Posted on 09/30/2007 9:37:09 AM PDT by saganite
His Columbia engagement gives him what he wants -- legitimacy -- and his hosts look rude to Islamic eyes.
One of the world's truly dangerous men, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left New York a clear winner this week, and he can thank the arrogance of the American academy and most of the U.S. news media's studied indifference for his victory.
If the blood-drenched history of the century just past had taught American academics one thing, it should have been that the totalitarian impulse knows no accommodation with reason. You cannot change the totalitarian mind through dialogue or conversation, because totalitarianism -- however ingenious the superstructure of faux ideas with which it surrounds itself -- is a creature of the will and not the mind. That's a large lesson, but what should have made Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia University this week a wholly avoidable debacle was the school's knowledge of its own, very specific history.
In the 1930s, Columbia was run by Nicholas Murray Butler, to whose name a special sort of infamy attaches. Butler was an outspoken admirer of Italian fascism and of its leader, Benito Mussolini. The Columbia president, who also was in the forefront of Ivy League efforts to restrict Jewish enrollment, worked tirelessly to build ties between his school and Italian universities, as well as with the powerful fascist student organizations. At one point, a visiting delegation of 350 ardent young Black Shirts serenaded Butler with the fascist anthem.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
for your consideration as a “nailed it”
Yeah. I remember how the American media was so helpful in paving the way for the war in Iraq.
writer is rutten, not Stephen Chernin......since this is the LAT, you probably should correct it
... with a caveat. His last swing of the hammer in the next to last paragraph bent the nail. “Duped” indeed - anyone with a lick of sense would realize that dealing with Iraq was a necessary precursor to dealing with Iran.
It contains the obligatory leftist disclaimers. However, it seems the author recognizes Ahmadinejad for what he is.
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Kind of confusing as to who wrote it at the site. I’ll pm the mod.
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Seems Columbia has a history of this
At one point, a visiting delegation of 350 ardent young
Black Shirts serenaded Butler with the fascist anthem.
Butler also was keen to establish connections with Nazi Germany and its universities. In 1933, he invited Hans Luther, Adolf Hitler’s ambassador to the United States, to lecture on the Columbia campus. Luther stressed Hitler’s “peaceful intentions” toward his European neighbors, and, afterward, Butler gave a reception in his honor. As the emissary of “a friendly people,” Luther was “entitled to be received with the greatest courtesy and respect,” the Columbia president said at the time.
No doubt we agree. ..(but not sure which button on ‘tiny pics’ you are referring to ;^). . .)
I personally didn’t understand why some in our country would allow a bunch of liberal academia types set the tone for how we will be perceived by the Islamic world. I think they behaved very badly. They are very unrefined in their behavior, and it’s ashame that a terrorist now gets to think we are rude. This could have consequences in future terrorist attacks, we don’t need to go out of our way to provide motivation. I just think it was irresponsible how the situation went down. Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I am going to go back and read the article.
Daresay; had the Left fought as hard 'for' our Military and our Country as they have fought against our Country; and against our Military. . .their Commander-in-Chief; we might have had this war under control more easily and in a more timely fashion. There would be far fewer terrorists rising. . .for sure.
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I cannot see where we disagree and if it is worth it; perhaps you could be more specific. . .if not less cryptic.
But perhaps the density here is mine(?). . .
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