Hi, everybody. It’s Glenn here, dipping my toe into the proceedings. First of all, I’m back at home, and my recovery from surgery is going well. I’m in some physical pain and my mobility is compromised for the moment, but none of it is overwhelming. I’m not going to lie: I was apprehensive about the procedure. Now that I’m on the other side of it, I’m eager to get back to work, though I’m not going to push it. Reading all of your messages of support provided much needed comfort in the days following the operation—from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I’m one lucky guy.
Today I want to bring a clip out from behind the paywall, because I need to make clear where I stand. On the most recent subscriber-only Q&A session, I was asked by a reader to “denounce” two past guests—both of them black—on the grounds that they’ve made what this reader deems to be “objectively antisemitic” comments. I have no idea which comments the reader is referring to, and it’s beside the point. I object to the tone of the question and to the implication. The implication is that if I do not denounce these people, I am complicit in their supposed antisemitism and I must tacitly approve of it. Further, the reader implies that I bear some sort of special responsibility to denounce Cornel West and Briahna Joy Gray because all three of us are black. He didn’t ask me denounce other critics of Israel’s policies that I’ve had on the show, just the black ones.
I will not abide this racially tinged, bargain-bin McCarthyism. Even supposing my guests were guilty of what this reader says they are (and I don’t know that they are), I’m not playing the guilt-by-association game. We know how that one ends. If either guest had said anything I thought to be antisemitic during the course of our conversations, I would have said something. But they didn’t. I’m not going to be threatened and intimidated into issuing statements just to satisfy some nebulous loyalty test. If that’s what you need from me, I’m going to disappoint you, and proudly.
Damn, it feels good to be back!
This clip is taken from a subscriber-only Q&A session. For access to Q&As, comments, early episodes, and a host of other benefits, click below and subscribe.
GLENN LOURY: All right, we'll move on. This is from William.
Between what seemed to be objectively antisemitic, egregious statements/thoughts publicly expressed by both previous TGS guests Briahna Joy Gray and Cornel West regarding the recent Israel Palestine conflict, are you both prepared to publicly denounce them?
I think I should begin our response to that question. I have had Cornel West as a guest on the show. I have had Briahna Joy Gray as a guest on the show. In neither case did we talk about Israel-Palestine. We talked about Cornel running for president. And in the case of Briahna Joy Gray, we talked about racial disparities and the politics of how you deal with racial inequality.
I'm going to answer you directly. No, I'm not prepared to denounce them! Wait, you're asking me because I'm black or because I had them on the show? Which one? I've had Norman Finkelstein on the show. He's got an opinion about the Middle East. I've had John Mearsheimer on the show, the guy that is coauthor of the book The Israel Lobby. He's got an opinion on the Middle East. You want me to denounce them too? I'm responsible for the opinions about a conflict thousands of miles away from me of anybody who's come on my show? What?
So my answer to you is direct and fervent: I'm not denouncing anybody here because they have an opinion about the Middle East! Next!
JOHN MCWHORTER: I should say that I was not responsible for those guests, and so I don't think this question … that was more dismissive than I intended it. This question doesn't apply to me. I was not in those conversations.
GLENN LOURY: Duly noted, John. He's used the exclusion principle here. I'll take the heat.
It's good to have you back. And you're right, you have no more obligation than any other American to denounce them.
Totally agree about guilt by association. The “formulaic” Maoist demand that you, as an intellectual should dissociate yourself from a some supposed “class enemy” like Dr. West, are getting old. This is such a childish argument that simply ends all rational discourse.,Thank you for being the grown up. It does not matter is the aggrieved class, is the Jews or Palestinians or whites or blacks, it is all are childish and tiresome. Glad to hear the back is on the mend. Joint problems are awful.