February 14

"And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere."

--John Donne; images of lovers Anne More and John Donne from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Scaling back on wars, spending elsewhere - Larry Shaughnessy, CNN: "The State Department suffered major budget cuts last year, accounting for the slight increase over fiscal 2012 levels as enacted by Congress in the latest appropriations bill. Still, the increase is minimal, considering the State Department's growing responsibilities in front-line states. ... The State Department requested $4.6 billion for projects in Afghanistan, including $2.5 billion slated for counterterrorism-related programs, reconciliation and reintegration efforts, and other assistance. An additional $2.1 billion will support the expansion of the diplomatic and other U.S. personnel in the country, as well as public diplomacy programs." Below image from

Barack Obama unveils $3.8 trillion budget, proposes $2.2bn aid to Pakistan in 2013 - economictimes.indiatimes.com: "USD 2.1 billion is proposed for supporting the expansion of the diplomatic and interagency presence, the extraordinary costs of security in a conflict zone, and public diplomacy programs to build long-lasting bridges with civil society." More on the State Department budget in below "related items."

Mr. Xi Comes to America’s Heartland - Jian (Jay) Wang, PD News – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Muscatine, Iowa,

is to play host to a special guest on Wednesday, when China’s Vice President Xi Jingping, the nation’s presumed next leader, returns to the small town he first visited as part of a sister-state program more than two decades ago. Mr. Xi’s journey to America’s heartland underscores the importance of the public dimension of U.S-China diplomacy. ... While the two governments continue to negotiate differences and to adjust and accommodate each other’s priorities, public diplomacy, invaluable for laying the broad and solid foundation of trust, must come to the fore." Image from, with caption: Muscatine, Iowa Railroads

RISD Partners with State Dept. To Create Art for Moroccan Embassy - golocalprov.com: "When the new US embassy in Rabat, Morocco, is built, it will have a serious, and beautiful, connection to the Rhode Island School of Design.

The connection springs from the US State Department’s office of ART in Embassies (AIE)'s choice of renowned sculptor Jim Drain to create a site-specific work for the new embassy, and Drain's drawing RISD into the project." Image from article, with caption: Sculptor Jim Drain (far left) working with students in his Art in Embassies: Morocco studio

Sanctioning in silence is costing the west goodwill on Iran's streets - Azadeh Moaveni, guardian.co.uk: "Iranians are a politically savvy people, but their willingness to hold their government accountable for the parlous state of the economy is endangered by the rising costs of sanctions. The west is losing goodwill among the secular-minded Iranians who in 2009 demonstrated in the streets carrying placards asking Obama for his help. The US and its allies in Europe must take to television, and resume their conversation with the Iranian people. Most Iranians watch TV news religiously, and an audience of millions tunes in to satellite broadcasts by BBC Persian and Voice of America's Persian network. BBC Persian is emerging as an especially influential voice among Iranians, and the platform offers an easy means for American and European officials to complement sanctions with public diplomacy. With news quick to reverberate across Iran's voluminous blogosphere, there are myriad ways for Iranians to hear what the west has to say. It is a grim task, explaining to Iranians precisely who is responsible for what share of their suffering, but sanctioning in silence is a terrible alternative."

US International Broadcasting: Success Requires Independence and Consolidation - Kim Andrew Elliott, MountainRunner: "Matt Armstrong has asked for a discussion on the future of the U.S. International Broadcasting (USIB) and the structure and purpose of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. For the past quarter century, I have been writing about US international broadcasting at the macro level.

The two pillars of my proposals have always been independence and consolidation. ... The BBG must unambiguously commit to independent and credible news. In this regard, the new mission statement of the BBG is not helpful: 'To inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy.' There are many way to 'inform.' An advertisement informs. Radio Havana informs. Neither does so objectively. 'Inform' needs to be qualified. And 'inform' should not be relegated to equal billing with 'engage' and 'connect.' 'Engage' seems to be a word more associated with the persuasive arts than with journalism. A used car salesman will 'engage' you the second you walk on to the lot. The best way to “engage” an audience is to give them something worth the effort of tuning in or logging on. USIB should concentrate on informing accurately, and let the professionals at the State Department’s public diplomacy offices 'engage.'” Image from

Under reduced 2013 budget, US international broadcasting is still fragmented, but the fragments are smaller - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. Below image from article

IBB/BBG executives cut and reduce Voice of America English and foreign language programs and positions - BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: "As predicted by BBG Watch, in their FY2013 budget proposal, International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) executives continue their plan to eliminate or greatly reduce numerous Voice of America (VOA) English and foreign language programs and associated jobs serving many critical countries, including China and Tibet. In what could be described as nothing less than an attempt to eliminate Voice of America as the primary source for news about America on radio and television and to reduce VOA brand name presence in many countries, IBB/BBG executives have proposed complete elimination of VOA radio broadcasts to Tibet, both radio and TV broadcasts in Cantonese to China, VOA radio to Georgia, VOA radio to Albania, and all VOA programs to Greece. VOA English programs alone would lose 71 positions. VOA Radio Ashna to Afghanistan would be reduced by half. BBG Watch reported that BBG members were too divided to order IBB/BBG executives to focus on reforming their own operations and reducing their own positions." See also.

BBG member S. Enders Wimbush described as chief architect of program cuts to Tibet, China and other communist countries - BBGWatcher,USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: "Sources told BBG Watch that it was not former Democratic Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman Walter Isaacson but Republican member S. Enders Wimbush who can be described as the chief architect

of the parts of the FY2013 BBG budget proposal which call for ending Voice of America radio broadcasts to Tibet and VOA radio and TV Cantonese broadcasts to China. Isaacson, however, supported Wimbush and his program cutting proposals. There were not enough other Republican members to oppose Wimbush and some of the Democrats who also supported the plan to end or reduce VOA broadcasts." Wimbush image from article

BBC apologises for broadcasting documentaries made by firm being paid millions by PR clients - Claire Ellicott, dailymail.co.uk: "The BBC has apologised for broadcasting documentaries made by a television company that was paid millions of pounds by PR clients and corrupt regimes. It issued an extraordinary apology to 74 million BBC World News viewers around the world for breaking 'rules aimed at protecting our editorial integrity'.

The broadcaster has now said it will change its system after showing documentaries made by FBC Media (UK) whose PR client list included foreign governments and multinational companies. The company made eight documentaries for the BBC about Malaysia, but failed to declare it was paid £17million by the Malaysian government for 'global strategic communications'." Image from article, with caption: BBC director General Mark Thompson. The corporation has apologised after airing documentaries made by a firm that was being paid millions by PR clients.

Survey: BBC World News "fastest growing" among upmarket Asians, while BBC.com is number one media website - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

The myth of China as a harmless tiger- Yu Jie, Washington Post: "I arrived in the United States a month ago, thinking I had escaped the reach of Beijing, only to realize that the Chinese government’s shadow continues to be omnipresent. Several U.S. universities that I have contacted dare not invite me for a lecture, as they cooperate with China on many projects. If you are a scholar of Chinese studies who has criticized the Communist Party, it would be impossible for you to be involved in research projects with the Chinese-funded

Confucius Institute, and you may even be denied a Chinese visa. Conversely, if you praise the Communist Party, not only would you receive ample research funding but you might also be invited to visit China and even received by high-level officials. Western academic freedom has been distorted by invisible hands.' Image from

Letter to the Editor: Explaining itself - James Adler (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Jerusalem Post: "Sir, – With regard to letter writers Sydney L. Kasten and Efraim A. Cohen ('‘Hasbara,’ and how!,' January 30), Kasten seems to think that digging up one article from a whole halfyear after the Six Day War, from a single newspaper in just one country, can undermine the universally known fact that Israel enjoyed astronomically-high Western popularity before the occupation of the West Bank and the settlement expansionism there. Cohen, in saying that all countries use public diplomacy, blurs the meaning. He makes no distinction between the normal promotion of a country’s policies, which Israel used to do so successfully, and the two sad types of public diplomacy Israel uses today – explaining its right to conquer another land and people, and railing against the Western delegitimization (with which I disagree) that has come about as a tragic consequence."

How Can Public Diplomacy Complement “Hard Power” Tactics In International Affairs? - nyessay.com: "While the existence of hard power has a long history, the term arose when Joseph Nye coined ‘soft power’ as a fresh and different form of power in a State’s foreign policy. Nye defined soft power as 'the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion.' He also said that

soft power 'could be developed through relations with allies, economic assistance, and cultural exchanges.' ... '[Nye:] We must use what has been called smart power — the full range of tools at our disposal — diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural — picking the right tool, or combination of tools, for each situation. With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy.' Ideas matter, and a country’s ability to promote ideals to citizens of other nations and societies, known as public diplomacy (PD), can work wonders to advance the national interest. By taking a look at case studies, we will examine whether PD can complement hard power tactics and thus we will see if ‘smart power’ is…" Image from

71 countries allow Turkish citizens visa-free entrance - worldbulletin.net: "According to data of Prime Ministry Public Diplomacy Coordination Office, Turkey, most recently, signed an agreement with Ukraine for visa-free entrance (on December 22, 2011) which increased the number of countries allowing Turkish citizens to pass border without visa to 71."

'India, Vietnam need to improve trade to counter China' - assamtribune.com: "India needs to aggressively develop its trade ties with Vietnam to take bilateral relations to the next level, particularly, to counter the increasing presence of

China in the Southeast Asian region and in the South China Sea, experts said at a conference Tuesday. ... We have a very robust relationship (with Vietnam). But we have not invested in the economic dimension as much as we should have," said Pinak Chakravarty, special secretary, public diplomacy, external affairs ministry." Chakravarty image from

A Muslim Love Story – Bridging Differences to Make a Marriage - Sehreen Noor Ali, news.feetintwoworlds.org: "Sehreen Noor Ali worked for the State Department as a public diplomacy strategist for five years and recently moved to NYC to pursue a career in technology and education. She worked with the White House on President Obama’s Muslim engagement strategy and also led an effort to increase science and technology outreach."

RELATED ITEMS

Obama in denial about American influence - Richard Cohen, Washington Post: Obama has conducted himself and his foreign policy as if the United States has indeed slipped in power, prestige and, more important, commitment. This is the same Obama who cited — again, in the State of the Union — Madeleine Albright’s famous formulation that America is

the “indispensable nation.” Image from

“Losing” the World: American Decline in Perspective, Part 1 - Noam Chomsky, TomDispatch: American decline is real, though the apocalyptic vision reflects the familiar ruling class perception that anything short of total control amounts to total disaster. Despite the piteous laments, the U.S. remains the world dominant power by a large margin, and no competitor is in sight, not only in the military dimension, in which of course the U.S. reigns supreme.

5 coming battles over the 2013 international affairs budget - Josh Rogin, Foreign Affairs: International programs don't have strong constituencies on Capitol Hill to begin with, and Congress has its own ideas for how to spend foreign aid. The State Department knows all of this, of course, and has framed its fiscal 2013 budget request as a small portion of the federal budget that contributes directly to national security. State's $51.6 billion request, however, faces a GOP-led House that is searching hard for discretionary budget items to cut and a foreign-policy-minded Senate that wants to use aid to press foreign governments to act more in line with U.S. priorities. Below image from

Budget Update: State Sez Please Sirs, May I Have More? - Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well: Important to note for anyone who thinks our relations with China, India, Brazil or anywhere else we’re not at war with might matter, that $51.6 billion total includes $8.2 billion in the Overseas Contingency Operations account, which is meant to pay for State’s 5,500 mercenaries, chicken wings and Splenda in Iraq, plus expenses in Afghanistan (which we are still reconstructing just like we did in Iraq) and Pakistan. The State Department budget request is also kind enough to include about $5.5 billion in foreign military financing, I guess because weapons are about America’s only viable export product left. You can go nuts and read the entire

budget request here. “We know that this is a time of fiscal constraint and economic hardship for the American people,” said Hillary Clinton, “So we are seeking out every opportunity to work smarter and more efficiently.” That efficiency no doubts include the indoor swimming pool, driving range, tennis court and bar inside the Embassy in Baghdad, plus the staff in Public Affairs in Washington whose job it is to compile weekly lists of my blog posts (State has a new lawyer assigned to my prosecution, everybody say hi! to Anne). Oh yes, another efficiency are the Hall Walkers at State, foreign service officers State wants to dump but won’t or can’t and who draw full salaries to do little or no work. The electronic controls on State’s computers that block Wikileaks sites are another efficiency, no doubt. A bunch of money is headed toward “social media” (Guys, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts are free to sign up) and important diplomatic breakthroughs like “The 2012 Tag Challenge,” which “calls on technology enthusiasts from several nations to set their sleuthing skills loose on a mock gang of jewel thieves in an international search contest.” There’s a $5000 prize for that one, whatever the hell the point of it is. And hey, the State Department is now getting ready to offer Chrome as an in-house browser, and that’s free too, right? Image from article

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad: What would you do with it? (A Loop Contest!) - By Al Kamen, washingtonpost.com: So, the inevitable has occurred: Following the withdrawal of troops, the American diplomatic presence in Baghdad may be cut drastically, making the massive, $750 million New Embassy Compound a monstrous white elephant. The question is:

What do we do with the 104-acre complex — the largest embassy on earth, with 27 blast-proof buildings and housing for more than 1,000 employees? Loop Fans can help! Yes it’s the Loop “Embassy for Sale” Contest, our first contest of 2012. Simply tell us what the United States should do with the compound and -- this is a two-parter -- name the new facility (or facilities, if that’s the plan). Image from article, with caption: State Department apartments complete with bullet-proof glass windows at the Baghdad embassy compound.

Xanadu - John Brown, Notes and Essays: Xanadu, the word used by Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen (evidently, without irony) to describe the US Embassy in Baghdad ("Obama in denial about American influence," February 13).

For a more realistic evaluation, see (1) (2). Xanadu image from

The Dilemmas of Jewish Power - Roger Cohen, New York Times: Major American Jewish organizations, their agendas often swayed by a few wealthy donors (like the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson), have in general made uncritical defense of Israel — rather than constructive criticism — the cornerstone of their policies and viewed deviation from the ever-refreshed victimhood narrative as unacceptable dissent.

USAK Expert Bakeer: “Iran and Israel Benefited from Rhetorical Propaganda Strategy” - Ummugulsum Boz, turkishweekly.net: USAK Middle East expert Ali Hussein Bakeer: "The tension between Iran and Israel has been rising for the last two weeks regarding the Iranian nuclear issue mainly. Israel has been putting pressure on the international community that if not able to solve the problem, a military strike will be launched. I think it is just a tactic to put more pressure on Iran. Of course, we cannot totally ignore such threats at least theoretically, but practically, as I said before, it is a kind of rhetoric and not something new when we talk about Iran and Israel.

Both countries have benefited from this strategy of rhetorical propaganda for a long time. Israel exploited the “Iranian threat” to get more financial, economic and military support especially from the United States, trying to make use of the sympathy rising from the idea of “wiping Israel out.” Without such support from the United States and European Union, Israel would have to abide by all international rules and accept peace if wants to be a part of the region. On the other hand, Iran have been exploiting the Palestinian issue for a long time, making use of the Israeli threats to bomb Tehran to get sympathy mainly from the Islamists and the leftists in the Arab world. And through this issue, they managed to penetrate in the region and to utilize Israel as a leverage for their regional agenda. Image from

Spokesman Dismisses Israeli Allegations against Iran as Psycho War - english.farsnews.com: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast rejected the claims made by the Israeli officials against Tehran as baseless, and described it as part of the Zionist regime's psychological war against Iran.  Mehman-Parast said on Monday night that the accusations are baseless and noted that they are a part of Tel Aviv's psychological warfare campaign against Iran. "We categorically reject the accusations made by the Zionist regime. They are part of a propaganda war," Mehman-Parast said. He stated that the Islamic Republic condemns every terrorist act because Iran is the biggest victim of terrorism, adding that Israel and its allies are the main source of terrorism in the world.

Iran's 'wild anti-Azerbaijani propaganda' diverts attention from other problems - news.az: The mollahs' regime conducts wild anti-Azerbaijani propaganda, grossly interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and supporting its arch-enemy, Christian Armenia, which has killed tens of thousands of our brothers in the faith in the Karabakh conflict.

Ukrainian election capes all the rage for Chinese kids - Russia Today: Chinese toddlers seem to be getting political. An online store in China is selling children’s capes with a call to support Ukraine’s Viktor Yanukovich in the presidential election of… 2010. One of China’s biggest internet retailers, Taobao.com is selling the dubiously decorated capes for around 50 cents. The message on them reads “Yanukovich is our President-2010”.

The description accompanying the item insists the cape agitating for Yanukovich makes a great “universal birthday present for any toddler.” The online store even offers free delivery as a bonus. Capes suspiciously like these were distributed free of charge in Ukraine in 2010 among the supporters of then presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich. Image from article, with caption: Yanukovich agitation capes on sale in China

Statue Unveiled To Mark Kim Jong-Il's 70th - news.sky.com: The country's propaganda machine has gone to great lengths to build up the man who led the nation for 17 years until his death in December. The sculpture depicting Kim Jong-Il on horseback with his father Kim Il Sung was revealed to hundreds of people gathered in the capital Pyongyang. The former leader's birthday on

Thursday has been dubbed 'Day of the Shining Star' and postage stamps, new songs and commemorative coins have been rushed into production. Slogans have even been carved on the sides of mountains. A flower show was dedicated to Kim Jong-Il, with senior leaders bowing their heads as around 30,000 bright kimjongilia flowers decorated a heated display hall. Image from article: Exhibition of the kimjongilia flower in the capital

Workers of the world, be entertained! This year's Berlinale Retrospective "The Red Dream Factory" rediscovers the legendary German-Russian Mezhrabpom-Film (1922-1936). It tells of incredible film successes, ideological misunderstandings and astonishing blindness - Oksana Bulgakova, signandsight.com.

Image from article, with caption: "Miss Mend" by Fyodor Ozep and Boris Barnet, 1926

Why Don’t Americans Elect Scientists? - John Allen Paulos, New York Times: For complex historical reasons, Americans have long privately dismissed scientists and mathematicians as impractical and elitist, even while publicly paying lip service to them. It’s sometimes said that attitude is more important than aptitude in helping to bring about innovation, economic progress and social change. The dubious corollary is that freewheeling Americans who question authority and think outside the box have an abundance of attitude that helps make up for a declining performance in science and technology. Maybe so, but attitude can only go so far. There is certainly no requirement for a Singaporean science background, but scientifically literate government leaders who push for evidence-based policies and demonstrate a scientific outlook are needed more than glib panderers with attitude.

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"These flying robots need to be shipped home at some point, and the military then hopes to station them at various military bases and use them for many purposes."

--W.J. Hennigan, "Pentagon working with FAA to open U.S. airspace to combat drones: The military says the nearly 7,500 robotic aircraft it has accrued for use overseas need to come home at some point. But the FAA doesn't allow drones in U.S. airspace without a special certificate," Los Angeles Times; image from article, with caption: Drones such as the jet-powered, high-flying RQ-4 Global Hawk made by Northrop Grumman have been successful in providing aerial coverage of recent catastrophic events like the tsunami in Japan and earthquake in Haiti.

AMERICANA

Las Vegas Embraces Bad Guys of Its Past - Edward Rothstein, New York Times: In a city where such figures were once as comfortably in their element as Zeus and his family on Olympus, they are finally getting something close to the museum they deserve: the Mob Museum, a $42 million survey of the American gangster, unfolding in 17,000 square feet of exhibition space, on three floors of a 41,000-square-foot landmark building on Stewart Avenue.

With artifacts, clever interactive displays, atmospheric exhibits and photographs and videos, we learn how Las Vegas developed out of the early-20th-century desert, and how workers on the nearby Hoover Dam gave the town its first population explosion. We see how the mob maneuvered into businesses of pleasure, not releasing its hold until late in the 20th century, when corporate casinos trumped their almost quaint predecessors. Mob Museum image from

FROM UKRAINE (IN -25 CENTIGRADE WEATHER)

"Femen" activists protest against Gazprom (February 13). Via NI on facebook.