| Aramike |
09-25-10 01:26 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducimus
(Post 1501840)
Either that, or he is a lot smarter then he would let the world believe. I find it hard to believe any type of a leader (elected or dictator) would be as much of an outlandish loon as he has displayed, without some purpose or ulterior motive.
edit: Then again, i forget, he doesn't hold the real power in Iran. He's the sock puppet for the grand cleric or whatever it's called.
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You had it down until the edit. He may not hold real power, as it were, but he's certainly making a play for it. And he's far more influential popularly than the Iranian Supreme Leader.
I believe that your first instinct was correct - he's incredibly smart. I've actually written numerous papers about this very subject. Essentially my profile is that he's playing the politcal game from the religious angle. In an openly fundamentalist (albeit liberlized) society, Ahmedinejad has to attempt to portray himself as a representative chosen through suffrage but subjecated to a higher religious power. Feigning persecution is an excellent tact in this case for a multitude of reasons. The two leading reasons are: - The concept of being persecuted without direct threat is a universally mobilizing factor as it presents no immediate reprecussion.
- The Iranian brand of Islam positions itself as a fundamentalist religion which requires an aggressive approach. Therefore persecution suggests an outside limitation of this fundamental drive causing a greater response in retaliation. This serves to mobilize (if not outright mitigate through agreement) the most powerful of religious figures within the government.
When one stops to think about it, what other approach could this man take? He's limited to two terms as president which serves as the leisure of Iran's religious leaders. In order to maintain any power whatsoever, he must prove himself influential AND a supporter of their religious causes. Furthermore, he is more than willing to take drastic steps in order to prove his worthiness for continued power. Islam's disregard for the individual life makes this a fearful proposition, as this man's morality is dictated by an ideology which positively perceives martyrism.
Ultimately, I agree - he's a loon only because being a loon serves his political purpose. The problem is that he's choosing to be a loon which reflects his actual moral compass... |
