Are Americans too shallow and short-minded to beat Ahmadinejad in an open discussion?

Question

Only pathetic low-educated people want him to be censored instead of beating him morally and mentally.
Or what? Do you afraid if he tells some truth?

Personally, I can beat Mahmoud using his own rhetoric easily.
That's because I had an Education, and you had "no child left behind" and lots of Kool-Aid from that "talk radio".

Answer 1

I don't think it's that type of problem. Of course there are students at Columbia who could probably make Ahmadinejad look silly in conversation. But, will that shame or make him think differently than the way he does. I don't think so!

The main point of those who want to question him, is disingenuous, they will not get any straight answers as he has proved time and again. So what does the university want? Publicity is all I can think of. What does the world get: Another tyrant who will use this visit to spread more propaganda about the US. I suspect he will go home and tell his people how the United States universities wanted him to go on tour and speak to the rest of the country because they approve of what he has to say.

Answer 2

First of all, since you already seem to believe that Americans are "shallow" and "short-minded", and Ahmadinejad is a morally impeccable and scholarly bearer of truth, there is really no question pending.

Second, some beliefs are not worthy of being honored with a "discussion". There can be no "discussion" between a rapist and a rape victim, between a jihadist and an "infidel", between a fanatic and the object of his fanaticism. Were Russians too shallow and short-minded to beat Chechen separatists in an open discussion, I wonder? There can be no "discussion" about the Holocaust or about obliterating whole countries along with their populations; no matter what, these things are abhorrent and Ahmadinejad will continue to believe what he wants to believe -- and so will you.

Third, having the right to free speech doesn't mean you get access to a forum like Columbia University. As the leader of a country where only his and the mullahs' views are aired, and as the owner and operator of Iran's mass media outlets, Ahmadinejad has vast resources at his disposal to get his message across all over the world. He isn't exactly gagged. We hear his crap every day. What YOU suggest, apparently, is that his crap should be forced down everyone's throat by giving it an imprimatur of respectability -- and that is as contrary to the idea of free speech as it can get. By the way, why is it that Israeli heads of state do not get to lecture at Iranian universities? By your own theory, it would be because Iranians are "pathetic low-educated people" who are afraid of "some truth".

Also, it seems to me that you define as "truth" anything that the public finds objectionable. Is that what they taught you in your philosophy classes? Is that the kind of "education" you are boasting of here? My friend, you should ask your "educators" to pay you compensation for time wasted. The are plenty of Americans on this site whose education and cultural level far exceeds yours -- provided, of course, that you define "education" as something greater than that fuzzy Russian concept of "culturedness" (i.e. good manners, memorizing a sliver of "Eugene Onegin", and learning how to bang out a couple of simple sonatinas).

I am an American. I do not pretend to be among the most educated people here, but I have a doctorate and am fluent in Russian, French, and Spanish -- which, I would venture a guess, is probably more than can be said of YOUR "education". The university I graduated from is ranked 12th in the world, despite being an *American* university (ranked by a Chinese source -- not American, nor controlled by an arguable puppet state). In fact, of the top 25 universities ranked by this source, 18 are American, including the top 3. By contrast, the highest-ranked Russian university is rated 76th on the global scale. Granted, that's only one factor -- but perhaps you should not be so hasty in dismissing us all as country bumpkins and promoting yourself as a hypereducated superior.

P.S.: I don't drink Kool-Aid and I don't know anyone who does. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if it's popular in Russia.

Answer 3

Do you afraid if he tells the truth? and you are calling anyone else low educated... What a laugh..

No we just prefer not to let people going on a speaking tour after they have taken part in a hostage taking of our people. Oh yeah and called for genocide of an entire race.

Some people just don't deserve a soap box to stand on.

If Columbia is so worried about making sure no one is censored why did they censor groups that don't agree with their stance. Its about them being against the grain they think it makes them cool.

Bush inst afraid to debate him, Why debate a terrorist. What would that prove?

The Iranians are rallying around him because if they don't their relatives might have to rally around a grave site the following day. Even when the lefty CNN reporters interviewed Iranians they said afterwords that the people were scared to say anything bad with the reporters so called handlers around but when they got the chance they told the truth.

Many of you will never know what it is like to be in a country that kills you for your opposite opinion. I have been to many of them and seen the look in the people's eyes.

Answer 4

I take it by your remark that you are not American. I assume Eastern European. We were raised differently than you if that is the case. I won't defend the modern American education because of the defeatest teaching that has emergized since WW2. But-guessing that you are more in my age bracket, I will defend the open education we used to get compared to the narrow sphere of wordly exposure granted to the post war Eastern regimes. We don't bring the rabid dog in the house as he cannot control who he bites or why!! USMC 60-68

Answer 5

An indian female. not interior of sight American, yet quite from India. donning an orange sarong along with her hair in an prolonged braid. My superb chum whilst i become little become names Nadia, and that's what she gave the impact of. She become very ideal. this is a ideal call.

Answer 6

ahmadinejad speaks with a forked tongue... and sometimes just flat out lies.. remember the holocaust comment? nothing he says should be taken as factual. i have no reservations about him speaking... the more he talks, the more people realize what a crazy fool he is... i object to him being anywhere near the World Trade Center site though.. that's what most of the clammering was about.. not that he was speaking.

Answer 7

Censored? People are not censored in the US. But why would they ask this man to speak when there is a whole list of others they don't because they don't like what they might have to say?? That is the question , I guess its ok to invite someone that is going to probably say bad things about bush no matter who he is...

Answer 8

Ahmadinejad has challenged GWB to a debate more than once. That will never happen and thankfully so. Clinton could easily have debated this man and ripped him a new one.

the sad truth is, the U.S. hatred toward Ahmadinejad has made him a more popular leader in Iran. Iranians are now rallying around him. Had we ignored him from day one, this would never have happened.

Answer 9

His country is FAR less responsible for global terrorism than Saudi Arabia.

Why doesn't the US government and mainstream media ever discuss that?

Could it be money and big business?

.

Answer 10

Seeing most collages are Liberal they do not feel that challenging is Political Correct so they will be useless. Ditto most newsmen. Bill O'Reilly would be good. Peace