"There is a minor character in Shakespeare's Henry IV Pt. 2, Francis Feeble, a woman's tailor and country soldier. Falstaff praises him, "most forcible Feeble." Let me ask: What is feeble in Miller's presentation, and what forcible? The feeble? Everything that should matter to an academic: methodology; research; evidence; history. The forcible? Everything that an academic should shun: extravagant claims, unmoored from evidence; the antisemitic premises of the work; the verbal assaults on Jewish students - assaults which are the inevitable outcome of his writing and speech-making. But of course the feebleness of the analysis does not matter to people who are already convinced of the malign existence of the Lobby. Miller does not have to prove anything to them – still less, anything new. Just to write or speak the word "Lobby" is enough: the sought-after effect is achieved. This is writing as evocation. He reminds his audience of what it already knows. That's why to complain that (as seems likely) many of his supporters haven't actually read his stuff misses the point. All they need to know is that he writes about the "Israel Lobby"."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Academics from the United KingdomConspiracy theoristsSociologists from the United KingdomPolitical commentators from the United Kingdom
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Miller's employment at the University of Bristol was terminated at the beginning of October 2021.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Miller_(sociologist)
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
David Miller (sociologist)
2004 – 2011
David Miller (born 1964) is a British former academic and broadcaster for the Iranian Press TV network. Miller was Professor of Political Sociology at Bristol University from 2018, and was sacked from his post in October 2021 for professional misconduct. Earlier in his career, Miller was Professor of Sociology at Strathclyde University (2004–2011) and Bath University (2011–2018). Since his sacking, Miller has worked as a commentator for Press TV on Palestine Declassified, a programme which Mille
30 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by David Miller (sociologist) →
Related Quotes
"The dissemination of his work doesn’t enrich the world; it impoverishes the public conversation with lies and poisons…"
"[On Miller's sacking as a professor] Bristol [University] has shockingly colluded in another Israeli-run witch hunt."
"[The university] cannot, however, allow some 18-year-old student who comes up from [the Hertfordshire village of] Rad…"
"It's disappointing that anyone takes Miller seriously when his hateful rhetoric is replete with so many overt and ugl…"
"David Miller's description of how the world works is a fantasy of Zionist conspiracy. In form it is similar to more e…"
"This is straightforward antisemitism. Here is the problem with those who treated any accusation of antisemitism as a …"
"Incredibly, according to Miller, Zionist power is so overbearing that former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Jennie F…"
"Miller has chosen to attack the Bristol University Jewish Society — proper, actual students at his own university — a…"
"David Miller is a textbook case of a toxic antisemite dressed up as an anti-Israel activist."
"Miller claims he suffered discrimination when he was fired two years ago because his anti-Zionism counts as a philoso…"