What Matters?

I wrote earlier that the Ahmadinejad gig at Columbia was a laughable affair that did him more harm than good. Which is true, in America. He came across as the fool that he is.

However, in the eyes of the world, Ahmadinejad comes away a victor. He got a) legitimacy by speaking as a guest of a prestigious American University and b) rude treatment by Columbia's President, which stiffens the hand of our enemies.

So the question is: what matters?