I was just looking at the Technorati website yesterday and I noticed something that knocked my socks off. Next to my blog I saw the graphic you see here: Top 100 World Politics, which means this blog is ranked in the top 100 of all world politics blogs that Technorati tracks (which presumably is tens, if not hundreds of thousands of blogs). The specific ranking is 38th.
Tikun Olam’s World Politics authority ranking is 754, which is determined by the number of blogs that link to me and their respective authority. Other factors that are considered are size of readership and numbers of subscribers.
So thanks to all of you to contributing to the continuing success of this enterprise. May we go from success to success.
And as we get into the holiday season when lots of folks make decisions on their philanthropic commitments, please remember Tikun Olam and give as generously as you can to support this work. Fundraising to support the Iran-Israel-U.S. conference next month in Seattle also continues.
Congratulations, Richard, well done. Well done, indeed.
What more could one ask for than to be directly involved in making this world a better place.
Truly an achievement Richard. AllahuAkbar 🙂
you sir, deserve it!
Wrong again. your authority ranking is 574, not 754.
(thank me later)
Here is an evaluation of Nidal Hasan from Walter Reed.
As you can see i says absolutely nothing about him being suspected of having mental illness.
http://www.npr.org/documents/2009/nov/hasanletter.pdf
Update: After writing this comment, I did some further research at Technorati & discovered that there is something called “Topical authority” and general authority. In other words, Tikun Olam’s authority rank within the World Politics blog category is 754. Its general authority as a blog overall is 573. It’s a bit confusing, but makes some sense.
Wrong again & I won’t thank you later or ever. If you look at the World Politics blog section (linked in the post above) you’ll see a list of the top 100 blogs featured by authority. You can see mine listed at 754 (& 38th out of 100) & you can see the progression in authority ranking starting at #1 & going down fr. there.
The authority ranking on my Technorati blog pg. appears to be some kind of weird transposition of 754 which turns it into 574. But if you were to look at where the authority ranking of 574 would put you on the World Policitics list it would be at 226, not 38. You’re not trying to rain on my parade are you?
I would have thought 574 is higher than 754, in which case I thought Amir was trying to give you a boost. Not that I’m a fan of his but that was my impression. Both numbers are impressive though, congratulations and you deserve the honor!
I’m afraid that wasn’t good ol’ Amir’s intent. He was accusing me of padding the results in my favor. His snark about “thanking me later” was just that, not sincere. You usually can’t go wrong if you assume Amir is going to try to rain on my parade in some way. That’s his MO.
I see what you mean. Congrats.
Thanks. I should’ve added that we were both right. The 573 authority figure was right & the 754 number was right too.
Encore, BRAVO, Richard!
Richard Silverstein,
This is great news, and i’m happy for you. I regularly read your blog, don’t comment much simply due to lack of time but think you’re a superb talent, with good insight, and i appreciate your concern for Palestinians, whilst showing why Israel is not what it is painted to be by anti-semites etc. You are greatly underappreciated. You could be a star with the right marketing.
I look forward to the day, when you are listed in the “50 most influential Jews” list, the kind that Haaretz had recently, i think it’s an annual list.
Your blog is very valuable, and in my opinion, a hidden treasure. I just wish it was more mainstream, and had a wider readership. If i may say so, i feel you are not marketing yourself or your blog as well as you could.
I wish you’d do more to get your opinions into the mainstream, as i’ve suggested before try the Qatar based Al Jazeera. The reason I say this, is that if more Arabs read you, they will realise that the extremist rhetoric that they are used to seeing in their own state controlled media, is just that…rhetoric. They either only embrace anti Zionist Jews, or find friends amongst Judophobes, who pretend a concern for Palestinians as an excuse to vent their anti-semitism. A good Zionist like you, would be able to influence their way of thinking and accepting Israel. Do you get my point?
Al Jazeera has had a base in Israel and broadcasts in Hebrew too, and it has also expanded to other countries, in America it is on satellite at the moment.
A lot are not even aware there are people like you, they’re all led to believe that all Zionists are Baruch Goldstein out to kill all Arabs and steal land.
A moderate Zionist who supports both Israel and Palestine is a good voice for them to hear. You support Palestinians yet also support Israel.
Al Jazeera, now have blogs, why don’t you take one there? Whatever you publish here, could go there too, i’m not sure what their rules are, but you have nothing to lose by trying. It has a huge readership, and the world needs a voice like yours, from Jews to combat the AIPAC led nonsense you find in the mainstream America readership.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east
Also, Al Jazeera recruitment page shows they have vacancies, please check them out, i’m sure they’d love a valuable contributor like yourself for the Israeli section, they have a USA office too, you could just contribute written work, i’m not sure what their guidelines are. You should also be on CNN too in my opinion, but i think you’d be more valuable to Al Jazeera.
Work for us http://english.aljazeera.net/aboutus/2009/10/2009103081456514230.html
Click here to view and apply for vacant positions
http://recruitment.aljazeera.net/en
Amir
Who are you? and why did you ruin this thread which was about Technorati’s ranking Richard’s blog, by leaving your dropping about Major Nidal?
And Richard, I am working with a friend on building a website for people who are interested in reading good quality articles, books, stories, etc. on the Israel/Palestine issues, and we would love to include your blog. We are in planning stages now but should be getting it put together very soon. Please email me if you would like more information.
Congratulations.
—-
Haaretz has an interesting story about a Palestinians international soccer stadium.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129433.html
The stadium is financed Germany and France. And built by an Israeli contractor. I must say that Israelis are “clever”. They take all the benefit (=money) from the Palestinians’ few building projects. When the project is almost ready it is ordered to be demolished. And stupid Europeans donate the money to the next “demolition / Area C projects”.
Israel is obviously even not allowing Palestinians to enjoy of soccer. Simply absurd behaviour. If this stadium is demolished it would be a good reason to kick Israel out of FIFA and other international sport organizations.
Israel’s PR people will have a really hard time in future explaining this act if this news spreads in the main stream media.
I forgot to mention something, Richard,
The reason I say what i do to you is because I used to be a anti-Zionist, hate Israel, because that’s what i was led to believe, and the neo con, anti Islam smearing after 9/11, made me a hater of Israel. I only knew voices from the far right, neo-conservative, kahanist brand of Zionist
Then i discovered Jewish voices like yours, and realised that they were more in line with what the majority thought, and moderated my views, and realised that I was wrong simply due to ignorance and that Jews deserve a state too.
I now support Israel, of course Palestine too. I am also ashamed of my past ignorance.
I feel that you can help others, like myself that’s why i recommend you write for or contribute to Al Jazeera, or even other big Arab media. But Al Jazeera is the best, because it’s free (not state censored) and gives Israel an opportunity to air it’s side too direct to Arab’s in the Middle East.
Thank you, and again good luck, i shall continue to enjoy and recommend your blog.
I’ve written to Al Jazeera’s English editor & sent him some story ideas & never heard a reply. Par for the course I’m afraid. I don’t know what it is about editors, even the good ones. They always seem to disappoint in one way or another.
Richard, I’m sorry to hear that, but not suprised. If you think American editors are slow to respond to such emails, Arab’s are even worse. It’s not yet an internet society there but catching up.
It may be worth your while to send a written letter or phone the US bureux explaining the problem.
I’ll see if i can find anyone there to take a look at your blog and add a word, that may help. Even if they don’t take the blog yet offer something, they may do in the future,
I just had an idea. Why don’t you email the writer/reporter Max Blumenthal from
maxblumenthal.com who has been a reporter for Al Jazeera?
Hopefully, he will be kind enough to put in a word for a fellow Jewish brother.
Why do Jews deserve a state? And most particularly why do Jews, alone among peoples, deserve a state in a land that has been inhabited overwhelmingly by non-Jews for thousands of years when the overwhelming majority of Jews cannot even point to a single ancestor who ever set foot in that land?
States are established by and for people who live in a particular geographic area, not in order to give people of a particular ethno-religious group automatic citizenship while denying even the right to live there to those who who were actually born there, and whose ancestry there goes back generations.
These are all very hard questions. As for “deserve,” I don’t think that’s quite the right term. It has lots of implications which don’t seem to get at the real issue. Plus, it gets you into a situation in which someone in favor of that state has to say why they deserve it, and those who oppose that state must say why it doesn’t deserve to exist.
The world is unust. Life is unjust. We can see even in this situation that justice for one means injustice for the other. But this has been going on for eternity and not just in this situation. You say that Jews alone among peoples have stolen a land inhabited by others. That’s not quite true. This also hold true for my own country. And throughout history one people has made war on another, stolen its land, subsumed it. The names of peoples that once existed and are no longer is legion.
I do not say any of this to justify the terrible things we humans have done to each other throughout our history. But let’s not pretend that this injustice done to Palestinians has never happened before to anyone else.
Another thing I think you’ve overlooked is that to an extent a people’s history is the story of what it believes about itself. Some of this is true and factual, and some is based on legend and myth. Just because a people believes something about itself that another people denies doesn’t mean that the belief, legend or myth is not true for that people.
There is now a raging argument as to what, if any, connection contemporary Jews have to ancient Jews who inhabited the Kingdoms of Israel and Judea. Jews believe the connection is firm and unshakeable. Shlomo Sand, Palestinians and Arabs say no. Unlike you, I don’t think this is settled law.
As for the Law of Return, I think you know my view on it. I firmly believe that the Law of Return should be turned into a set of normal immigration procedures which would make some allowance for the return of Jews facing specific danger and needing asylum. There should be no automatic citizenship, but there should be a provision for Jews to become citizens in ways that residents become citizens of other countries. As for the Palestinians, those living in the Palestinian diaspora deserve special consideration for returning to their homeland.
Shirin,
“And most particularly why do Jews, alone among peoples, deserve a state”
having ancestors, or whatever is not a title to land. Do you have have ancestors going back thousands of years wherever you live? i presume america?
are you living in America and are American? Then please explain why american’s deserve a state? They should vacate it for the genocide of Indians.
Please explain why Pakistani’s deserve a state. They can go back to India and give the land back to India. Similarly, explain why Ireland Protestant/Catholic and many other states came into being. Even nationiolism has some form of religion behind it.
If Christians and Muslims can have so many countries, we shouldn’t begrudge Jews one, as long as they do right by the expelled Palestinians.
Pakistan and Isral were recently created countries. The Jews had no country. The Pakistani’s did at least have India to live in but the reason they wanted a separate state was because of religion.
If you’re saying the Jews don’t deserve a state, i assume you also say the same to Pakistani’s? after all how many Pakistanis can claim ancestry going back thousands of years in Pakistan, and even if they could it doens’t make it any more their right to cede land from India.
That is only example, but there are many more.
America has been around for too long, for any of us to pack up and move wherever. You can’t undo the past. I don’t know why Native Americans are living in those toxin-infested ghettos called “reservations,” they really should be able to live anywhere they want, but I don’t know too much about the situation, to be honest. For the record I support a one-state solution, but I wouldn’t uproot an Israeli family living there, I’d just tell them they’d better get acquainted with their Palestinian neighbors. As for Pakistan – looks to me like it would have been better off staying with India. At least Pakistanis are native to the land where they live. And these countries that claim to have Muslim identities, how well are they doing? I don’t see too much love for religious minorities in these countries. Honestly, a state based on a religion is a BAD idea. And seeing as Palestinians are still being “ethnically cleansed” (what a sterile term!) makes it all the worse.
Gloopygal
pakistani’s are not all native, it was india first, and there was a population exchange, but that wasn’t the point, the point was conquest and right to land has always been by might, so why hold Israel to a different standard.
The I P conflict should be resolved through diplomacy either one state or two state. It’s silly to insist one or the other has no right there. The Middle east is the home of Jews and Arabs,
If a country wants to be a democracylet it, and if it wants to be a theocracy let it.
Insisting that the democracy is right for those who don’t want it is facism in itself.
Remember, Iraq was secular, yet when they got a chance to vote, all the secular including women, who were educated and liberal, voted the Islamic parties.
My guess is that you’re an atheist and don’t like religion? That is fine, but you shouldn’t be intolerant of others who do like organised religion.
Yes, Misogony and oppression is there in culture, but not religion. Most of the oppression and women low status you mean which is in Muslim countries has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with culture. Islam is only 1450 or so years young. Cultrual traditions have been there longer.
Even in atheist Europe, you get women beaters, child killers and all kinds of criminals.
The truth is there is evil in human nature, and it will manifest itself in any way it can, if not through religion then through other means.
If you’re saying religio is theproblem then why did the same problems exist in commie, and atheist societies, only they were not done in the name of religion?
Native Americans can live wherever they wish. They are not confined to reservations. If you were American you would know this. Many choose to stay on the reservations because they are home. Reservations have helped to preserve the Native American cultural and ethnic identity. They also enjoy a relative amount of sovereignty. Many of the “toxin infested ghettoes” have been made better by activism and laws allowing for natives to open lucrative businesses (such as in New York State where they sell cigarettes and gasoline for much cheaper because they do not collect federal or state tax on these).
Damn I wish I could reply to what you wrote, but it seems I can’t reply to anything later than my own post. Well Mohammed I’m not an atheist. My family is Coptic and I have to say, I don’t much care for the attitude towards Christianity prevalent in Egypt. As an American I despise the religious right, who as I see it are hateful towards non-Christians and condescending towards Jews. I hate that they have appointed themselves spokespersons for my religion when whatever they’re peddling is nothing any decent person would want to be a part of. That’s pretty much the same thing you’re saying, that oppression is not inherent in Islam but has been appropriated by a radical minority that claims to speak for the majority. Like anything else, religion can be turned upside down, and made to mean the opposite of what it should mean. Communism is not religion but it’s an ideology, and that got turned upside down too – instead of sharing the wealth Communist regimes pretty much do the same thing Capitalists do, they keep 90% of it for themselves and let 10% trickle down to the general population. Except maybe Capitalists keep 80% and let 20% trickle down. That’s “trickle down” economics for ya.
http://cpluhna.nau.edu/Research/native_americans7.htm
http://www.perc.org/articles/article170.php
Mohammed, I think the difference here is that in the examples you cite (Pakistanis, Native Americans, et al) we can look back on the issue of imperialism/conquest/colonization and see it for the grotesque human rights travesty that it is. From my perspective anyway, I am hoping that the western world is moving towards a stance more in keeping with this more enlightened morality.
We cannot go back and undo the Balfour Declaration and what came after. Many people say we can’t even go back to 1967. But can’t we stop what is continuing in 2009? In Israel/Palestine we are seeing the continuation of an occupation that should shock the conscience of all people. We are also seeing this in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places, but Palestine seems to be the fulcrum upon which all other conflicts are balanced.
Richard, I apologize for going off topic, but I felt I had to say something to the effect that the situation in Palestine is a very contemporary issue.
Mary,
Yes of course we should stop, and find a diplomatic solution, which doesn’t include that the other has no right to the land.
Both Israeli’s (right wing) and Arab’s (extremists) deny the other has any right to any land. Clearly this is both unnacceptable.
Congratulations! You do an awesome job.
That is pretty cool, I always enjoy reading this blog, even when I don’t agree with what it says. The writing is thoughtful and thought-provoking!
Gloopy,
Yes, Copts are mistreated, but again much of that is due to ignorance and if its any consolation these same people are probably the same towards other minorites,
you misunderstood what i said to Shirin, i didn’t mean indians in the current USA, i meant when it was created, European settlers settled in the USA and killed off the natives, but i don’t really want to go into a debate about that, i merely used that as an example. Shirin will know what i’m talking about…if she is in America, how can she question why Jews have a right, also if she is Muslim as her name indicates, i expect her thinking to be different to yours, as she only has to look in The Quran to see Jews do have a right to live in the Mid East, and even sovereignty.
My original post was addressed to Shirin because she was questionting why Jews have a right to a state.
I already know how liberal americans like you and Mary think, you see this conflict from a different angle to how we do, we have our religon to think of too…How can Shirin say what right do Jews have when Islamic tradition says that the Al Aqsa was built on the site Suleyman’s bait al Muqadas.
so this will be my final say on this subject, unless Shirin answers my questions , and if Richard Silverstein doesn’t mind. Sorry the thread turned into this, it wasn’t my intention., Richard
Congratulations Richard, may your rankings continue to rise!
Also, may peace for all prevail 🙂