Comments on: Panel recommends closing BGU politics dept. for “political bias”

By: Greg Pollock

Greg Pollock — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:06:12 +0000

During the Vietnam War, American Political Science departments also came under fire. It’s rather natural: those who talk politics for a State supported living, “influencing” the children of taxpayer parents, can be seen as treasonous in a sort of mythological way. If anything, the patriotic backlash may more sense then than in the present case. Letting all the hysteria and anger boil off, what exactly is the right afraid of? Social networks of political and economic support are being defined by things that, as far as I can tell, have little real basis. Isreal is not in danger of lurching to the left (save for the uncertainty of J14). Israeli soldiers are not in present danger, as Americans were back then. This political progrom lives for its own sake. The real issue is knowing the right people, or showing correct belief in the hope of getting into a good network for career. As I have suggested elsethread, I think the real engine economic fear, with J14 an indicator of how broad that fear is. You are to be silenced so others may have your jobs, opportunities. Not unique to Israel at all.

By: Bosko

Bosko — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:51:58 +0000

Aristeides
The Rosenbergs were sentenced for passing on the secret of how to make nuclear weapons to the Soviet Union. As to whether they were the guilty ones or other/s, there is still some debate about that.
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Pollard passed on intelligence information to Israel and the stated reason for his harsh sentence was that by doing so, he endangered American lives. If true, then his long sentence was justified. But even many murderers get released after serving long prison terms. How long has Pollard been in jail now? He must be one of the longest serving prisoners in the states by now.
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Vanunu. What did he do exactly for humanity? You still haven’t explained it to me. If anything, IMHO, he helped Israel (even though he won’t admit to it and many on your side of politics won’t either). He confirmed that Israel has a nuclear deterrent. Think what that means to those who have been clamouring for Israel’s destruction. Of course, it wasn’t enough to make them give up but it did put a big dent in their plans about how they propose to realise their objectives.

By: aristeides

aristeides — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:27:42 +0000

It helped the world by informing it of what it probably did suspect.

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Also, neither Vanunu’s revelations nor the Rosenbergs’ harmed the legitimate interests of the state whose secrets were released. Unlike the consequences of Pollard’s treason.

By: Bosko

Bosko — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:13:35 +0000

Aristeides
“Vanunu, by exposing Israel’s nuclear arsenal to the world, did a similar thing”
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And how exactly did that help the world?
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In any case, Vanunu only confirmed strong suspicions that Israel has a nuclear arsenal. It certainly did not come as a major surprise out of the blue.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:04:07 +0000

Mitchell/Aristeides–this either dates me as old or young (or reveals my gaps in historical knowledge), but my first awareness of Ethel Rosenberg came from Tony Kushner’s Angels in America in the 90′s. Later, Meryl Streep played the role in the movie. I think it was Kathy Chalfant in the play. Brilliant and chilling.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:51:38 +0000

@SarahChet is exactly the kind of person who could be a student in the BGU PoliSci dept., writing a student evaluation condemning professors for not tolerating her beliefs due to the feedback (and grade) she’d received from them. @Mitchell Cohen’s feedback to SarahChet makes him a “left wing fascist / bird of a feather with Neve Gordon”. . Now imagine that Mitchell Cohen is the professor, Sarah Chet the student. Get it?

By: aristeides

aristeides — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:40:06 +0000

Mitchell – you asked. I answered.

By: Bosko

Bosko — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:31:20 +0000

Sarah
“Mitchell Cohen is an enemy of freedom of speech”
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Definitely not. He is on your side of politics. And he is definitely not against freedom of speech and never has been.

By: Mitchell Cohen

Mitchell Cohen — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:49:57 +0000

@Aristeides, I don’t buy it….Simple as that….

By: aristeides

aristeides — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:44:29 +0000

Time to put Sarah in the sack with Edithann.

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Mitchell – I place loyalty to humanity ahead of loyalty to country. Pollard betrayed his country (the US) but he did it for the sake of another country (Israel), not for the saving of all humanity.

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The Rosenbergs and Vanunu, otoh, acted against nuclear monopolies that potentially threaten humanity. There can be no doubt that the US, post-WWII, intended to use its nuclear monopoly to establish world hegemony. The world owes them thanks for stopping this, for enabling the Soviets to provide a nuclear counterbalance, for giving us a Cold War instead of a hot one.

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Vanunu, by exposing Israel’s nuclear arsenal to the world, did a similar thing.