Dershowitz Seeking to Suppress Critical Book?

Alan Dershowitz has long been one of the most visible and outspoken proponents of civil liberties in America. Unfortunately, it seems as though he has ignored those principles when it comes to criticism of him. There are reports that he has tried to suppress publication of a highly critical book.

Wendy McElroy writes (via Ed Brayton):

Dershowitz has gone to great lengths to try and kill the upcoming Finkelstein book. The Los Angeles Times explains, "Governors are asked by members of the public to do lots of things, but the request Arnold Schwarzenegger got from Alan Dershowitz in December was unique: to intervene with the University of California Press' plans to publish a book. Why does Dershowitz care? Because the book in question -- Norman Finkelstein's 'Beyond Chutzpah,' due out next month -- is harshly critical of Dershowitz... But Dershowitz's campaign against the book went beyond his letter to Schwarzenegger. He had his lawyers send belligerent letters to dozens of people who might have power over the process."

This is all very, very disappointing. Dershowitz is human and so should be expected to have human failings like everyone else; anyone who put him up on a pedestal should reconsider how they look up to people. Still, there are greater and lesser failings that a person can have. What McElroy describes above is something that I would probably classify in the "greater" category.

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