"The Lobby Falters" Mearsheimer

"An even more important reason for the lobby to drive Freeman out of his job is the weakness of the case for America’s present policy towards Israel, which makes it imperative to silence or marginalise anyone who criticises the special relationship. If Freeman hadn’t been punished, others would see that one could talk critically about Israel and still have a successful career in Washington. And once you get an open and free-wheeling discussion about Israel, the special relationship will be in serious trouble.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Freeman affair was that the mainstream media paid it little attention – the New York Times, for example, did not run a single story dealing with Freeman until the day after he stepped down – while a fierce battle over the appointment took place in the blogosphere. Freeman’s opponents used the internet to their advantage; that is where Rosen launched the campaign. But something happened there that would never have happened in the mainstream media: the lobby faced real opposition. Indeed, a vigorous, well-informed and highly regarded array of bloggers defended Freeman at every turn and would probably have carried the day had Congress not tipped the scales against them. In short, the internet enabled a serious debate in the United States about an issue involving Israel. The lobby has never had much trouble keeping the New York Times and the Washington Post in line, but it has few ways to silence critics on the internet."  Mearsheimer

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The bloggers almost won?  pl

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n06/mear01_.html

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

Just want to make clear that I am not the William B. Cummings who is one of retained counsel for the defendants in the AIPAC case.

[mo]

I would suggest that if one compares today with a decade ago, when there was no Iraq, no huge discussion on the Middle East, and there was little knowledge of whom AIPAC is and what it does, one sees the tide turning.

What Mearsheimer (and Walt) set in motion was momentous for AIPAC. And their attempts to drown them out only made the message louder and clearer.

I think AIPAC are worried. Time is against them. If they continue to push the Likkudnik agenda, it will only be a matter of time before the momentum and mass of opposition to the harm it is bringing the US on the global stage becomes such that the men and women of Congress will have to simply stop taking its shilling lest they be campaigned against as traitors who put the needs of another nation above their own.

[J]

Colonel,

WE (every human being) has 'heritage' (ethnic origins/religious origins), but not everybody uses it as a club to lord over everybody else, except the state of Israel. One cannot catagorize all Jews nor lump them in with the 'Israel firster' crowd. It would be wrong to cast aspersions on all Jews because of a one segment. But that 'one segment' is using ethnic/religion to castigate anybody who dares to disagree with the state of Israel's behavior, actions, and wheither it should exist or not on the world stage.

Do we see the Irish, or French, or other groups using their origins as a billy club on others? NO, the only ones we see doing this is the Israel firster crowd. If one wants to be an Israel firster and live in Israel, that's well and good. But to be an Israel firster and live in the U.S. amounts to 'treason' as they have put the interests of a FOREIGN GOVERNMENT 'AHEAD OF' the interests of their 'host nation' (a.k.a. USA).

It's time that we the homogenous group known as 'Americans' put a dirty sock in the AIPAC/Israel lobby's whining mouth, and prosecuted every member of Congress who is on Israel's foreign government's payroll through Israeli government 'storefronts' i.e. AIPAC.

[rjj]

... but it has few ways to silence critics on the internet.

I wish Mearsheimer hadn't said that. Never underestimate the useful idiocy of The Doers of Good. This little setback won't stop them.

But am glad he mentioned

Jimmy Carter, who was smeared by the lobby ...

though he uses the past tense when in fact Carter has yet to be rehabilitated. Even on the Internets people seem unable to say a good thing about Carter (or Clinton) without a requisite number of weaselly qualifiers.

Why is that?

[jr786]

I don't know about 'almost', a miss being as good as a mile in this case. But it does seem that the power of blogs to serve as a rhetorical public sphere (recognizing the imperfect comparison) comes into its known when a well-informed, well intentioned and well educated resistance is provoked as it was during the Freeman Affair.

Like attracts like. Our collective voices can coalesce with others to form a pretty formidable resistance to the Israel Firsters, G-d willing.

[Arun]

M.J. Rosenberg wonders how long it will be before the New York Times fires Roger Cohen:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/23/roger_cohen_in_the_times_obamas_iran_move_indicate/

Quote: "To get back to my headline question. Can Roger Cohen get away with his shockingly realistic opinions of the Middle East or will he be fired? My guess, he'll be fired. Check this out from neocon author Ron Radosh demanding Cohen's head. His buddies usually get their man!"

[Charles I]

All well and good, we are preaching to the choir here.

It is up to you - I'm Canadian - to take the issue from here to your friends, family, neighbours, legislators and colleagues and to infect them with the cognitive dissonance commensurate with at the very least refusing to accept the old party line, to accept debate and change where indicated.

Its simple to sit here and post. I put it to you that if you want change, you have to drag this mess - and its undeniable pernicious effects, its opportunity cost as it were - into the sunlight for all to see - and have it acknowledged by society as an issue that must be addressed, like smoking or drunk driving or gay rights or the next war or global warming. Stuff you can no longer deny, though ignorance itself sadly, eternal.

How many of you are prepared to do that? Take the perspectives and arguments here abroad? The pool of informed citizens willing and able to withstand public debate - some ignorant if not hysterical - and deny the party line patiently enough for a consensus against it to form must be enlarged.

NONE of most of my circle outside the web would even advert to this issue, most prefer not to, were it not for my dreary campaign of moral harassment. Bloody chain letters move more people than I do, but my converts would not have bothered with even my ready made info/form letters-to-authority package. But my vector is growing, one person at a time.

[Will]

Fnord mentioned a prime minister of Norway who had moderated his Israel views. I went to his wiki bio page, clicked the history tab and saw that a furious edit war had taken place b/ that the truth had been winning out. It had not always been like that there. I was able to read a full account.

Uri Avnery has view of the Freeman controvery in his latest columns.

Indeed Chas had given full throated expression to his views.

From Uri

"He has strong opinions about American policy in the Middle East, and makes no secret of them. In a 2005 speech, he criticized Israel's "high-handed and self-defeating policies" originating in the "occupation and settlement of Arab lands," which he described as "inherently violent." In a 2007 speech he said that the US had "embraced Israel’s enemies as our own" and that Arabs had "responded by equating Americans with Israelis as their enemies." Charging the US with backing Israel’s "efforts to pacify its captive and increasingly ghettoized Arab populations" and to "seize ever more Arab land for its colonists," he added that "Israel no longer even pretends to seek peace with the Palestinians.” Another conclusion is his belief that the terrorism the United States confronts is due largely to "the brutal oppression of the Palestinians by an Israeli occupation that has lasted over 40 years and shows no signs of ending." Naturally, the appointment of such a person was viewed with great alarm by the pro-Israel lobby in Washington."

[curious]

Incidentally, was checking out Rosen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_J._Rosen

On November 3, 2008, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that Rosen is now working for the Middle East Forum (MEF), a pro-Israel think tank directed by neoconservative scholar Daniel Pipes. Rosen is writing a blog hosted on the MEF website, devoted to Obama Administration personnel and policy: http://www.meforum.org/blog/obama-mideast-monitor/archive.php In November 2008, Rosen published "Did Iran Offer a 'Grand Bargain' in 2003?,"[1] and gave a presentation for MEF entitled "Wisful Thinking and Iran."[2]

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Guess who I found on MEF list?

http://www.meforum.org/experts.php

Meyrav Wurmser (wife of David Wurmser)

....... LOL. Run straight outta Israel Intel office. Man, this is so sad. Downright pathetic. I wonder how deep the counter intelligence office at the FBI has been penetrated. DHS as a whole is a liability to national security when it comes to Israel.

[FredS]

"Freeman’s remarkable statement has shot all around the world and been read by countless individuals. This isn’t good for the lobby,..." perhaps this is just a Pyrrhic victory for AIPAC; and perhaps the other theme running in the background is the decline and elimination of print newspapers from the Seattle Post Intelligencer to the Ann Arbor News. Which bloggers does AIPAC - and their Congressional water carriers- think these readers will be visiting?

[LeaNder]

The bloggers almost won? pl

Maybe the debate? In this respect, I would agree. I read comments by people that seemed to basically agree with the standard political outlook, but found the evidence presented weak. I found this interesting.

I think it was just too obvious that the majority of American diplomats and politicians would have said things not too dissimilar. Except of course ... But then that wasn't put in the center. It was all about China and Saudi Arabia.

[LeaNder]

At one point admittedly, I thought, obviously it was real, but would there have been a better strategy then to offer "the mob" a scapegoat via a leak, while carefully cooperating with the government to install an equally good analyst and equally influenceable on intelligence?

Could they do it again, especially concerning a job that needs no approval from congress?

[Will]

it appears that Michael Scheur has paid the price for his telling it like it is. Remember his speaking truth to power in the mush-mouthed Nat Sec Journal.

from his wiki bio

Scheuer left the Jamestown Foundation in February 2009 from a position as Senior Fellow. He claimed in an anti-war.com article that he was fired by the organization for his outspoken views on US-Israel relations. Jamestown's current president, Glen Howard, has pejoratively likened his views to those of former presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul.

INHO, i would wear the comparison to R Paul as far as National Security as a badge of Honour.

[Castellio]

Well, if you're Canadian, there's not much purchase in telling the Americans how they have to be more active... didn't George Galloway just get banned from entry to Canada? And wasn't it due to a letter from the Jewish Defense League?

And so, what are the Canucks going to do?

[fnord]

I think indeed the bloggers did win a victory, although the pointman (Freeman) got shot down as a price. The victory lies in the exposure of the methods used by the AIPACers, the methodology of the online lynchmob. It is no longer possible to brush of individuals worried about Israel policy and the power of the lobbies as delusional paranoids as was the wont under Bush. Also, a lot of smart COIN practitioners are taking their place in the new Obama admin, and I think that these individuals may see the conflicts in a realist view. The execution of Freeman may prove to be a costly offensive, winning a battle but weakening their front. Over here in Europe, the headlines were hard: "Obama brought to heel by the Israel lobby" in Norways second biggest newspaper, Dagbladet.

[J]

Colonel,

Since the Israeli government who through their Mossad recently tried to overthrow the elected government of Turkey, I wonder how long it will be before Turkey returns a 'love-gift' in kind back to the Israelis for their meddling in Turkish affairs?

Hmm.....

[Charles I]

Castellio asks "And so, what are the Canucks going to do?"

Whatever their consciences and imagined interests move them to do.

Mine have moved me to support the Palestinians, draw attention to Israeli war crimes and the deleterious effects for all concerned arising from the free pass Israel wields like a paintball gun full of shit, and spread the debate. I do this by posting, attending protests, writing hard mail to legislators, the press and apologists, voting and donating time and money.

Outside of this forum.

Canada's minority government and our horrible Prime Minister are slowly but surely being exposed as the toxic atavistic neocon political thugs they are.

The Toronto Star, and Pat, were kind enough to print one of my recent letters to the editor, to wit:

"Gene, the debate is shifting Canada! The Toronto Star may have refused to publish the statement of "Jewish Canadians Concerned About Suppression of Criticism of Israel', but they published my letter below and its been on the web for more than a week.

Re: Labels only obscure Mideast realities, Opinion March 10

Decades of occupation. Colonial land theft. Extra-judicial murder. Kidnapping and illegal detention of thousands of men, women, children and duly elected legislators. Blockade. Starvation. All are war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and international law, not to mention activities Israel has undertaken in writing to end time and time again, over decades of relentless expansion under cover of endless "peace talks." Pathological Zionism that is inexorably leading to the destruction of Israel.

These aren't labels. They are cold hard facts, long obscured by Israel, its enablers, protectors, spinners and apologists, but now revealed by the light of the latest criminal assault on Gaza.

Charles P. Degutis, LLB, Mississauga

So, Castellio, I'm going to proceed as above, waging a one man campaign to the extent of my abilities and resources amongst my friends, family, colleagues, legislators and press.

The very reasons you cite - the Galway ban and the potency of the Lobby it manifests - as showing there's not much "purchase" in telling Americans, or anyone, they have to be more active, are the very points that tell me the struggle is now joined, and must be kept up until change is achieved.

I'm sure not going to shut up, or accept my government's actions, or any government for that matter, that I believe contrary to my values - I write leaders on behalf of PEN and Amnesty International everyday.

I'm not interested per se, in what I can 'purchase" for my efforts. I'm interested in making the effort. Because it is the right thing to do because I perceive it to be in my interests, and because I enjoy it.

If my efforts have no purchase in the US, please take up the struggle there yourself, as far as your resources permit.

And so, what are YOU going to do?

[Matthew]

Obama reaches out to Iran and the "false flag" operations begin:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1073099.html

I suspect the "PA" source is same guy who gave the IDF targeting information about Gaza.

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

[curious]

Turkey, ergenekon.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLO302131

A former commander of Turkey's armed forces may be asked to testify in the investigation of an alleged plot to topple Turkey's Islamist-rooted government, Turkish media said on Tuesday.

Retired General Hilmi Ozkok would be the highest-ranking officer to testify in the widening probe into the so-called Ergenekon network, a right-wing group accused of using violence that prosecutors say was aimed at destabilising Turkey, a member of NATO and a candidate for European Union membership.

The military has denied any links to Ergenekon.

Ozkok and his successor, retired General Yasar Buyukanit, both told Milliyet newspaper last week they were prepared to testify in the Ergenekon case if asked to by prosecutors.

"The Ergenekon prosecutor, Zekeriya Oz, has said that Ozkok's statement may be taken in connection with the Ergenekon case," Hurriyet newspaper reported on its Web site, without saying how it got the information.

Similar reports were carried by broadcasters NTV and CNN Turk. No one was immediately available at the Istanbul prosecutor's office to comment on the reports.

[curious]

uh oh, the ergenekon case is spreading to PKK. (this means Kurds and all the usual dubious crews are not far behind. going to get very ugly in Turkey.)

Turkey btw, was not on Georgia's side during the conflict. The neocons were NOT very happy about that. So I wouldn't be surprised if this involved the usual dubious suspects.

Israel-Turkey relationship is about to get nasty.

http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2600028/Ergenekon-group-members-go-on-trial-in-Istanbul.html

86 people were indicted, including leftist newspaper editor Ilhan Selcuk, a best-selling author, a former university dean and Dogu Perincek the head of a small nationalist party. Although not all were members of the Ergenekon group, which takes its name from a valley in Central Asia said to be the origin of the Turks, all those indicted were accused of plotting an armed uprising.

A third document, on the other hand, shed light on Ergenekon's targets in the PKK. It uncovered that "patriotic" army officers would go into the mountains and take over the terrorist group's administration. In this way, the PKK would totally be under the control of Ergenekon.

The gang also believed, as shown in seized documents, that the terrorist PKK was established with the help of foreign powers. "Foreign powers contributed to the establishment of the PKK. The United States and the European Union favor the foundation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq," suggested the documents.

The Ergenekon gang considers itself the "real guardian of the state" and resorts to illegal means to "protect" the state. It conducts activities to this end not only in Turkey but also abroad. Its objective is, first of all, to render "internal enemies" ineffective and then eradicate them.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=147049

[William P. Fitzgerald III]

The NY Times reported in this morning's paper/website that Israel's Labor Party is joining Netanyahu's coalition. The obvious, I think, reason is that, despite political and policy differences, all parties regard the maintenance of the Lobby's influence to be the paramount goal. To that end, a coalition including Labor would be expected to deflect growing opposition in America, Canada and the U.K.

WPFIII

[J]

curious,

turkey could wipe the floor with israel 'if' it chose to (in a conventional fight). the only thing that israel has that turkey doesn't -- is over 400 deployable nuclear weapons. which makes the israeli bully the biggest danger on the block to everybody in question. time to de-nuke israel, the sooner the better for everybody.