ZGram - 12/20/2002 - "Academics "squeak" up"
irimland@zundelsite.org
irimland@zundelsite.org
Fri, 20 Dec 2002 19:12:53 -0800
ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny
December 20, 2002
Good Morning from the Zundelsite:
Yesterday's ZGram announced the modest patriotic stirring in
academia. Today you get MER's take on the same topic and theme:
[START]
ACADEMICS SPEAK UP HOWEVER LATE HOWEVER LIMITED
December 20, 2002: Academics are often late to the party; as they
surely are in these historically important times and with this
particularly half-baked half-hearted statement. And even when they
get there, too many "political correct" academics end up talking a
lot while actually not doing very much -- especially when they get
together collectively and especially in the contemporary US of A
these days.
Such is clearly the case here with this latest statement from an
ensemble of American academics coming mildly and meekly together
capitalizing on the opportunity to indicate that they are doing so in
support of their "courageous" Israeli colleagues. 'Courage' is not a
word that should however be applied to their own very inadequate
statement.
It's the classical much too little much too late phenomena reborn
once again...but worse. For what these American academics have done
is to try to give the impression that something significant is being
done when in fact they are actually avoiding doing anything new and
important; and certainly avoiding saying, not to mention doing, those
things that are really needed. Thus, sad as it is to say, this kind
of statement coming at this time and in this way may be worse than
nothing at all for it gives the academics the "I gave at the office"
excuse, far too easily letting them off the political and existential
hooks these times have brought about for all of us.
First of all most of those involved in this have been largely
silent all these critical years, only now putting their name to this
easy-to-sign statement with, as we said, the convenient 'excuse' that
since Israeli academics made a statement so should they. Yet, after
quite literally years of handwringing by many, the American signers
not only have nothing new to say or advocate, they refrain from even
saying anything at all in a forceful and determined manner.
Even a quick once-over reading makes it evident that the signers
don't actually call for anything specific at all -- rather they
follow the least-common-demoninator approach calling for "vigilance".
Pretty hard to be against "vigilance" in these ominously dangerous
times when others are speaking out about World War III, war crimes,
constitutional erosion, mass arrests, and making analogies to the
apartheid and fascist/racist eras of not that long ago.
The statement does mention all the US money that makes what the
Israelis do possible (though it completely skips mention of all the
weapons, not to mention escalating CIA intrique); but doesn't even
mention the crucial 'settlements' and the resultant neo-apartheid
policies -- thus not reaching the important conclusion that America
itself has become culpable and that 9/11 itself was brewed in this
crucible as most of them both intellectually and politically slept.
Most significant of all, even at this late date and even after so
many years of escalating Israeli provocations, the signers of this
most inadequate statement direct their appeal to the very party that
is in fact both the co-conspirator and the co-perpetrator helping
bring about the very result they deplore! That party, the US
Government, is in fact in the midst of a huge neo-crusader military
build-up -- clearly one being done in close alliance with the
Israelis -- and here too the Academics don't even deal with this
weighty historical turn-of-events which is in actuality the crucial
backdrop for what they do so inadequately comment about. Did we
stress enough yet the "inadequateness" of all this?
Overall, it's a statement clearly drafted as it is to make it
very easy for many people to sign -- one lacking most of all in any
call for at least suspension of US funding of Israeli policies, not
to mention an end to the new crusader mentality that has taken hold
in their own country. The statement not only lacks serious depth and
bite; but worst of all, to repeat once again, it gives the impression
that the USGovernment is a reasonable and responsible party one can
simply call on in a few words for redress -- and that very clearly
and definitely is NOT the case!
Oh yes, let's mention this reality as well. Among the reasons
this academic statement is so inadequate is that among the key
organizers are a number of prominent American Jewish academics who
long ago decided to play it safe -- foremost among them Joel Beinin
at Stanford and Zachary Lockman at Harvard. A decade ago now both
were among the first Middle East academics to back away from the then
growing criticism of Israel and to sign on as Oslo "Peace Process"
advocates, even as more principled and courageous colleagues right
from the start saw the duplicity involved in Oslo and predicted it
would lead to far worse conditions for the Palestinians -- precisely
in fact what has occurred.
Much more needs to be said about this. And in fact much more needs to
be done about all this; even as many will now conveniently hide
behind the "I gave at the office" excuse. At the moment, let's
conclude by saying maybe we should have titled this little
commentary: "Academics Squeak Up...However Purposefully Late, However
Terribly Meekly, However Badly Mislead."
(Source: MID-EAST REALITIES -
http://www.middleeast.org )