Bad book review? Blame the Zionists.
by Scoop Shachtman, 22 November 2007
The BBC carry a story about the controversy that Mearsheimer and Walt’s book on the supposed effectiveness of the Israeli lobby has provoked. The article makes it clear that the authors do not think there is a conspiracy, but that “pro-Israeli lobbying is not secretive, but conforms to the open rules of America’s democratic system.” However Mearsheimer and Walt’s discussion about the negative reaction to their book is interesting:
Virtually all reviews of the book in the mainstream US press have been negative.
“They have often misrepresented our arguments badly or tried to smear us by either saying or hinting that we are anti-Semitic,” Mr Walt told the BBC News website.
[…]
The authors regard their excoriation in the US press as a sign of the lobby’s effectiveness.
Are they suggesting that the pro-Israeli lobby have been lobbying the media openly using the American democratic system? All the negative book reviews were due to Zionist lobbying? Where is the evidence for this? How convenient that negative reactions to their books must be a sign of the lobby’s effectiveness.
So, let’s get this clear. The “Israeli lobby” controls US foreign policy and also the US media?
I’m surprised they got their book past the Israeli lobby’s censor, given the power they ascribe to it.
Thursday 22 November 2007 at 23:56
“So, let’s get this clear. The “Israeli lobby” controls US foreign policy and also the US media?”
Mais bien sure. Where have you been living? This has been the mantra repeated by Carter and the duo Mearsheimer and Walt ever since they all got a huge amount of mainstream media publicity. Their books are best sellers, they have been on every talk show or news show that is worth anything, they have hailed as modern day heros, speakers of truth to power, yet they can’t stop whining that the “Zionists” prevent publication of views that are anti-Israel. It boggles the mind. I mean, what else is there for a book, to be a success?
This perpetual tantrum reminds me of the reaction of the little girl in the movie Babe. She wanted a doll’s house. Her grandpa built her a beautiful doll house, yet she went into disappointed screams as soon as she got it: But I wanted the one in the catalogue!
Is there a catalogue somewhere for what a successful book reception should look like? Maybe the duo M&W could point to the page number, so we will know exactly what to get them in order to keep them happy.
Friday 23 November 2007 at 0:27
Personally, I think the Jesuits are behind the whole thing.
Friday 23 November 2007 at 0:38
my theory is that that the lobby’s censors let M+W’s book through on purpose so people wouldn’t notice that they *really* control everything
Friday 23 November 2007 at 0:59
Eamonn: the same conjecture crossed my mind, after Nadia got her tenure, Massad is about to, and only the Jew got shafted.
Friday 23 November 2007 at 2:38
Could be worse, they might write a book about the real masters of the universe.
http://censorship.newsvine.com/cambridge-university-press
Just kidding, know the Jooo’s control them too.
Friday 23 November 2007 at 2:39
Could be worse, might actually have been censored.
http://censorship.newsvine.com/cambridge-university-press
Friday 23 November 2007 at 2:41
Could be worse, if they had written an expose of the Saudi lobby they wouldn’t get any UK sales.
Friday 23 November 2007 at 5:48
When will someone write an expose of Arab how oil money has corrupted Western journalists, politicians and businessmen?