Ahmadinejad on 60 Minutes: Was Reporter Following a Script Provided by the Bush Administration?

the Democratic base seems to think so.

there's a lot of caterwauling on the left about Pelley's "tough questioning" of Iranian President Ahmadinejad. well, considering that almost daily he calls for the elimination of israel or some other threat, maybe some tough questions need to be asked. this, after all, is the most aggressive leader in the Middle East.

listening to mahmoud give his "thoughtful" answers is such a joke. he does exactly what his buddy hugo chavez does (and what bin laden is now doing)...he listens to the question, then crafts his answer to appeal directly to the people in America who are of leftist persuasion.

here's a link to the entire interview...see and listen for yourself, and tell me i'm not right.

i don't think this is an accident. all three of these figures have been influenced either directly or indirectly by the thinking of who is considered in some places to be "america's foremost intellectual", the linguist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky's main area of expertise is the use of language to frame arguments his way and use that rigid framework to chip away at his target. at the same time, when he takes the time to not just ruminate off the top of his head and actually write a book, he writes something like "Manufacturing Consent", where he makes the argument that the corporate media is the mouthpiece for the military-industrial complex (i know i'm simplifying), and since he's a famous, revered activist--it becomes a revelation for those on the left who feel powerless. when you see these guys chavez, mahmoud, bin laden use the power of mass media and speak out against America, it's seen by many on the left as "sticking it to the man". what hooey. matt lauer does it on the today show every day without such a ham-fisted approach.

the thing that strikes me when i listen to leftists or leaders such as chavez or ahmadinejad is that their statements all end up in a question mark...for example, ahmadinejad at one point tonight on 60 minutes makes a comment to the effect of "the american government is spending millions of dollars in iraq for no good reason...wouldn't that money be better spent on the victims of Katrina?" i have no problem with questioning as a rhetorical tool, but what ahmadinejad does in this entire interview is hold a mirror up to america. his "thoughtful" answers never seem to shine any light on the inner workings of his own country.