February 24

"How to Halt the Butchery in Syria, by Anne-Marie Slaughter"

-Headline in the New York Times; image from

VIDEO

Iran War Propaganda: Tucker Carlson Calls For Annihilation Of Iran, gregzilla.blogspot.com

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

US must drop the donkey policy - Hooshang Amirahmadi and Shahir Shahidsaless,
Asia Times Online: "According to David Petraeus, the director general of the Central Intelligence Agency, US-led sanctions are biting the Iranian regime. Thus, Washington believes, or hopes at the least, that this pressure approach is working and will soon make Iran change behavior. ... [F]or the sanctions

to threateningly weaken the government, time is needed. Under an open-ended embargo and destabilization process, Iran will find enough time to build nuclear arms if indeed it intends to do so. Besides, protracted 'crippling sanctions' can create a moral dilemma and public diplomacy fiasco as they will mostly hurt the same Iranian people whom the US claims to support against the authoritarian Islamic regime." Image from

A Meeting with the Incoming Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy - Jennifer Green, PD News – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "We are just so excited to be in a place where others understand the term 'public diplomacy.' The 'we' I am talking about is the delegation of 18 public diplomacy graduate students from the University of Southern California, on an inaugural trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with professionals working in our field at various organizations. The goal was to broaden our awareness of careers in public diplomacy, and to build connections and opportunities between the East and West coasts.[I]n D.C., public diplomacy is a term people understand. It is also where we had the opportunity and privilege

to meet with one of public diplomacy’s biggest stars: Tara Sonenshine. Ms. Sonenshine is currently the Executive Vice-President of the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), but was nominated by President Obama for the position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in November 2011. Once confirmed, she will lead the country’s public diplomacy efforts abroad, so having the chance to speak with her at USIP proved to be the highlight of our trip. Her experience in the fields of communications and public diplomacy is evident when she tells the group that she doesn’t like the term 'winning over the hearts and minds'. It implies a battle, she explains, and that isn’t what PD is about. Instead, she compares public diplomacy to filmmaking – being in your own head and also in other people’s heads – the director, the viewer, the choreographer. Similar to making a film, it’s a group effort that requires understanding different perspectives." Image from

Fulbright scholars celebrated‎ - Red and Black: "University student winners of Fulbright grants have doubled in the last decade, according to Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jere Morehead. About 10 students and four faculty members participate in the international program annually. 'UGA [University of Georgia] has now become one of the national leading institutions in terms of Fulbright participation,' Morehead said at the Fulbright celebration event on Thursday. 'The students, faculty and staff that have won these awards over the years represent the very best that UGA has to offer.' This year, 31 students have been selected as finalists.

Senator J. William Fulbright wrote the Fulbright Act, which President Truman signed into law in 1946 — one year after World War Two ended. The bill proposed selling surplus government war equipment to fund international exchange. Programs such as this and the formation of the United Nations, sought to rebuild war-torn connections between countries. Now, Fulbright is the largest international exchange program, and seeks to increase communication and cultural exchange between the United States and other peoples. Associate Provost of the Office of International Education Kavita Pandit, spoke of Fulbright Fellows as representatives of the University and of the country who explore other cultures to encourage and maintain peace, much like Sen. Fulbright’s initial vision. 'It’s an extension of U.S.’s public diplomacy,' she said. 'It’s soft power.'” Fulbright image from

e-Diplomacy: the complexity of influence - petecranston, govinthelab.com: "‘Twitter Diplomacy’, an article by US NPR (National Public Radio), sparked a flurry of interest on Twitter itself. The original article posed both sides of the case for ‘Statecraft 2.0′. It highlighted the view of John Brown, from Georgetown University, that 'what’s most important about public diplomacy is not Facebook to Facebook, but

face to face'. However, the article but also talked at length about blogging ambassadors such as Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, who is using Facebook intensively even while he is out of the country, for example posting satellite images of tanks moving on cities in Syria, and ambassador, Michael McFaul in Russia, ‘who is using social media to counter what’s being said about him in the Russian press’. Influencing people, their perceptions and their behaviour is the target for all those investing huge resources into social media. Careers, and possibly fortunes, are being carved out in the wake of our mass migration online by pundits and experts mapping our social footprint and telling us how to increase the potency of our media profile." Image from. See also John Brown, "'The Social Network' and Public Diplomacy," Notes and Essays.

Ambassador Fairfax speaks at Gumilyov Eurasian National University - Gazeta.KZ: "Ambassador Kenneth Fairfax met with graduate and PhD students and professors of Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana on February 21, 2012. Ambassador Fairfax discussed America's public diplomacy overseas including cultural and educational programs and media outreach. The rector of the university, Yerlan Sadykov and students asked questions on topics ranging from America's foreign policy to the process of becoming an American diplomat, the press service of the US Diplomatic Mission to Kazakhstan reports."

U.S. Embassy celebrates Black History month - Jobby Paiva, jobbyswalk-about.blogspot.com: "The U.S. Embassy celebrated Black History month in Papua New Guinea in February. As part of the effort, Brian Asmus, public diplomacy officer, showcased 'Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks' in lecture discussions at the University of Papua New Guinea February 22 and at Don Bosco Secondary School February 23. The 2002 documentary film, which was directed

by Robert Houston and produced by Robert Hudson, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. On December 1, 1955, Rose Parks sparked a revolution by sitting still. Her simple act of defiance against racial segregation on city buses inspired the African-American community of Montgomery, Alabama, to unite against the segregationists who ran City Hall." Image from

Another round of satellite dish confiscations in Tehran - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "[Elliott comment:] "[T]he credibility of US international broadcasting strains if USIB becomes merely a tool of US public or cultural diplomacy."

BBC America woos New York viewers with "cheeky" billboards (updated) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting.

Image from entry

Israel gives Obama certificate of Kashrut - David Isaac, shmuelkatz.com: "Last month, Barack Obama released a campaign commercial, 'America and Israel: An Unbreakable Bond.' The seven-minute video proposes that Obama is the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House. Helping add substance to this risible claim are none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who also appears in the video, says: 'I can tell you in a very categoric way, and I believe also in an authoritative way, that we have not had a better friend than President Obama.' ... It’s hard to find a worse example of just how bad Israel’s

public diplomacy efforts have become than this campaign commercial — aiding a president who enters office determined to put 'daylight' between the U.S. and Israel, insists on an unprecedented Israeli settlement freeze, bars Israel from obtaining offensive weaponry, embraces the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, thwarts Israel from undertaking its efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, and bows to a Saudi king." Image from

Bahrain Feature: The Long Tentacles of the Regime's PR Octopus (Owen Jones) - "[T]he information war in Bahrain is insidious, inexorable and unpleasant . ... the attempt control information and 'media content through propaganda, psychological operations, information intervention, and strategic public diplomacy'."

Pat Kane: We have the (soft) power - scotsman.com:"Soft power – meaning, in Joseph Nye’s classic definition, 'the ability to influence others through culture, values and ideology rather than threat, violence or other forms of coercion' (otherwise known as 'hard power') – is one of the new tools in the kit of 21st century statecraft. Every geo-politician, from China to Chile, is attempting to become literate in 'public diplomacy' – as soft power is otherwise known – of one kind or another. Attending to the global impact of our 'national brand' has been an explicit target of the Scottish Parliament for a decade now, even before the SNP’s ascendancy. But what will the coming independence referendum

do for Scotland’s global reputation? Does Scotland’s soft power depend on the actual result of the eventual vote, or as much on how that result was conducted and debated? ... [W]e are esteemed for the quality of our people, the educational and entertainment value of our traditions and cultures, and an aspiration towards good governance. The political argument for independence also distances us from the 'old story of British Empire': nuclear missiles and adventuring armies, a rapacious City of London, an exploiter of others’ resources. Yet the manner in which the debate leading to an independence vote is conducted ... will be vital as to whether Scotland’s global soft power is enriched or depleted post-election." Image from

Cheap Diplomacy: Theory and Practice sale - blacklineae512.blogspot.com: "Diplomacy, widely recognized as the standard textbook on its subject and already translated into six languages, has been comprehensively updated, reorganized and greatly expanded.

There are new chapters on consuls, public diplomacy, special envoys, and how agreements are best followed up." Image from entry

RELATED ITEMS

AFSA Guidance on the Personal Use of Social Media - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: "I just saw this guidance on the personal use of social media from the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association of the United States Foreign Service. The organization has close to 16,000 dues-paying members and represents over 28,000 active and retired Foreign Service employees of the Department of State, Agency for International Development (AID), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), and International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). I believe this is the first guidance issued by AFSA on this subject. Republished below.' [in the full entry]

Koran Protests Resume in Afghanistan Despite U.S. Apology - Alissa J. Rubin, Sharifullah Saha, Jawad Sukhanyar New York Times: Afghan officials quoted Thursday from a letter from President Obama in which he, among other things, apologized for the Koran burning. For President Hamid Karzai, the episode has fast become a political thicket.

He and other government officials share with the Afghan populace a visceral disgust for the way American soldiers treated the holy book, but they recognize that violent protests could draw lethal responses from the police or soldiers, setting off a cycle of violence. Image from

Gulf War III isn’t an option - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: "Iran is a huge country, and its nuclear facilities are widely dispersed across forbidding terrain — in some cases, buried deep in mountainsides. I am not convinced that an Israeli air attack, even with logistical support from the United States and its regional allies, would be able to accomplish more than delay the nuclear program by a few years. The United States could do a more definitive job. But we would be talking about a massive, sustained bombing campaign of the kind that preceded the Iraq invasion. We’re not talking about some kind of one-day 'surgical strike. It would be war. Are you ready for Gulf War III? If not, the only choice is to continue with diplomacy and sanctions. They aren’t great options, but they’re the best we’ve got."

Obama’s Iran options - Michael Gerson, Washington Post: A limited strike, it is true, would only buy time. The message, however, would be clear enough: If you keep at it, we’ll do it again. In the meantime, an oppressive and increasingly desperate regime may lose its grip on power. Close cooperation with Israel in designing a targeted strike against enrichment facilities would have an added benefit. If the Israelis are convinced that America -- after a last diplomatic push -- is serious about preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons, Israel would be less likely to take quick action of its own. American resolve is the best guarantee of Israeli patience.

UK media launch 9/11-like propaganda - Press TV: The British media have launched a 9/11-like propaganda campaign spreading panic in the British society over a possible nuclear attack from space against Britain. the British media are fabricating more pretexts for the “War on Terror.” “Rogue states and terrorists could use the tactic to disrupt UK power supplies and communications with "devastating" effect,” said the Sun. “Rogue states and terror groups could launch

nuclear attacks in space to cripple Britain’s electronic networks and jeopardise national security,” the Daily Mail reported. “Britain's critical national infrastructure could be crippled in a high-altitude space attack by a rogue state or terrorists,” read an article published by the Telegraph. The British media claim that a nuclear bomb exploded up to 500 miles above the earth’s surface would cause crippling damage to Britain. The 9/11-like propaganda comes as the British society grapples with dire economic situation with the country’s unemployment rate being at a 16-year high. The British public blame their leaders’ warmongering policies for the “economic catastrophe” they face. Image from article

'Religious conflict is becoming part of Iran’s policy' - news.az: Chairwoman of the World Azerbaijanis Women’s Council Dunyakhanim Aliyeva told the statement to Gun.Az while commenting on the anti-propaganda of the Iranian regime against the Azerbaijani state. “The Iranian regime sees the independence of Azerbaijani

as a danger to itself and, therefore, has directed the country’s media system against our country. To cause religious conflict and chaos in our country has become a part of Iran’s official policy. But Iran’s such policy and propaganda will never give results,” Aliyeva said. Aliyeva image from article

America's Alibis for Not Helping Syria: We can lend a hand to its tyrannized people or risk turning the country into a devil's playground of religious extremism [subscription] - Fouad Ajami, Wall Street Journal

How to Halt the Butchery in Syria - Anne-Marie Slaughter, New York Times: The power of the Syrian protesters over the past 11 months has arisen from their determination to face down bullets with chants, signs and their own bodies. The international community can draw on the power of nonviolence and create zones of peace in what are now zones of death. The Syrians have the ability to make that happen; the rest of the world must give them the means to do it.

China and Russia getting tired of Propaganda war on Syria - macedoniaonline.eu.

Image from article

For China, Jeremy Lin is an inspiration — to a point: The NBA star is ethnic Chinese, a source of pride for China. But Chinese authorities see his Taiwanese heritage and Christian beliefs as awkward attributes - Jonathan Kaiman, Los Angeles Times: Chinese television has yet to broadcast a full Knicks game this season, ostensibly because of scheduling conflicts. Although Lin has become a popular subject on sportscasts, the hosts tend to steer clear of his religion and Taiwanese heritage.

Many analysts are confident, though, that if state-run TV did begin broadcasting the games, they would prove a hit. Because coverage runs on a time delay, the Taiwanese flags probably could be cut out of the broadcasts. Image from article

'Act of Valor' is more propaganda than honest film - Sr. Rose Pacatte, National Catholic Reporter: Deep in the heart of the South American jungle, members of a drug cartel torture kidnapped CIA operative Lisa Morales. A team of U.S. Navy SEALs is sent to rescue her. But there is more going on, however, than America's war on the international drug trade. A global terrorism

plan is revealed, and the SEAL team is dispatched over and over again until the men take out or neutralizes the enemy, and the USA and the world is safe once again -- until the next threat raises its head. From its precisely plotted story to its exquisite and impeccably timed violence, to blasting its beautiful savagery onto the screen as crafted by the excellent cinematography to the canned dialogue, "Act of Valor" is a propaganda film, pure and simple. Image from article, with caption: SEALs climb a ladder to their helicopter in "Act of Valor."

The Pentagon’s amnesia-inducing propaganda: The military's first feature-length film wants to make Americans forget about our imperialist misadventures - David Sirota, Salon: Since 1986′s “Top Gun” rekindled the Pentagon-Hollywood relationship from its post-Vietnam doldrums, the collusion between the military and the entertainment industry has become a blockbuster con, generating huge benefits for both participants — and swindling the American public in the process. The scheme is simple: The Pentagon allows studios to use military hardware and bases at a discounted, taxpayer-subsidized rate. In exchange, filmmakers must submit their scripts to the Pentagon for line edits. Not surprisingly, those edits often redact criticism of military policy, revise depictions of historical failures, and generally omit anything else that might make audiences wonder if our current defense policy is repeating past mistakes.

No doubt, as a system of stealth coercion, the arrangement has been wildly effective. But with America now questioning the efficacy of constant invasions and the morality of never-ending occupations, the Pentagon is getting worried and thus intensifying its agitprop to ever more manipulative extremes. Last year, for example, it cemented its first full sponsorship of a major film, “X-Men: First Class,” integrating the movie into recruitment ads. It’s now going even further, fully financing its own feature-length film, “Act of Valor,” appearing in theaters nationwide starting Feb. 24. Casting active-duty SEALs, the film is ostensibly about a mission to neutralize terrorists. But as one of the filmmakers let slip this week, its heroic portrayals and triumphs are really designed to once again make us forget the past. “I’d like to see the legacy of Vietnam put to bed,” said “Act of Valor” filmmaker Mike “Mouse” McCoy in an interview with the Huffington Post. Image from article: A still from "Act of Valor"

"Act of Valor" is perfect Navy Seals recruitment film - Leah Rozen, reuters.com: The U.S. Navy should slash its recruiting budget and just schedule screenings of "Act of Valor." Hollywood meets propaganda in this rah-rah action film about an elite group of Navy Seals who circle the globe battling terrorism.

Russians and American Progressives: Together Again - Cliff Kincaid, NewsWithViews.com: The Russia Today (RT) Moscow-funded propaganda channel, which is backing the murderous regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, aired a special program on Tuesday night on how progressives in the U.S. can “Take Back the American Dream” by defeating Republicans. The propaganda effort was broadcast throughout the United States and produced in collaboration with major liberal groups such as the Campaign for America’s Future, MoveOn.org and Demos, all of them Soros-funded.

Ukraine being dragged into NATO again - english.pravda.ru: The main obstacle to NATO has been and remains the position of ordinary Ukrainians. Opinion polls have repeatedly shown that at least two-thirds of the country's citizens do not want membership in NATO. Among the reasons they name the unwillingness to ruin relations with Russia, the need to send the military to numerous "hot spots", and the emergence of foreign military bases on Ukrainian territory. Despite all the propaganda the "orange" failed to reverse the situation.

The Truth About Wartime Propaganda in Comics - inspirationfeed.com: Wartime propaganda was embodied in many visually striking forms; yet in particular, the pickings to be had going through the covers and advertisements of comic books are rich indeed. WWII propaganda machine took the sparkle of the "The Golden Age of Comics" and pounced upon it, using nearly every superhero as part of an ideal "pro-US" platform. The drive to contribute to war bonds was particularly fierce in the comic book industry, and given the natural patriotic slant many heroes had, the two became eager bedfellows. Soon (in comic books at least) "Winning the war" went hand in hand with good defeating evil, always getting the girl and upholding Truth, Justice and the American way.

Original collection of 'Keep Calm And Carry On' posters could be worth £15,000: What is believed to be the only original collection of 'Keep Calm And Carry On' posters left in Britain have emerged on TV's Antiques Roadshow and could be worth £15,000 - telegraph.co.uk: Thousands of the iconic propaganda posters were produced during the dark days of World War Two to keep the nation's spirits up but only a few of them were handed out.

The posters were the third in a series of three produced by the Ministry of Information in 1939. The slogans on the first two were "Freedom Is In Peril. Defend It With All Your Might" which was on a green background and "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" which was on a blue background. Image from article

Nazi/German Propaganda Board Games - bytesdaily.blogspot.com: "Whilst browing some other topics I came across a reference to a WW2 German board game called 'Juden Raus!' ('Jews Out![']), which led me to look into the topic a bit deeper. Hitler very early on grasped the PR value of image, propaganda and publicity. The Nazi Party and the Third Reich relied heavily on indoctrination, of adults, of children, of populations and of individuals. The Third Reich had a Department of Propaganda with Joseph Goebbels as the Minister of Propaganda. Like Hitler, he was attuned to the value, potential and methodology of propaganda. The Hitler Youth was an unsubtle means of indoctrinating young minds. Another was by the use of board games, which had the added benefit that they were played by adults and/or with adults. Here are some of the board games:

Juden Raus! (1936)

Bomber über England (1940)

Fallschirmjager Spiel

Mit “Prien” gegen England

AMERICANA

Callista Gingrich, wife of Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, walks with Ellis the Elephant, a character from her childrens book, during a visit to Chaparral Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 in Gilbert, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

--From Princess Sparkle Pony's Photoblog

IMAGE

Batman matrioshke - Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing: Russian sculptor Katya Malakhova created a set of Batman matrioshkes that -- judging from the description -- actually nest.