Why are civilized(?) nations tolerant of madmen like Ahmadinejad?
953807
My two cents worth:\n\nI totally agree. You get it - however, apparently, a lot of people don't.\n\nMahmoud Ahmadinejad is a fanatical religous hardliner who supports his own terror organization, the revolutionary guards, along with Hezbollah, Humas and the whole concept of Jihad.\n\nHe has made it clear that Israel is "the little devil" and must be anninilated. You can only guess who the "big devil" is.\n\nHis country practically floats on oil, yet he wants "nuclear fuel for peaseful purposes."\n\nHis rise to power also means that the real power in Iran will lie more than ever in the hands of the Shiite clergy and their supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Nice.\n\nTheir demented ideology has made their objectives very clear and their tactics of murder and maiming thousands of innocent victims, for the most part, have not been met with the responce they deserve.\n\nThe civilized nations apparently don't rise up because of internal pressure and discontent from the "idiots" you allude to in your question.\nI suspect most of them were skipping history classes and decorating their VW busses with flower decals while the United States was bleeding in Viet Nam.\n\nLook at the hatred and unwarrented critisim leveled at Bush in America for FINNALLY responding to the acts of war that these Islamic dirt bags have perpretrated against the United States since 1979.\n\nThe United States and its allies are the Islamic terrorists' last hurdle. Iraq is the center of this war on terror. Iran knows this. Syria knows this. The terrorists know this. All of the Muslim nations know this - why don't we know this?\n\nNegotiations is not an option with these psychos.\nLeast we forget that Carter tried diplomacy and negotiations with these radicals for fourteen months while they held American hostages - and, during WWII, France was still debating and still looking for proof that Hitler was actually a threat to Europe - when their proof came marching into Paris wearing swazika arm bands. And, then, there's Chamberlain with his "peace in our time" rhetoric after his negotiations with Hitler. \nGreat Britain remembers - apparently, France does not. For all intent and purpose, Spain was defeated when they withdrew their troops after the terrorist train bombings.\n\nThese people want world denomination under Islamic rule - they woud cut you head off just to make another video - all the while, we debate their "rights" as detainees, cut and run policies and somehow think this threat will disappear if we just stop antagonizing them.\n\nWake up, people - America is not the bad guy here. \n\n"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."   Albert Einstein\n\nArgue with Albert Einstein's logic - if you feel up to the task.
50438
Can't believe the answers some people post in this place.\nLet me try to explain something to every reader here: DEMOCRACY DOES NOT EQUAL CIVILIZATION.\nI've heard so many Americans say "oh my God, those people in the middle east are savages, they don't even have a Democracy!!!!". Just can't believe it...\nWe're talking about a culture that has sustained itself through the millenia without democracy, and pretty well I shall say. What happened then that we read about them in the papers every day? WE CAME IN. Americans came in. Europeans came in. We're just trying soooo hard to get their culture like ours, selling them everything they "have to" consume, forcing them to follow our examples.\n\nI remember when the war in Afghanistan started, several major TV networks decided to make a drama scene about "women in Afghanistan", remember that? I actually heard a spokeswoman saying "it brutal how they treat women, not allowing them to expose their bodies. They are complete savages!".\n2 months later there was a video response from some women in Afghanistan, trying to explain to us, stupid close minded Americans, that that's how they lived, and that they were ok with it!\nMiddle East cultures, if you've read any of the Corahn, have a great respect of women. They do not abuse them, that only happens in "civilized" countries like ours.\n\nYes, we are forcing them to accept democracy and to accept the westernized way of life. It's really sad actually, if this keeps on there will be no variety at all in the way people think. Not until we all think like Americans.\n\nAnd the answers in this and other questions throughout this site is just a proof of how close minded we can be.
623545
What's fashionable is the support of the third-world, while bashing civilization. Israel is a tiny outpost of civilization in a region ruled by barbary. \nAdd in the world's ingrained anti-Semitism and there you have it. It really makes no sense at all.
92820
No, unless they have been told that THEIR truth is the only truth...at that point they are able to make judgements and commit acts against "WRONG" thinking types that are consistent with their belief system...this type of thinking leads to things like the crusades, 9/11, the spanish inquisition, and genocide...you see none of us is going away or changing our beliefs because someone else says we're wrong...so INTOLERANCE is the problem NOT different belief systems.
747887
I agree. Their approach is more of a secular humanist approach to life. This is why they are more civilized, less greedy, protect human rights and the environment, and are generally more progressive and less profit oriented. They don't believe they are morally superior and don't feel the need to go and spread "democracy" like the US does.\nI am speaking about Western Europe.
658935
The man is insane.\n\nI'd rather die than live under the rule of an dangerous extremist who thinks the Holocaust never happened, that Israel must be "exterminated," and that the world will end in the next generation.\n\nPaul B, you really think that the President of Iran would "beat cheney or bush?" What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know ANYTHING about this psychopath? Go do some research on what a homicidal nutcase Ahmadinejad is, THEN talk about it.\n\nI know you're just messing around. I am just creeped out by the guy.
669816
They like power. They like being at the top of society. But, it also has to do with the fact that these nations have very limited histories in democracy. Democracy is a journey, NOT a destination.
680027
We are not all so tolerant. It makes some of us very ill to think about.  The war was suppose to be about 9/11 and terrorism.  There are other countries with dictators as bad or even worse then Saddam.  He had nothing to do with Iraq and yet Osama has his job still.  Some Americans here say that "they hate us for our freedom" but I guess they don't realize we are not the only free country in the world.  There are other counries that have more freedom then we hve here.  Our country is a mess and many of us pray for this time to pass.
548039
First I read with interest what three others said in this context:\n1. Iran is a non peaceful country.we have had problems with them for years...\n2. Iran is run by a bunch of lunatics that believe in something that came from before the middle ages(That's the dark ages to you idiots), and want the whole world in on their strange little belief system...\n3. I'm a christian and i know GOD will intervene sometime in the future and stop all this nonsense....\n\nIronical that what 'we' believe is considered the right thing. What authority this christian guy has to declare that he KNOWS GOD and that he will intervene... What if an Iranian says that he also knows GOD and that He will intervene and teach these Christians a lesson. Its time we stop calling each other lunatics and relate lunacy with faith. I still refuse to believe (after having read the Bible, Talmud, Quran, Ramayana, Gita and Buddhist scriptures) that it was any of the Gospels of Jesus or even David who interfered and told the americans to drop Atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Should we then expect Japanese to say that Christianity is evil and atomic expertise in their hands is absolutely not safe, after all Iran or Pakistan has never said they will use them, while americans have dropped them actually less than 100 years ago. Where is the argument here.
67680
Your question make sense to me: A tolerant person must accept the intolerant and intolerance. Doubt is the basis for any tolerance. But from there to accept that they suppress other persons and do wrong to them because of intolerance, is a big step.
382960
Well, I think that Iranian women are amongst the world's most beautiful and intelligent. Iranian cuisine is delicious. Iran is a great country, with links to both east and west, and has produced great men such as Omar Khayyam. Islamic Extremism is wrecking this traditionally free-spirited country. Ayatollah Khomeni (the guy who started all this!) wasn't even "Iranian", he was born in Lucknow, India. Iran is screwing itself with its nuke program, cuz it is going to isolate and alienate itself, plus all the educated people are going to flee to the west. Keep it up, Shah Mahmoud !! You are doing the west a favor! aAnd oh please.. TAKE A BATH!!
386602
Dear friend \nThey never answer you without hostile as vessels leak what they hold before this i always thought American people are very nice , kind and respectable as my bf was so but when i came here in this hell i saw he was just an exception most of the American or west people are not the same they dont seem to be fair enough even they are not respectable \nthey lie insult and cheat ...just read their Q&A in here tell me could a respectable person talk so? I wonder what a culture they have ? What kind of human  they are ?\napart of all nonsense about iran and iranian that they have written in here apart of politics and ... i m sure you know well as a member of iranian people that how much our people respect to foreign when they are coming to our country u might see over and over the way they treat with foreign in our country  you know well about their hospitablity...now just read their words toward our people what do you think about them? what do you expect from them? ohh even i feel shame instead of them when i read their statement about iran and iranian people what we must expect from such a people ?\ngenerosity ?fair ?humanity ?\nthey let to themselves to take decision instead of us even they let to themselves to talk about changing our government or president its funny !!\ni m not saying that i m agree with all happened in our country maybe there are some wrongs but its not their business\neven if some thing went wrong its us who must take decsion for ourselves not any one from another country i dont think the people who intervene in internal affairs of a country are respectable \n\nyou see even in here some of them trying to decline the certain right of Iran for use of nuclear technology with illegal reason like this one :\nThe IAEA has ordered Iran to stop.Have they?\n\nwhy they think we must stop our peaceful nuclear activites ?\nOfcourse Iranian scientist managed to achieve nuclear technology while the country was under sanctions iran still ready to respect the decision of the international bodies if they respect irans legal right for the peaceful use of nuclear technology \nHOW EVER WE WILL NOT REGARD THESE DECISION S AS VAILD IF THEY DENY US OUR RIGHT \nhow you can complain of peaceful nuclear activities just for scientific research when your owen country have weapon nuclear ? how you can base your reason just on a statement of our president that Israel must wipe from map and say Iranian are terroist yet he doesnt committed to it but \nWhat a bout the killing of so much innocence people in Iraq and Afghanistan due to your government actions? Do you approve it? Why don’t you prevent that? Could I scold all American people for that? Could I call all of them as a terrorist? \nthey cant decline the certain right of Iran for use of nuclear technology base on ( Iranian president words about Israel )So what about the April 22 edition of the Israel daily Harretz quoted saying that the Mossad is plotting to assassinate Irainian president Mohmud Ahmadinejad?\nObviously , when both united states and its western allies encourage Israel to commit such crimes and to intensify its sponsored terrorism , we can not expect to see global terrorism eradicated . violence alwasys begets violence.\nRight now you see they are nt agree that a country like Iran have nuclear technology for providing fuel electricity plants medical and agricultural usage only.\nthe answer is obvious Well dont you think if they hadnt distorted the standard of peacful purposes before or they had the standard of good and bad now they hadnt problem with peacful nuclear activities of Iran ? \nif you read American history books you will note that America dropped atomics bombs on Japons two cities\nHiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 for ending the war and brining peace to the that war torn country so as claimed by Harry s. truman , the u.s. president , nuclear weapons could be used for peacful purposes too !!\nWest can not impose wrong decisions on Iran under UN cov
619313
Because he doesn't have a brain of his own. Iran has many problems, the younger generation is looking for modernization and freedom. To cover up the lack of progress and freedom, a scapegoat has to be found. \n  The Jews made a scapegoat for Hitler. We all know how Hitler ended up. If you're going to copy somebody, at least, make it someone who was successful.
300572
Because Israel represents civilization. \n\nThese so-called liberals wish to prop up the third world while destroying western civilization.\n\nIncredibly stupid, since Israel is the only country in the mideast where people enjoy basic freedoms.
548792
I agree with the majority here...it's intolerance that fuels most of these conflicts.  For example, the bulk of what is causing the unrest in the Middle East is a clash of cultures...one seeks to bring about a global caliphate per the instructions of its religious tome, the Quran.  Westernized nations mostly reject theocratic rule, and therein lies the conflict.  One cannot tolerate the other since they both are so diametrically opposed.  This results in open hostility and since one side is largely ineffectal in its miltary ability, they resort to subversive tactics such as terrorism and subterfuge.
908830
I understand your question, but, unfortunately the answer isn't an easy one.  Apparently you disagree with the type cast or stereotype.  But, look around the world.  That is the choice that their culture has made.  SInce the early seventies I have spent several months in the middle east nations for a variety of reasons.  And yes, I have met some very wonderful people.  However, throughout that part of the world there is a constant undercurrent of hatred for the west... the devil... the evil of democratic western countries and that list is topped by the U.S.  Which leaves us in a precarious position as a society.  We don't understand why they hate us, but they do.  So it is natural as culture to hate back.  So goes the viscious cycle.
178446
I don't know much about it except what's in the media. I know they're on Israel and the USA's sh*t list right now. I have heard that the Iranians are very educated people and for being a country in the middle east, Iran is pretty well to do. When I was about 12 years old I had a pen pal from Iran who wrote in perfect English and sent me beautiful postcards from there. The mail was always ripped open before it got delivered to me though like someone was checking it. I have nothing against the Iranian people or their country. My experience with the ones I met have been very pleasant.