My faith, recently shaken, in the American college student has been restored today.
With their laser-like wit, ability to penetrate to the core of an issue, and linguistic skills fit for this new millenia, the frat boys of Columbia University have brought us the following message:
http://s216.photobucket.com/...
Translated, the Columbia frat boys are saying this: "Ahmadinejad? He's just a squirrel trying to get a nut... a hushpuppy-wearing, alley-cat-coat crumbcake catching nobody"
More derision to be heaped below the fold ....
... and he's certainly no one worthy of a Major Nuclear Standoff.
Despite what the Right Wing Noise Machine would have you believe, he's no Hitler, Stalin or even Slobodan Milosevic. Incompetent, flailing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to big-time despots what Barney Fife was to law enforcement.
Author's note: A 'baller' is a high-rolling thug who receives respect from his peers. This term originated with highly-skilled NBA players who made lots of money and spent it lavishly... now it applies to all sorts of capitalistic endeavors, and to their practicioners, but they must be highly successful. The Author only knows this term because: she was born in Detroit, she has two teenagers of her own, and she listens to urban radio on her daily commute.
Several exhibits of the relative insignificance of Ahmadinejad, and of his visit to New York:
Exhibit A. Rupert Murdoch sends - wait for it - Geraldo Rivera! to cover his arrival. Now, say what you will about Rupert, but he's got quite a stable of Big Journalistic Names to cover world events. All that talent, all those talking heads in his closet.. and he sends GERALDO?
Exhibit B. The first Columbia University to arrive for his highly-publicized, controversial, hyped-within-an-inch speech at.... a leisurely 8:30 a.m.
Columbia College student Shaina Low, CC '10, was reportedly "shocked" that when she arrived at the doors of Lerner Hall, coffee in hand, to use her student ticket to the Ahmadinejad event, she was Audience Member Number One.
The "early birds" arrive a mere three hours in advance
It appears from this that it's more difficult to score an outfield box seat to the Florida Marlins game than to get up front and close to Mahmoud.
Still not convinced?
Exhibit C. The Iranian people simply don't see what the fuss is.
From an article by Michael Slackman in today's New York Times:
In demonizing Mr. Ahmadinejad, the West has served him well, elevating his status at home and in the region at a time when he is increasingly isolated politically because of his go-it-alone style and ineffective economic policies, according to Iranian politicians, officials and political experts.
and....
... Ahmadinejad has not shown the same political acumen at home as he has in riling the West. Two of his ministers have quit, criticizing his stewardship of the state. The head of the central bank resigned. The chief judge criticized him for his management of the government. His promise to root out corruption and redistribute oil wealth has run up against entrenched interests.
See the point? We're serving up a hot dish of Fear Casserole to the Bush Administration if we act like vaporish Victorians over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech today at Columbia. Playing right into their hands, giving them what they want so desperately - a chance to escalate and inflate and build up a case for military action against Iran.
Instead, when we see Ahmadinejad through a clear lens - that he is a tempest in a tea cup, a tinhorn cheap-suited Hush Puppy-wearing crumbcake - we deny the Bushies their fearmongering, and instead take a positive step toward real progress, peace and stability in the Middle East. And we can be grinning slyly all the way.
http://s216.photobucket.com/...
Sources:
Liveblogging from the Columbia Spectator website
New York magazine's "ahmadinemania!" blog
and, last but not least:
The Lyrics to: "The Rain" by Oran Juice Jones