Volokh isn't one of my favorite people, but that "overrepresented on the Manhattan Project" line is choice. It has overtones of Glinda the Good Witch saying "Be off with you before someone drops a house on you too!"
Yeah, that line is great. I will read it to my mother-in-law, a survivor of the Nagasaki bombing. I'm sure she will appreciate it. Volokh's reaction is understandable, but that comment is uncalled for and tasteless. Besides, we didn't exactly abdandon the project once the Nazis were defeated, did we?
LizardBreath and E-dog, I don't think Volokh's intent in using that line was some sort of veiled threat; I think it was to point out the sick irony of targeting a group of people who were "overrepresented" in an endeavor that was a major component of American victory in WWII. In other words, I think it's meant as a sort of reproachful reminder that Jews have contributed greatly to American society, so it's pretty unreasonable to attack them for being successful.
Frankly, I think he's wasting his breath (or keystrokes) - the type of people he's talking about aren't really interested in objective measures of "contribution to society"; they're interested in cutting down a group that they consider, for whatever reasons, to be a threat (or maybe just an easy target). Then again, he's probably just venting, and I can't really say I blame him. Replace "Jews" with "liberals", or just take a look at David Horowitz's new monstrosity of a site (discover the network); I think most peoples' reactions to that kind of thing tend to be considerably less restrained than this entry from Professor Volokh.
E-dog-
Fair enough. Both Volokh's line (if meant as I read it) and my thinking it was funny were tasteless and uncalled for. I do apologize.
Well, that was classy, LB.
Don't ever come back.