Brad Delong Gets it On Walt and Mearsheimer

Brad Delong points to a series of very interesting critiques Walt and Mearsheimer's book, The Israel Lobby. Specifically, he cites a quote from their original paper, "The mere existence of the Lobby suggests that unconditional support for Israel is not in the American national interest. If it was, one would not need an organized special interest to bring it about."

This would of course apply to NOW, NARAL, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Humane Society, etc.

They must necessarily be acting against the interests of the US, because otherwise they would not need an organized special interest to bring it about.

It is utilitarianism taken to absurd extremes.

It is the idea that the national best interest is immediately apparent to any policy maker, and so the only time one needs a lobbyist is when one wishes to make the government operate in a member contrary to government interest.

This is tremendously naive at best.