By: Michael Hancock

Michael Hancock — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:53:59 +0000

I don’t think all Americans watch Fox. But I feel pretty confident that most Americans are pretty ignorant concerning the difference between Persians and Arabs, Sunnis and Shiites, and the BBC and al-Jazeera. And I’m not knocking the BBC in any way. I wish I had better access to it where I am in Kazakhstan, but I live on a pretty small budget that is stretched to the limit just getting this dial-up internet.

I think my idea of Americans seeing Iran as evil is based largely off my short vacation home in June, and being asked questions about Kazakhstan as it related geographically to Iran. Those were bizarre questions, and came from friends, family, and strangers alike. Before I left, the questions were about Afghanistan and Iraq – and now everyone I know worries about me being safe so close to Iran. In that aspect, it seems that “the Fear” factory that “Bowling for Columbine” talks about is at least a partial reality.

Now, if you want to knock my family and choice of friends, you’re welcome. They don’t all watch FOX News, I’m sure. But they probably know what channel it is.

I agree with Elizabeth that the speech was most probably made for internal consumption. I’m curious about the translation – does it sound more poetic or beautiful in his native tongue?

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 23:03:21 +0000

“What is this letter designed to accomplish? What is Ahmadinejad’s strategy here?”

I think the speech has been designed by speechwriters for domestic consumption within Iran, to allow less thoughtful Iranians to congratulate themselves on supporting such a “reasonable” man, and possibly to convince some on-the-fence Iranians.

I don’t think they seriously expect to rally any meaningful political support for Iran in the US, as they know at best most people are opposed to war.

Either that or he’s just plain stupid.

By: slim

slim — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:58:14 +0000

Enough with cartoonish, cliched views of US media and thinking, based on impressions of FOX from far away. Many, if not most, Americans live their whole lives without watching FOX TV.

And yuo needn’t have use al-jazeera. The BBC in particular or any European network would have done nicely on Bush.

By: Michael Hancock

Michael Hancock — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:46:20 +0000

I would give anything for Bush to write back to the Iranian people. But the fact is, this is pretty one-sided, right? I mean, Americans don’t know or care what a “Persian” is or what the political and social divisions of Iran are, let alone try to separate them from the rest of the “Middle Eastern Mess.” I think that, before Bush could write back to those people, he’d have to find an appropriate audience – perhaps he could write to the number of Persians growing more unsatisfied with Tehran’s former mayor’s leadership.

Hmm. The problem with an open letter is that I don’t know how to respond to the Man Himself. I wouldn’t mind learning what makes him tick. It helps to not live in the USA - I’m not receiving hours of endless negative spin, so he’s not quite the Evil Evil Evil that Fox or other news outlets must be making him out to be.

But Bush hardly looks angelic on al-jazeera, anyway.

By: jon

jon — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:52:34 +0000

The US administration’s illegal and immoral behavior is not even confined to outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of “the war on terror,” civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.

And they have soooo much more freedom and protection under the rule of law in Iran. In Iran they don’t have to beat you in the streets they just send you to prison.

We need to come up with some form of Helsinki Accord to pin them down as much as possible. Publicly accept that they are the government of Iran while at the same time saying you’ve got to treat your people better and then trumpet violations on every news source one has access to. Especially in the Muslim world. Include Europe in the agreement, so we have some political cover when we accuse Iran of violating rights. And when we do so, we must be sure to only point out the most solid instances we have. We must not engage in maximalist rhetoric about their human rights record. It is bad enough as it is, it doesn’t need to be “sexed up”.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:03:14 +0000

Mr. Ahmadinejad also seems to have forgotten or, just as likely, not be aware of the Iranian snubs of the diplomatic overtures made by every American administration since Reagan towards his country.

By: ElamBend

ElamBend — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 12:58:12 +0000

Lots of people like to compare Bush and Ahmadinejad and Bush because both use religious overtones. Yet, Bush doesn’t talk about end times as “12th Imam” Mr. A does, or despite all the talk of rogue nations or axis of evil doesn’t declare that other nations must be wiped off the earth. Bush didn’t host a “World without Iran” conference, either.

From the blog of Gideon Rachman is the tale of one diplomats experience with Ahmadinejad

From Daniel Drezner

By: staypuftman

staypuftman — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 08:28:39 +0000

Whenever I hear Ahmadinejad talk, he uses thick symbolism and religious overtones, much like Bush. Part of me thinks, deep in his heart, he actually believes what he is saying, much like Bush. They kinda deserve each other seeing as they both hail from ‘God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking’ nations; too bad I find myself in the rhetorical love-fest.

By: J.Kende

J.Kende — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 08:03:27 +0000

What is this letter designed to accomplish? What is Ahmadinejad’s strategy here?

Who cares…

What I want to know: when do the bombs start falling on his head?

By: R. Elgin

R. Elgin — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:52:42 +0000

I agree with “elambend” here. Such miscalculation on the part of Iranian leadership can be the possible pretext for war since this sort of thinking will lead them to make the wrong choices.

By: Kenneth

Kenneth — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 02:09:55 +0000

It sounds like typical politician-speak, only it actually has some content.

By: elambend

elambend — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:29:09 +0000

I think he is truly trying to be persuasive. I think he overestimates the political division in America because he doesn’t understand politics in a liberal atmosphere.