When aspiring bloggers ask me where they should focus their efforts to reach their goal of becoming a credible, productive and well-known online pundit, I always offer the same advice; “Do not just focus on the writing, but instead read, read, read and read.”
A blogger cannot sustain a large readership without knowing the subject matter they pontificate about. After a long day at the office or classroom, one can find it difficult to become motiviated to read the new edition of The Economist, field reports from the UNHCR or a news article on the Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue. Failure to do your homework or a willingness to engage on a topic that you know little about, may result in life-long career of making coffee for the editorial staff of newmajority.com, or Frumsforum, or whatever name DF is using for his message board this week.
Exhibit A - This past Wednesday, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic provided bloggers with an example of how you can destroy your credibility with readers, by giving in to the temptations of intellectual laziness.
“More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel”?
18 Nov 2009 01:07 pm
Sarah Palin, in an interview with Barbara Walters, talks about settlements:“I disagree with the Obama administration on that. I believe that the Jewish settlements should be allowed to be expanded upon, because that population of Israel is, is going to grow. More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead. And I don’t think that the Obama administration has any right to tell Israel that the Jewish settlements cannot expand.” – Palin
“More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel”? Who, exactly? Is this her analysis of Jewish demography? Is there a sudden upsurge in Zionist sentiment among American Jews, the only sizable Jewish community left outside of Israel? Or is this an indication that Palin buys into creepy End-Times thinking, in which the ingathering of the Jews, and their mass death, presage the return of Christ? Inquiring minds want to know. - Goldberg
Goldberg, anxious to attack Governor Palin and Christian conservatives, made the fatal error of presuming he possessed a firm understand of Israeli immigration policy and the socio-economic challenges facing the non-Arab residents of the Jewish State.
The population of Israel continues to rise dramatically. The quality of life for residents and the economic security of the nation are at risk over limitations on land use and urban sprawl, water shortages and other environmental degradation issues. Although Goldberg probably believes it is a form of apartheid, for most Jews and Israeli’s, the settlement issue is not about a land grab of former Arab territory, but more to do with sustaining the prosperity their nation has achieved.
By the early 2000’s, Israeli’s population had to grown to constitute nearly 40% of the worlds estimated Jewish population. The goal of the government is to increase this percentage. Israel, not unlike other modern, high-growth, high-tech, small populated nations, such as Singapore, understand that liberal immigration laws are critical to competing with economic powerhouses such as the United States, Japan and China.
Israel’s Population by Year
Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators – Last updated November 20, 2009
In the last four years, the Government of Israel and a few NGO’s have developed new infrastructure and incentives to encourage the emigration of Jews from the United States, Russia and around the world to fill the birth gap with Arab-Israeli’s. One non-profit organization has been providing grants of $3,000 to $10,000 as an incentive for Jews to move. Although current immigration levels are nowhere near the levels reached in the 50’s and 60’s (at the time fueled by the fact that 850,000 Jews fled or were deported from Arab nations), there are already signs that the news measures will result in increased levels of immigration. Since 2006, Israel has experienced a 5% increase in immigration from the United States.
Religious Affiliations in Northern Ireland 1961–2001
Religions 1961 1991 2001 Roman Catholic 34.9% 38.4% 40.3% Presbyterian (Protestant) 29.0% 21.4% 20.7% Church of Ireland (Protestant) 24.2% 17.7% 15.3% Other Religions (including other Protestant) 9.3% 11.5% 9.9% Not Stated 2.0% 7.3% 9.0% None 0.0%
Immigration experts predict that the combination of government policy, private incentives, the continued growth of the Israeli economy and the improvements made to environment, agriculture and natural resource management will further increase immigration. Even though Israel is two-thirds desert and faces chronic water shortages, the state is investing heavily in renewable water technology, so that they are able to sustain the planned population growth.
This leaves the State of Israeli in a predicament. Where are they to house the growing population and where are they to establish new farms to feed these people? Expand existing settlements, build new settlements, or both?
Since the issue of whether to build new settlements is critical to the peace process and more importantly to the P.R. war Israel is constantly engaged in with the Arab world and pro-Palestinian leftist political parties in developed nations, Israel’s only option is to allow the expansion of existing settlements on land it already controls.
We can be rest assured that Governor Palin fully comprehends the settlement issue the people of Israel face. She has been adequately briefed on all the details, some of which I highlighted above.
Unfortunately for Jeffrey Goldberg, he has not, which is a trend we have come to expect from the contributors of The Atlantic.
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Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter/Kris_Lorelli
November 20th, 2009 at 5:42 am
“We can be rest assured that Governor Palin fully comprehends the settlement issue the people of Israel face. She has been adequately briefed on all the details, some of which I highlighted above.” BINGO, and she is not exactly an anti-Semite like at least one anti-Palinite tried to suggest.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Once again our fav “race-pimp” is wrong.
This statement doesn’t make sense period:
“More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead.”
In fact more and more Jewish people are not flocking to Israel. And even if they were why have you posted 50 year graphs where she clearly said “in the days and weeks and months ahead”.
ps 5% immigration growth since 2006 is not “flocking” by any means!
November 20th, 2009 at 6:23 am
You know Palin would be taken a lot more seriously if she and her supporters simply admit when she stuffs up. Going to the lengths of creating front page posts like AK and race-pimp have done just smacks of desperation.
No-one is perfect. I mean Romney is as close to perfect as anyone I’ve seen and he still said some stupid stupid things in 2007 and each and every time I called him on it and more importantly he maned up and admitted his mistake (eg sons serving the country by supporting him lol).
We need a serious person to take on Barry. The stakes are too high.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:32 am
. Failure to do your homework or a willingness to engage on a topic that you know little about, may result in life-long career of making coffee for the editorial staff of newmajority.com, or Frumsforum, or whatever name DF is using for his message board this week.
Is this a shot at me? Or is this just one of your bizarre ongoing shots at Frum?
Really, you can say what you want about Frum, but he’s a wonk. He can kick your ass in a policy debate.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:36 am
And no, there is not a population issue. Israel’s population is increasing because Arabs are having a lot of children. The Jewish population is ambivalent about reproducing except in the Orthodox communities. There isn’t going to be a sudden influx of Jews, and even so, Israel could handle all of the world’s population of Jews right now without expanding the settlements.
There is a proper case for settlements (natural growth, for instance; this has nothing to do with “Jews coming in from all over the world”). Yours and Palin’s incoherence was not it.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Experts predict that the combination of government policy, private incentives, the continued growth of the Israeli economy and the improvements made to environment, agriculture and natural resource management will further increase immigration. Even though Israel is two-thirds desert and faces chronic water shortages, the state is investing heavily in renewable water technology, so that they are able to sustain the planned population growth.
What experts? What government policy?
A population growth of Jews? From where? From New York?
An extraordinary claim requires extraordinary evidence. You are spitting into the wind here, Kris.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:42 am
About 20 people in our community made aliyah in the last 12 months, and about 40 more adolescents and young adults have gone to Israel to serve in the IDF or attend yeshivas. Lots of Jews going back lately. No idea why. Wish I could go but I need to stay here so that I can bash Romney.
Title: Mitt Romney, blood libel, and that old time Jew hate
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/825372.html
November 20th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Here’s a page of links on Israeli policies and support for those making aliyah:
http://judaism.about.com/od/aliyah/Aliyah_Immigration_to_Israel.htm
Let google be your friend, goofball.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Speak for yourself.
“Frum’s Alternate Universe.”
http://bit.ly/1oroSn
Frum: U.S. foreign policymakers’ views on Indochina in 1965 were “right and smart.”
November 20th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Race pimp just got owned by AK almost as badly as Holder got owned by LG!
November 20th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Set aside who is right and wrong, (in fact let’s assume that Mr. Frum was actually right for the sake of argument) this telephone conversation was not a shining moment for Mr. Frum. Frankly, it was a little entertaining.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Simple fact is that Palin got confused and instead of it being a lol 5 minute story posts like this turn it into a major embarrassment. With friends like these ……
November 20th, 2009 at 8:06 am
By the way, if you’re going to call someone uneducated, you ought not spell a word incorrectly in the title. It’s “errs,” not “errors”…
Also, the country is “Israel,” not “Israeli” as you keep typing…
November 20th, 2009 at 8:11 am
13: Yeah, but his advice to aspiring writers was “Do not focus on the writing”.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:12 am
14 – I laughed! Like, a lot!
November 20th, 2009 at 8:27 am
SO much to address here…where to start?
November 20th, 2009 at 8:34 am
This really is one of those “With friends like these…” posts.
I really think that I have been nothing but fair to Palin for months, and trust me: she messed up on this one! Life goes on; move on, she gave Hannity a good interview, go brag about that!
November 20th, 2009 at 8:34 am
I guess I will start with Heath Bar. Are you seriously quibbling over, “…days and weeks and months ahead,” statement? You guys speak english up there don’t you? People use phrases sometimes to make a point. I highly doubt Palin thinks, that in the next few weeks, there is going to be a huge influx of Jewish people immigrating to Israel.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Whether Palin was referring to the things Kris mentioned, is not the point. The point is that she came across as unable to answer the question, and she sounded like a girl in a beauty pageant who stumbles on that last make or break question about world peace. She did not come across as credible on Israel – a major issue.
That’s the problem with Palin. She makes me uncomfortable when she is interviewed. We never know if it’s going to be a train wreck or not.
The excuses made for her – such as Krauthammer’s kindly save on the Bush Doctine, are stacking up. How long are her answers going to need defending/explaining before Palin is forced to take responsibility for her own performance?
This was good of you, Kris – to help Palin out a little here. But she needs to do better in all these interviews. I think she is relying too heavily on her likable persona, and less on real preparation. If she’s been briefed on all the issues, as you say, then she should be able to answer the questions credibly and without hesitation.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:37 am
17 – Alex, how did she mess up? Netanyahu has publicly said the exact same thing but took it a step further, or inward, and spoke of their own population growth inside the existing settlements.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:41 am
6 – Alex are you suggesting that FPP’s should include links to their claims? I don’t remember you including links to your claims. Maybe you guys should should have endnotes because how do I know if anything ANY FPP is writing about is true?
November 20th, 2009 at 8:57 am
“When aspiring bloggers ask me where they should focus their efforts to reach their goal of becoming a credible, productive and well-known online pundit…”
Oh my gosh! I couldn’t read past that I was laughing so hard. The “Race Pimp” is a guru of credibility! LOL! And Clinton didn’t have relations with that woman either.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:03 am
17 – Alex, how did she mess up? Netanyahu has publicly said the exact same thing but took it a step further, or inward, and spoke of their own population growth inside the existing settlements.
INSIDE.
AKA NATURAL GROWTH.
Not Jews immigrating from around the world. Good God.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:05 am
6 – Alex are you suggesting that FPP’s should include links to their claims? I don’t remember you including links to your claims. Maybe you guys should should have endnotes because how do I know if anything ANY FPP is writing about is true?
Common knowledge; I include links all the time when I think that the claims merit them. If I give a statistic, for instance, I’ll link it. Kristofer is making some truly extraordinary claims and is citing “experts,” so like — which freakin’ experts?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Whether Palin was referring to the things Kris mentioned, is not the point. The point is that she came across as unable to answer the question, and she sounded like a girl in a beauty pageant who stumbles on that last make or break question about world peace. She did not come across as credible on Israel – a major issue.
NO. That’s not the point, either. The point is that she had her facts wrong!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:22 am
I have one thing to say about this post. The fertility rate of arab women in Israel is slowly decreasing, while the fertility rate of jewish women is increasing (predominantly among Haredi jews). The difference is still substantial but it looks like the trend remains steady.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:35 am
25 – so her facts were wrong because she mentioned one facet of population growth in Isreal as opposed to also mentioning inner settlement birth rate growth? I could understand if you were to say it wasn’t a thorough answer or analyses to a question in a non-policy interview. That I could understand but I think you are making a mountain out of a mole-hill.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:42 am
27 – Other population growth DOES NOT REQUIRE EXPANSION. That’s the difference. Her answer made NO SENSE.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Israel’s Jewish population is growing more quickly today than in the past.
In 1996, 69% of Israel’s births were to Jewish parents.
In 2008, 72% of Israel’s births were to Jewish parents.
Israel needs to expand settlements because settlers tend to have so many children. The settler birthrate is much higher than even the Arab West Bank birthrate.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:58 am
It sounds to me like Palin might have some Pentecostal End Time beliefs that are shading her answers to issues she’s not informed on.
I get the sense with Palin that she has other unusual beliefs that occasionally slip out.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Yeah those damn Pentecostals…seriously? Romney believes Satan and Jesus were brothers and possibly married. Palin believes the end of the world is happening tomorrow…it’s all a ploy to knock a person’s credibilty, as a politician, based on their religious beliefs. The liberal, Democrats think anybody who has any religious belief, other than evolutionary science or Darwinism shouldn’t hold political office…so are we going to enhance their argument by religious infighting of which sect of Christianity or any religion, sounds more crazy? It all sounds crazy but we still may believe it and that is what religious faith is…the spiritual ability to believe the mental insanity of it all. A person’s faith is personal and we should not be judging them on it!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Sarah Palin: Expansion Of Israeli Settlements Should Be Allowed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRohtFov-10&feature=player_embedded
November 20th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Alex,
This was not a shot at you, it was humor directed at the adver. that Frum had online during the summer.
I figured you would have remember that, as it was very funny. “want to make David coffee?”
November 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am
31. I get your point, Jersey. But I didn’t know Romney believed Jesus and Satan were brothers, or that Jesus was married. Did he say that? It’s not Mormon Doctrine.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Alex,
Some links;
http://www.allbusiness.com/middle-east/israel/853775-1.html
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4185
Israel
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/1/11/124803.shtml
November 20th, 2009 at 11:55 am
34 – Martha, I don’t think you do get my point but I will take some responsibility for that. Did Palin say she believed the end of the world was coming soon? I didn’t mean to make false claims about Mormonism – is that correct. I was using extravagant claims to make a point. I know Mitt never said that and the Jesus married to Satan line was seriously a joke to amplify the ridiculousness of all the statements and the ploys to make any politician look a certain way based on their actual religious views. Sorry if I was not clear.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
OMG. My point is not that Jews don’t come to Israel.
My point is that EVEN IF EVERY JEW ON EARTH CAME TO ISRAEL, IT WOULDN’T REQUIRE EXPANSION.
Population growth via immigration is NOT the reason for the settlements.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Alex,
I would encourage you to research the topic and the challenges faces the growing population in Israel, then put up a front page post.
With all due respect, you are VERY wrong.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
37 – not every Jewish immigrant lives in Tel Aviv. Many of them move to settlements, especialy since so many are moving from the US and Canada, where there are so many Orthodox Jews.
You have to go back and look at how recent changes to immigration patterns have changed the land issue in Israel.
During the 1990’s the immigration boom came from the FSU, of whom so many were non-practicing Jews and preferred to live in Urban areas.
As the focus turns to attracting more conservative Jews to Israel, this will place more pressure on existing settlements.
U.S. Jews on mission to buy in settlements
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/11/17/1009259/us-jews-on-mission-to-buy-in-settlements
November 20th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
36. Oops, sorry!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
One thing, though. In the David Brody interview, Palin seemed fairly anxious to talk about her faith.
ff Palin is going to open that door and start making her time on the stage overtly religious (which she has a perfect right to do) then she’s going to have to take the criticism that come with it, and the questions of those who may worry about her, the same way they worried about Huck.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
41 – and Romney.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
42. No. Romney never made his faith an issue.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Sarah Palin and the Rapture
by Jeffrey Goldberg
http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/11/sarah_palin_and_the_rapture.php
November 20th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
If Palin wants to bring up faith then she won’t be able to avoid the witchcraft issue. It may turn out to be a non-issue but she needs to set the record straight.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 am
“Alarm Bells…? I Can See Clearly…
44… Thanks for the link to Goldbergs article.
I heard Palin say the words “days, weeks, months” in the Barbara Walters interview and read Jeffrey Goldberg’s Atlantic article comments where he writes “… and an alarm bell went off in my head when I heard Palin talk about ‘days and weeks.’”
I am surprised that ANY “alarm bells” would go off over simple words… I know, the implication is his point, which gets to my point.
Why be alarmed by an implication? Palin can do noting to bring the implication to fruition.
Last I heard, the Valley of Megiddo is still in that part of the world, and something wonderful will happen there when the world least expects it… whether or not 100% of Abraham’s “seed” migrate to live in the area, regardless of who controls what.
First, let’s get my personal perspective out of the way. I am not only “non-denominational” by informed choice, but I am “non-non-denominational” by informed conviction. I follow no one, pre-mil, post-mil or a-mil… I follow Jesus… ONLY.
I can see clearly now, as Palin probably also sees clearly about “end time” events simply by reading the Christian Old and New Testaments with her Roman Catholic and Assembly of God influenced understanding… and her common sense independence.
Palin isn’t a maverick, she’s an independent LADY with a “Servant’s Heart” who knows her own mind and heart.
I can see clearly now how Abraham’s Ishmael progeny and their world wide “final solution” anti-semitic jihad will culminate in their own defeat as Abraham’s Isaac progeny look up to see their redemption draw near to the Mount of Olives for their final and forever protection against the last gasp “final solution” by supremacist Islam and all the anti-semites of the “world united,” religious or atheist.
What is so clear to me about Palin’s biblical allusions to “days, weeks, months” etc.?
Because God’s and Abraham’s blessing was on Abraham’s and Sarah’s son Isaac and not on Abraham’s and Hagar’s son Ishmael, any threat by any enemy of Isaac and his progeny will not succeed… ever. God explicitly promised a family as numerous as the stars to Abraham and his “seed” Isaac… forever… period.
The anti-semitic “final solution” jihad by the seed of Ishmael against the seed of Isaac will end in the final solution defeat of the progeny of Ishmael… forever… period.
It does not matter to me at all if Palin is pre-mil, post-mil or a-mil about biblical end time events, Palin probably has learned similar things about God’s promises to Abraham and his “seed” Isaac and probably has also come to similar independent conclusions about Isaac’s progeny today… I hope so.
As “United In Hate” by Jamie Glazove suggests, supremacist Islam and their anti-semitic jihad against all kafirs, especially the progeny of Isaac, and the current “green” iteration of international communism are united in hate against capitalism, against America and against Israel… and it seems that Palin understands this nascent symbiotic union of hate between “green” anti-capitalist socialists/communists and supremacist Islam’s anti-capitalist Sharia intent.
I definitely hope so, because, on one hand, America is forced to deal with Obama’s fulfillment of his “supremacist and political jihad” promise 5 days before his inauguration that “… we are 5 days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America” and he is going full steam ahead and America is in the nascent stage of becoming a debtor nation in Obama’s first 11 months in office as POTUS, and on the other hand, America is forced to deal with supremacist Islamic jihad against all kafirs (unbelievers) and Muslim apostates.
Along with Abraham’s “seed” Isaac and his progeny today, America is looking up every day… looking up and asking God for someone who understands the “signs of the times” and has the fortitude and independent gumption to speak truth to power without equivocation and nuance.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
[Just caught this web blurb. Interesting, eh? - Max]
RAPTURE RUSTLERS
To see the long hidden side of the 179-year-old, British-invented-and-American-merchandised, apocalyptic “rapture” mania, Google “Pretrib Rapture Diehards,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers)” (the sloppy copyist “genius” that Lindsey, LaHaye and other “rapture” tycoons lean on!), “LaHaye’s Temperament,” “America’s Pretrib Rapture Traffickers,” “Edward Irving is Unnerving,” “Thieves’ Marketing,” “Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal,” “Pretrib Hypocrisy,” “The Newest Pretrib Calendar,” “The Rapture Index (Mad Theology),” “Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism” and “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty,” for starters. The author of these items plus the bestselling nonfiction book “The Rapture Plot” (available online) is journalist/historian Dave MacPherson who has uniquely focused for 40 years on the bizarre history of this endtime craze which is anti-Jewish, anti-Catholic and anti- just about everyone else! MacPherson is the one who has researched throughout Britain and aired so much rapturesque “dirty linen” he’s found behind the scenes (clever revisionism of early 19th century documents, rampant plagiarism, phony doctorates, Swaggart-type scandals etc.) that he is now No. 1 on the hate lists of the leading “rapture” money-changers! As everyone’s black, dust-covered book says, “There is nothing hidden that won’t be revealed….”
November 27th, 2009 at 12:50 am
All this b.s. cannot obscure the fact that the rate of immigration into Israel in the past several years has been static at no more that 3/10ths of 1%…about 20,000 people. And in fact the number emigrating from Israel has been at about the same level. So the net change in population via emigration/immigration is about 0. There is no basis in the trend to suggest that there is or will be any reason having to do with anyone “flocking” to Israel for new settlements in Palestinian territory or for that matter anywhere else in Israel. Ms Palin simply opens her mouth and makes it up as she goes along.
December 6th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
[...] on settlement rights and my editorial in R412 supporting the Governor, ‘Uneducated Jeffrey Goldberg Errors on Palin’s Israel Settlement Declaration‘, where you promised to challenge the following premise articulated by Governor Sarah Palin [...]