February 15

"[T]he events for which the Iraq war will be remembered probably haven't even happened yet.”

--Tom Ricks, special military correspondent for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security

"The closer you look … the less you understand."

--Craig Mullaney, a West Point graduate and Rhodes Scholar who led infantrymen in Afghanistan, author of The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Rebooting America's Image Abroad - Walter R. Roberts, Whirled View: “Policy is made in the White House. It is articulated from there. Therefore, it would be logical if a senior public diplomacy position were established in the White House. … [T]he appointment of a director of global communication in the White House can be carried out immediately. And it would help the President accomplish his plan to reboot America's image abroad.”

Diplomacy, Science and Technology – John Daly, Thoughts About K4D: “Scientific and technological cooperation could be an efficient means to advance our humanitarian goals. The U.S. scientific and technological capacity is much admired worldwide, and collaborative efforts in science and technology can not only advance our humanitarian goals, but also build good will and advance our goals in public diplomacy.”

Following @dipnote: Hillary Clinton Steps Out - Tom Watson, techPresident: “Started under former Secretary Rice - and emphatically seamless, professional and non-partisan in its transition to Secretary Clinton - the expansion of State's online operation seems primed for President Obama's primary international goal: rebuilding the U.S. brand overseas.”

Comment - Anonymous, Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review, February 11: "Much is made of how State, specifically the three disparate bureaus in R [Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs], is so slow to adopt the 'new' communication applets made available via the Internet. Sadly, very little is said about why. ...

If the new administration fails to place a strong, seasoned leader at the head of R, it will again send the message that how the citizens of other countries see the US is not all that important. That will mean that the propaganda that is approved will all use 'push' technology, because no one will want to 'pull' it."

Second Life: Clinn State Department Looks to Boost Online Presence - Dusan Writer's Metaverse: “So…State Department. Online. Virtual worlds. Add the Clinton name. We’ll see how it goes.”

A ‘second life’ for public diplomacy in the Middle East - Muhammad Ayish, The National: “Over the past five decades, the practice of US public diplomacy in the Middle East was carried out through exchange programmes, visits, and broadcast media but recently, there has been a strong inclination to harness the power of the virtual world in communicating with Arabs and Muslims outside official diplomatic channels. The ‘Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds’ project, carried out by Joshua Fouts and Rita King of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs has been the most recent initiative with an immense public diplomacy potential.”

Somalia after the Ethiopian Occupation: First Steps to End the Conflict and Combat Extremism - Ken Menkhaus, East Africa Forum: “The Obama administration must adopt a clear set of core principles and interests, develop a better understanding of regional and local political dynamics, and take a more pragmatic, nuanced approach to dealing with local actors that works with rather than against powerful social and political undercurrents within Somalia. Given Somalia’s deeply dysfunctional state, policy choices may often have to be a matter of selecting the least-worst options. In addition, the U.S. government will also need to engage in much more effective public diplomacy if it hopes to reverse high levels of anti-Americanism and convince ordinary Somalis that the United States shares their interest in peace and stability.”

Azerbaijan international radio quid pro quo in the works? (updated) - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: Re the restart of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the Voice of America (VOA) radio and VOA television programs in Azerbaijan.

India should not be seen as single-sport country: Pranab – Posted by Ankush Sethi, Sports In India: “Notwithstanding its obsession with cricket, India should not be seen as a single-sport country and the government is willing to do its best in improving other sports disciplines, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today. … The minister was releasing a CD of a film on cricket made by his ministry's Public Diplomacy Division.” SEE ALSO

India a cultural shock for Bay Area returnees - Sandip Roy, San Francisco Chronicle: The United States emphasizes egalitarianism, individualism and tasks, said Vikas Saxena, who spent seven years abroad before he decided to move back to India from San Francisco now works as a cultural consultant. In India, it's more about hierarchy, collectivism and relationships. SEE ALSO

RELATED ITEMS

How Obama Plays, or Gets Played, Abroad - David E. Sanger, New York Times: Abroad, it’s questionable how far Mr. Obama can travel on promises to act as the anti-Bush, to use diplomacy and “smart power” before blunt force. Some of Mr. Obama’s aides acknowledge that those promises will eventually collide -- perhaps first in Pakistan -- with necessities to defend American interests. SEE ALSO: John Brown, “After the honeymoon: Electing Barack Obama president won't be enough to improve America's standing in the world,” Guardian (June 26, 2008)

Asia welcomes Clinton, and renewed attention - Martin Fackler, Mark Landler and Choe Sang-Hun, International Herald Tribune: In one sign of a fresh start, Clinton said the United States and China would resume middle-level exchanges between their militaries, which China suspended because of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Watch out for Al Qeada: It wants to target America's economy, and it wants to prove it can defeat us - Marc A. Thiessen, baltimoresun.com: Mr. Obama's moves mark less of a sharp break from counterterrorism policies under the Bush administration than one might think.

Our Man in Kabul - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post: The administration does not seem to have thought through the double-edged political effect of its promise to send up to 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

Going the Distance: The war in Afghanistan isn't doomed. We just need to rethink the insurgency - Seth G. Jones, Washington Post

Not Even the Afghans Know How to Fix It - Edward P. Joseph, Washington Post: No one is sure about anything in Afghanistan these days.

US Predator Kills 30 in Pakistan; Obama snubs Karzai; US Succeeds Soviets in Afghanistan? – Juan Cole, Informed Comment: Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion: A US predator drone hit a guest house of supporters of Baitullah Mahsud in South Waziristan on Saturday, killing about 20 persons and wounding 15. Such strikes, ane especially the civilian casualties they often cause, are extremely unpopular in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Genocide in Sri Lanka - Bruce Fein, Boston Globe: President Barack Obama has made the case for military intervention in Sudan or elsewhere to stop genocide. All the more justification for the United States to open an investigation of the voluminous and credible 12 counts of genocide against a United States citizen and permanent resident alien assembled by Tamils Against Genocide.

Book Review: Oxford Atlas of the World (15th edition) - Richard B. Woodward, New York Times:

In contrast to some United States publishers, which cover the 50 states in finer detail than other places, Oxford provides an evenhanded tour of the planet, albeit with a subtle European bias. This more cosmic attitude may be necessary for keeping America’s self-importance in check but is not so helpful for, say, bringing Denver into sharper focus. The Oxford Atlas of the World is a handsome relic, and its eventual disappearance will be sad to many.

CULTURAL RELATIONS

"Billy Herrington (born July 14, 1969, Long Island, New York) is a bisexual American actor best known for his work in gay pornography. Herrington began his erotic career when a friend surreptitiously submitted his nude pictures to Playgirl magazine. The photographs won him a 'Real Men of the Month' contest and a $500 prize. ... Herrington has ... become an internet meme among the Japanese community after a clip from one of his videos 'Workout' was posted on Nico Nico Douga, a Japanese video sharing website. Over 3000 parody videos of him have been made, many of which utilizes deliberate mishearings of his lines in the porn flick."
From: Boing-Boing