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I’ve been told that the big controversy these days is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran. Famous for denying the Holocaust, vowing to wipe Israel off the map, and speaking at Columbia University (interesting combination), Ahmadinejad has succeeded in single-handedly turning the Western world against Iran. Many call him a cruel dictator, and some say he may become the next Hitler.

Its amazing what some people can come up with when they let their minds run wild.

Ahmadinejad is no Hitler, and it is unlikely that he will ever become a Hitler. Hitler was the absolute ruler of Nazi Germany, while Ahmadinejad is the president of a country that is really under control of the Ayatollah. When Hitler conquered Europe, he did so with the strongest army in the world. Iran’s army, on the other hand, is not nearly as threatening. Its soldiers are most famous for their suicidal charges made during the Iran-Iraq War, and if they couldn’t handle the Iraqis, their chances against Israel and the U.S. look slim.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions are worth no more concern than their military. The Ayatollah of Iran recently refused to stop enriching uranium, and claims to use nuclear power to free his country from oil dependence. This is not as far-fetched as it seems. Although Iran sits on a large supply of oil and natural gas, it would be foolish to assume that these resources could last forever. Let them use nuclear energy, and be a model to nations around the world who are trying to wean themselves off of oil addictions. Even if they do make a nuclear weapon, Iranian leaders can do math. One nuke is nothing compared to the thousands in the arsenal of the West. Ahmadinejad may be slightly out of touch with reality, but he does not have the power, or the will, to make good on his promise to destroy Israel with a nuclear weapon. There is a very good reason why no nation has used a nuclear weapon since 1945, and that is because there is no nation in the world that wants to be incinerated in a large-scale retaliatory strike. It would certainly not help Ahmadinejad’s falling popularity ratings.

President Ahmadinejad is no different from Kim Jong-Il of North Korea or Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Men like them do not back up the threats that they make; they only try to get attention. We waste our time worrying about these pathetic statements when we should be worried about real world problems, like finishing the job in Iraq. If anything, leaders like Ahmadinejad should be worried about us. After all, look at what happened to Saddam, when he never even had weapons of mass destruction. In fact, while I’m at it, look at what happened to Hitler!