US professors accused of being liars and bigots over essay...

[laststeamtrain]

US professors accused of being liars and bigots over essay on pro-Israeli lobby

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday March 31, 2006

Guardian

An article by two prominent American professors arguing that the pro-Israel lobby exerts a dominant and damaging influence on US foreign policy has triggered a furious row, pitting allegations of anti-semitism against claims of intellectual intimidation.

<snip>

Prof Mearsheimer said the storm of protest proved one of its arguments - that the strength of the pro-Israel lobby stifled debate on US foreign policy.

"We argued in the piece that the lobby goes to great lengths to silence criticism of Israeli policy as well as the US-Israeli relationship, and that its most effective weapon is the charge of anti-semitism," Prof Mearsheimer told The Guardian. "Thus, we expected to be called anti-semites, even though both of us are philo-semites and strongly support the existence of Israel."

He added: "Huge numbers of people know this story to be true but are afraid to say it because they would punished by pro-Israeli forces."

<snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1743767,00.html?gusrc=rss

[bluestateguy]

1. This is why professor tenure is essential

SO professors can express unpopular ideas and do research on controversial topics without the fear of political retribution.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. And the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates lobbies don't ?

The Arab countries exert far more influence here (as became evident when they were being allowed to buy control of our ports and right now control countless things), than Israel.

Ah yes, but of course, that's not fair. Only Israel can be bashed. Sowwy. My awful awful mistake pointing this stuff out. :shrug:

[K-W]

6. No, they don't, actually.

While for certain many governments including those of Saudi Arabia and Dubai have deep and important connections in Washington, there is no Arab equivelent to the Israel lobby.

That Dubai was in a position to aquire a British company shows only that the regime in Dubai is integrated into the global economy. The fact that they had to backpeddle when threatned with US legislative action shows fairly clearly that they do not possess a powerful US lobby.

There is very good reason to reject the idea of Israel and the Israel lobby as a cause of US policy. They derive thier power from US decision makers, they dont project thier power over them. Regardless, there is nothing wrong with examining this powerful lobby and thier actions and doing so does not suggest that only Israel can be scrutinized or critisized.

[Jim Sagle]

7. Yes they do, and everybody goddamn well knows it.

[laststeamtrain]

8. Your statement is easily disproved. I don't know it.

[400Years]

11. you're just mad because these profs are pointing out an ugly truth

[Jim Sagle]

13. The profs ain't nuthin' but shit.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

14. Amen. And I'm getting pretty sick and tired of anti-semitics

Anti-semitics don't like it when you point out that the Arabs have mega-bucks in lobbying groups. They don't like truth. They just want you to join them in an anti-semitic fest-party, that's all. Makes me sick.

[acmejack]

3. I would say Professor Mearsheimer's point has been demonstrated

Rachael Corrie's Story was too hot for broadway, we see who has the big stick, our friend Sarah's remarks notwithstanding.

[Jim Sagle]

4. Sarah RRRRRAWWWWWWWKSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! You, not so much.

[acmejack]

5. Well you know what they say about opinions.

[oblivious]

9. Looking at their abstract, agree or disagree?

Abstract
In this paper, John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago's Department of Political Science and Stephen M.Walt of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government contend that the centerpiece of U.S. Middle East policy is its intimate relationship with Israel. The authors argue that although often justified as reflecting shared strategic interests or compelling moral imperatives, the U.S. commitment to Israel is due primarily to the activities of the “Israel Lobby." This paper goes on to describe the various activities that pro-Israel groups have undertaken in order to shift U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction.

http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP06-011

Unedited PDF version:
http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP06-011/$File/rwp_06_011_walt.pdf

Edited version in London Review of Books:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

[K-W]

10. I appreciate thier data, which is important, but disagree with the thesis.

The articles below go into the issue in more depth, but essentially the Israel lobby pushes for policy that is already desired by US planners which explains its power and access in Washington. So long as the lobby uses its influence to bolster US foriegn policy goals and to attack critics of US and Israeli policy, they will remain powerful players in Washington.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=10010
Blaming the Israel Lobby
It's US Policy That Inflames the Arab World
by Joseph Massad

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=11&ItemID=9999
The Israel Lobby?
by Noam Chomsky

[Elidor]

12. So, in other words...

They pay people to say to our lawmakers, "Hey, we want you guys to do what you're going to do anyway, because we pretty much all agree."

:eyes:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

15. Exactly. That's what Arabs do when their lobbyists grease American palms

For example, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, among others.