When we think of world leaders who lean more to the authoritarian side, we think of them as mad, crazy, and stupid. When we think of George W Bush, we tend to simply think stupid. However, if we study dictatorial leaders from our past and our present, we find that some of these people are incredibly intelligent, and may even have a point on some issues. It’s just that their actions and words leave a lot to be desired.

Take for example Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran. We see a charismatic little man who is extremely articulate, and not short on words. Bush has done everything he can to pick a fight with Iran, and I am sure was hoping that he could stretch his time in office a bit longer in order to extend the ‘war on terror’ to Iran, and invade that country as well.

Now, let me put it plainly to you. Ahmadinejad is a loose cannon, but not simply because he has made explosive statements, and has nuclear capabilities. He is immensely intelligent, and does his homework. In an interview with Larry King, he calmly, but strongly, explained all that he believes in and gave logical reasons as to why he believes what he does. On the face of what he says, not too many of us could argue. There are only a few areas where I thought, ‘no, you’ve gone too far on that one.’

Let me outline for you Ahmadinejad’s main issues, and main points of reference, as stated by him.

1. He calls Israel the ‘Zionist regime’, failing to refer to it by name.

2. He believes the United States is a ‘bully.’

3. Refering to the US and its allies he said: ”They oppose other nations’ progress and tend to monopolise technologies and to use those monopolies in order to impose their will on other nations.”

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/09/2008923204537817894.html

Let’s take a look at these and see what we come up with. Firstly Israel is a recognised country and Iran needs to respect that. However, he did explain that the reason he calls Israel the ‘Zionist Regime’ is because the development of the original state of Israel was about politics, not religion.

Zionists are not Jews. They have no religion … they just have — wear masks of religiosity. How can you possibly be religious and occupy the land of other people?” (Ahmadinejad)

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/09/24/ahmadinejad.us.iran/index.html

While Zionism is based in part upon religious tradition linking the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, the modern movement was mainly secular, beginning largely as a response by European Jewry to antisemitism across Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism

Many Palestinians were displaced. He argues like an old relative that doesn’t recognise a certain member of the family and never has. The comparison is the same. Yes, he doubts the existence of the holocaust, which is appalling, and he believes Israel should be annihilated, which is even more appalling. But his basic premise that Israel’s beginning contributed to the tensions in the Middle East, and displaced thousands of Palestinians who still have no state of their own is an accurate one, and one that he can explain with facts. As I said, he does his homework.

Secondly, he believes that the United States is a ‘bully.’ Under the present administration, how many Americans are too scared to own up to the fact that they are American? How much international bullying has gone on with George W Bush at the helm? The United States invaded a sovereign nation that had NOTHING to do with the World Trade Centre attacks. They, and countries who sided with them, have created more chaos in that country since 2003, than Saddam Hussein created in decades. The United States government is constantly telling the world what they think ‘democracy’ is, and dictating to the world how best they should run their countries, to ensure ‘freedom.’ So yes, they have been a bully under George Bush. It will be interesting how Ahmadinejad sees America if Barack Obama is the next President.

Finally, he talks about American monopolies, but more importantly, he states about the imposition of United States’ will on other countries. It seems to follow a theme, and that theme is the United States saying ’my way or the highway.’ None of us like one person hogging everything, or taking over. So it makes perfect sense that Ahmadinejad sees in the current American administration a culturally insensitive, ignorant group, hell bent on making everyone follow them.

Ahmadinejad is extreme, there is no doubt about that. Do I think he is dangerous? Absolutely. He has very strong views, and he won’t be swayed on them. Asked if he would sit down at the table with Palestinians and Jews and sort out a peace deal, he said he would, but not with Isreal there, as they are ‘the uninvited guest.’ He then went on to create an analogy to a dinner party you hold and someone comes along who has not been invited. They should simply not be there. He believes the same attitude should apply to Israel. I don’t agree, but I can see his point. That’s the scary thing.

The point I am trying to make here is that Ahmadinejad is not a crazed little Hitler, with world domination on his mind. What I saw in this interview was a thinker, a person who has an opinion and can pinpoint exactly why he believes what he does. He makes more sense in his argument than half of the right wing nutjobs that hate someone ‘because they don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.’

When Barack Obama said he was open to sitting down with Ahmadinejad and having dialogue, what he was saying was our time for sending tanks in and watching our soldiers die is over. It’s time to talk. And weird as it may sound, Ahmadinejad may be the person Obama can talk to. And Obama would be clever to keep this little enemy very close indeed.

I’d still watch my back though.

Enjoy your day.