James Taranto, "Best of the Web," Wall Street Journal
(Boldface emphasis added.)
"To chants of 'death to the dictator,' hundreds of Iranian students have mounted a vociferous protest against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," London's Telegraph reports:
. . .
The Los Angeles Times, which puts the number of anti-Ahmadinejad protesters at "about 50," notes that some of them cited his recent visit to New York:
"You, Mr. Ahmadinejad, claimed at Columbia University that there is freedom of speech in Iran's universities," one student said over a megaphone. "Then why are three students still in jail?"
This vindicates those of us who criticized Columbia president Lee Bollinger for allowing Ahmadinejad to be invited, at least if you assume that criticism spurred Bollinger to be tougher on Ahmadinejad than he otherwise would have been.
The L.A. Times says pro-Ahmadinejad demonstrators matched the opponents' turnout--which is rather remarkable. After all, it takes no courage to take to the streets in favor of an authoritarian regime.
It's a reminder, too, of just what phonies and blowhards our American "dissenters" are. They know it takes no courage to oppose a democratic government that holds freedom of speech sacrosanct. So they spin lurid fantasies of authoritarianism in order to convince themselves of their own bravery. 
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