Comments on: Mearsheimer: If Anti-Semitism Were a Real Threat, I Wouldn’t Have Written This Book

By: David

David — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

About Richard Cohen: Tuesday's NPR interview with M&W on KPCC in Los Angeles had Cohen as "balance." The interview was typical NPR anodyne pablum, but Cohen was quite revealing of his personal perspective. He accuses the book of lacking an emotional attachment to Israel.
link to scpr.org
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(Scroll down to Tuesday, Sept. 18.)

By: ed.

ed. — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Note the questionnaire’s childish statement about how “bad people” people have appropriated Walt/Mersheimer’s anti-Zionist work for their own ends, as if it isn’t “bad people” who have appropriated Zionism for their own evil ends.

A new field survey just came out confirming the number of over 1 million Iraqi deaths as a consequence of the war for imperialism and Zionism.

In London and Paris, anti-semitism is a problem. In my mother-in-law's neighborhood of London, elderly Jewish people are targeted. The response to the beatings have been mixed. Some papers have declared, "well if they didn't support Zionism, they wouldn't be a target".

Others have condemned the assaults as the efforts of organized thugs.

The key statement is "how did we get into this mess?"

Which mess? Israel/Palestine, Iraq, posturing re: Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia. The state of the economy, present and future?

Which mess?

You don't get out of a mess by ranting. You get out of a mess by analyzing, rebuilding, and not from the set of wishes but from a menu of possibles, hopefully ones that don't ignore the parties involved.

Intellectually, generalization is a problem. We're kept dumb by it, and then we do ignorant and at best negligent things.

The word "ignorance" describes an absence of knowledge, relevant knowledge. Its not a substantive position that one takes. "I am an ignorantist" (homage to the "know nothings" that periodically actually called themselves that).

It also implies a selective approach to knowledge. I choose what to ignore. I consciously remain ignorant as to their sensitivity (whomever their is, not ours, theirs).

The quote is relevant to Mearsheimer's conscience. As a published product, it is still a valid object of criticism, and if the criticism has merit, intelligent people will form their opinions accordingly.

If the result of the article, interviews, and book were to be that those that love Israel (warts and all) were forced to shut up, that would be a further suppression of free thought, a forced one, rather than a liberation of it.

The tone of ignorant confrontation is normalized by inflammatory and demeaning talk radio, confrontational and simplistic "news" shows, and those undertaking political dirty tricks.

It is in the atmosphere, and crosses political positions.

Like a bird that flies from Africa to Europe, and couldn't possibly know that it traveled from the home of colonized to colonizer.

By: evanj

evanj — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Re RW's commitment to those 'that love Israel (warts and all)'.
If this mob were doing something about the warts then M&W's book would not have appeared.
Those that love Irael (warts and all) ARE the problem.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

"Like a bird that flies from Africa to Europe, and couldn't possibly know that it traveled from the home of colonized to colonizer."

Jumping from an arab israeli roof into a jewish roof in Jerusalem is enough for the bird to experience the joys of travelling from the home of colonized to colonizer.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

"In London and Paris, anti-semitism is a problem. In my mother-in-law's neighborhood of London, elderly Jewish people are targeted. The response to the beatings have been mixed. Some papers have declared, "well if they didn't support Zionism, they wouldn't be a target".

Bollocks. What are you, the ADL propaganda representative? Elderly people might be attacked once in a while like all others by, say, a junkie for a few pounds but I never heard of attacks on elderly people for BEING Jewish or Christian or Martian or whatever. And I would like to see you for once backing up what you say with a source. Show us those articles.

P.S. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe some of us here live in Europe?

By: David

David — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Brian, don't take away the fantasy that gives Richard's life meaning.

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

In the US anti-semitism is largely just insensitivity.

Its definitely here. Anyone that has encountered swastikas in a public park (me), or has been accosted by idiotic adolescents (my son), knows that it exists, and is NOT benign.

It is always stated hatefully, and more than the level of ethnic jokes.

Hate should never be minimized, dismissed. It should be seen, named, addressed.

In London, in the Jewish neighborhoods, there is increased hate motivated crimes.

Crimes are NOT victimless, and when directed for racial intent.

And, for Jews, for my in-laws literally the victims of real and continent wide genocide, their moderate sensitivity to it, is not dismissible.

Only ignorant people would dismiss it.

It motivates Jews because it occurs. Who knows why it motivates those that seek to dismiss it or practice it?

Who knows why Mearsheimer would laughingly think that anti-semitism is not a possibility, or that "just a little" is not worth critical attention?

I asked Phil about his wikipedia post, about his reported self-description as a "self-hating" Jew.

It is humorous and not. I'm sure Phil meant as a self-deprecation, a humility.

Those that take him up on it though, take it as permission.

By: Arie Brand

Arie Brand — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Mearsheimer: it's very clear that the United States is in serious trouble. And we believe that one of the reasons we're in serious trouble – I underline "one of the reasons" – is because of the efforts of the lobby..."

I underline Mearsheimer's underlining.

Witty, you were asked for a source about that allegedly aggressive anti-Semitism near London. Instead you merely repeated yourself.