Zionuts

[wiggin]

I agree that Walt's work on Israel was flawed, but he presents his work on that in the context of political science. Dershowitz's most famous book on the issue, "The Case for Israel", is not presented as a legal work but rather as a political commentary. *shrugs* Honestly it doesn't matter much to me either way; I just think that giving them the benefit of the doubt is theoretically possible. Granted, I sincerely doubt that their refusal was as noble as I'm suggesting it might be, but I want to distinguish between what their likely reasons were, and whether there are any legitimate grounds for preferring Dershowitz talk about his legal (and scholarly) career and not his advocacy (and political) career.

[Loki]

I agree that Walt's work on Israel was flawed, but he presents his work on that in the context of political science.

No he doesn't. Him and Mearsheimer admitted that the book is meant for a general audience and not academia. They also fall well short of even minimal scientific standards of poli sci. It is little more than an attempted hitjob against Israel and its supporters. Let's just say that Dershowitz' work is closer to the ideals of History than the Lobby is to the ideals of poli sci.

Dershowitz's most famous book on the issue, "The Case for Israel", is not presented as a legal work but rather as a political commentary. *shrugs* Honestly it doesn't matter much to me either way; I just think that giving them the benefit of the doubt is theoretically possible. Granted, I sincerely doubt that their refusal was as noble as I'm suggesting it might be, but I want to distinguish between what their likely reasons were, and whether there are any legitimate grounds for preferring Dershowitz talk about his legal (and scholarly) career and not his advocacy (and political) career.

Even the people I know who support the conclusion of the Lobby (and praise Walt for writing the book; Mearsheimer pissed off too many people over the years) admit that it's a horrible piece of research. I have literally read undergraduate essays that were of a higher caliber.