The Reputation Institute publishes an annual ranking (full report pdf) of 70 countries using metrics such as tolerance, safety, standard of living and attractiveness to tourists. The top-three drivers of positive reputation are safety (effective government), beauty (appealing environment) and being welcoming. Those with the lowest ranking suffered from intolerance, religious extremism, and poor foreign relations.
The Independent reported on those with the worst reputations and they’re as you might expect: Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia suffered with the world’s worst reputations. If you move a few down in the list you reach Russia and China, of course. I was curious where Israel would rank. You won’t be surprised that it comes in at Number 19. The 19th worst reputation (51st out of 70) among the nations of the world. It’s in the category: weak/vulnerable.
Those with the highest ranking were Sweden, Canada, Switzerland and Australia. The U.S. is 28th on the list.
NOTE: I’ve just published a major profile/appraisal of the career of leading neocon war hawk and media darling, Michael Weiss. Among other things, he commissioned a Daily Beast article which led to the arrest of Siamak Namazi and his 80 year-old father in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. This was a major effort of writing and research that covered many months. Please read and promote it via social media.
Your article in Unz Review fails to convince me that Weiss had anything to do with the arrest and imprisonment of the Namazis.
@ Trippin’ Jon: If I told you the scientific-astronomical reasons the earth was round and it revolves around the sun, you’d say I’d failed to convince. If you were the typical audience member I hoped to persuade of my views, I retire and go play pinochle somewhere. Thankfully, you’re not. I know it will shock and profoundly sadden you to discover this. But there you go.
Technically, Israel is 20th worse, not 19th.
Of course it doesn’t make any difference but as an engineer it bothered me.
I understand your need to write about actions with tragic results to the involved. After all, you sent Shamai Leibowitz to 20 months in prison though you knew you might be putting him in risk.
@ Danny: I wanted to explain what will earn immediate banning from this blog. There aren’t many comments that’ll do that. But this one did.
First of all, I warned Shamai not once, twice but ten times that what HE wanted to do (not I, he approached me, not the other way around) could get him in trouble. I explained why it could get him in trouble and warned him what could happen to him. He persisted. He wanted to do it. In case you know nothing about journalism, reporters aren’t in the business of turning away sources who offer top secret documents.
Second, I did not cause Shamai’s arrest. He did. Nothing I did or wrote caused the FBI to discover what he was doing.
Third, I did not betray Shamai after his capture. I donated to his defense fund. He even cashed my check.
You’re probably not aware that Shamai claims he never had any relationship with me at all. So if that’s the case, then I’m certainly not responsible for his capture.
But because this comment is so deeply offensive, you are hereby banned. May your memory be erased from this blog.
“You’re probably not aware that Shamai claims he never had any relationship with me at all. So if that’s the case, then I’m certainly not responsible for his capture.” – all I can find is that he claims you butchered the information he provided you with, not that he claims he doesn’t know you.
“Nothing I did or wrote caused the FBI to discover what he was doing.” – Do you mean he was investigated before you published? That isn’t how I understood it. One fact is true, Namazi was investigated before.
You probably don’t want to miss that – https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/blogs/567289-a-grotesque-attack-on-a-brilliant-writer
@Dorin: In the Guardian he wrote that he never had any relationship with me at all. If he’s now claiming he did, but that I’m at fault for his imprisonment then he’s radically revised his story. I never revised mine. So I’ll let ppl judge who’s right.
Namazi was NOT investigated before Kowsar began sending emails with specific charges levelled against him. The emails are what first brought him to the IRG’S attention.
Using NOW Lebanon as a credible source is like asking a 6 yr old to follow brain surgery.
Are you saying the Iranian government reads every single email there?
@ Dorin:
No, just yours.
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[comment deleted: comments that are off-topic violate the comment rules.]
[comment deleted: Your 2nd off-topic comment. If comments are not directly related to the post they will be deleted. Do not violate the comment rules.]
Hard questions get deleted? Very mature
@ Dorin: off topic comments are deleted. You are now moderated.
While I think the rank is correct, I’m sure it has been like that (or even worse) since 1948.
Small reminder – In 1975 the UN has voted that “Zionism” = “Racism”.