Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
it ironic that during the Bush years, Americans found they were better off keeping a low
profile in most foreign countries. But in a country I was told hated me, my nationality was
a real plus absolutely everywhere I went.
The disparity between the warm welcome I received and the “Axis of Evil” and
“Death to America” bickering of our two governments got me thinking about bombast and
history.
The word “axis” conjures up images of the alliance of Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito
that our fathers and grandfathers fought in World War II. People in these countries now
believe that each of these leaders helped maintain his power with his ability to stir the
simplistic side of his electorate with bombast. Today, such exaggerated rhetoric still hogs
the headlines, skewing understanding between the mainstream of each country.
During my visit, Iran's president was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had achieved a
kind of Hugo Chavez notoriety around the West for his wild and provocative statements
and actions: calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map,” denying the existence of the Ho-
locaust, insisting on Iran's right to nuclear arms, and persecuting gay people in Iran. Ah-
madinejad was an ideologue, and Americans who found him outrageous were fully justi-
fied.
But, much as we might viscerally disagree with Ahmadinejad—or other Iranian
rulers—it's dangerous to simply dismiss them as madmen. To these people, and to their
followers, their logic does make sense: If Germany killed the Jews, why are Palestinians
(rather than Germans) being displaced to house the survivors? Everyone in Iran seemed
to understand—better, perhaps, than we foreigners—that Ahmadinejad was more extreme
than the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. And, crucially, the Supreme Leader
is more powerful than the president. Many locals I talked with discounted Ahmadinejad's
most outrageous claims as overstatements intended to shore up his political base. While
that doesn't justify the hateful images and slogans I couldn't avoid as I explored his coun-
try, it might help explain them.
Meanwhile, Iranians get just as fired up about the rhetoric of American politicians.
During our visit (in the summer of 2008), Iranians were buzzing about the potential pres-
idencies of John McCain (who jokingly rewrote the lyrics of the Beach Boys' classic song,
“Barbara Ann,” to become “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”) or Hillary Clinton (who
said she would “obliterate” Iran if it attacked Israel). For Iranians, hearing high-profile
representatives of the world's lone superpower talk this way was terrifying. Unfortunately,
that fear enables people like Ahmadinejad to demonize America in order to stay in power.
