Here's Why You Don't Give a Forum to a Dictator

Columbia's decision to allow Iranian President Nutjob to speak on campus gave the little dictator a boost in his own country, despite the attempt by Columbia president Lee Bollinger to "butch up" (as one writer described it) and start off the meeting with an insult. As is often the case among liberals, Bollinger offered a few facts before descending into name calling, and whether or not the names were accurate, if he thought that information would ever be heard in Iran, he was badly mistaken. Here's how the official Iranian news agency reported his comments:

Before President Ahamadinejad’s address, Colombia University Chancellor in a brief address told the audience that they would have the chance to hear Iran’s stands as the Iranian President would put them forth.

That's it. No mention of a "cruel and petty dictator". In fact, they didn't even mention Bollinger's name. They ignored his insults altogether. They did, however, report that Nutjob received standing ovations from the student crowd.

If Bollinger was really as put out by Nutjob as he implied with his opening remarks, why would he invite him to a prestigious forum as Columbia University? It was a foolish move on the part of the University and simply gave him a level of credibility he didn't deserve. It also gave him nationwide news coverage which allowed him to spread his message of hate to every American who was paying attention.

Columbia screwed up, and meanwhile, an American group that wants its country to control its borders - the Minutemen - are not allowed to appear at Columbia. Columbia considers them a "hate group". Go figure.

The American media didn't do that much better a job in reporting the Nutjob visit. Most reported Bollinger's insults, but some reports I saw ignored the most obvious lie of Nutjob's speech, the "we have no homosexuals in Iraq" comment. If I'd been the news director that comment would have led the report because an obvious lie like that would have rendered everything else Nutjob said suspect.

As I see it, anyone who invites an enemy of America to a prestigious forum like Columbia is either a fool or a traitor. You make the call.