Lobbying Washington

[steve2000x]

" The Israel Lobby "

Published in London Review of Books, March '06

The authors' purpose is to foster sensible public debate about the Israel lobby and America's policy in the Middle East. It is a most serious issue and worthy of reasoned discourse, especially in context of the ongoing War on Terror.

Their thesis (thoroughly footnoted) is essentially that the US places security of Israel ahead of its own due to severely skewed foreign policy favoring Israeli actions.



"This situation has no equal in American history," the authors state.

Mearsheimer and Walt state that the lobby does not comprise a monolithic conspiracy as depicted, for example, in tracts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Rather, the lobby is comprised of individuals and groups merely exercising their rights as do other special interest groups, except with more focus and efficacy.

AIPAC - America Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the single largest and influential organization advocating Israeli interests. Members of Congress and their staffs have characterized this group as second only to AARP in the power of influence and political clout in Washington.

Insiders have described AIPAC as "a de facto agent for a foreign government" according to Mearsheimer/Walt with the upshot being that US policy towards Israel is not appreciably debated on the floor of the Congress.

The London Review of Books precis can be found :

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

which links to the actual paper.

 

[conjur]

Your link doesn't work but here's one that goes into links between the PNAC Neocons and Israel (and the apparent spying and espionage on behalf of Israel)

Serving Two Flags: Neocons, Israel and the Bush Administration
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/May_2004/0405020.html

 

[conjur]

Hmm...and apparently some do it really well and expect a "reward"

Whistleblower says Bush officials traded Abramoff favors

In an interview with CBS News Wednesday evening, Wayne Smith, a Sioux tribal member whose grandfather was an Indian chief and previously led oversight of Indian gaming for the Bush Adminstration, said he was unprepared for the "raw political opportunism" that he witnessed as a member of the Administration.

"I had lobbyists flat out tell me that it was 'our time to make some money in Indian gaming -- the Indian arena -- we worked hard to get this president elected and we expected to be rewarded for it' -- to make a killing inside the BIA [Bureau of Indian Affairs]," Smith says in the interview.

Smith asserts Abramoff and other lobbyists redefined "access and influence" inside the Bush Administration. He also blows the whistle on Steven Griles, described as Abramoff's 'point man' inside the Department of the Interior. Watch the video below.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: conjur
Hmm...and apparently some do it really well and expect a "reward"

Whistleblower says Bush officials traded Abramoff favors

In an interview with CBS News Wednesday evening, Wayne Smith, a Sioux tribal member whose grandfather was an Indian chief and previously led oversight of Indian gaming for the Bush Adminstration, said he was unprepared for the "raw political opportunism" that he witnessed as a member of the Administration.

"I had lobbyists flat out tell me that it was 'our time to make some money in Indian gaming -- the Indian arena -- we worked hard to get this president elected and we expected to be rewarded for it' -- to make a killing inside the BIA [Bureau of Indian Affairs]," Smith says in the interview.

Smith asserts Abramoff and other lobbyists redefined "access and influence" inside the Bush Administration. He also blows the whistle on Steven Griles, described as Abramoff's 'point man' inside the Department of the Interior. Watch the video below.

BIA has been corrupt from the first day that it was established.

Even the predecessors were bad.

 

[steve2000x]

Originally posted by: conjur
Your link doesn't work but here's one that goes into links between the PNAC Neocons and Israel (and the apparent spying and espionage on behalf of Israel)

The link to the LRB seems to work ok for me - anybody else have trouble with the link ?

 

[Moonbeam]

Too bad there is no lobby for the American people.

 

[amish]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Too bad there is no lobby for the American people.

i seem to have found many that will lobby for the american people.

 

[GrGr]

Originally posted by: amish

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Too bad there is no lobby for the American people.

i seem to have found many that will lobby for the american people.

Oh they subscribe to the Code of Ethics for Lobbyists too! 8o

 

[steve2000x]

Interestingly, the two authors are highly credentialed individuals.

John J. Mearsheimer is former military, having graduated West Point and served 5 years in the US Air Force. He received his Ph.D. in poli science at Cornell, spent a year as a research fellow at the Brookings Institution and went on to Harvard as post-doctoral fellow at the Center for International Affairs. He also fellowed with the Council On Foreign Relations, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He is a prize winning author of three books, and has been published in numerous academic journals such as 'International Security'. Mearsheimers writings also appear in popular publications such as the Atlantic Monthly and the New York Times where he addresses issues concerning US Foreign policy.

Other noteworthy credits include various teaching awards, and as Phi Beta Kappa visiting scholar, speaking engagements at various universities.

Stephen Walt is Academic Dean at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he holds the Robert and Renee Belfer Professorship in International Affairs ( having previously taught at Princeton, and the University of Chicago where he served as Master of the Social Science Collegiate Division, and Deputy Dean of Social Sciences. )

He has been a Resident Associate of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, and Guest SCholar at the Brookings Institution.

Stephen Walt also has served as consultant for the Institute of Defense Analyses, the Center for Naval Analysis, and the National Defense University.

Mr Walt also serves on various editorial boards: Foreign Policy, Security Studies, and International Relations among others. He is Co-Editor of the Cornell Studies in Security Affairs.

Stephen Walt has also been elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

 

[zephyrprime]

Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

 

[Goalitalia]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

Not many people can distinguish between the religion of Judaism and the rotten politcally-driven ideology of zionism.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

Possibly because of the American principle of supporting the underdog and also those that have similar principles?

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

Possibly because of the American principle of supporting the underdog and also those that have similar principles?

Or possibly the Israeli lobby and political contributions from Jews. How else can we explain the kind of brainwashing that could posit the Israelis as underdogs. How many wars have they won now?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

Possibly because of the American principle of supporting the underdog and also those that have similar principles?

Or possibly the Israeli lobby and political contributions from Jews. How else can we explain the kind of brainwashing that could posit the Israelis as underdogs. How many wars have they won now?

Up through the '73 conflict, Israel has always been attacked by mulitple Arab countries who also had the Soviets as a benefactor.

Munich & Entebbe also did nothing to hurt the world view as the underdog.

When the smaller body in any conflict is attacked by a larger body, the smaller is usually considered to be the underdog.

The Jewish lobby has made sure to keep this perspective in mind.
The fact that there are still Arab nations that are bigger (land mass & population) bigger than Israel that have not come to peace and are openly supporting hostilities also contributes to the underdog image

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

Possibly because of the American principle of supporting the underdog and also those that have similar principles?

Or possibly the Israeli lobby and political contributions from Jews. How else can we explain the kind of brainwashing that could posit the Israelis as underdogs. How many wars have they won now?

Up through the '73 conflict, Israel has always been attacked by mulitple Arab countries who also had the Soviets as a benefactor.

Munich & Entebbe also did nothing to hurt the world view as the underdog.

When the smaller body in any conflict is attacked by a larger body, the smaller is usually considered to be the underdog.

The Jewish lobby has made sure to keep this perspective in mind.
The fact that there are still Arab nations that are bigger (land mass & population) bigger than Israel that have not come to peace and are openly supporting hostilities also contributes to the underdog image

Yes I know all about the appearances. The facts on the ground are that the Israelis have far and away the best military in the area. In a conflict the Arab countries are the underdogs.

 

[Termagant]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Why we support israel so much I'll never know. The establishment of Israel is the root of all these middle east problems.

Possibly because of the American principle of supporting the underdog and also those that have similar principles?

Supporting a generally democratic country surrounded by hostile dictatorships. Once those dictatorships became Soviet client states, the lines were sealed.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: amish

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Too bad there is no lobby for the American people.

i seem to have found many that will lobby for the american people.

Too bad there isn't as effective lobby for the American people in general as there is for special interests.

 

[Meuge]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Yes I know all about the appearances. The facts on the ground are that the Israelis have far and away the best military in the area. In a conflict the Arab countries are the underdogs.

And that means what, exactly? Underdogs or not, they're the aggressors... and they're the ones who promote murdering innocents on purpose. But they, they're the underdogs.

I guess you should also root for the nazis, the KKK, the pedophiles, and the cannibals - they're underdogs too.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Meuge

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Yes I know all about the appearances. The facts on the ground are that the Israelis have far and away the best military in the area. In a conflict the Arab countries are the underdogs.

And that means what, exactly? Underdogs or not, they're the aggressors... and they're the ones who promote murdering innocents on purpose. But they, they're the underdogs.

I guess you should also root for the nazis, the KKK, the pedophiles, and the cannibals - they're underdogs too.

It means that the Israelis aren't underdogs. It means that if the Arabs go to war with Israel they will loose. I am stating what I think is the fact. Your guess is a projection generated by emotions you feel on this topic, I think. You assume that if somebody is called an underdog that somehow automatically implies sympathy for them. Why does that have to follow? A fact is just a fact and in most cases where there isn't emotional attachment to something or other you know that.

 

[Meuge]

Originally posted by: steve2000x
" The Israel Lobby "

Published in London Review of Books, March '06

The authors' purpose is to foster sensible public debate about the Israel lobby and America's policy in the Middle East. It is a most serious issue and worthy of reasoned discourse, especially in context of the ongoing War on Terror.

Their thesis (thoroughly footnoted) is essentially that the US places security of Israel ahead of its own due to severely skewed foreign policy favoring Israeli actions.



"This situation has no equal in American history," the authors state.

Mearsheimer and Walt state that the lobby does not comprise a monolithic conspiracy as depicted, for example, in tracts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Rather, the lobby is comprised of individuals and groups merely exercising their rights as do other special interest groups, except with more focus and efficacy.

AIPAC - America Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the single largest and influential organization advocating Israeli interests. Members of Congress and their staffs have characterized this group as second only to AARP in the power of influence and political clout in Washington.

Insiders have described AIPAC as "a de facto agent for a foreign government" according to Mearsheimer/Walt with the upshot being that US policy towards Israel is not appreciably debated on the floor of the Congress.

The London Review of Books precis can be found :

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

which links to the actual paper.

I would venture a guess that if you add up all the finances in the U.S. that is controlled by people of Jewish descent, you'll realize why the pro-Israel lobby is strong. It might also be helpful to consider that much of this country's wealth and military power was created through businesses and discoveries that were made by Jews. Maybe it's not so strange then, to support a little patch of desert that's important to them.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Meuge

Originally posted by: steve2000x
" The Israel Lobby "

Published in London Review of Books, March '06

The authors' purpose is to foster sensible public debate about the Israel lobby and America's policy in the Middle East. It is a most serious issue and worthy of reasoned discourse, especially in context of the ongoing War on Terror.

Their thesis (thoroughly footnoted) is essentially that the US places security of Israel ahead of its own due to severely skewed foreign policy favoring Israeli actions.
But is might be strange as to why a little piece of land is important to them.


"This situation has no equal in American history," the authors state.

Mearsheimer and Walt state that the lobby does not comprise a monolithic conspiracy as depicted, for example, in tracts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Rather, the lobby is comprised of individuals and groups merely exercising their rights as do other special interest groups, except with more focus and efficacy.

AIPAC - America Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the single largest and influential organization advocating Israeli interests. Members of Congress and their staffs have characterized this group as second only to AARP in the power of influence and political clout in Washington.

Insiders have described AIPAC as "a de facto agent for a foreign government" according to Mearsheimer/Walt with the upshot being that US policy towards Israel is not appreciably debated on the floor of the Congress.

The London Review of Books precis can be found :

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

which links to the actual paper.

I would venture a guess that if you add up all the finances in the U.S. that is controlled by people of Jewish descent, you'll realize why the pro-Israel lobby is strong. It might also be helpful to consider that much of this country's wealth and military power was created through businesses and discoveries that were made by Jews. Maybe it's not so strange then, to support a little patch of desert that's important to them.