Iran’s Marginal UN Moment
These days, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems relevant only to the global media outlets that are still transfixed by his pronouncements and are still intrigued by his unconventional conduct. In contrast to the international media, Ahmadinejad is viewed in Iran as a marginal figure whose relevance shrinks by the day as his tumultuous presidential tenure draws to a close.
Even Ahmadinejad seems to appreciate his diminished importance, as his last speech to the UN General Assembly was largely devoid of the bombast and provocation that has characterized previous speeches.
The essential theme of Ahmadinejad’s meandering valedictory address was how the hegemony of the great powers was deforming the international order. In his view, by pursuing their material interests, the rapacious Western powers were busy exploiting and abusing the developing world. The miscalculations and misjudgments of world capitalism are to be blamed for the downturn in the global economy with grave consequences for the poor nations. American came in for its share of criticism, as its invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were subject to the usual indictments. In search of markets and resources, Washington waged war under the banner of combating terrorism and tyranny.