Gods and Demoagogues

I learnt a nice word yesterday which applied to Ahmadinejad very well: Demagogue.
"a person, esp. an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people."

The word captures him and his approach to politics so well! i can't believe i didn't know it before hand.

Speaking of the man, i have been so disappointed by the American reaction to the iranian president Ahmadinejad's visit and lecture in Columbia university. He was introduced with so much vitriol and condemnation and insult that i was insulted as an iranian.
"Columbia President Lee Bollinger described Mr Ahmadinejad as a "cruel dictator" who denied the Holocaust.
In response, Mr Ahmadinejad called the remarks "an insult", adding that more research was needed on the Holocaust."
and later:
"He received a hostile welcome from Mr Bollinger, who described the Iranian leader as "a petty and cruel dictator".
"You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated," Mr Bollinger told Mr Ahmadinejad, referring to his denial of the Holocaust."
Esp for iranian and the middle eastern culture, politeness to a guest is paramount and so the president of columbia uni basically played right into Ahmadinejad's hands by portraying Americans as.. well not good and nice people.
The commentators also are all so rude.. seriously if they are only objective in their questionings and introduction, they would have managed to put the focus on A's words rather than their own. By printing out "The Evil has landed", The NY Daily newspaper does exactly what they accuse iran of doing. and yet they still adopt the holier than thou attitude.