U.N.: Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks; many diplomats walk out

[Kennah]

Source: LA Times

REPORTING FROM THE UNITED NATIONS -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday denounced the United States and its European allies from the U.N. General Assembly podium as arms-wielding colonialist oppressors who were wrecking the world economy, prompting a walkout by dozens of diplomats.

Ahmadinejad, speaking in an annual appearance at the opening of the General Assembly's new session, described the United States and its allies as the sources of misery going back centuries. He said they were responsible for suffering resulting from slavery, world wars, atomic attacks and the current economic breakdown.

These “slave masters and colonial masters have caused widespread misery and disorder,” Ahmadinejad said, adding: “Do they have the competence to run the world?”

The remarks prompted the departure of diplomats from the United States, European countries and some other nations. Others, including Canadian diplomats, had decided not to show up at all for the Iranian’s speech, which was one of a series of speeches by world leaders to the body.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/09/iranian-president-ahmadinejad-un.html

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Uh-oh. Ahmadinejad was railing again colonialism. This is going to stir up the Tea Baggers.

He also railed again slavery, and that's REALLY going to stir up the Tea Baggers.

[monmouth]

1. He also condemned the US for killing Bin Laden...n/t

[vminfla]

12. Certain imperialism is good

Bin Laden's over-reaching plans to become an Islamist imperialism is better than the alleged US' imperialism. See the difference?

[No Elephants]

15. He said what bin Laden did was good?

[arcane1]

2. "arms-wielding colonialist oppressors who were wrecking the world economy"

I can't argue with that!

[dipsydoodle]

3. Sounds about right

Those who legged it just can't face the truth.

[stormpilot]

5. Nothing incorrect in that statement

I don't agree with Iran's horrible standing where human rights are concerned, and I'm not a "fan" of his by far. But I find nothing incorrect in that particular statement.

[ProgressoDem]

4. To be fair...

It's not as though things were awesome before European, note NOT American imperialism. Or as if things are awesome in Iran now. Persia also happened to be barely touched by European colonialism - compared to Iraq? Please.

[SkyDaddy7]

6. I would NEVER EVER agree with a man who...

advocates killing homosexuals even if they said something that was true! Not to mention all the other truly disgusting things that country does on a daily basis!

[rollin74]

7. + 1

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

9. But, but, but, but,

He attacked bad US policies from decades ago, so that makes him an AUTOMATIC HERO! AUTOMATIC HERO! lol

[No Elephants]

16. BS much?

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

23. Gays and women don't matter to those here who praise his words.

Nt

[leftynyc]

22. Maybe to the right wing

religious freaks but not to people who love our gay friends and family.

[MrBig]

26. It's sad

But that's how a lot of people on these boards treat him.

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

27. Then they aren't progressives

They are Republicans masquerading as progressives. Progressives don't support Muslim thugs that oppress women and gays and rape victims. How could a progressive support the stoning of rape victims? Disgusting.

[ronnie624]

28. You don't have to agree with the man to acknowledge the truth in his statements.

Those who walked out, represent a small fraction of the earth's population, and consist only of those who have something to gain through imperialism in the Middle East.

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. “Do they have the competence to run the world?”

While he may not be taken too seriously by people he doesn't like anyway, that's basically the most dangerous general question non-aligned leaders can ask -- looking around at the state of this brave new world, I'd have to say the answer is clearly no. It is unfortunate that the "Western" diplomats were not able to act like adults long enough to sit through the speech, they might have learned something about themselves.

[Malikshah]

10. To those who walked out...Grow up. Ahmadinejad is a tool...walking out is giving him

more attention than he deserves.

Walking out is *not* taking the high road. You fucking represent a country that started an illegal war. Suck it up and deal. You have no high road to which you can lay claim. Learn from the mistakes and stop repeating them by dealing w/ Ahmadinejad on his political-theater term.

Our diplomats and policy makers are such amateurs for having walked out.

[Celefin]

14. Well said.

So they went for an unscheduled smoke or coffee while on the job? My heroes.
How much are these people paid?
If you walk out at a business meeting you can claim it is taking a moral stance, since its probably going to earn you unemployment. But here?

How about dealing with the valid points in a professional manner, thus only leaving Ahmadinejad's bullshit to get any publicity?
As you said, the man is a tool. But exposing him as such would require exposing a lot of our own politicians as tools.
Which would require rationally thinking grown-ups without vested interests in preserving the status quo. Fat chance.

[No Elephants]

18. Besides which, I thought the whole point of the very expensive UN was to work things out

in words, instead of with bombs and guns.

Turns out, we haven't evolved that far yet, but walking out on a speech is like a 13 year old who hears something he or she doesn't like storming off and slamming the door.

Rational discourse, adult, MAYBE serves a purpose.

Storming out, childish, pointless.

[Violet_Crumble]

21. Exactly what I thought when I watched a clip of it...

Though it was an accurate reflection of what happens with foreign policy. The US does something stupid and they all follow like mindless sheep...

[vminfla]

11. So who does he blame the Middle East' failing before there ever was a US

Let's see, the Middle East was the same jumbled mess of shiekdoms before there ever was a United States. The Ottoman Turks were the local slave masters that caused widespread misery and disorder for every land they conquered. Instead of blaming others for your own sorry state, why not do something about it?

[No Elephants]

19. You're asking who he blames for his country's condition centuries ago? Why?

Who cares?

[vminfla]

25. Because he asked that very question

He puts the blame on the Middle Easts failure on "colonial masters". I can only assume that he means the Ottoman Turk empire that controlled the region in question. Of course, he offers no solutions to the Middle Easts ongoing failures. He chooses to wallow in self-pity for a problem that began its solution in WWI. He really should pick up the ball and run with it now.

[dipsydoodle]

34. Are you overlooking

the US helping depose Iran' democratically elected president in 1953 ? Where's the self pity there ?

[USA_1]

13. Walking Out?

If they walk out on him but not on Bush then they are full of sh!t.

[vminfla]

17. Because a Holocaust Denier who spouts out conspiracy theories is exactly the same thing

Sure, that makes sense.

[No Elephants]

20. Please remind us why the UN exists.

[chrisa]

24. It's a League of Nations Pt. 2

With the ultimate goal of promoting world peace. Unfortunately, it fails terribly.

[Posteritatis]

32. To avoid another world war. That really is pretty much it; the rest is gravy. (nt)

[USA_1]

30. Liar Bush Killed 1 Million In Iraq

... far worse than anything done by Ahmadinejad.

[classysassy]

31. White South Africa

did the USA and her European allies walk out when the racist South Africans were in control of that country,do they walk out when israeli Prime Ministers speak at the UN,all of them are hypocrites?

[yngdip]

29. WOOHOO!!! Three cheers for Ahmadinejad

Have any of the human rights folks checked out the US prison record on HR...We aren't too good. Anybody checked out what MOST of our elected officials think about gay rights...

Before we throw stones at what Iran does, how about we celebrate that he was brave enough to call the U.S., EU, NATO and all of the countries who want us to forget the crimes against humanity that were committed without our consent IN OUR NAMES.

I don't have to agree with everything Ahmadinejad says or does to respect what he said at the UN. The system is flawed and unjust. His people are most likely to get screwed by the system. We get screwed too but who speaks for us...

[Posteritatis]

33. Please don't tell me you're claiming Iran's better than the US on gay rights. (nt)

[LeftishBrit]

35. Ahmadinejad and the Tea Baggers should get together and form an alliance..

Or rather they shouldn't; they're bad enough on their own. But they do have such similar views on so many issues.