Reply #6: That's a good question

[Number23]

Wouldn't merely having someone there who's got more cred have knocked Ahmedinajad off the podium for the keynote address?

I mean, is it that hard for the UN to get a President or Prime Minister who ISN'T an egotistical blowhard?? Make no mistake, Ahmadenijad didn't give that speech about how evil and racist Israel is to the delegates at the UN. He gave that speech to the people of Iran, to the people of Palestine and to every single Middle Easterner who is absolutely infuriated by Israel's mere existence. Why folks were so shocked that he would do this I have no clue.

As for the folks here, nothing surprises me about DU. Being honest, 95% of the folks here don't have a dog in this fight. For all of their self-proclaimed "progressiveness," racism is not all that high on their radar even if it is something that they are morally and intellectually opposed to. So the fact that many here say that Obama did the right thing by boycotting is not all that surprising. To them, the U.S. saving face is of greater importance than the U.S. (with its jacked-up racial history and present) taking an authoritative stance against the global impact of racism.