January 23-24

"I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room."

--Blaise Pascal

WORLD WAR II PROPAGANDA CARTOON: Tokyo Woes

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Public Diplomacy In U.S.-China Relations - Jian (Jay) Wang, Newswire – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "As Secretary Hillary Clinton stated last week, U.S.-China relations are now at 'a critical juncture.' Public diplomacy plays a crucial role in steering this vital relationship in a positive direction. ... But the practice of public diplomacy is conditioned by institutional and ideological imperatives and contexts.

So, an important first step is to initiative dialogs and substantive exchanges between practitioners and scholars of public diplomacy of the two countries." Image from

Growing role for public diplomacy‎ - EastDay.com: "Public diplomacy should play a great role in China's efforts to help the rest of the world better understand the country and its standpoint on key issues, experts said. 'People-to-people exchanges are relatively less developed compared with other areas. Mutual trust should be based on people-to-people trust,' said Wang Honggang, an expert on US studies from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. 'To help people know themselves and each other objectively is the most important task of people-to-people diplomacy,' Wang said. ... Prior to Hu's US visit, a promotional video on China was displayed in New York's iconic Times Square. The 60-second video, which features basketball superstar Yao Ming and astronaut Yang Liwei among other celebrities, will stay on the big screen until Feb 14. The display, which included a 30-second commercial to be aired on US television and a 30-minute documentary, is part of a major campaign to promote China's image in the United States, according to the State Council Information Office. This is the first time that China has been promoted overseas on such a scale through a commercial channel. ... The US embassy in Beijing recently organized two roundtable meetings with Chinese bloggers to discuss China-US relations, trying to 'humanize' bilateral ties, as US Ambassador Jon Huntsman said. Such 'public diplomacy' is an important 'new dimension' of China's diplomacy, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said last April. 'The wisdom of China's diplomacy comes from the people,' he added. Wu Di, an economics teacher in Beijing, was one of the country's first practitioners of public diplomacy, writing directly to US President Barack Obama's White House e-mail address. Wu wrote to the president warning of the damage that could result from the currency dispute between the two countries."

Reactions to China's video ad campaign. (And Chinese soft power in Esperanto, etc.) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Hu Jintao, Obama and India - Team SAI, southasianidea.com: "In Washington and in Chicago, the Chinese president and his entourage announced a series of deals that, American officials said,


amounted to $45 billion worth of American exports to China. ... The Chinese claims of the summit being a huge success are an effort at public diplomacy to assert that they have arrived. The truth may lie elsewhere." Image from article

The Obama Administration And The War On Terror - Christine Detz, neontommy.com: "Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg addressed close to 100 members of the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles. Steinberg discussed the challenges facing the country, particularly those concerning national security. While North Korea and Tunisia feature prominently in the news coverage of late, Steinberg


sees another issue as the administration’s top priority at the moment. 'There are two things that preoccupy us, one is we still have not really come to terms with an effective strategy against extremism.' Steinberg added, 'This is a tremendous threat to stable societies, to global partners and ultimately because of technology, has become a deep and serious threat to us.' Pakistan poses a significant challenge according to Steinberg. While Obama has been able to build relationships with the Pakistani leadership, there remains a deep suspicion of the U.S. among the Pakistani people, something that is not lost on the administration. 'Public engagement, public diplomacy and using the tools of communication and technology have been dramatically more important,' said Steinberg. In Pakistan this includes using social media to combat fallacies about U.S. policies in an effort to stunt the increasing popularity of extremists." Steinberg image from

VOA's "Parazit": PD or Propaganda? - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "As much as I appreciate VOA's work in bringing uncensored and more objective information to the Iranian people, I'm finding it hard to define such programming in any terms that do not involve references to propaganda, in some shape or form.


After all, the difference between propaganda and public diplomacy is based on the 'element of morality' and, more importantly, on one's perspective. The former aims to tell people what to think, while the latter supposedly informs, raises questions, and suggests what the audience should think about." "Parazit" image from

Radio Martí introduces swap shop program - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Blackmailers, Informers and Quislings - Richard H. Cummings, Cold War Radios: "On July 4, 1950, Radio Free Europe (RFE) transmitted its first program, 30 minutes in length, to Czechoslovakia as an 'audience building broadcast.' The National Committee for Free Europe (NCFE) press statement released the day before outlined RFE’s future, even if it omitted RFE’s true sponsorship: Owned and operated by the National Committee for a Free Europe, Inc., a group of private American citizens, Radio Free Europe will broadcast the true story of freedom and democracy to the eighty million people living in Communist slavery between Germany and Russia.


Freed of diplomatic limitations, the broadcasts will be hard-hitting. [This entry] will look at how certain hard-hitting broadcasts of Radio Free Europe (RFE) from Munich were used tone-down for the second Crusade for Freedom campaign in the United States that began in September 1951." Image from article

Twitter Diplomacy: U.S. Diplomacy Embracing Twitter Amid Global Crises - Matthew Lee, huffingtonpost.com: "The State Department is tightening its embrace of Twitter and other social media as crises grip the Middle East and Haiti, with officials finding new voice, cheek and influence in the era of digital diplomacy. Even as it struggles to contain damage caused by WikiLeaks' release of classified internal documents, the department is reaching out across the Internet.


It's bypassing traditional news outlets to connect directly and in real time with overseas audiences in the throes of unrest and upheaval. ... In recent days, department spokesman P.J. Crowley has tweeted to knock down rumors, amplify U.S. policy positions, appeal for calm and urge reforms in Haiti, Tunisia and Lebanon. ... 'We are not utopian about technology,' he said. 'We understand that it just a tool. However, if you want to be relevant in 2011, you need to understand how to harness the power of technology.'" Image from article

Gov 2.0 L.A. 2011 Final Content - Alan W. Silberberg, ideagov.wordpress.com: "Gov 2.0 L.A. 2011 is upon us shortly. As the founder I could not be more excited about what is about to happen. Gov 2.0 LA started last year as a way to bring people who are not usually together in the same room to be able to openly discuss both Government 2.0 and the technology around it as well as form long standing interpersonal relationships. ... Sunday: Public Diplomacy and the New World with Lovisa Williams of the U.S. State Department, Gina Evans of the British Foreign Commonwealth Office and Martha McLean of the Canadian Foreign Affairs Bureau. They will be re-capping the highlights of the Friday Consular Boot camp as well as discussing the state of the art in Public Diplomacy around the world and how Gov 2.0 is pushing it farther along."

Wikileaks: Americans concerned about radicalization and anti-American views of Dutch Muslims - Ahmed Arwo, samotalis.blogspot.com: "More shocking news from Wikileaks. Dutch broadcaster NOS published several cables from the American Embassy in the Hague, detailing how concerned the Americans were (and still are) about the threat posed by radicalized Dutch and other European Muslims, and the steps the Americans took to deal with this threat. ... The Embassy put special emphasis on outreach during Ramadan ... , a tradition which continues to this day: Embassy staff participated in 19 outreach events during Ramadan


this year, including hosting mission's first-ever Iftar dinner, attending small Iftar gatherings hosted by Muslim families in Amsterdam, participating in the country's first nationwide Ramadan festival, and hosting an international visitor from the Council on Islamic Education who conducted a series of workshops on religion and democracy. Mission participation went beyond public diplomacy staff and included political section, Foreign Commercial Service, economic section, the delegation to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, Consulate General in Amsterdam, and front office staff. In addition, political officer assigned to cover Muslim issues held 13 separate meetings with Muslim representatives during the month-long festival." Image from

Propaganda and Prejudice - Laura McGinnis, manIC: "So, continuing this week's investigation into the overlap between PD and propaganda, I'm linking to this fabulous online exhibit (courtesy of the U.S. National Archives) called Powers of Persuasion. Most of these posters targeted a domestic audience, but they contain a lot of information about U.S. attitudes toward other countries--particularly the Axis powers. The objective of the posters was to increase public support for the war abroad, and the selected images demonstrate different tactics the government employed--including promoting interracial unity, inciting emotional responses and using humor or symbolism."

Palestine papers: Now we know. Israel had a peace partner: The classified documents [not specified which] show Palestinians willing to go to extreme lengths and Israel holding a firm line on any peace deal - Jonathan Freedland guardian.co.uk: "These papers show that the Israelis were intransigent in public – and intransigent in private. What's more, the documents blow apart what has been a staple of Israeli public diplomacy: the claim that there is no Palestinian partner. That theme, a refrain of Israeli spokesmen on and off for years, is undone by transcripts which show that there is not only a Palestinian partner but one more accommodating than will surely ever appear again."

The failure of Hasbara and what to do about it - raymondcook.net: "In a recent address to the Ariel Conference on Law and Mass Media, Melanie Phillips criticised the failure of Israel’s Public Diplomacy (hasbara) and outlined why the thrust of hasbara has been wrong and how it should be conducted. Later, on Israeli TV, she laid into hasbara as being ‘a joke’ . ... Melanie makes connections between the progress of political Islam, antisemitism in the West and the Muslim world,


far Left political discourse and the failure of western civilisation to defend itself against attack by forces inimical to it. For Melanie, the defence of an imperfect Israel is critical to the defence of western, and therefore, Christian civilisation." Image from

Indianesia cont - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "The Institute for Defense Studies & Analysis (IDSA) in Delhi has a new report on India's Look East policy in regards to Indonesia. The report looks at areas of partnership, cultural diplomacy and Indian soft power towards Indonesia. I have been arguing for some time that India should look to bring Indonesia into the fold of IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum) and make it IBSAI. IDSA had offered me a Visiting Fellowship to research Indian public diplomacy, but unfortunately, we couldn't make the particulars work out. Maybe sometime in the future I will write a brief someday on IBSA(I) for IDSA."

Careers In International Education - Jan. 26th Lunch Session: "*Focus on International Education* w/special guest Sora Friedman, PhD World Learning, School for International Training Sora Friedman, PhD ... Dr. Friedman has worked in the field of international education


for 25 years, focusing on the administration of adult exchanges in public diplomacy, international training programs, high-school exchanges, and international policy advocacy." Image from

Deputizing My New Bloggers - israport.org: "I hereby deputize my HonestReporting colleagues, Simon Plosker, Yarden Frankl, and Alex Margolin, to contribute their expertise and insights to Backspin. ... Simon — our managing editor, who writes the regular media critiques — will blog UK issues, the boycott-divestment-sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel, and weigh in on various aspects of public diplomacy."

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

smARTpower now accepting applications‎ - Linda Constant, Huffington Post: "Promoting cultural relations via the visual arts is an increasingly important tool for nations to utilize. However, while traditional art spaces do fulfill an important role in society, the basic reality is that too often the viewers inside these venues are quite predictable - in other words, the artwork tends to preach to the converted. Many cultural diplomacy endeavors within governments, particularly when using the visual arts, present art in the safety of the traditional museum or mega-gallery. While the reasons for doing so are understandable, it's much more exciting to hear about programs that accept a bit more out-of-the-box type of approach. This is what makes smARTpower quite an exciting project.


An initiative of the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by The Bronx Museum of the Arts, smARTpower seeks to collaborate with citizens around the world to create community-based public art projects that promote cultural and social discourse across borders. smARTpower will send fifteen emerging to mid-career U.S. artists to develop programs in cooperation with local arts organizations in China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Venezuela. Because smARTpower's objective is to create international dialogue and communication on a wide range of subjects from women's rights to the environment, submissions of works that are participatory in nature are highly encouraged. To apply, submit your proposal (online only) by midnight, February 28, 2011." Constant image from article

Envoy to Hungary links cultures via winemaking and Lady Gaga - Dan Morain, Sacramento Bee: "In Sacramento, Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis is known as a businesswoman and daughter of developer Angelo K. Tsakopoulos, who is involved in Democratic politics, and is a friend of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. For the past year, she has been the U.S. ambassador to Hungary.


Hungary will be in the news more, as it hosts the rotating presidency of the European Union. On a home visit, the ambassador spoke with The Bee's Dan Morain about Hungary, the fallout from WikiLeaks disclosures, Lady Gaga, Hungarian wine and the status of gays. ... President Barack Obama recently signed the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, and gays are permitted to serve openly in the military. How are gays viewed in Hungary? They're not as far along in terms of openness toward differences. How do you deal with that? We deal with it by promoting tolerance, the idea that people being different under one roof in one society advances and enhances the goals of that society. I talk about it often, that the success of America is in its diversity. Does that cause conflict? No. It is an area where we discuss and share ideas. I went to a Lady Gaga concert (at Papp Laszlo Sportarena in Budapest), and gave her an award for cultural diplomacy. Lady Gaga? A big part of her message is to speak out to people who are different and who feel different and tell them it is OK to be different, even when everyone around you is telling you it isn't. She was a huge draw." Image from article, with caption: Pop star Lady Gaga, left, accepts a cultural diplomacy award from U.S. Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis in Budapest.

Russia Bans US Art Loans In Battle Over "Messianic" Archive - Artinfo: "A dispute over an obscure trove of religious documents has spun into a row over cultural diplomacy, as Russia's culture minister Alexander Avdeyev announced today that the country was continuing a ban on all exhibitions traveling to the United States, a move taken in reaction to a U.S. court's ruling regarding a disputed Hasidic Jewish archive.


The collection of 12,000 books and 50,000 other documents was assembled by Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn and has been held in Russia since World War II — but the Brooklyn-based Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement has claimed ownership, and a U.S. court ruled in its favor in August. Avdeyev has justified the ban of sending exhibitions to the U.S. by saying that any artworks to travel to the United States could be seized in order to force Moscow to return the cache." Image from article, with caption: The Russian State Library in Moscow currently houses the Schneersohn library.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra turns heads in Florida‎ - William Littler, Toronto Star: "Last Sunday, on the charter plane returning from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s six-city tour of Florida, music director Peter Oundjian took some time to reflect on the meaning of the orchestra’s visit to the Sunshine State. 'It was our first real tour in more than a decade,' he observed.


'And it was hugely important.' ... The benefits of cultural diplomacy, long recognized by some countries, remain undervalued in Canada." Image from article, with caption: From left, violinist Jennifer Thompson, cellist Emmanuelle Beaulieu-Bergeron and violinist Amanda Goodburn form a leaping TSO on a Florida beach .

Looking East: Pop culture fans create small world on Twitter‎ - Takamasa Sakurai, The Daily Yomiuri: "If I were able to travel back in time and tell my teenage self that I would one day be enthusiastically welcomed in Manhattan as a lecturer on Japanese anime, fashion and music, the younger me--a fan of films set in the Big Apple--would never believe it. But in October I did indeed speak as an invited guest at the New York Anime Festival. I may discuss the event itself in this column at a later date, but this time around I would like to touch on interactions I have had with young people at similar events. From the very beginning of my efforts in cultural diplomacy, I have often corresponded with people I met at pop culture events--people I interviewed or who approached me after one of my lectures. What I find interesting of late is the increasing number of young people who send me messages via Twitter. They talk about their impressions of the event or the lecture I gave. They also tell me about what is happening around them. These tweets are like short, open letters. ... Without any serious English language skills, I'm keeping in touch with the world through Twitter. Opinions about the microblogging service differ, but I for one am grateful for being able to utilize it. Sakurai is a content producer using events and seminars to engage in 'pop culture diplomacy.' This column consists of selected stories translated from his weekly column in The Yomiuri Shimbun."

'Muslim Cosby Show' Not A Crazy Idea - Azeem Ibrahim, Illume: "Katie Couric's recent comments recommending a Muslim Cosby show to combat anti-Muslim bigotry has been decried by some as a naïve, simplistic remedy for the festering sore of Islamophobia in America. However, research and common sense in fact suggest that authentic and accessible American Muslim narratives can emerge as popular, effective tools of cultural diplomacy in helping bridge the divides between Muslim Communities and the U.S. As an expert on cultural diplomacy and one of founding members of the Aspen Cultural Dialogue Group, a venture launched by the Aspen Institute in 2008, my research indicates the process towards radicalization and extremism is profoundly cultural.


It depends less on economic and societal grievances, but instead relies heavily on ideas, beliefs, and an individual's interpretation of reality. It turns out that the picture that the media paint is a powerful influence on how we, as global citizens, view the world and our neighbors. ... On both sides of the cultural divide, certain extremist voices have hijacked national tragedies to promote their simplistic, black and white narrative where the other exists only as the enemy and all nuances, color and shades of gray are removed from the storytelling. Amidst these poisonous stereotypes, however, exciting new narratives are emerging from a globalized generation that reflect the messy, complicated but successful co-existence of Muslim and Western cultures. One such example is Wajahat Ali's The Domestic Crusaders, a remarkable and revelatory new play about the day in the life of a Muslim Pakistani American family recently published by McSweeney's." See also. Image from

Iran Will Keep Human Rights Artifact Until the Spring‎ - Care2.com: "Museums today do more than preserve history; they also forge networks as cultural ambassadors, such as between Great Britain and Iran, where museums in both countries shared iconic pre-Islamic artifacts to open new audiences to art in ancient Persia. In what was reported as a 'diplomatic breakthrough,' both museums collaborated on the 2005-2006 London exhibit Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia, where the Iranian government loaned artifacts to the British Museum in exchange for the British Museum loaning the National Museum of Iran the Cyrus Cylinder, an ancient Persian artifact, for a four-month show. ... Where politics and diplomacy find enough red tape not to enter, art is there to open the doorway, which is why the British Museum decided to loan the cylinder to Tehran in the first place. More than an ancient artifact, it's a reminder that cultural diplomacy knows no government, no political system, no religion, no borders, no time period." Image from article

Boycott the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on its US Tour!‎ - Alternative Information Center (AIC): "The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel appeals to BDS activists in the United States to boycott the US tour of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in February and March 2011, due to its complicity in whitewashing Israel's persistent violations of international law and human rights. ... Often said to have more heart than other orchestras, the IPO


is Israel’s finest cultural emissary and travels throughout the world, particularly to countries where there is little or no Israeli representation. In some cases, performances of the IPO are the only example of Israel’s existence. The goodwill created by these tours, which have included historic visits to Japan, Argentina, Poland, Hungary, Russia, China and India, is of enormous value to the State of Israel. As a result, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra maintains its position at the forefront of cultural diplomacy and the international music scene." Image from

Melange of moods and music‎ - Poornima Gururaja, Deccan Herald: "The recently concluded 10-day-long Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF 2010) brought together performers from over 18 countries.


This year, the Festival (established in 2007) played host to nearly 2,000 artistes in 27 venues spread over 10 days. 'I want to place this Festival as a platform for cultural diplomacy and international tourism,' says Prathibha Prahlad, celebrated dancer and Festival director." Image from article

Nahj ul Balaqa for Children in the Latest Issue of ICN‎ - ABNA.ir: "The latest issue of the Iranian Cultural Newsletter (ICN) was released in London on December 31. According to the public relations office of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, this issue features articles on Nahj-ul-Balaqa for Children, the Supreme Leader’s visit to Gilan, North of Iran, the president’s visit to Alborz province, and 'Soft War and Cultural Diplomacy' Seminar. In the field of culture, there is also a report regarding three short films by Abbas Kiarostami as well as an article featuring Water Museum in Yazd province, south east of Isfahan. There is also information about Parvin Etesami, 20th century Iranian poetess. The ICN is a biweekly published by the Iranian Cultural Center in London. It is intended to truly and thoroughly reflect the Iranian officials’ ideas and viewpoints in British educated society and media."

International integration serves the nation's development‎ - VOVNews.vn: "International integration contributes much to the country’s industrialisation, modernisation, construction and defence in the new stage, said A Party Central Committee member at the ongoing 11th National Party Congress in Hanoi on January 14. Pham Binh Minh, who is also Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister, said external activities over the past five years were synchronously carried out, harnessing the strength of the Party’s foreign affairs, State and people-to-people diplomacy.


International integration linked foreign activities with the expansion of political, economic and cultural ties, making great achievements and contributing to maintaining peace and stability, taking advantage of favourable international conditions for national construction and unceasingly raising Vietnam’s international position. ... [D]iplomacy should work as a comprehensive sector with three pillars – political diplomacy, economic diplomacy plus cultural diplomacy and oversea Vietnamese-related affairs. Defence and security diplomacy needs to be developed extensively and intensively." Image from article

Why we're determined to end human trafficking in Europe: Kate Imasuen - Sam Anokam, Daily Sun: "With human trafficking still rearing its head and denting the image of African and Nigerians in diaspora, Mrs. Kate Ibara Imasuen through her German-based Non- Governmental Organization, Great African Network for Women, is motivated to fight human trafficking and restore the nearly lost image of Nigeria abroad. Imasuen and her husband, Philip, are pastors of House of Prayers International Ministries, Berlin.


The couple recently collaborated with Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO), Germany and instituted for Cultural Diplomacy with the Nigerian Embassy in Germany to honour Titi Abubakar, wife of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Bishop Peace Okonkwo for their contributions in affecting the lives of children and the women folks positively. They were conferred with the Lifetime achievers awards." Kate Ibara Imasuen image from article

Tough border to breach - Aalap Deboor, Hindustan Times - "Salman Ahmad of sufi-rock band Junoon refers to his 2008 Srinagar concert as the ‘most inspired’ performance of his life. 'Indian fans showed me that the guitar is more powerful than the gun. Only music can bring people together and break walls,' he says. Ahmad will be here on January 21 to promote his book Rock and Roll Jihad at the Jaipur Literature Festival. ... The industry now appeals for the youth to use modern means of communication to reestablish cultural diplomacy. Especially since new media has made it possible for fans from both sides to communicate with each other and the artistes. 'Fans from India send me emails and tweets, and we share our love of music, film, books and food. It allows for a dialogue that wasn’t possible 10-15 years ago,' Ahmad says."

Stephen Hough; Budapest Festival Orchestra/Iván Fischer‎ Musical Criticism - Hugo Shirley: "Timed to celebrate both Hungary taking over the EU presidency and the start of the officially sanctioned celebrations of the Liszt anniversary, there was certainly a sense of occasion at this concert by the Budapest Festival Orchestra. ... In a nice touch of cultural diplomacy, it was British pianist Stephen Hough who was charged with channelling the spirit of Liszt


in the performance of the E-flat concerto that followed. It doesn't do any harm that he's long been one of the composer's most persuasive interpreters, and with the Hungarians supporting to the hilt, this was just the sort of gloriously unapologetic performance this work needs: this is Liszt, it seemed to say, like it or lump it." Liszt image from

Thailand - Foreign Minister visits the Indian Cultural Centre‎ - isria.com: "On 11 January 2554 [sic], Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited the Indian Cultural Centre, located on the 27th floor, Jasmine City Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 23, Bangkok. He was welcomed by Mr. Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Indian Ambassador to Thailand, and Mrs. Renuka Narayanan, Director of the Indian Cultural Centre. The purpose of this visit was to share and exchange views on cultural diplomacy between Thailand and India. In this regard, India is the one of the very first countries in Asia which attaches importance to cultural diplomacy. Besides the centre in Bangkok, the Indian Government has established Indian Cultural Centres in various major cities such as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi, Mexico City, etc."

Entertainment Calendar - Fairfaxtimes.com: "Chez Nous Reston Salon presents 'U.S. Cultural Diplomacy and the Islamic World' with Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, director of the Arts and Cultural Program, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution, from 5 to 8 p.m."

Texas Cultural Trust Announces 2011 Texas Medal of Arts Awards - Peter Simek, D Magazine: "About the co-chairs [:] Adair Margo served as chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities from 2000- 2008, focusing on international cultural diplomacy. Since 1985, Adair has owned Adair Margo Fine Art that has exhibited over 400 individual artists from a dozen countries, and has placed the work of regional artists in the collections of national museums, the Oval Office of the White House, and in U.S. Embassies worldwide."
Watch: Charles Barkley Discusses Cultural Diplomacy Of Blake Griffin’s Dunking (Really.) - Brad Cohen, sportsgrid.com: "If you’re reading this, you probably already know—Blake Griffin is ridonkulous. And anybody watching 'Inside the NBA' on TNT last week knows that former NBA stars have as big of a man crush on Griffin as the rest of us. 'Some person tried to compare me to him, and I said ‘other than being black we have nothing in common,' Charles Barkley said.


'He is spectacular. Ya know the thing that’s scary? He don’t even know how to play yet…' Barkley and co. talked about Griffin’s skills and, um, cultural inclusiveness as the Clippers star puts on a dunking clinic on screen. If you didn’t already know, in addition to getting everyone in basketball fired up, the ROY-in-waiting is a cultural ambassador. Yep, the 'indiscriminate dunker' doesn’t care if you’re white, black, Italian or Martian. It’s irrelevant. Get out of the way, or get run over. Doesn’t matter—you’re getting dunked on." Image from article

RELATED ITEMS

Chinese Pianist Plays Propaganda Tune at White House US humiliated in eyes of Chinese by song used to inspire anti-Americanism - Matthew Robertson, Epoch Times: At the White House State dinner on Jan. 19, about six minutes into his set, Lang Lang began tapping out a famous anti-American propaganda melody from the Korean War: the theme song to the movie “Battle on Shangganling Mountain.” The film depicts a group of “People’s Volunteer Army” soldiers who are first hemmed in at Shanganling (or Triangle Hill) and then, when reinforcements arrive, take up their rifles and counterattack the U.S. military “jackals.” The movie and the tune are widely known among Chinese, and the song has been a leading piece of anti-American propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for decades. CCP propaganda has always referred to the Korean War as the “movement to resist America and help [North] Korea.” The message of the propaganda is that the United States is an enemy—in fighting in the Korean War the United States’ real goal was said to be to invade and conquer China.


Image, with caption, Lang Lang, a Chinese pianist, plays the piano at the White House on Jan. 19, 2011. The music he is playing is the theme song from an anti-American propaganda movie about the Korean War.

Pushing China, quietly: President Obama stood up for human rights in China in his talks with President Hu Jintao, but it was done in private - Editorial, latimes.com: The argument for pragmatism holds in the contemporary relationship between China and the United States. The two nations are economically interdependent; Chinese cooperation is vital in restraining the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea. Even so, Obama called Hu's attention to China's violations of human rights. He was judicious and judgmental at the same time.

China's new world order demands stronger U.S. response - Robert J. Samuelson, Washington Post: By all appearances, Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington last week changed little in the lopsided American-Chinese relationship. What we have is a system that methodically transfers American jobs, technology and financial power to China in return for only modest Chinese support for important U.S. geopolitical goals: the suppression of Iran's and North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. American officials act as though there's not much they can do to change this.

The internet versus 1) authoritarians, 2) corporations that "float above the nation-state," and 3) the very rich - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Robert Reilly, author of The Closing of the Muslim Mind: Exclusive Jihad Watch interview - jihadwatch.org: Reilly:


In the majority of Sunni Islam today, access to realty is blocked because of the abandonment of reason. The premise on which reason was discredited is the delusion from which they are suffering. It is very hard to get them to realize this because the premise is a theological one - that God is pure will and power, not reason. Image from article

Al Qaeda And the U.S., Still Battling [review of The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda by Peter L. Bergen] - Michiko Kakutani, New York Times: “By the end of the second Bush term,” Mr. Bergen


writes near the end of this valuable book, “it was clear that Al Qaeda and allied groups were losing the ‘war of ideas’ in the Islamic world, not because America was winning that war — quite the contrary: most Muslims had a quite negative attitude toward the United States — but because Muslims themselves had largely turned against the ideology of bin Ladenism.” Bergen image from article

AMERICANA

Possibly the most talented slingshot marksman of all time [VIDEO] - wimp.com. Via LB

IMAGE


--Imaginary WWI "Trench Destroyer" from Gernsback's Electrical Experimenter, Boing Boing