That madcap scamp Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, has written another public letter to the American people. Among other things, he told the American people on Wednesday that he was certain they detested President Bush’s policies — his support for Israel, war in Iraq and curtailed civil liberties — and he offered to work with them to reverse those policies.

The call came in the form of a six-page letter in English, published online and addressed to “noble Americans” that discussed “the many wars and calamities caused by the U.S. administration.” It suggested that Americans had been fooled into accepting their government’s policies, especially toward Israel.

“What have the Zionists done for the American people that the U.S. administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors?” Mr. Ahmadinejad wrote. “Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?”

This was the latest public step by Iran’s president to promote a dialogue with the United States. He wrote a letter to Mr. Bush in May, calling on him to shift his policies and open a discussion, but it was dismissed by the White House as irrelevant to the central issue dividing them — Iran’s nuclear program. Then Mr. Ahmadinejad challenged Mr. Bush to a public debate, also dismissed by the White House.

It’s actually nice that this sort of communication can go on in the world today, fraught with so much danger, death and destruction. Of course, during the next couple of days the internet tubes will be overflowing with outraged howls from our wrongwing colleagues, because they will insist that a man with such evil intent should not be allowed to address peoples on another country. Let’s note in passing no one was too put out when Mr Bu$h addressed the Iranian people directly while addressing the United Nations in September. This is merely poof that Mr Ahmadinejad is considered a serious man by our wingers, whereas Mr Bu$h apparently is not.

The six page letter addressed many topics, including poverty, homelessness and the loss of civil liberties in America, religion and its practice, and the actions of the Bu$h malAdministration in the Middle east.

While Americans tend to focus on foreign officials like Mr Aghmadinejad as some sort of official spokesman, real political power resides in the council of imams and mullahs who make up the Council of Guardians. The President is somewhat of a figurehead position. Some people say the American form of government is wrong, and that, especially these days, our President should also be a figurehead with no practical power.