Reporters without frontiers has just issued its Third annual worldwide press freedom index. The good news is that there are many more countries at the top of the list than there were 3 years ago (with a .5 score). The sad news is that post 9/11, many other countries, particularly Western ones, have slipped. Canada which ranked 5th three years ago with a score of .75, is now 18th with a score of 3.33. The United States has improved somewhat, with a score of 4 vs. 4.75, but is now ranked 21 instead of 17 (that reflects on the improvement in other countries).
What is pathetically sad is that the first report was done when Saddam still ruled in Iraq. Iraq then ranked 130 with a score of 79. Iraq under a U.S. occupation supposedly there to “bring democracy” to that country, has improved its score to 58.5 but now ranks 148th on the list.
To reflect Israel’s complex situation, it’s score has been broken up into components. Israel proper (i.e. where the Jews live) gets a middling score of 8 which ranks it 36 (along with Bulgaria). Israel in the occupied territories gets 37.5 which ranks it 115. The Palestinian Authority is nothing to write home about, ranked 127, with a score of 43.17.