Americans always strongly defend their First Amendment of free speech. That has led to what can only be described a bizarre results.
It is therefore troubling to read this piece from Mondoweiss:
"I've failed to post anything about the University of Michigan Press's decision to stop distributing books by Pluto Press, a leftwing British publisher whose big offense was publishing Overcoming Zionism, by Joel Kovel. What is there to say other than that it's tragic? Kovel is for a one-state solution. His book exposed U of M to the usual letterwriting campaign and god knows what other forms of blackmail. It is something like Politics and Prose shutting down the book talk by Saree Makdisi, who is also for a one-state solution (a decision since reversed).
Roger van Zwanenberg, chairman of Pluto, said that there was no doubt in his mind but that for political opposition to a book critical of Israel, his press and Michigan’s press would still be doing business. “What this tells you is that there are dark forces in America who would like to control the flow of ideas, and they are powerfully organized and they are very dangerous,” he said.
Dangerous is a good word. We're stymieing discussion. I hereby reissue my weekly call to reform Jewish culture (and every month I get around to calling for the reformation of Islam; I know, shameful media bias). Histories will some day record this period with shame, that is if we don't ban em."
It is therefore troubling to read this piece from Mondoweiss:
"I've failed to post anything about the University of Michigan Press's decision to stop distributing books by Pluto Press, a leftwing British publisher whose big offense was publishing Overcoming Zionism, by Joel Kovel. What is there to say other than that it's tragic? Kovel is for a one-state solution. His book exposed U of M to the usual letterwriting campaign and god knows what other forms of blackmail. It is something like Politics and Prose shutting down the book talk by Saree Makdisi, who is also for a one-state solution (a decision since reversed).
Roger van Zwanenberg, chairman of Pluto, said that there was no doubt in his mind but that for political opposition to a book critical of Israel, his press and Michigan’s press would still be doing business. “What this tells you is that there are dark forces in America who would like to control the flow of ideas, and they are powerfully organized and they are very dangerous,” he said.
Dangerous is a good word. We're stymieing discussion. I hereby reissue my weekly call to reform Jewish culture (and every month I get around to calling for the reformation of Islam; I know, shameful media bias). Histories will some day record this period with shame, that is if we don't ban em."
Comments