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U-Know! Forum » What's the point of an invitation when you know you hate the guest? |
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handofdave 3515 posts |
Sep 24, 2007, 22:39
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http://voanews.com/english/2007-09-24-voa65.cfm Rather pointless. Why bring the Iranian president into your house when you're going to introduce him to the podium with extreme prejudice? All this will have achieved is confirming that America is the 'great Satan' in the minds of Iranians. What a waste of time.
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shanshee_allures 2563 posts |
Sep 25, 2007, 08:43
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**The Iranian leader was asked about the alleged executions of homosexuals in Iran. He sparked laughter from the audience when he denied they exist in his country.** I bet that laughter was driven more by incredulous nervousness than anything else. Incredulous towards the attitude of Bollinger as well as the Mahmoud's retarded 3rd century attitiude. I mean, when you're the president of a University FFS, you're not supposed to behave like that. Or were audience members simply sneering? If so, count me out of that. It actually devalues the suffering the Iranian people endure. Does seem like Mahmoud was brought over like a duck to shoot pellets at, but again, I don't know what else he expected. We all know human rights abuses over there are just dreadful. But for Bollinger to charge at at Mahmoud whilst hiding behind some cheapshot academic posturing, AND from the safety of his own environment , makes him look smug, self satisified, is just unproffesional and really unimpressive. Perhaps Bollinger should go over like some of those brave jouranlists (several of who haven't made it back) and see it for himself. Instead of going on a 'textbook offensive' (sorry for the glib expression!). x
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handofdave 3515 posts |
Sep 25, 2007, 14:22
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The whole episode is embarrassing. We all know Iran's president is a Holocaust denier, he's publicly called for the annihilation of Israel, his government supports Islamic fascism... so why bring him to the USA and put him in front of an academic audience? To ridicule him? It's cheap spectacle, it's baiting, it's media hogging, it's a false pretense of academic inquiry, and worst of all it degrades everyone, especially the university president- even if you are virulently opposed to a guest speaker's politics, you don't invite them, and then introduce them to an audience by insulting and demeaning them. What a cheap, cowardly display. In Muslim culture, it's considered EXTREMELY bad form to treat a guest with nothing but cultured respect. Like I said, this is only going to leave the Islamic world with yet one more example of why the west can't be trusted.
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shanshee_allures 2563 posts |
Sep 25, 2007, 15:07
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My sentiments exactly Dave. Academia should at least remain the refuge of non-rhetoric. We blast historians into space near enough when they try to use their credentials to rewrite facts to suit their own rotten agendas. We know what's happening in Iran, but that's not the platform to address it. No way. Reminds me slightly of all the stuff about MIT in the 60s I studied as a teen. Fascinating to learn some of those scientists remained so principled, but then again (sadly) no surprise even more of them didn't. x
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red peony 645 posts |
Sep 25, 2007, 19:24
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Dave, did you see the interview on 60 Minutes last Sunday with him? I like 60 Minutes anyway, I never miss it, but I long for the days with Mike Wallace. He knew how to do a good interview.
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handofdave 3515 posts |
Edited Sep 26, 2007, 01:36
Sep 25, 2007, 22:45
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Missed that one- how was it? (Tuesday night) Just as I thought... the Columbia appearance has backfired... it's only gained sympathy for Mr. Ahmadinejad from even those within his country who've been critical of him. The treatment he received was simply not acceptable within the civilized bounds of international discourse. They shouldn't have invited him in the first place. On a side note, doesn't Bush realize his latest speech to the UN, scolding them to bring more 'freedom' to the world, rings hollow? Bush hasn't brought anything but more misery to Iraq, and his backers have a long history of trying to usurp democratically elected leaders of other nations (Hugo Chavez was an intended coup victim not long ago).
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postyesterdayman 931 posts |
Sep 26, 2007, 12:40
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Great quote from Fox News last night by some talking head I don't remember the name of... "The dems have been asking for a dialogue with Iran and Syria and now they have gotten it, and look what it's achieved. Democrats may believe that pandering to monstrous dictators is the way to go but we Republicans have said all along that it isn't." that was somewhat para-phrased but pretty much right on. Blame the democrats and make them look like the kind of people that would invite Osama over for dinner and laugh at his infidel jokes. Any opportunity to twist something and put a negative media spin on the democrats is used...no matter how fucking ridiculous and out-of-context.
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handofdave 3515 posts |
Sep 26, 2007, 13:12
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Unfortunately, the Fox News trolls can make something of a valid point here- Columbia University really screwed up in inviting a known antisemite to appear in an academic forum (what did they expect to happen?). Of course, Fox News is biased to the extreme. Their motto 'Fair and Balanced' should be challenged in court, really, as they are anything but. They regularly pull underhanded shit too, like calling Barack Obama 'Barack Osama' and coming out with erroneous reports that attempt to smear anyone not towing the Bush agenda.
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