Sergey Borisov: Henry Kissinger is on top of the list of world's most influential public figures

American federal judge, Richard Pozner decided to make up the list of the most influential people of the world. Pozner was doing that work with the help of the world-wide-web. He simply calculated the number of times, when the media outlets mentioned this or that public figure, setting forth an opinion on the questions of the large public importance. Pozner was working on the period from 1995 to 2000.

The list of 100 public figures caused different reaction among the public figures themselves. The reason why is very simple: Henry Kissinger, former American Secretary of State is on top of that list. Kissinger’s name is currently mentioned in the American press in connection with the release of the book, dedicated to him. The Secretary of State was elaborating the USA’s policy towards a lot of countries, in particular, towards Chile. Christopher Hitchins, the author of the book, accused Kissinger of the crimes against the humanity.

Mr.Pozner was apparently paying attention to the abilities of his candidates to provoke gossip and rumours, rather than to their intellectual influence on the society. If it is not so, then how can you explain the fact that a White House aide Sidney Blumental left such thinkers as Tom Wolf (the 15th position on the list) and Jean Paul Sartre (the 64th position on the list) behind just because of the scandal with Monica.

Anthony Scalia, a member of the US Supreme Court, who helped George Bush to settle in the White House, is on the 14th position, leaving Bernard Shaw three points behind. Alexander Solzhenitsin took the 72nd position.

The top of Pozner’s list includes such people as writers Salman Rushdie, the 9th position, George Orwell, the 11th position, playwright and Czech president Vaclav Havel, the 18th position. Pozner even put himself on his own list – the 70th position, six points higher than Camus.

Sergey Borisov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/23/35914.html