Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by Cedars

I didnt get to hear him speak.

Here's the full video:

wcbstv.com - Video Library

[robnibg]

You give anyone with wacky or evil ideas enough free speech and they will swiftly hang themselves with it

He might not talk perfect sense, but he's smarter and potentialy more dangerous than your president.

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by robnibg

He might not talk perfect sense, but he's smarter and potentialy more dangerous than your president.

"Smarter" is certainly one you might get a lot of agreement on (see the incredibly popular "Is George W Bush a complete moron?" thread), but I'll betcha LaurieAG and a lot of others would strenuously disagree with "dangerous"...

"The Lord's our Shepard" says the psalm, but just in case...we'd better get a bomb,
Buffy

[Buffy]

Really the way a whole lot of us feel was summed up in this article at Salon (subscription/ad view required) by Alex Koppelman and Tracee Herbaugh:

Ellen Miller, a sophomore at Barnard, a women's college affiliated with the university, carried a sign representative of others who supported Ahmadinejad's presence, albeit in a different way: "We're glad you're here -- so we can tell you you're an asshole," the sign read.

"You can't have freedom of speech if you don't invite everyone to speak," Miller said, "and I think that it actually -- look at the reaction, it's so much bigger. These groups would not have come together and come out like this and protested if there hadn't been this event on campus. I think the reaction it created was exactly what Columbia University would have hoped for by inviting him."

Freedom of speech is beautiful in its ugliness,
Buffy

[Turtle]

Ahmadinejad reminds me of Tom Cruise. If there'd a' been a couch there, he'd a' jumped up on it. We he said "we're a cultured society", I would have said "then why don't you act like it?"

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Ahmadinejad reminds me of Tom Cruise. If there'd a' been a couch there, he'd a' jumped up on it. We he said "we're a cultured society", I would have said "then why don't you act like it?"

President Ahmadinejad is no Tom Cruise; my bad. Ahmadinejad can construct a logical argument & on the fly to boot.

I just watched an hour-long interview that Charlie Rose did with President Ahmadinejad prior to the Columbia U. presentation. Charlie in fact more or less asked my question and Ahmadinejad directly answered it. Charlie Rose

In short, Iran behaves culturally as well as most it seems to me; all the rock throwing by everyone is making the broom and glass companies a treasure.

[orbsycli]

got a link?

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by orbsycli

got a link?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7351989860835767572&q=charlie+rose+ahmadinejad&total=7&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Charlie Rose - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

[LaurieAG]

Originally Posted by Buffy

but I'll betcha LaurieAG and a lot of others would strenuously disagree with "dangerous"...

"The Lord's our Shepard" says the psalm, but just in case...we'd better get a bomb,
Buffy

Hello Buffy,

I don't mind if you don't want to discuss things directly with me, you know the free speech thingy.

Are you aware that, a couple of years ago, the South Korean people considered the US as more dangerous to them than North Korea? And that was well before US ruling politicians engaged in more acts of blind stupidity.

The global survey of the people (not the politicians who are firmly 'imbedded') of most western countries held a view of the US (their politicians not the US people) that reflected the US's increasingly belligerant and arrogant attitudes to the rest of the world (if you'r not for us you'r against us type paranoia).

Refreshingly, in recent polls (at least that's what Newscorp said in our state paper today), an increasing majority of the US people have expressed the sentiment that their troops should should be withdrawn from Iraq, post haste.

Also, more considered thought must be given in a wider context on the Iran Presidents comments on homosexuality.

Are you aware that Singapore, an asian trading hub, also doesn't have homosexuality in the Iran context? Hello Buffy, homosexuality wasn't even decriminalised in Queensland until just over 10 years ago.

Also, considering the deaths of at least 4 most courageous and selfless US soldiers, who jumped on top of explosives to shield their brothers in arms from certain death, surely now is the time to revisit ancient greek 'precedents' for homosexuality and view them in their true light.

Much recent comment has arisen from postmodern female (perspective at least anyway) interpretations of Homers 'Iliad', particularly to Achilleus' greiving for his 'lover', Patroklos who sacrificed his life for the greater good.

I think that there is a distinct confusion between 'martial' and 'marital' and a complete failure to understand the ancient apprenticeship system for warriors, particularly in the Spartan league. Australian 'mateship' has this at its roots.

Returning to those brave US soldiers, If anybody dared to insult a fellow soldier(s) who was grieving the loss of a brave brother at arms by commenting insensitively, 'did your homosexual lover just die', they would certainly get their fair share of bombs, one from each of the surviving members of the unit, into their tent that night!

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by LaurieAG

I don't mind if you don't want to discuss things directly with me, you know the free speech thingy.

Oh my. Are you under the misapprehension that I disagree with you? Is it because I live in America? Is it okay for folks to assume that everyone who lives here agrees 100% with Rush Limbaugh? I hope that's not what you're saying because then we'd have something to argue about!

Heck, even Dick Cheney thinks that homosexuals ought to have some rights, although in certain parts of Texas and Utah there are folks who still think its illegal (check out The Matthew Shepard Story).

Originally Posted by LaurieAG

Are you aware that, a couple of years ago, the South Korean people considered the US as more dangerous to them than North Korea? And that was well before US ruling politicians engaged in more acts of blind stupidity.

Sure! But polls in South Korea are notoriously fickle. I don't doubt there was a poll that said that, but to imply that there was no change in that opinion once John Bolton came in and shut down all negotiations is counter to what I've seen. But nonetheless, even within a single poll, the South Koreans might express what you'd think are irrational feelings: this *single* Sept 2006 Gallup Poll of South Koreans said:

• Feel seriously threatened by N. Korean nuclear weapons: 43% yes, 53% no [They agree with your proposition, the North isn't *that* scary]
• US should withdraw from Korea ASAP: 26% yes, 71% no [They still think that even if the US is really scary, they would prefer to have them around in case they're wrong about the Northerners....]

Originally Posted by LaurieAG

Refreshingly, in recent polls (at least that's what Newscorp said in our state paper today), an increasing majority of the US people have expressed the sentiment that their troops should should be withdrawn from Iraq, post haste.

If you're paying attention, you'd note that *Democrats* are dissatisfied with the performance of the *Democratic-run* Congress! And its not just the far-left lunatic fringe. Republicans like to see this as some sort of advantage while blindly backing Bush/Cheney which is really remarkable...

Originally Posted by LaurieAG

Also, more considered thought must be given in a wider context on the Iran Presidents comments on homosexuality.

Are you aware that Singapore, an asian trading hub, also doesn't have homosexuality in the Iran context? Hello Buffy, homosexuality wasn't even decriminalised in Queensland until just over 10 years ago.

Heck, *chewing gum* is still illegal in Singapore! And there are some guys in Brisbane who's ears are probably still blue from the tirade they got after throwing a wolf whistle at me! You want backwards? Try Boise, Idaho!

Thank goodness the world is changing in the right direction.

But you should know that a meme has sprung up just today here in the US based on Ahmadinejad's homosexuality comment that basically goes: "Yeah, that's what Hitler said about the Jews in 1945. Of course they don't have any homosexuals: they're killing them all!"

Originally Posted by LaurieAG

Returning to those brave US soldiers, If anybody dared to insult a fellow soldier(s) who was grieving the loss of a brave brother at arms by commenting insensitively, 'did your homosexual lover just die', they would certainly get their fair share of bombs, one from each of the surviving members of the unit, into their tent that night!

Well, it will still be a generation before boys get completely beyond instinctive dislike of being called gay, but even then, its the "insensitivity" rather than the name calling that would get even the most liberal folks into "beat the stuffing out of you" mode.

Not sure where you're going with any of this, and postmodern feminist interpretation of the Illiad is actually focused on the *women* in the story! What do we care if the guys are gay?

Proud to be a libtard,
Buffy