Share the View: AIPAC's Machers

Share The View

THE LATEST OPINIONS FROM BLOOMBERG VIEW

MARCH 3, 2015 bloombergview.com

DECLASSIFIED Eli Lake: "To really grasp how AIPAC's policy conference works, first familiarize yourself with the Yiddish word 'macher.' A macher is a big shot. He's a man with connections, a man who gets things done, a somebody in a world of wannabes. His opposite is the shnook, the guy who doesn't know how great the machers have it. ... Most Americans want to be a macher and fear the prospect that they are just a shnook." Read more... MIDDLE EAST The Editors: "However politically unwise it is for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on Tuesday, his message on U.S. and European negotiations with Iran deserves a respectful hearing. Israel has cause for special concern about the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran emerging in the Middle East." Read more... James Gibney: "It's tempting to make mad mullahs the face of the Iranian nuclear problem. But the arc of Iran's nuclear program before the 1979 revolution suggests something else: Obtaining the weapons has long been a central goal as Iran endeavors to secure its position as a power in the Middle East." Read more... Daniel Gordis: "With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled to address Congress on Tuesday, his speech is seemingly the only Israel-related subject receiving attention in the American press." Read more... RUSSIA Leonid Bershidsky: "Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the public to believe he doesn't benefit from the death of Boris Nemtsov, and some of the slain politician's anti-Kremlin allies seem inclined to agree. Putin has used this propaganda line before, however, and there's no reason to believe it now." Read more... WEALTH Cass R. Sunstein: "The growing national concern about economic inequality raises many questions. One has to do with demographic groups. Are some doing better than others? If so, exactly why?" Read more... PRIVACY Justin Fox: "Apple's Tim Cook has been on tour, telling people who are worried about online privacy that he understands their angst. ... Cook also happens to run a company whose business model is entirely compatible with these views in a way that the business models of several of Apple's competitors are not." Read more... HEALTH-CARE REFORM Jonathan Bernstein: "If you liked the fiasco in the House of Representatives late Friday -- as its leaders scrambled to avoid a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security -- Republicans are setting things up for an even bigger imbroglio. This time, health care is on the line." Read more... SPORTS Kavitha A. Davidson: "More allegations of sexual assault have hit college sports, and this time one of the most famous coaches may be caught up in the scandal." Read more... FAMILY Megan McArdle: "Who will take care of all the old people? ... Our demographic transition is not just a problem of pension math." Read more... 2016 ELECTIONS Albert R. Hunt: "In an interview for the Public Broadcasting System's Charlie Rose program, Senator Lindsey Graham said it's more likely than not that he'll seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. What will he campaign on?" Read more... TERRORISM Pankaj Mishra: "A Kuwaiti immigrant in London has been revealed as Islamic State's public executioner. The news attests yet again to the sinister global appeal of al-Qaeda's successor. But the debate about Islam, most recently provoked by a long article in the Atlantic magazine, won't help us identify the real challenge posed by radical outfits." Read more...