Over the last couple days I’ve taken some shots at Professor John Mearsheimer with regard to views that he expressed on a recent show with Danny Davis.
I have watched Mearsheimer extensively since Feb 2022. Here's what I think.
I think he's absolutely right that Russia has a legitimate national security interest in Ukraine and I think he's absolutely right that the US provoked the Russian militarty action in Ukraine. I wish the US Govt would listen to him or at least constructively respond to the arguments he makes.
I agree that his 2007 book The Israel Lobby was a courageous expose of the power which Israel and AIPAC have over US foreign policy. It is a tragedy that more Americans don't better understand the global impact of what is essentially a corrupted foreign policy (ours) which does not operate in our national interest. As many commentators have said, this disconnect will ultimately backfire on us and hurt us badly.
As for whether AIPAC operates in violation of FARA, I would agree with Mearsheimer in so far as AIPAC has been doing the same old, same old for decades out in the open without prosecution. In this sense I can agree that its conduct has been deemed 'perfectly legal'. As to whether a legal scholar or prosecutor could find a violation of FARA in certain specified activities of AIPAC I take no position. It all depends upon actual facts and circumstances. Of course I acknowledge the extreme political clout wielded by AIPAC in Washington. And of course political power translates into prosecutorial discretion. As it has since the beginning of time.
There is one issue with which I strongly disagree with Mearsheimer. He says that our greatest adversary is China, with whom we will ultimately have a 'military' conflict as it seeks to expand its power in Asia and globally. I am not convinced that there cannot be a peaceful relationship with China, where both nations act not only in their own self-interest but in the interest of the peaceful development of national economies around the world. I'm sure Mearsheimer, a self-proclaimed realist, would say I'm hopelessly naive.
Yes, I strongly disagree with M re China, and in that regard agree with Doug Mac. Speaking of whom, he said this last night re Syria/Lebanon/Iraq and especially about the US and Israel working against Turkey's perceived interests:
"So **you have a larger War already developing and the Israelis are part of it we're part of it** and the Turks are on the brink of admitting to this and going public with it but if they go public with it in a in a rather Major Way the demand of the Turkish population will be to attack."
In other words, we're also pushing Turkey into the arms of Russia and Iran.
Israel is in the driver seat on U.S. policy for supply and support, with the limitation the Biden Administration is desperate to not poison the Muslims and Allies votes in the U.S. lots of gas lighting going on in the U.S.
Mearsheimer Is desperate to not cross some line, where he is not willing to bear the repercussions. Perhaps he’s afraid of just being accused of anti Semitism, but perhaps fear of lawfare of some type including defamation against AIPAC. There is something, and with the ruthlessness of aipac I’m sure his fears are well founded.
Mossad has connections inside Iran. Plenty of evidence confirms this. US threats of regime change etc based on intel exchange with Israel meaning appears as useful excuse to counter opposition.
US would lose to Iran. Big time. Read up on Millennium Challenge 2002 of you don't believe me and US was much more powerful then and Iran weaker.
I have watched Mearsheimer extensively since Feb 2022. Here's what I think.
I think he's absolutely right that Russia has a legitimate national security interest in Ukraine and I think he's absolutely right that the US provoked the Russian militarty action in Ukraine. I wish the US Govt would listen to him or at least constructively respond to the arguments he makes.
I agree that his 2007 book The Israel Lobby was a courageous expose of the power which Israel and AIPAC have over US foreign policy. It is a tragedy that more Americans don't better understand the global impact of what is essentially a corrupted foreign policy (ours) which does not operate in our national interest. As many commentators have said, this disconnect will ultimately backfire on us and hurt us badly.
As for whether AIPAC operates in violation of FARA, I would agree with Mearsheimer in so far as AIPAC has been doing the same old, same old for decades out in the open without prosecution. In this sense I can agree that its conduct has been deemed 'perfectly legal'. As to whether a legal scholar or prosecutor could find a violation of FARA in certain specified activities of AIPAC I take no position. It all depends upon actual facts and circumstances. Of course I acknowledge the extreme political clout wielded by AIPAC in Washington. And of course political power translates into prosecutorial discretion. As it has since the beginning of time.
There is one issue with which I strongly disagree with Mearsheimer. He says that our greatest adversary is China, with whom we will ultimately have a 'military' conflict as it seeks to expand its power in Asia and globally. I am not convinced that there cannot be a peaceful relationship with China, where both nations act not only in their own self-interest but in the interest of the peaceful development of national economies around the world. I'm sure Mearsheimer, a self-proclaimed realist, would say I'm hopelessly naive.
Yes, I strongly disagree with M re China, and in that regard agree with Doug Mac. Speaking of whom, he said this last night re Syria/Lebanon/Iraq and especially about the US and Israel working against Turkey's perceived interests:
"So **you have a larger War already developing and the Israelis are part of it we're part of it** and the Turks are on the brink of admitting to this and going public with it but if they go public with it in a in a rather Major Way the demand of the Turkish population will be to attack."
In other words, we're also pushing Turkey into the arms of Russia and Iran.
Israel is in the driver seat on U.S. policy for supply and support, with the limitation the Biden Administration is desperate to not poison the Muslims and Allies votes in the U.S. lots of gas lighting going on in the U.S.
Mearsheimer Is desperate to not cross some line, where he is not willing to bear the repercussions. Perhaps he’s afraid of just being accused of anti Semitism, but perhaps fear of lawfare of some type including defamation against AIPAC. There is something, and with the ruthlessness of aipac I’m sure his fears are well founded.
Mossad has connections inside Iran. Plenty of evidence confirms this. US threats of regime change etc based on intel exchange with Israel meaning appears as useful excuse to counter opposition.