Anatomy of a Victory: The Importance of MJ Rosenberg´s Ousting from Media Matters (AMERICAN THINKER) By Jared Arluck 04/15/12)
Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/04/anatomy_of_a_victory_the_importance_of_mj_rosenbergs_ousting_from_media_matters.html
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The anti-Israel echo chamber has always existed. For a while, this
hateful ideology resonated in the blogosphere louder than it should
have. Not anymore.
Renowned lawyer and Democrat Alan Dershowitz´s insistence that Media
Matters distance itself from anti-Israel advocate MJ Rosenberg has
worked. Rosenberg, the controversial senior foreign policy fellow at
Media Matters, was unceremoniously jettisoned from the organization
last week because of his bigoted language aimed at American
supporters of Israel.
Critics had been calling for Rosenberg´s ouster for years without
success. Rosenberg´s writings were defended by powerful interests,
and if anything, the frequency and ferocity of his attacks seemed to
increase. His hasty exit represents an enormous win for supporters
of Israel.
Removing Rosenberg from his perch as lead attack dog against Israel
is no small feat. It is critical to understand the anatomy of
Rosenberg´s ouster. Alan Dershowitz, a respected Democrat, decided
that enough was enough, and his campaign against Rosenberg and Media
Matters has made all the difference.
The mainstream media (MSM) initially discredited new media from both
the left and right. Forced to follow the news of the day instead of
reporting it, the MSM were in denial. Arriving late to the game, the
MSM rushed to legitimize alternate media sources, allowing ideologues
like Rosenberg to slip through the cracks. Vetting is not the MSM´s
strength. Rosenberg´s coining of the term "Israel Firster" to
describe Jewish Americans´ loyalties has been the focal point of the
current controversy. MJ Rosenberg has accused American supporters of
Israel of having dual loyalties, a canard used to alienate minorities
for centuries. His decision to employ this despicable and divisive
term was a purposeful attempt to delegitimize the narrative towards
Israel.
Rosenberg´s long-term future at Media Matters became tenuous only
when Alan Dershowitz decided to take a moral stand against the
vitriolic language used by Rosenberg against Israel. "I´m proud of
whatever small role I played," Dershowitz declared in an interview
Saturday with the Free Beacon: "It wouldn´t surprise me if there were
some calls to Media Matters from the White House." Further,
Dershowitz declared that Rosenberg was "radioactive" and a "perennial
liar" who "deserved what he got." It didn´t take Rosenberg long to
repudiate his own retreat and attempt to reframe it all as a
victory. The notion that Rosenberg stepped down without a fight is
not believable. His raison d´être is to apply relentless pressure on
groups Media Matters opposes.
Rosenberg specializes in forcing people out of power, and getting him
to step down is a huge accomplishment. He credits Media Matters with
bringing down Glenn Beck. Had the thick skinned Rosenberg stepped
down on his own accord, it would be akin to giving up. This is
simply not in his DNA. What would cause him to martyr himself? The
anatomy of this victory needs to be understood.
The victory did not stem from a sense of moral outrage, although that
served as a catalyst. The reason Rosenberg was dismissed has to do
with where the criticism was hurled from. Where it came from was the
political left. Political views tend to be reinforced by like
minds. The critique of Media Matters and Rosenberg was initially
viewed through the lens of partisanship. The conscription of Alan
Dershowitz, a respected insider of the Democratic Jewish left,
changed the outcome of the story. Dershowitz´s delivery of the
message made the difference.
Surprisingly, not all liberal Jews are enamored with Alan Dershowitz;
nevertheless, they do trust his genuine support of Israel. He has a
sphere of influence in the Jewish community that crosses the
boundaries of left and right. Dershowitz´s role in the Democratic
Party, coupled with his insistence that Rosenberg´s philosophy was
toxic, led to Rosenberg´s ousting.
As an insider, Dershowitz´s protestations effectively collapsed the
groupthink mentality of the liberal left. Much like with a union,
the party line could be broken only by an insider who spoke the
truth. With solidarity intact, no external force could accomplish
this feat. Dershowitz´s role as whistleblower guaranteed that the
message would be heard loud and clear.
Non-progressives would be well-served to remember this methodology in
the future. When Dershowitz climbed on the bandwagon, the usual
partisan rumblings stopped. Media Matters, with its close
relationship to the White House, could no longer afford Rosenberg as
a liability. The bigotry was now indefensible. With Alan Dershowitz
promising not to relent, Media Matters and the White House had lost
control of the narrative. MJ Rosenberg has been neutered, at least
for the time being.
Politics of left and right often exist only in their respective echo
chambers, with virtually no confluence. It takes a brave soul to
stand up to the majority and speak the truth. For this, Alan
Dershowitz should be commended.
Rosenberg´s crude yet effective propagandizing won´t necessarily
stop. Let us hope that Rosenberg´s future rants will occur in a
much smaller chamber. Rosenberg insists that he will remain relevant
without an affiliation to Media Matters. Maybe he should ask Keith
Olbermann how that has worked out for him.
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