You make a good point, Stanley. The debate that proceeded from Columbia’s invitation forced some ugly truths about Iran into a more prominent place in American public discourse. My point is that it didn’t end well. Buckley’s speech convinced the Yale Political Union to do the right thing and withdraw Gus Hall’s invitation. I would have preferred to see Columbia do the same. Instead, Columbia refused, leading to yesterday’s spectacle.

Did it diminish Ahmadinejad? I think undoubtedly it did. But it diminished Columbia as well. Columbia students granted Ahmadinejad that “confused” applause Buckley spoke of — useful to Iran’s propagandists. And Bollinger, knowing beforehand (and admitting as much at the end of his introduction) that a real debate with Ahmadinejad was impossible, invited him to Columbia anyway “merely to spit on [him].” We witnessed all of the phenomena Buckley talked about. It demeaned everyone involved.