"Inter arma silent Musae."
--In times of war the muses fall silent, goes the classic dictum derived from Cicero; image from
E-MAIL MESSAGE
"Dear John, You will be interested to know that Macquarie University has recently received an anonymous donation of $ 1.000,000 to support its soft power work. This has been reported at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/hard-cash-for-soft-power/story-e6frgcjx-1226050008263 A Soft Power Advocacy & Research Centre (SPARC) will be established in October 2011 at Macquarie University, Australia's first soft power centre.
I have been designated as the Inaugural Director. I look forward to collaboration as we move forward. Yours sincerely, Naren Professor Naren Chitty A.M. Inaugural Director Designate, SPARC Foundation Chair in International Communication Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of International Communication Macquarie University North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia. Image from
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Obama's Poland Jaunt: Low Marks Overall - EurAmerican: "Obama started strong just by virtue of being in Europe, and stopping in Poland helped provide a badly needed shot in the arm for US public diplomacy and strategic relations in the former Communist bloc. But he flailed on Israel -- a poignant subject for Poland, the home of Auschwitz, in which masses of Jews perished at the hands of the Nazis -- offering a dubious 'I will always be there for Israel' in response to a question from a concerned Polish Jew.
Obama's statement would have been more convincing if he hadn't just been snubbed big-time during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, who called Obama's plan to return to Israel's 1967 borders 'indefensible.' Nor did Obama do much better on the military dossier. He highlighted plans to house a squadron of US fighter jets in Poland in 2013, which did generate some positive echo in the national and regional press. Yet the US squadron's presence in the country would have been more significant had these same arrangements not been already scheduled, well in advance of the President's trip. For these reasons and more, Obama's European tour was more style than substance." Image from article
Erick Sorensen’s “Plan” to cut spending and reduce the deficit - itmakessenseblog.com: "I just got us out of debt, out of war, on track and on target to make us self reliant in 25 steps!!! Not enough, want more!?!? [Abolish, among other] ... Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (State Department) Radio and TV Marti (Español)
NY Times piece about US international broadcasting covers the bases, but includes some disinformation - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "This piece covers all the bases of today's US international broadcasting, but it does not drill down into some of the more important issues. For example, Mr. Landler refers to 'the need for the United States to get its message across,' which is typical of US domestic media's dismissal of US international broadcasting as something other than a group of news organizations. The growing debate about whether USIB should do news or get messages across will increasingly be in the news. Mr. Landler was taken in by disinformation apparently provided by an official of US international broadcasting. He wrote, 'Radio Free Asia — a so-called surrogate service that focuses on delivering news about China rather than the United States — will take over some of Voice of America’s better shortwave frequencies.' This implies that VOA's content focuses on the United States.
As anyone who listens to VOA knows, this is not true. In order to attract an audience, VOA also provides a great deal of news about its target countries. VOA and the Radio Free stations therefore often cover the same stories. The resulting duplication is another of the important issues that Mr. Landler overlooked. It was the subject of my July 2010 op-ed, which happened to be published in the New York Times. I think this article is the first US media mention of the BBG's planned global newsroom. With all the entities using each other's news, USIB becomes more like General Motors. Chevrolet and Pontiac shared basic platforms and engines, covered by somewhat different sheet metal. As GM eventually learned, Pontiac had to go. Of VOA and Radio Free Whatever, which will be the Pontiac, and which will be the Chevy?" Image from
US cables discussed VOA dissemination in Pakistan (updated) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Beer Brands – Advertising's War on Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department's Shared Values Initiative - Brewmaster, beerbrands.learnbrewing.com: "Did the Bush Administration Err In Shutting Down 'Brand America Ad Campaign? The Bush Administration missed an opportunity to improve America’s image in the Arab and Muslim world when it shut down the controversial 2002 'Brand America public diplomacy television advertising campaign, according to a new book written by two U.S. advertising professors. Contrary to reports from the news media and from government at the time, the Shared Values Initiative (SVI)—the official name for the advertising campaign at the State Department—improved America’s image in Indonesia and possibly throughout the Middle East, according to Jami Fullerton of Oklahoma State University and Alice Kendrick of Southern Methodist University. 'So, did SVI work?' the professors write in Advertising’s War on Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department’s Shared Values Initiative. 'According to internal State Department documents about SVI in Indonesia, the campaign achieved its objectives. It not only got people talking about Muslim life in America, it also produced more positive perceptions of America.' This finding also is backed up by experimental research the professors conducted in London, Cairo and Singapore. After viewing the five television advertisements, international students were more likely to believe Muslims are fairly treated in the United States and the students had more positive attitudes toward the 'United States government' and 'U.S. people.' The research also found that attitudes toward the United States improved more among Muslim students than among Christians and other students. The goal of SVI was to convince the Muslim and Arab world that America wasn’t waging war on Islam. The Madison Avenue-produced ads depicted the happy
lives of Muslims in America, including Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, who is shown on the cover of the book shaking hands with President George W. Bush. The commercials aired in Indonesia and other Middle Eastern and Asian countries over a month-long period between late October and early December ... 2002. About 300 million Arabs and Muslims saw them. 'Public diplomacy practitioners and scholars continue to lambaste SVI and the idea of using advertising as a weapon in the war on terrorism,' they write in the final chapter to their book. 'The official account is that SVI failed. … However, research presented in … this book suggests that SVI may have worked. … So the question becomes: If communication campaigns like SVI have the potential to be effective, what went wrong in 2002 and what can be done in the future to make similar public diplomacy programs work better?' The authors place much of the blame on State Department bureaucrats and on journalists, who at the time of the campaign denounced SVI, saying it didn’t work. The bureaucrats and journalists also criticized SVI’s creator, Charlotte Beers, a former advertising executive who created and directed the SVI campaign when she was under secretary of public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department. However, the critics had no scientific evidence to back up their criticism, the authors point out. Instead, they suggest that Bush Administration officials acted more upon ideological and parochial prejudices rather than upon scientific evidence."
US Reaffirms Asia Role - Damien Tomkins, The Diplomat: "China’s intentions for its role on the global stage, and more importantly for its military in the Asia-Pacific region, remain unclear. Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie ... maintained that China is committed to regional peace and stability, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and stability in the South China Sea. But one can’t help but wonder if these pronouncements from Liang are somewhat akin to Hans Christian Anderson’s fable ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes.’
In that tale, the Emperor and his courtiers believe his non-existent clothes are real, and expect his loyal subjects to also do so without question. It’s only when the King goes out on a public parade that a young boy states the obvious in his exclamation ‘But he hasn’t got anything on.’ In some ways, Chinese public diplomacy surrounding its ‘peaceful and harmonious’ rise is similar to this fairy tale. The evidence speaks for itself, with the South China Sea being the most explicit example. Vietnam and the Philippines have both accused China within the past few weeks of aggressive behaviour that violates their interests and which is against the spirit of the 2002 Declaration on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea. Chinese claims over this waterway have persistently been a regional bone of contention, with no resolution yet in sight, but regional concern growing. Other examples are tied to the lack of transparency over Chinese military programmes. ... From the perspective of the United States, it’s abundantly clear that the Asia-Pacific region is of paramount importance in terms of its trade and economic well-being. The US military presence that actively supports peace and stability throughout the region, in terms of deterrence and humanitarian assistance, is a public good that all benefit from. The clear US policy of continuing to engage throughout the region, and its involvement in regional institutions, bodes well for everyone." Image from, with headline: The Emperor wears no clothes.
Spy chief on Chinese threat, Inside China - Washington Times: "Chinese Gen. Xiong Guangkai, a longtime military intelligence chief who recently retired, has published an article that says the reason much of the world views China’s rise as a threat is the result of those in the West mistranslating a Chinese phrase on Beijing’s strategy. Writing in the current issue of the Beijing-based Public Diplomacy Quarterly, Gen. Xiong said the phrase in question is 'taoguangyanghui,' widely translated in the West as 'hide our capabilities; bide our time.' The four-character phrase has taken on monumental significance because it has become China’s national policy of global diplomacy and international strategy since Deng Xiaoping announced it in the late 1980s. Gen. Xiong disputes those who argue that the phrase implies hidden Chinese ambitions and disguised intentions for regional and global dominance. China, he says, has none, and those in the West who say China is a threat are misusing the phrase to smear China. ... However, in recent weeks, many Chinese defense analysts expressed fears that the demise of Osama bin Laden will lead to a reclassification of China as America’s chief target of concern, and thus place the threat posed by China front and center in U.S. defense strategy. To deflate this, some defense analysts have observed, the Chinese military in recent months launched a series of propaganda charm offensives, topped off by the visit to Washington by the People’s Liberation Army chief of staff, Gen. Chen Bingde, two weeks ago. There also was the Chinese defense minister’s unusual visit to America’s allies in the Pacific region at the same time that state-media described as 'humble.'”
Rep. Rohrabacher et al want to "fence off" $15 million of BBG budget for VOA Mandarin and Cantonese - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
8 June 2011, Wed, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule - Rush Limbaugh Report: "US FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS JUDITH MCHALE: 3:00 p.m. Under Secretary McHale meets with the Associate Dean of Columbia University’s School of Journalism, Arlene Morgan, in New York City. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)"
Public Schedule for June 9, 2011 - U.S. Department of State: "ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ANN STOCK 9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock delivers remarks at the Educational and Cultural Affairs Awards Ceremony, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 5:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock
hosts the American Institute for Foreign Study Reception celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Au Pair Program, at the Department of State. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)" Stock image from
Rep. Rohrabacher et al want to "fence off" $15 million of BBG budget for VOA Mandarin and Cantonese - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Voice of Russia Radio Launches New U.S. Stations, Delivering Russian News & Perspective to Americans - International Entertainment News: "The Voice of Russia (VOR) Radio announces two U.S. stations: 1430 AM New York and 1390 AM Washington, D.C. marking the first time VOR will produce programming and broadcast directly from the United States rather than broadcasting news from the Moscow-based radio program Leading up to Russia Day, a day of national celebrating commemorating the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russia Federation, VOR is hosting a panel discussion with U.S.-Russian diplomacy experts on Thursday, June 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
WHO: Voice of Russia Radio hosts a panel discussion with U.S.-Russian diplomacy experts to celebrate launch of two U.S.-based radio stations: -- Angela Stent, the Director for the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University -- Andrei Bystritsky, Chairman, Voice of Russia -- Joseph Duffey, former Director of the United States Information Agency -- Thomas Graham, former senior director at the National Security Council for Russia -- Rudiger Lentz, former Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for Deutsche Welle WHAT: Apanel discussion "From The Cold War to the Reset: The Changing Face of Public Diplomacy in Russia - U.S. Relations" exploring: -- How Russia and the U.S. now approach public diplomacy not as an ideological/propaganda effort but as a way of explaining their perspectives? -- Why is Voice of Russia opening a studio in Washington with American broadcasters and programming? -- What are the similarities and differences between the objectives of the Voice of Russia and the Voice of America? -- How are these efforts received by the in country audiences? WHEN: Thursday, June 9, 2011 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. WHERE: The National Press Club The Lisagor Room, 13(th) Floor 529 14(th) Street NW Washington, D.C. 20045 CONTACT: Media needs to RSVP to: Christy Moran (703) 299-2602 or cmoran@webermerritt.com." Image from article
Courtland Milloy: For American and Cuban people, divide not that deep - "HAVANA — While the Ballet Nacional de Cuba was in the District recently, I happened to be pirouetting around this town with a group of journalists from the United States. Not exactly a fair cultural exchange, but the Cuban people were gracious hosts nonetheless. ... The Cubans we met were not enslaved commie automatons. Many were intrigued by Cuba’s transitioning from guaranteed government jobs to opportunities for self-employment. Just not at any cost. ... 'You like baseball; we like baseball,' Contreras [a tourist guide from the state-owned Havanatours] said. 'We like jazz; you like jazz. You want universal health care and a good education for all; so do we. Both countries are struggling to find solutions to those problems.' And don’t forget the food. Contreras said. And don’t forget the food. Contreras likes black beans and rice; I like red beans and rice. Hold the political hot sauce, and our tastes are not so different after all."
Foreign Ministry urged to reveal West’s double-standard on uprisings - Tehran Times: "The Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has issued a statement about the ongoing developments in the Middle East and North Africa, calling on the Foreign Ministry to try to enlighten the world’s public opinion about West’s double-standard approach toward the popular uprisings. ... [T]he lawmakers called on the Foreign Ministry to take appropriate actions with regard to the regional developments [including]: (1) Adopting transparent stances in defense of popular movements, opposing the foreign meddling,
and employing the public diplomacy to reveal the Western powers’ double-standard approach toward the developments. ... (4) Continuing the policy of resistance against the propaganda campaign mounted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s enemies aimed at creating frustration among the revolutionary people in the region." Image from
Interview with Kim Byung-Kook, president of Korea Foundation - Sébastien Falletti, Europolitics.info: "[O] n the eve of the entry into force of the EU-South Korea free trade agreement (FTA), Seoul beefs up its public diplomacy
to strengthen political links with the 27-member bloc. [rest of article available only by subscription]." Kim Byung-Kook image from article
UK officials conclude Chevening scholarship interviews - minivannews.com: "British officials from the UK High Commission in Colombo have concluded a visit to Malé to interview applicants for the Chevening scholarship programme. Second Secretary Political and Public Diplomacy Dominic Williams, British Council Director Tony Reilly and Maldives Political Officer Shahla Ali visited to interview applicants. 'It is always a pleasure to meet the bright and enthusiastic students who apply to the Chevening scheme,' Williams said."
IPv6: Is your web site ready for it? - rediff.com: "Today is World IPv6 Day. Major organisations such as Google, Facebook and Yahoo are offering their content over IPv6 for a 24-hour test. The aim of celebrating June 8, 2011 as IPv6 Day is to motivate organisations across the Internet industry such as web service providers, hardware makers, operating system makers and other key players to prepare themselves for successful transition from IPv4 to IPv6 platform. IPv6 stands for Internet Protocol Version 6 which is the next generation of Internet Protocol and will eventually succeed Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4). ...
Claims Najib's Kazakhstan Visit Was For Daughter's Wedding Unfounded -- Foreign Ministry - mynewshub.my: "KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s visit to Kazakhstan was to fulfil his acceptance of a long-standing invitation of Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev to visit the country, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The ministry’s Department of Information and Public Diplomacy in a statement to BERNAMA Thursday refuted Malaysiakini’s June 7 report
titled 'PM’s use of public funds for wedding trip morally wrong'. It said claims by some quarters that the visit was for the wedding of the Prime Minister’s daughter was totally unfounded. The statement clarified that Najib’s visit to Kazakhstan on June 5 and 6 was also the Prime Minister’s first official visit to the country and reciprocated the visit by Nazarbayev to Malaysia in June 2006." Uncaptioned image from article
Romania - Graduation certificates award ceremony for students of Lauder-Reut High School - isria.com: "Today, June 7th, 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the graduation certificates award ceremony for the students of XIIth (final) high school grade at the diplomatic profile in the Lauder – Reut High School. The event was organized jointly with the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation of Romania and its education partners – the Romanian Diplomatic Institute and the Media University. Attending the ceremony were career diplomats, teaching staff, international relations specialists, students, representatives of the civil society and journalists. Among them was MFA Deputy Secretary General Alexandru Ion Steriu, Director of the Romanian Diplomatic Institute Radu Carp, and President of the Roland S. Lauder Foundation of Romania Tova Ben Nun – Cherbis. ... The event is part of a series of public diplomacy communication events intended to promote the diplomatic career and inform the public of the opportunities and challenges of work in international relations."
Countering Public Diplomacy - Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "One issue that I’ve never seen discussed as a general theme in the public diplomacy literature is how countries deal with what they regard as hostile or undesirable PD efforts directed against them. There is quite a lot discussion of this from the sending countries point of view in terms of difficulties for PD, for instance
through radio jamming (or in the current version internet blocking), harassment of PD activities, refusal of visas to PD visitors and so on but how does this look from the other side?" Countering image from
USC to Discuss Social Media and the Middle East at the June 23-24 StratCom Conference in LA - press release, Marketwire: "Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc. announces that the University of Southern California will present at the Strategic Communications Conference ( http://www.strategiccommunicationsconference.com ) taking place on June 23-24, 2011 at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Philip Seib, the Director for the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School and Professor of International Relations, Journalism and Public Diplomacy at USC will join government panelists from the Middle East to discuss how social media is affecting policy in the region."
Doubts about Twitter Revolution - Catherine Lehner, Digital Journal: [Google translation:] "Während im arabischen Raum momentan kein Stein auf dem anderen bleibt, diskutiert man auch den Einfluss traditioneller Medien und Social Media auf die Protestbewegung. While in the Arab world right now not one stone remains on the other, we discussed the influence of traditional media and social media on the protest movement. Für Philip Seib, vom Center of Public Diplomacy, wird die Rolle von Social Media überschätzt: Philip Seib, from the Center of Public Diplomacy, the role of social overestimated Media: 'Es ist zwar wichtig, aber das Fernsehen erreicht andererseits 80% der Bevölkerung, besonders in den großen Städten. 'It is important, but the TV reaches the other 80% of the population, especially in large cities. Das dominierende Medium war also das Fernsehen, in dem zuweilen Material aus Social Media aufbereitet und neuverpackt wurde.' (Interview mit NATO Brief) The dominant media then was the television, sometimes in the material from social media and neuverpackt was prepared. '(Interview with NATO)"
Celebrating Citizen Diplomacy - goodgoodmanchester: "Dr. Sherry Mueller, President of the National Council for International Visitors, will keynote the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire’s luncheon and annual meeting at 12 noon, Wednesday, June 15, at Penmen Room in the Athletic Center at Southern New Hampshire University. ... Sherry Mueller has provided leadership for the National Council for International Visitors since 1996, first as Executive Director and then as President. Before coming to NCIV, she worked for 18 years for the
Institute of International Education (IIE), first as a program officer and then as Director of the Professional Exchange Programs staff. During this time she was also an adjunct professor at American University, pioneering the first course on public diplomacy at American University’s School of International Service (SIS). Prior to joining IIE, Ms. Mueller served as an Experiment Leader to the former Soviet Union, an English Language Officer for the U.S. Department of State, and a lecturer at the University of Rhode Island." Image from article
Hoping to be a diplomat: what career path should I take? - theasker.biz: "Right now I’m a student at community college here in Baltimore, hoping to eventually transfer to Towson University. Right now I’m trying to figure out whether I should change my major from International Studies to Paralegal Studies because recently, I’ve come to the conclusion that even if I want to pursue diplomacy and foreign service someday it’s very unlikely that I would be able to find a job in that sector immediately following graduation from college. As I’ve taken an Intro to Law class this past spring semester,
emocleW ot yM sdrawkcaB suineG - hkdredbelt.typepad.com: "I have not passed a math class since 5th grade. That meant lots of summer school, where they just kind of slide you by. Naturally I was on the receiving end of lots of scathing tirades and accusations of laziness from nuns, which did a whole lot for my self esteem. Nevermind that I was soaring in foreign language skills, right? Forget that I went to a foreign country for the first time, and people would ask me if I was from a couple of provinces west because my fluency was spot-on. No. A huge discrepancy between math and language aptitude, but I was lazy? In my third year of college I was recruited by [what was then] the United States Information Agency [which is now absorbed under the Department of State] to further the cause of 'public diplomacy'. The requirement? Learn Bulgarian and go there. So it seems the deficit in math is inversely related to mad skills in language."
A super easy Guide to be able to Shopping for Property or home throughout Italy - propertyshowcase.za.net: "Thеѕе аrе јυѕt several οf thе facts thаt уου mυѕt know tο gеt οn tο suggestions within obtaining property within Italy. Sο thаt уου саn diplomacy one particular, bе сеrtаіn whаt уου pocket рlасе tο bе obtaining. Spend аѕ water supply аѕ rесkοn аbουt thе loads
οf elements аѕ water supply аѕ assemble whatever уου need thаt wіll саn hеlр уου inside уουr declaration-building. Dο nοt forget thаt аѕ a buyer, уου mυѕt pocket responsibility fοr thе affect up οn thе bits аnd pieces public diplomacy аnd thаt means уου mυѕt tο inspect thеѕе аѕ уου diplomacy." Image from
RELATED ITEMS
A plan for Afghanistan: Declare victory — and leave - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: The threat from Afghanistan is gone. Bring the troops home.
China Launches Propaganda War Against Small Maine Town, Loses - Max Fisher, theatlantic.com: The Global Times, China's state-owned, state-operated newspaper, which enjoys a print readership just under twice as large as that of the New York Times, often serves as a regime tool to flatter the Communist Party and to assail its enemies. Still, Global Times' Monday edition chose an unusual target for its latest onslaught: the quaint New England hamlet of Millinocket, Maine. How did Millinocket, population 5,000, attract the ire of the world's second largest economy and its leading producer of cheesy propaganda? Shanghai-based blogger Adam Minter explains that Millinocket's local high school is attempting to overcome budget shortfalls by recruiting international students. An October 2010 New York Times story on the school ran under the headline, "Needing Students, Maine School Hunts in China." China, attempting to combat the brain drain that for decades has siphoned away much of the country's top talent, would rather its best students not run off to New England. That fear apparently landed Millinocket's public high school, Stearns, on China's enemies list this week. The Global Times column goes on to argue that the American school will bankrupt Chinese parents and rob their children of the superior Chinese education they deserve. But, never able to resist a good propaganda opportunity, the Global Times article also trumpets the rate of Chinese acceptance to American universities. "There are more Chinese undergraduate students at American colleges than from any other country or region and the numbers of pre-collegiate Chinese students in the US is increasing every year too," it boasts. "During the 2009-10 academic year, 39,947 Chinese undergraduates were studying in the US, a 52 percent increase from the year before and about five times as many as six years ago."
Signs Of Intelligent Life Invading Social Media - Joe Mandese, mediapost.com: "I’ve always been fascinated by the connection between the marketing intelligence world (ie. Madison Avenue) and THE intelligence world (ie. intelligence agencies like the CIA, former KGB, etc.). From what I understand, it really began during World War II when the U.S. military enlisted Madison Avenue to help with propaganda, and that extended into intelligence work that extended post-war, into the Cold War, etc. Of course, nobody actually talks about this for explicit reasons, but my first real exposure to the connection started with a precursor to social media monitoring and tracking – the public relations measurement business. ... Well this morning ... I came across an announcement from Tel Aviv-based Taykey, a start-up created by former intelligence officers of the Israeli Defense Ministry, that they had officially launched a new service utilizing proprietary technology to analyze real-time data capable of predicting where online users will 'be next.'”
At U.S. embassy-in-exile, anguished diplomats watch Libyan conflict - Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post: In a windowless attic in Washington, under a maze of exposed pipes, a group of U.S. diplomats is working on Libya. They study maps. They scan Arabic-language TV. They reach out to their contacts in embattled villages. When the phones ring, they answer, “U.S. Embassy Tripoli.” This makeshift office in a State Department annex, reachable by a freight elevator, is a ghost of the mission the diplomats were forced to abandon in February as Tripoli erupted in gunfire. “We have constituted, in effect, an Embassy Libya-on-the-Potomac,” said Gene Cretz, who still holds the title of U.S. ambassador. The unconventional mission has kept together the handful of U.S. diplomats who have experience in Libya, and the group has provided critical information during the war on Moammar Gaddafi’s forces. But the attic has been the scene of anguish as well, as the diplomats have watched the destruction of their embassy compound and worried about the fate of their Libyan staff and friends.
Alexander Cockburn: Where’s the evidence of Gaddafi’s war crimes in Libya? - news.uk.msn.com: After all the endless disclosures of Nato's lies concerning its onslaughts on the former Yugoslavia in the late 1990s, and the hundreds of postmortems and official inquiries into the propaganda blitz before the attack on Iraq in 2003, the Western press is more gullible regarding Libya, less inclined to question official claims than in those earlier failures. The bar was already low, but now that those supposed lessons have been acknowledged and ignored, it has been lowered even further.
NATO's "Alternate Universe" in Libya - Wayne Madsen, strategic-culture.org: The Pentagon and its NATO partners are engaged in one of the most obvious and intensive propaganda ploys in their military operations against Libya since the days leading up to the "Coalition of the Willing" attack on Iraq. Suggestions
that the government of Muammar Qaddafi is on its last legs and that life in Tripoli has drawn to a standstill as a result of the NATO bombing campaign are not based on reality, as any unbiased observer who has recently been in Tripoli, has witnessed. Image from article
Libyan Street Art: The Anti-Gaddafi Caricatures - ibtimes.com [NOTE LINK COULD CONTAIN A VIRUS]: Walk down the streets of Tripoli and official portraits of Muammar Gaddafi's face are plastered everywhere as pro-government propaganda.
Throughout his campaign, his meticulous control over how and where these images appear has been straight out of the dictator's textbook. Now, in cities taken over by Libyan rebels, artists are turning these same images against the man in works of street art.
Countering Israeli propaganda - George S. Hishmeh, gulfnews.com: Thanks to some US supporters, especially well-placed journalists like Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, Israel has a glorified image. Lately, however, and in the wake of the Arab Spring that is toppling Arab autocrats, several American Jewish groups and activists have turned their guns on the Israeli establishment.
China takes no chances on starry propaganda movie - Chi-Chi Zhang, Associated Press, thenewstribune.com: China's Communist Party expects its new propaganda film will be a blockbuster.
After all, it has left little to chance. The cast is loaded with stars. Cinemas are banned from showing new Hollywood movies. And offices and schools have been encouraged to snap up tickets. But critics are skeptical about whether liberties were taken in depicting certain historical events. And questions remain as to why one female star won't appear. The film is known by the stilted English title "Beginning of the Great Revival" and is timed to celebrate the Communist Party's 90th anniversary. Image from article, with caption,
Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat speaks during a press conference for the "Beginning of a Great Revival" in Beijing, China, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
The History of the Lithographic Propaganda Poster - World War I was the first conflict in which the illustrated color lithographic poster was used as propaganda. Already well established in the world of commerce, travel, and entertainment before the war, illustrated posters had proven the most effective means of advertising yet invented. During the war, the poster’s accessibility and impact made it the single most important means of mass communication. ... With the outbreak of World War II, the poster once again was pressed into service. While many of the themes and techniques of posters remained the same as in World War I, there were many significant differences due to changes in warfare, society and the poster itself. First, WWII was much more of an ideological struggle that pitted the evils of Fascism and Totalitarianism against Democracy, with extreme differences in the culture and in the Pacific Theater, race of the combatants. Abject hatred of the enemy led to some extremely virulent propaganda in WWII posters, such as Jack Campbell’s “Tokio Kid” poster which features a drooling caricature of a murderous, implacable Tojo; and Boccasile’s vitriolic posters of ape-like Black GIs carrying off Italy’s treasures. And while World War I was the first war to be considered "total war", World War II with its V1 rockets and fire bombings of major cities truly made every civilian a soldier. As warfare extended itself into every aspect of the home front, two themes became much more prominent – the role of women during the conflict, and espionage. Several posters will show women in factories, in the service, and in relief work; while posters such as an anonymous Canadian poster, “Do your part in Silence” shows Hitler overhearing a group of officers.
Equally significant was the changing nature of the media. While the poster had been at its pinnacle of influence in World War I, radio and film now dominated and made the war more immediate and omnipresent. The poster was in many areas relegated to a supporting role. This role however was increasingly sophisticated, as propaganda posters not only had been refined in World War I, but also during the Bolshevik Civil War, the Spanish Civil War and the political struggles of the Twenties and Thirties. Modern marketing research techniques were often called upon to hone the poster techniques of the major powers. In general, these trends pushed the poster to be more realistic and less abstract. Photography increasingly replaced illustration as a way to improve credibility to a more knowledgeable and skeptical populace. This year, International Poster Gallery mounted an exhibition entitled “Paper Wars,” a fascinating exhibition comparing and contrasting the poster campaigns of combatants in World War I and II. Featuring nearly 50 revealing images, some famous and others rarely seen, the exhibition runs through June, 2011. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm. The Gallery is located at 205 Newbury Street in Boston. Call (617) 375-0076 or visit www.internationalposter.com for information. Image from article: Norman Rockwell poster
When the muses fell silent: Reconsidering a dark decade for Czechoslovak art, 1938-1948 - In times of war the muses fall silent, goes the classic dictum derived from Cicero, which is reflected in Prague City Gallery's exhibition "The End of the Avant-Garde? From the Munich Agreement to the Communist Takeover," which covers the very worst time for art in the 20th century: the years 1938 to 1948. The interwar period was unbelievably potent in the field of art, as a number of movements and isms appeared on the world art stage. However, World War II dealt a dramatic and brutal blow to artists. A team of curators led by Hana Rousová has prepared an exhibition showing what happened to Czechoslovak art and artists during and shortly after World War II, reflecting a current understanding of the historical context. Contemporary video artist Zdeněk Baladrán has contributed his own artwork to the show and also handled the exhibition's architectural design. The Nazis had a precise concept of how correct art should look: Paradoxically, a regime led by a small, thin and dark-haired dictator celebrated tall, muscular and blond human beings. For the famous "Degenerate Art" propaganda exhibition held in Munich in 1937, the Nazis chose the best avant-garde art, mostly by German artists. It is known that a black list of degenerate artists existed for Germany and Poland, but not until preparations for the current exhibition was it known that there was also a list of degenerate artists for the Nazi-occupied Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, with such names as Kamil Lhoták, František Muzika, Václav Špála, Jan Zrzavý and František Hudeček.
General features common to most of the works by these artists reflect previous art tendencies, employing some of their achievements but not following the strict rules of each ism. Nor did these artists understand art and the avant-garde as tools to lead society toward a more righteous future. Their outlook was, on the contrary, very individualistic and personal. Curator Hana Rousová describes this art as "an effort for communication that didn't really work." The times are pertinently recalled by examples of propaganda, and historical context is provided for photographs. One example of such propaganda is the Operation Victoria campaign by the BBC to encourage people to draw the letter "V" everywhere as a symbol of the coming victory. However, the Nazi propaganda machine stole the idea, claiming that the "V" was a symbol of successful Nazi campaigns.
Image from article, with caption: Toyen's Smutný den, or Sad Day, illustrates the desolation of postwar Europe
BUREAUCRACY
Tuesday, June 7, 2011 Embassy Job Vacancy Round-Up: Because We Need a Laugh - DiploPundit:
Today, we bring you a sampling of job announcements from US embassies around the globe. When they are not intentionally funny, they are funny strange, I kid you not.
US Embassy Bogota has an announcement for an investigator and has not even bothered to write up its vacancy announcement in English. Yes, the job is open to everyone, including Eligible Family Members. The ad posted by the embassy online is all in Spanish.
Is it some kind of a test - if you can't understand the ad, you should not apply? Must be dat.
US Embassy Manila is looking for a web programmer who has completed a "Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Web Development, or Electronics and Communications Engineering," "no experience needed," but a "Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading English and Tagalog language" required.
Apparently, you cannot do web programming in Manila if you don't know any Tagalog. WHooops! Sorry, I fell off my darn chair! And here I thought, English is Manila's other official language.
US Embassy New Delhi is looking for an Administrative/Visa Assistant to "compose routine correspondence, coordinate travel, handle the referral system, and maintain the time and attendance. And this job requires "Level IV (Fluent) proficiency in English and Hindi."
The last I heard, embassy correspondence even in India is still done in the English language.
And that's the reason you need a Level IV Hindi for this job?
US Embassy Jakarta is looking for an "ASEAN Secretariat Liaison." The required qualifications include this: "Minimum 5 years professional experience in economic and/or political reporting and policy analysis required. Minimum of one year working in the Economic Section of a large U.S. Embassy."
Makes me wonder -- is the ASEAN mission out to poach the senior FSN at the Econ Section of the US Embassy or is there somebody who worked previously at an Econ section elsewhere in the worldwide universe that they already have in mind?
Post is also looking for an "ASEAN Public Affairs Liaison." Required qualifications include: "Five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, writing, cultural programs, higher education, teaching or appropriate public affairs/public diplomacy experience."
Oh, look, no requirement of "one year working at the Public Affairs Section of a large U.S. Embassy."
US Embassy Caracas is looking for a "Surveillance Detection Supervisor." One of the required qualifications, one year of supervisory experience: "A minimal of one year of work experience with the general public in outdoor settings. For example, street advertisement, street social worker, street salesman (saleswoman), and/or external construction worker."
Huh?!
If you have street work experience, feel free to send in your CV. If not, hang out here with me, we'll find some more funny ones ....
MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY
'The Blizzard War"
--Leon Panetta, 72, defining the post-Cold-War era while appearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing as the next Defense chief.
"One of the best things this government has done is to give us the possibility of being ourselves, of having self-respect and not being treated like a brothel of the United States.”
--a Cuban tourist guide from the state-owned Havanatours
"A new and serious problem of modern diplomacy is the problem of propaganda. In the days of the old diplomacy it would have been regarded as an act of unthinkable vulgarity to appeal to common people upon any issue of international policy. It was Canning, in 1812, who first recognized the efficacy of what he called 'the fatal artillery of popular excitation.' ... Even the British (who are a truthful race) gradually acquired a taste for propaganda, and proved that they also could tell deliberate lies. ...
It is difficult to suggest what means diplomacy can mitigate the dangers of this terrible invention [propaganda]. International agreements on the subject are evaded or ignored; counter-propaganda only intensifies the conflict. The most that can be hoped is that the very virulence of the method, the actual iteration of demonstrable untruths, may in the end defeat its own purpose. And that the best antidote to the hysterical school of broadcasters is a policy of truth, under-statement and calm."
--Harold Nicolson, Diplomacy (1988 edition), pp. 92-93
1 comment:
Really worthwhile data, much thanks for your article.
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