December 5

“It turned out to be a good thing.”

--President Barack Obama, regarding the “surge” in Iraq; image from

"If we want everything to stay the same, everything must change."

--Novelist Giuseppe di Lampedusa

SITE OF INTEREST

Nazi Propaganda: 1933-1945

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Pew: American views on foreign policy 2009 – Marc Lynch, Foreign Policy: "Despite all the pooh-poohing of soft power and public diplomacy that you hear, most Americans care about America's image in the world, and 73% think it matters for a successful foreign policy. Obama's election and foreign policy have clearly led more Americans to think that America's image has improved

and that the U.S. is more respected: there's been a 16% increase in those who say that the U.S. is more respected compared to last year. In May 2008, 71% of the public said that the U.S. was less respected than in the past, and 56% termed this a major problem. Today, only 56% say this, and only 38% consider it a major problem." Image from

Fulbright Program Brings the Muslim World to Americans - Mitchell Polman, Understanding Government: "During his tenure as director of the now defunct United States Information Agency, renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow said, 'The really crucial link in the international communication chain is the last three feet, which is bridged by personal contact, one person talking to another.' Public diplomacy practitioners often refer to Murrow’s statement in describing the nature of their work. It was with this vital aspect of human communication in mind that the Fulbright Scholars program and the Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) in 2004 created the 'Direct Access to the Muslim World' program."

Museum Director Laurie Norton Moffatt Cultural Delegate to Russia - JClowe, Norman Rockwell Museum: "Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt has been appointed by the American Association of Museums (AAM) to serve as an official delegate on a cultural diplomacy trip to Russia with the United States Department of State and the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities.

Ms. Norton Moffatt will be joining a delegation of American and Russian officials and several private sector leaders in Moscow from December 7 to 9, to discuss ways to continue fostering positive relations between the United States and Russia, and how various organizations might support the objectives of the commission. ... 'I am honored that the AAM has invited me to represent our country through this unique opportunity,' says Norton Moffatt, who serves as a board member of the national organization. 'While I am representing the nation’s museum and cultural community, I will also be an ambassador for Norman Rockwell Museum; Norman Rockwell is an American icon, and should serve as a wonderful entry point for the Russian people to learn more about our country’s rich cultural tradition.' Comment by John Brown ['Your comment is awaiting moderation']: Dear Ms. Moffatt, During your stay in Russia could you perhaps consider raising the possibility of organizing a joint U.S.-Russian exhibit comparing the works of Norman Rockwell with those of Socialist Realist artists. I found great interest for such a project among my Russian friends and contacts (I served as Cultural Affairs Officer at US Embassy Moscow from 1998 to 2001), as well as among Americans interested in Russia. For an interesting account of the Rockwell/Socialist Realism issue, see Tomas Pospiszyl, 'Socialist Evening Realistic Post.' The author writes: 'It does not take an experienced connoisseur to notice the uncanny similarity between the widely popular art of Norman Rockwell and certain artworks of Socialist realism.' The contentiousness of such a viewpoint is what would make a Rockwell/Socialist Realism exhibit so fascinating. May I note that my preferred venue for the exhibit would be Las Vegas."

Top image ("Norman Rockwell in Russia" from article; lower image from Coxsoft Art News, with the following observation: "A stolen Norman Rockwell painting - Russian Schoolroom, also known as The Russian Classroom or Russian Schoolchildren - has been found at the home of US movie director Steven Spielberg. His staff saw an FBI theft notice and realised the work was stolen. Spielberg innocently bought the painting from a legitimate dealer 18 years ago. ... Note: these are the best graphics I could find."

Simon Anholt wins Nobels Colloquia Prize for Economics Leadership - Emmanuel K. Dogbevi, Ghana Business News: "One of the world’s leading authority on public diplomacy and identity strategy for countries, cities and regions, Simon Anholt has been announced winner of the 2009 Nobels Colloquia Prize for Economics and Management Leadership, a press release from his office copied to ghanabusinessnews.com has said.

The citation accompanying the award noted his pioneering work on understanding and managing the identity and image of nations, cities and regions; and the impact of reputation on their prosperity and competitiveness. Image from article: Simon Anholt (right) with Emmanuel K. Dogbevi, owner of ghanabusinessnews.com

Welcome home 172nd Infantry Brigade: With Iraq violence down, 2-28 focused on training, rebuilding - Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes: "A drastic fall in violence meant soldiers from Task Force 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment — when they weren’t training local security forces — spent much of their yearlong mission to Iraq supporting U.S. civilian experts who were helping rebuild the country. The civilians, who included experts from various U.S. government agencies such as the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture, worked in provincial reconstruction teams. Jeff Daigle, public diplomacy officer with the Babil PRT, which worked with 2-28 and was based in the town of Hillah, said in June that the PRTs’ function was to assist with reconstruction of the provinces."

Ben L. Ellington – email from Len Baldyga: "On November 4, 2009, retired USIA FSO Ben L. Ellington passed away ... . His service as Executive Officer with USIA took him to Buenos Aires (1961-1965), New Delhi (1970-1973) and Mexico City (1973-1975). He retired in 1975 and returned to his birthplace in Linden. "

RELATED ITEMS

Similarities to Iraq Surge Plan Mask Risks in Afghanistan - David E. Sanger, New York Times: Perhaps the biggest difference between the two surges is this: Mr. Bush never said how long his would last, and Mr. Obama went out of his way to declare that starting in July 2011, the tide would begin to flow out.

Obama the mortal - Dana Milbank, Washington Post:

Obama’s Afghanistan policy is above all a pragmatic, nonideological strategy. Image from

Bribing warlords - Martin Schram, Washington Times: Diverse experts have united in recommending new ammo to be used on the Afghan tribes: money, well targeted.

Afghanistan’s Army - Editorial, New York Times: Even as he announced plans to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, President Obama said his goal is to quickly drive back the Taliban, hand over control to the Afghans and begin to withdraw American forces. For that to happen, the Pentagon will have to do a much better job of recruiting, training and retaining effective Afghan security forces.

The bitter taste of war strategy - Colbert I. King, Washington Post:

The Obama administration would have us believe that in all of a year and a half, tens of thousands of U.S. troops will be mobilized and sent to Afghanistan, where they will join other forces and in that time deny al-Qaeda a haven, reverse the Taliban's momentum and reduce its ability to overthrow the Afghanistan government, strengthen the capacity of Afghan security forces so they can fend for themselves and stabilize neighboring Pakistan. Image from

A response to Hillary Clinton's assertion that all nations should play a part in the Afghanistan mission - John Chuckman, mediamonitors.net: "No government in Afghanistan or Pakistan was threatened until the U.S. became involved. Yes, they are poor regions with much backward fundamentalism, but those governments knew how to handle the difficulties of their own affairs before the U.S. bombed and machine-gunned its way in."

Forward on Afghanistan - Cal Thomas, Washington Times: “President Obama should be commended

for committing 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to root out al Qaeda and stabilize major portions of the country. I am far less certain about establishing a timetable, though the president did say it depended on conditions on the ground.” Image from

The Honduras Conundrum – Editorial, New York Times: The United States should not fully restore aid to Honduras.

Trading with Ecuador:Washington must resist efforts by Chevron to interfere with a Andean trade agreement – Editorial, Los Angeles Times: Ecuador has demonstrated a willingness to work with the U.S. That should be the test for an extension of trade benefits.

CULTURAL RELATIONS

American sentenced to 26 years for ‘07 slaying of U.K. roommate in Italy - msnbc.msn.com: Amanda Knox sought comfort from visiting family members Saturday on her first day in prison since being convicted of murdering her British roommate. The family of victim Meredith Kercher

said the verdict brought a measure of justice. However, they said, it was not a time to celebrate. Kercher, 21, was Knox's roommate while they studied in Perugia. Her body was found in a pool of blood with her throat slit on Nov. 2, 2007, at the apartment they shared. Image from article: From left, John Kercher, father, Stephanie Kercher, sister, John Kercher, brother, Lyle Kercher, brother, and Arline Kercher, mother, in Perugia, Italy, on Saturday.

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"One of his [Jean Cocteau’s] favorite haunts during the war was a brothel named L'Etoile de Kléber on the rue Villejust. The madame was a colorful figure named Madame Billy. Edith Piaf lived under her roof for some time. Michel Simon, the movie actor, was a frequent guest, as were Maurice Chevalier and Mistinguett, with her entourage of gigolos. The food, acquired on the black market, was superb, and the conversation brilliant. Piaf could be relied upon to sing for her supper. For Cocteau it was a refuge in hard times.

But not just for him and his friends from the beau monde. German officers, always in impeccable civilian clothes, were loyal clients of the brothel, as were agents of the Gestapo, whose torture chambers on the rue Lauriston were conveniently nearby. If this mélange was not strange enough, Mme Billy's establishment was frequented by members of the French resistance too. Only once in a while did unpleasantness intrude, such as when the German police decided that Jews might be among the company, and all the French guests were required to pull down their trousers. According to the writer Roger Peyrefitte, all the men protested vehemently except for Cocteau, who rather took pleasure in the exercise."

--Ian Buruma, from his article, "Occupied Paris: The Sweet and the Cruel," New York Review of Books; Cocteau image from; comment by a valued PDPBR subscriber: "Was a pun intended in your reference to CockToe?"

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