PrintAugust 20, 2006
Ahmadinejad's blog?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has joined the blogosphere. But don't expect the anger and vitriol that American political blogs are known for, at least not in his first post. Some of his attacks are cultural, but primarily they are economic, particularly interwoven in an over 2,000 word post with recollections from the 1st grade till the end of the Iran—Iraq war in 1988.
His stress on economics prompted Muslim reformist Ali Eteraz, quoted in Slate, to comment:
What is most fascinating about it is how ... he appeals to his poor background, and links it to the poverty endemic in Iran. Obviously the attempt is to paint the West as responsible for that poverty. It is the same trick that the Muslim Marxists of the past employed to sow loyalty and allegiance amongst the Muslim masses during their hey—day in the 60's and 70's. That, to me, is further proof of the theory that today's Political Islam is yesterday's Marxism in different clothing.
"Fascism with an Islamic face" or "Marxism in different clothing" is a tough call but one thing is for sure — with victory in Lebanon and a divided international community on Iran's nuclear program, he'll have plenty of time to keep posting. But if he wants to keep his Western readers — almost 500,000 which I assume is accurate because he lost his own poll 68% to 32% on the question "Do you think that the US and Israeli intention and goal by attacking Lebanon is pulling the trigger for another wor[l]d war?" — he better make good on the promise to "make it shorter and simpler" next time.
Jason Guberman—Pfeffer 8 20 06
