November 12

"...reinvention is a matter of survival"

--David Sarnola, "Libraries reinvent themselves as they struggle to remain relevant in the digital age: They're preparing for a future in which materials can be checked out and read from a home computer, smart phone or e-reader," Los Angeles Times; image from article: Pam Sandlian-Smith, director of the Rangeview, Colo., Library District, says, "It's very common for people to say, 'Why do I need a library when I've got a computer?' We have to reframe what the library means to the community."

PANEL DISCUSSION

21st Century World’s Fairs - Monday, October 25, 2010 6:30 to 8:00 pm: What is the relevancy of world's fairs of today? Panelists consider the past,


present, and future of world expositions, and the significance of Expo 2010 in Shanghai. This program complements the exhibition Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s, which will be open prior to the lecture. Links to Individual Presentations:

Robert Rydell Presentation (World's Fair Historian): Audio Track and Powerpoint

Jack Masey Presentation (Post-WWII Expos): Audio Track and Powerpoint

Robert Haynie Presentation (State Department Replacement for Ambassador Bagley): Audio Track and Powerpoint

Panel Discussion - Robert Rydell, Jack Masey, Robert Haynie: Audio Track
Via JM; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Economic Rise Of China: Obama Takes Asia By Sea - The Himalayan Voice:


"Japanese and South Korean publics are increasingly restive about the American military bases. Thus our strategic future in the region is not these huge cold-war-type bases with their fast-food restaurants and shopping malls; they inevitably become political millstones. Rather, we need discreet operating locations, under local sovereignty, that the Pentagon helps to maintain. It’s a strategy that will work only if such operations don’t raise the ire of the local populations and press, meaning that our public diplomacy will have to be effective and unceasing. Indeed, Washington has been making great strides on the public-diplomacy front: a principal benefit of having special envoys to Israel and the Palestinian territories and to Afghanistan and Pakistan is that it has freed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to make more high-profile trips to East and South Asia, where she has been, in effect, competing all the while with China on the public stage. The president’s trip is one culmination of this effort." Image from

Does India crave international recognition? - Brahma Chellaney, Economic Times: "Barack Obama, the charmer, won over India. ... Obama came as a salesman for his country, bagging multibillion-dollar deals and laying the ground for more big contracts, yet the visit will be remembered for his public diplomacy in seeking to elevate his host nation to ‘its rightful place in the world’."

Has Obama's visit addressed India's core concerns? - Satish Chandra, news.rediff.com: "That the three-day Obama visit to India was an indisputable success


is not in doubt whether seen from the public diplomacy angle, the transactional arrangements arrived at, the purely political side, or the reinforcement of rapport between the president and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The extent to which it has, however, been leveraged to address India's core security concerns in regard to the threat from Pakistan and China remains a question mark." Satish Chandra has served as India's high commissioner to Pakistan and was India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. He has also served as Deputy National Security Adviser. Image from

A Twenty Four Hour Long Rapprochement‎ - Daniel R. DePetris, Atlantic Sentinel: "At a time when President Barack Obama is busy meeting with foreign leaders on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia, Vice President Joseph Biden has taken the initiative in meetings with other world leaders of great consequence to the United States. First and foremost is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who just wrapped up an address in New Orleans to the Jewish Federation of North America. ... Through his public remarks, Biden may have been attempting to reassure skeptical Israelis that the United States is still a friend after a rough diplomatic year. Within this context,


he probably achieved the objective. Yet at a time when the Obama Administration is trying its hardest to rescue direct talks from complete annihilation, this small bout of public diplomacy could have further jeopardized an environment that was a failure to begin with. But just when we think that everything is back to normal, Prime Minister Netanyahu announces yet another expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem. President Obama responded to this announcement in Jakarta by saying that the move was 'unhelpful' for negotiations. In a bold pronouncement, Netanyahu lashed back, saying that Jerusalem will forever be the Israeli capital. Apparently, the Biden-Netanyahu rapprochement did not last long." Image from article

U.S. Undersecretary Of State For Public Diplomacy Talks About America's Image - RFE/RL: "Judith McHale, the U.S. undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, has been tasked with leading America’s engagement with the people of the world. It's a daunting job description with many obvious challenges. But the former CEO says she's making progress. McHale, during a visit to Prague, sat down with RFE/RL senior correspondent Jeremy Bransten to discuss her work. ... McHale: I think that from his very first day as president, in his inauguration speech, he has been very committed -- both he and Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton -- to pursuing engagement with people all over the world, an engagement based on mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual understanding, and a cooperative approach to all the challenges that face us. So we've spent the past year-and-a-half or so -- coming up on two years -- really looking at our programs and initiatives to engage with people all over the world in new ways and to have a dialogue to begin to reach out to people, to find new ways of working together. ... [O]ne of the things that I'm really focused on and where I think we're making strides is to demonstrate


to the world the breadth and depth of America, the richness of its history and its culture, the diversity of its culture, which if left solely to the private sector, you might not have. ... I think it's incumbent upon the government to actually have a role in ensuring that all of America and all American citizens -- the breadth and depth of our cultural history -- are made available to people all over the world. ... We are revisiting some of the decisions that we were contemplating about moving some of ... [the American] centers within the embassies and in fact, probably a number of them will not be moved. ... In Jakarta, we're opening a new American Center in a shopping mall. Now that will be high-tech, with computers and a small auditorium for speakers. That's where the people are, and that's where we want to be." McHale mage from article

Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Will Obama's Electoral Defeat Disrupt the Reset with Russia? - Introduced by Vladimir Frolov, russiaprofile.org: "Edward Lozansky, President, American University in Moscow and World Russia Forum in Washington, D.C.: ... As far as U.S.-Russian relations are concerned, one piece of advice coming from the Cold War school is to follow the Clinton-Bush strategy, or perhaps an even more extreme one: that of isolating and weakening Russia through NATO expansion, building oil and gas pipelines bypassing Russia, exerting pressure on Old Europe for being too soft on Russia while encouraging New Europe to be even tougher toward the same. Other aspects of this strategy include sponsoring 'color revolutions' along Russia’s perimeter under the guise of promoting freedom and democracy while at the same time building economic and political-military alliances with even the most dictatorial regimes in the post-Soviet space. In short, advocates of such a policy demand that Russia be seen as a clone of the Soviet Union. For champions of this approach, a slightly modified containment policy as well as continued ideological warfare under the neutral term of 'public diplomacy' are logical and highly desirable."

Why We Shouldn’t Stop Funding Educational Exchanges - Victor C Johnson, nafsa.org: "[O]ur colleagues at the Heritage Foundation ... it appears, have forgotten yet again how important educational and cultural exchanges have been for America’s security, public diplomacy, and international leadership. The foundation’s October 28, 2010, Backgrounder on Budget and Spending proposes eliminating these programs entirely (along with many other worthy international programs). This is particularly dismaying because, only a few years ago, NAFSA cosponsored an event with the Heritage Foundation and others at which leading experts made a strong case for placing international education and exchange at the heart of America’s public diplomacy efforts. In 2008, when NAFSA released International Education: The Neglected Dimension of Public Diplomacy, which advocated more resources and a strengthened role for exchanges, Heritage’s Jim Carafano wrote: 'The association has to be commended for bringing attention to a vital issue impacting on national competitiveness. Americans need to pay attention.' ... Ultimately, the enduring value of exchanges lies in the reality that America is bound to the global community—that our security, our freedom, and our well-being


are bound to the security, freedom, and well-being of others. ... To quote NAFSA’s public diplomacy paper, 'When Congress began to downgrade [exchange] programs at the end of the Cold War, deeming them no longer a priority, it was excising the connective tissue that binds the American people to the world’s people.' It was a mistake then; it is a mistake now. Last time, we understood our mistake only after we made it. This time, let’s remember the past before we repeat it." Image from

State’s Digital Outreach Team May Do More Harm Than Good - Cameron Bean, comops.org/journal: "Since November of 2006, the State Department has taken its public diplomacy efforts into the online arena of Arabic, Urdu, and Persian discussion boards. Heading this effort is the Digital Outreach Team (DOT). According to DOT member Muath Alsufy, the initiative began after the realization that 'there was a lot of misinformation about the US, mainly foreign policies, and there was a void… no source on these forums and blogs that would identify this misinformation and somehow correct it.' Thus, the DOT’s mission to correct these misperceptions was born. Research and analysis for this post, however, suggests that DOT efforts could actually be producing negative results."

Free speech - Pera-Pera: A class blog about international communication. Brought to you by the American University School of International Service: "What is the cost of free open-source, and 'free' free speech?


Simply from a benefit analysis, there's no argument; the vast majority of people using this software are not doing it with hostile aims or to communicate aggressive ideas. Still, in an age when a great deal of people depend on the internet and new media for information, the news and political affirmation, it does conceivably allow for an effective counter to the US' public diplomacy and political spin machines, and a valuable coordination and communication avenue for terrorism." Image from

The U.S. Says It Is Not Its Goal to Undermine the ICC - intlawgrrls.blogspot.com: "At a recent panel discussion at the NYU Center for Global Affairs on the Challenges and Future of International Justice, Harold Hongju Koh,


Legal Advisor to the Department of State ... stated that it was not the policy of the United States to frustrate the object and purpose of the Rome Treaty. ... Koh's statement at NYU ... [s]pecifically, [o]utlined the Obama ... administration’s 'integrated approach' to international criminal justice, which involves support for the ad hoc tribunals, providing 'steadfast assistance' to rule of law initiatives around the world, engaging the Assembly of States Parties, and cooperating with the ICC in ways that are consistent with U.S. law (notably the American Servicemembers Protection Act), such as by public diplomacy." Koh image from article

RFE/RL's Radio Azadi continues distribution of radios in Afghanistan - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Those who cannot learn from history will doom US international broadcasting - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "I recently read a paper by USC professor Nicholas Cull about the feud between the US Information Agency and its (then) component VOA, during the George H.W. Bush administration. I was working at VOA when it happened, and attended the infamous 'town meeting,' but had forgotten many of the details. Nick's paper is so interesting that I was reading it even as my Metro train passed my stop. His essay is a reminder that any reabsorption of US international broadcasting into a 'strategic communication' agency, 'coordinating' its content, would have disastrous consequences. Diplomatic History, January 2010, Nicholas Cull, 'Speeding the Strange Death of American Public Diplomacy: The George H. W. Bush Administration and the U.S. Information Agency'

I disagree with the premise of the paper's title. US public diplomacy did not end when a separate bureaucracy dedicated to public diplomacy was abolished. USIA required State approval for anything of substance that it did, its activities were largely carried out through US embassies, and its key staff were selected through the Foreign Service process. USIA was never really independent of the State Department." Cull image from

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the future of US international broadcasting - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Rep. Ros-Lehtinen's bill would abolish the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the International Broadcasting Bureau, replacing it with a United States International Broadcasting Agency, supervised by a Board of Governors. The Agency would have a director appointed by the Board, so this would give U.S. international broadcasting what it does not have now: a full-time chief operating officer. (The chair of the board would be the CEO.) It seems, then, the new Board would have the same firewall and supervisory functions of the BBG. The bill is vague about how the elements of US international broadcasting would be organized. Would there still be VOA, RFE/RL, Radio Free Asia, etc? Or does the new Agency have latitude in reorganizing these entities? In a peculiar bit of legislative micromanaging, the bill calls for an Ombudsman to 'act as a liaison between both the audience and employees and employees and management of the broadcasting entities under the control of the Board of Governors.'


This is also a peculiar combination of responsibilities, as audiences and employees have very different, and sometimes contradictory, needs. Because a news organization cannot optimally function as a government agency, I would prefer a U.S. International Broadcasting Corporation rather than International Broadcasting Agency. Perhaps a broadcasting entity under the Agency can be a corporation. Engineering and administrative functions can be handled by the Agency, content by the Corporation. This would, however, not be ideal, because the most effective management of international broadcasting involves the synergistic application of content and delivery." Ros-Lehtinen image from

The Truth Hurts - Ashley: Tallk's Blog: A discussion of IC: "In 1963 in a testimony before a Congressional Committee, Edward R. Murrow, who was the Director of USIA, stated: 'American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful,


but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and lies are the worst. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. It is as simple as that.' Public diplomacy has often been under debate. Typically, with America being the world superpower, American officials have not seen the need for public diplomacy. It was widely used during the Cold War in an attempt to counter balance the Soviet Union and their diplomacy efforts. After that, it was drastically reduced, and the opinion of America became bad through most parts of the world (aka 9-11 happened). At this point, America realized the value of public diplomacy and reinvested money. This is where it gets interesting, think back to the Murrow statement. America needs to be truthful to gain a good public image abroad. ... In order to eventually gain a more positive public America is going to have to be much more truthful." Image from

Academic presents seminar on ‘Defending Press’ - macaudailytimes.com: "Macau Polytechnic Institute (MPI) is organising a seminar on 'Defending Press and Internet Freedom' hosted by Francesca G. Lichauco, Public Diplomacy officer of the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau."

12 Angry Men - Zach, Pierogi Pop: "The US Embassy’s public diplomacy wing screens a film every Friday at the city’s American Library (conveniently hosted by my university here, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy).


A contact of mine asked if I could fill in for a diplomat this evening, and I took the opportunity to show 12 Angry Men (1957). ... Next week I am hosting a conversation group on the recent U.S. elections with a Fulbright-Hays doing research for her dissertation in Kyiv." Image from

Visit to NATO HQ of Moroccan opinion leaders - isria.com: "On 11 November 2010, the NATO Public Diplomacy Division organized a visit to NATO Headquarters of High Level Opinion Leaders from Morocco."

“Image Deficit” Hijacks Pakistan's Humanitarian Crisis‎ - Huma Yusuf, The Women's International Perspective: "Half a million women caught by the flooding [in Pakistan] will give birth before February next year, and according to the World Health Organization,


32,000 will experience complications. ... The fact that the international community has expressed fears about the increased post-flood security risk, but is less aware of the plight of the most vulnerable flood victims reflects a failure of the global media industry as well as the Pakistan government’s public diplomacy efforts." Image from

The “Post-Copenhagen Era” and Cancun: an opportunity for the EU and China - europetoday.ideasoneurope.eu: "Today there is no agreement on what should replace the Kyoto Protocol (KP) expiring in 2012. What is certain, however, is that the framing of the new climate regime may create new scenarios involving new fora and strengthening certain international players while weaking others. ... Despite China’s efforts to tackle climate change by setting its emission intensity target, it obtained a much colder welcome than it had expected, and it was trapped in a public diplomacy battle. The latter saw it losing face internationally because of its unwillingness to be bound by international commitments, and by its reticence to accept Monitoring Reporting and Verification measures."

Digital diplomacy: India’s foray into soft power on the web - GovernanceNow: "Meet Navdeep Suri, 51, a 1983-batch diplomat, who since July this year heads India’s public diplomacy (PD) division, and has opened a series of unprecedented direct messages with ordinary John Does; not just on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, but more niche forums like Scribd and Issuu. Call it India’s digital diplomacy, our long-delayed baby steps into the world of soft power. And the world is beginning to notice.


Because here (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) tough questions aren’t ducked. Nor are the questioners dubbed 'offensive' and blocked. The really mad oddities are sent a private reply on the lines of, 'sir, how would you yourself like to solve this problem?' and the borderline cases get chastened, not by Suri or his team, but by others on the forum, 'in a self-corrective sort of way.'” Image from

Tourism: risk and recovery - muratim.com: "In July 2010, UTS Business hosted a conference on Risk and Recovery Strategies for Tourism Destinations and Businesses. ... Greg Moriarty, first assistant secretary, consular, public diplomacy and public affairs division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade talked about how government works with both industry and with the travelling public to try and ensure that travellers can make informed travel choices. ‘Australians are keen travellers and the cost of international travel has dropped relative to other expenses. Also, our ageing population of people with dual citizenship, means more Australians are returning to their countries of origin for extended visits.'"

Lords debate Diplomacy - dehavilland.co.uk [subscription]: Mention of public diplomacy in Google entry.

Hillsborough: Career preparation abroad: Student interns for U.S. State Department in Rome - Andrew Corselli, centraljersey.com: "Most college students don’t get to see firsthand some of history’s greatest treasures while also working at a U.S. embassy. Then again, most college students aren’t Steven Feldman.


In early September, Mr. Feldman, a Hillsborough High School graduate, traveled to Rome to intern for the U.S. State Department at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See. The junior political science major at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is getting 12 credits for his work overseas in addition to gaining life-altering experiences. ... An Eagle Scout in Troop 489, Mr. Feldman works mainly with conferences while in Rome. His job is to help out with different religions and the possible conflicts that arise. 'I’m most focused on public diplomacy and the political section, which is really where I’m the intern of,' said Mr. Feldman." Feldman image from article

Researching Pakistani Perspectives‎ - Connect2 OWU: "After two weeks in Pakistan, a trio of Ohio Wesleyan University students has a newfound understanding of life in the Islamic Republic and its tumultuous relationship with the United States. Students Anthony Harper, a junior from Westerville, Ohio; Kyle Herman, a senior from Stow, Ohio; and Sean-Paul Mauro, a senior from McMurray, Pennsylvania; visited Pakistan from May 22 through June 6 with the support of an Ohio Wesleyan Theory-to-Practice grant. They were hosted by Usman Javaid, a 2010 OWU graduate from Lahore, Pakistan, and Javaid’s family. ... Based on their first-hand study, the OWU students have the following recommendations for President Barack Obama and other U.S. politicians regarding the future of Pakistan-U.S. Relations: •The United States should contribute more aid to improving education and development to win the hearts and minds of the Pakistani people.


•Those receiving U.S. aid must be held accountable for the aid to ensure that it is used as intended. •The United States should increase public diplomacy efforts in the region to highlight the distribution of aid to Pakistani people. •U.S. Foreign Service Officers should display a more visible commitment to helping the Pakistani people. •The Pakistani government should work to decrease stratification between classes and give the people more democratic power. •U.S. leaders should treat the Pakistani government as a partner rather than a subordinate, especially in public. •U.S. leaders and media should advocate a better understanding of Muslim perspectives." Image from article: Sean-Paul Mauro ’11 (from left), Usman Javaid ’10, Anthony Harper ’12, and Kyle Herman ’11 spent two weeks in Pakistan this summer studying the country’s thoughts on U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan. Here, they are shown visiting the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

Adelphi University Sends Student Delegates to First U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy - Press Release, PRLog: "Adelphi University is pleased to send four student delegates to Washington D.C. to participate in the inaugural United States Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy. The event is hosted by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD), in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The historic event will run from Tuesday, November 16 to Friday, November 19, 2010. Adelphi is the only University from New York State to send a delegation to the Summit, which will convene leaders in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors."

BCIU Presents Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Awards to Mukesh D. Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limi - "Established at President Eisenhower's initiative on November 10, 1955, the Business Council for International Understanding


is a premier business association whose membership includes many of the world's largest multinational corporations in all major industries. ... BCIU supports commercial diplomacy and corporate social responsibility in the international arena by facilitating roundtables and programs related to investment promotion, public diplomacy, corporate governance, and branding. On request, BCIU provides due diligence, referral, and qualifier services."

Cap & Trade – An Immersive Journalism Experience - virtualrealitytechnology.net: "A collaboration wіth the USC Annenberg School οf Journalism & tһе Center Fοr Investigative Reporting, based οn tһе PBS Frontline World series 'CarbonWatch'. Written, directed & produced bу Nonny dela Pena. Tһіѕ machinima showcases tһе proof οf concept Second Life experience, which уοu саn visit аt Public Diplomacy Island in SL anytime. Stay tuned fοr expansions аחԁ revisions."

CFP: Journal of Computer Mediated Communication (JCMC): Special issue of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication - Virtual Buddhism: "Suggested submission topics include: ... Public discussion, public diplomacy and online information flow."

Deviance and Dissent… A Sociological Approach to Terrorism - Hichem Karoui, hichemkaroui.com: "Entelequia. Revista Interdisciplinar, 12, Fall 2010. Pages 27-40. Available from Internet: Abstract:


Since there is no definition of 'terrorism' upon which all the world nations agree, this article proposes to approach the phenomenon on the basis of normative concepts widely recognized by social scientists. We think the issue would be more manageable if we use terms like 'deviance' and 'dissent' to describe terrorism to those people who are suffering from its consequences (Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel-Palestine, etc.), without alienating them: that would move the problem from the field of fear and passivity quite anchored in the minds, to put the stress more on the politically and morally unsocial behavior. On the level of the media and the public diplomacy, this approach may reveal to be rewarding, over time." Image from

Conversations in Public Diplomacy: Johannes Matyassy - Center on Public Diplomacy, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: "Ambassador Johannes Matyassy, head of Switzerland’s public diplomacy efforts, will talk about his country’s experiences in that area.


The USC Center on Public Diplomacy is pleased to host Ambassador Johannes Matyassy, head of public diplomacy at Presence Switzerland." Matyassy image from article

Žižek: Living in the End Times - Yele Osipova, Global Chaos: "Not directly relevant to public diplomacy or international communication, per se. And yet, a very interesting discussion with Slavoj Žižek [video] about his book - Living in the End Times - discussing the current state of humanity and where we go from here."

Government Relations - Angela's Budding PR Mind: A blog from a senior GCSU Mass Communication major that focuses on public relations in the world around her: "On-the-Ground Response Developed public diplomacy messages The day-to-day media relations (opened 24hrs/day)-briefings, news releases Media tours of Abu Ghraib- allowed reporters a look at the detention center, cells where abuse occurred, and housing tent for detainees."


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RELATED ITEMS

Obama's Indonesian: the grand finale - "At the end of his abbreviated trip to Indonesia (cut short because of the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Merapi), President Obama gave a half-hour address at the University of Indonesia that finally showed off his skills in the Indonesian language, a subject we've been examining. Granted, it was a prepared speech, but Obama went out of his way to include Indonesian phrases and sentences that would resonate with the crowd (mostly composed of students and staff at UI), and he even worked in at least one ad-lib." Via TH

Obama's Asia trip gets mixed reviews - usatoday.com

Obama’s Glow Dims on Trip to Asia - Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times: Mr. Obama arrived on the world stage two years ago to a fawning reception from world leaders. They appeared at global conferences carrying copies of his memoir, hoping for autographs. They angled for handshakes and “bilats” — diplomatic jargon for one-on-one meetings.

They maneuvered to get near him in photo opportunities. But after the battering his party took in the midterm elections at home and the disputes that erupted at the Group of 20 conference in Seoul, he faced a string of questions on Friday — not only about the power of the United States, but also about his own diplomatic touch. Image from

Dangerous Nuclear Illusions - Roger Cohen, New York Times: President Barack Obama’s commitment in his 2009 Prague speech “to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons” was a fine sentiment but a political mistake. The danger was that Obama, very early in his presidency, would be perceived as weak or unrealistic by rivals such as China or enemies like Iran, despite his commitment, for “as long as these weapons exist,” to “maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary.” That perception of weakness has taken hold, reinforced by his academic-seminar approach to an Afghan surge now just seven months away from being reversed.

After G20, Obama says his global influence is intact - Howard Schneider and Scott Wilson, Washington Post: President Obama asserted Friday that the punishment his party took in midterm elections has not damaged his ability to advance U.S. interests overseas, saying his Asia trip has shown that many countries still want to work with the United States.

Netanyahu Confronts Anti-Israel Propaganda in U.S. - Tzippe Barrow, Christian News Network: Why would Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travel to the U.S. while President Obama was out of the country? His latest U.S. visit appears to be part of a broad effort to stem the rising tide of anti-Israel sentiment in the U.S. government.


America has traditionally been Israel's staunchest ally. Image from article

Clinton's silence on Egyptian democracy - Editorial, Washington Post: The message for Egyptians from Clinton - quickly reinforced by Egyptian officials and media - was that the Obama administration either supports Mr. Mubarak's autocracy or doesn't much care one way or the other.

Despite Ban, YouTube Is Still a Hotbed of Terrorist Group Video Propaganda - Neal Ungerleider, fastcompany.com: Last week, following government requests, YouTube removed videos of Anwar al-Awlaki urging Muslims to take up arms against the United States. But many of the videos are still available. Image from article 1a7

Iranians Hail Detroit Power by Revving Their Vintage V-8’s - Jim Koscs, New York Times: There is a logical explanation for the popularity of American cars in Iran: during the 1970s, when tens of thousands of Iranian students were attending American colleges, an Iranian tax exemption let each student ship home a personal car.


Not surprisingly, low gasoline prices helped students to rationalize their desire for fast, powerful models. Image from

Hitler and the Germans: breaking the taboo: For the first time ever, a German museum is daring to put the Führer on show. But can it explain how a nation fell under his spell? The Telegraph’s former Berlin correspondent Harry de Quetteville went to find out [includes slide show of exhibit] - telegraph.co.uk: These days in Berlin, Hitler’s name is once again on everyone’s lips. The reason is a new exhibition, “Hitler and the Germans – The Nation and Crime” that has opened at the German Historical Museum (DHM). It is the first time that Germany has ever mounted an exhibition about him. Judging by the queues, which form outside the museum early before opening each morning, he remains a captivating figure – and of the 50,000 who have packed in to see the show in the two weeks since it opened, at least 30,000 have been German.

There is the fear that the show will become a place of veneration for neo-Nazis. The curators have even decided to mute projections of him making speeches. Such concerns shape the whole presentation of the exhibition. “We wanted to display propaganda,” Dr Erpel says, “but we did not want to become a platform for that propaganda.” This exhibition has been staged with help from abroad. The guiding philosophy behind it is derived from the work of Sir Ian Kershaw, the British historian whose biography of Hitler, even in Germany, is described as “the definitive work”. Sir Ian is a member of the exhibition’s board of historians, and describes, in an essay for the show, the “almost mystical link between the Führer and his followers”. “Everything you are, you are through me,” he quotes Hitler as saying in 1936. “And everything I am, I am only through you.” Image of exhibit item from article

Imperial German Propaganda - seajey.livejournal.com



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25 Bizarre Propaganda Posters - Ian Fortey, holytaco.com

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