tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post6627169106626277029..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: Racing with the ClockDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-59869704267964173302009-05-04T11:46:00.000-07:002009-05-04T11:46:00.000-07:00I saw a program on the history channel last night ...I saw a program on the history channel last night about Sun Tsu's Art of War. It talked about how Sun Tsu's strategy was not like playing Chess but rather like a game called "Go" in which the object of the game is not a direct battle and overthrowing the king but rather the point is to gain land/territory through indirect routes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-25625846659050234392009-05-04T11:44:00.000-07:002009-05-04T11:44:00.000-07:00My mostly unfounded intuition is that AIPAC is anc...My mostly unfounded intuition is that AIPAC is anchored to but not bound by current Israeli government policy. It goes back to that point I was arguing before about democracy-as-autonomy -- absent compelling justification, we should give considerable latitude towards democratic actors in formulating policy because they (a) likely have a better understanding of their actual circumstances than we do (b) have a greater stake in it than we do (which remains true even granting our substantial investments in the region) and (c) have an autonomy right to make their own decisions.<br /><br />So my guess is that its not so much that AIPAC lobbies on behalf of what Bibi wants, so much as their strong inclination will be to lobby against second-guessing Israeli government decisions. It's a subtle difference, but a relevant one. <br /><br />[But I stress again that it this is mostly uninformed speculation mixed with vaguely remembered "facts" I may just be making up wholesale]David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-7781114385379448662009-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:002009-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00A question. I don't know if you know the answer (I...A question. I don't know if you know the answer (I know you're not an AIPAC guy). <br /><br />Does AIPAC claim to represent the positions of the Israeli government? Or does it claim to represent the views of a certain segment of pro-Israel American Jewish opinion? By which I mean to say, will AIPAC lobby for what Bibi wants them to lobby for or will it lobby for what a majority of its members believe to be in the best interests of Israel?chingonanoreply@blogger.com