Bollinger vs. Ahmadinejad

It was perhaps a bit too symbolic... an American who invited a Middle-Easterner to speak, and then gives in to conservative pressure and insults him. Now, before I come across as an Ahmadinejad apologist I should make my necessary disclaimer: Ahmadinejad is a bad person.
I get that.

I also get that bad people don't really become bad by us calling them so, but rather by demonstrating bad behaviors, which he has done.
However, Bollinger looked like a fool and made a fool of America because whether we like it or not he was representing us too. Unfortunately for us, he fed right into the plan: let America look arrogant, ignorant, and bigoted. Thanks Lee.

This was a world event and was broadcast to people around the globe. We must remember that the perception of people in the Middle East is formed by their media, just as ours influences us. The supposedly "liberal media" began adding to the pressure to cancel his opportunity to speak from the moment they learned of it. Right-wing radio began with their typical claims that it would be un-American of us to have a terrorist speak in this country, etc.

If diplomacy is possible; we started the talk with a slap in his face. If not, we gave him propaganda. Either way, we lost a good opportunity on that one all because Mr. Bollinger got scared by the right-wing brown shirts.