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Not a mistake to respond

Reader comment on item: Learning from the Mearsheimer-Walt Fiasco

Submitted by James Eckert (United States), Sep 21, 2007 at 09:47

In his comment, Mr. Pipes contends that it was a mistake to highlight the original essay because it has thereby grown in stature. I believe that this is partly incorrect.

The essay put forth a belief which was and is widely held, that Jews in America exercise vast influence over American policy (the truth is that many Jews and like minded Christians exercise vast influence over American policy, because America is a democracy and we are the overwhelming majority). Had the essay been ignored, this belief would have existed in any event. The response to the essay is largely responsible for its notoriety, but this notoriety has made it easier to address the underlying problem.

Without Mearsheimer-Walt, reasonable people would have to contend with a feeling that the Mearsheimer-Walt theory was widely believed, while unreasonable people could pretend that they were seeing a truth being kept secret from the masses. By making Mearsheimer-Walt into an industry, opponents have enriched the villains, but also established a concrete, widely recognized target, where before they faced only an easily denied mirage.

In military terms, one must fix the enemy before he can be destroyed. The anti-Semitic crowd is now clustered around Mearsheimer-Walt. I say bring in all the artillery.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (10) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Mearsheimer & Walt on You Tube: Iran is a "so called" threat [52 words]James BurkeOct 3, 2007 16:21110235
Mearsheimer on BBC Interview [127 words]Martin KesslerSep 22, 2007 23:24109480
A great peculiarity [115 words]P BergSep 21, 2007 16:15109395
Not a mistake to respond [206 words]James EckertSep 21, 2007 09:47109369
They have a point but they have it backwards [337 words]Ken BesigSep 16, 2007 10:42108983
To Mr. Ken Besig [315 words]YnnatchkahSep 19, 2007 16:39108983
Of course, this strategy only works when the opposition is a tiny minority [44 words]Mark JamesSep 15, 2007 19:33108946
Walt/Mearsheimer and supporters: profound insensitivity to history of Jewish persecution [614 words]S Silverstein MDSep 15, 2007 11:45108927
Object of Mockery. [172 words]YnnatchkahSep 17, 2007 03:10108927
Humanities a circus [591 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
S SilversteinSep 18, 2007 10:21108927

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