February 7

"There was no part of the great war machinery that we did not touch, no medium of appeal that we did not employ. The printed word, the spoken word, the motion picture, the telegraph, the cable, the wireless, the poster, the sign-board--all these were used in our campaign to make our own people and all other peoples understand the causes that compelled America to take arms."

--George Creel, head of the Committee on Public Information (1917-1919) during World War I; image from

MAP

Pew Research center: "This map shows countries surveyed by Pew Global Attitudes Project from 2002 to 2011. To access key question trends, click on the map above for results by country, or select a question from the menus above."

VIDEO

Introducing the Lunch Scholars – Cover Your Eyes But Listen. Via MA. See also Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Briefing Skipper: Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Egypt - Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy: "Former Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens has been appointed as the acting undersecretary of State for public diplomacy, pending the confirmation of President Obama's nominee, USIP's Tara Sonenshine. All nominations are stuck in the senate, so Stephens could be running the public diplomacy shop at State for a while. Nuland compared the

situation to when Ambassador Tom Shannon was brought in for a while as acting undersecretary for political affairs while Wendy Sherman awaited senate action. 'But the full expectation is that the Senate will act promptly on Therese Sonenshine's nomination,' Nuland said without elaborating on what's behind that expectation." See also. Stephens image from

Italy and Libya move to re-establish old friendship - David Willey, BBC News: "The Libyans have also asked the Italians for help in reforming their legal system. Over 1,000 war-wounded are to be treated in Italian hospitals. Fifteen vehicles have been shipped to Tripoli to patrol the pipelines bringing Libyan oil from the desert wells to the coast for shipment. A big Italian trade delegation is to visit Tripoli soon. But the watchword is 'slowly, slowly'. The bombastic public diplomacy led by

Silvio Berlusconi and Muammar Gaddafi – when the Libyan leader pitched his tent in a Rome park and Gaddafi brought over some prize Arab steeds for an equestrian display and asked a local escort service to arrange for him to meet groups of young Italian women – is over. Italian diplomats realise they have to act tactfully and avoid pressuring the new leadership in Tripoli." Note accompanying image: In the Italian capital Rome, the triumphal arch erected by Septimius Severus – the first African-born Roman emperor (he was born in Libya and died in York in England during a military expedition to Britain) – still dominates the ruins of the Roman Forum. Libya, which in antiquity was a much more fertile, less desertic land than today, used to be Rome's bread basket.

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Finding Hip-Hop in Kazakhstan and Country in India: American Voices Sets Up in St. Louis - Jason Rosenbaum, riverfronttimes.com: "Diplomacy between nations doesn't always involve dignitaries or high-level negotiations. A group with a presence in St. Louis engages in 'cultural diplomacy,' which involves exchanging musical expertise between Americans and countries often hit hard by conflict. Since it became incorporated as a nonprofit in 1993, American Voices has been operating summer youth performing arts academies, workshops and concerts in dozens of countries around the world.

According to the group's web site, the American Voices has 'performed concerts, workshops and master classes as well as interactive performance projects to over 200,000 audience members in 110 countries on five continents and reached tens of millions more through live television and radio broadcasts across the globe.' And the group took over the U.S. State Department's American Music Abroad program, which will send at least ten American music artists from a wide range of genres to roughly 40 countries. The group also donates music scores, method books and instruments to countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and Jordan. RFT Music recently sat down American Voices' Director of Education Marc Thayer and Director of Communications Paul Rockower at a coffee shop on South Grand to discuss the group's programs in St. Louis and around the world." Image with caption: Marc Thayer, American Voices' director of education, plays at YES Academy in Iraq. The group has a presence in St. Louis.

Katy Perry for North Korea? - James Lewis and Aimee Dineiro, the-diplomat.com: "From Ping Pong diplomacy to the Plastic People of the Universe, sports, music

and cultural diplomacy has assisted in opening up closed regimes in the past. Mobilizing change in North Korea will take time and a similar brand of creativity. But surely it’s worth the U.S. considering leveraging its monopoly on pop culture for a North Korea breakthrough." Perry image from article

Company | E Debuts NEXT: ISRAEL Bringing Dance and Diplomacy to the U.S. - prnewswire.com: "Company ǀ E, a new contemporary dance company, with a forward-thinking vision of cultural diplomacy and dance, makes its U.S. debut on February 25th at Sidney Harman Hall with NEXT: ISRAEL. ... 'Blending tradition with the cutting-edge, Israeli artists are internationally renowned for their innovative and deeply human approach to the arts,' says Sarit Arbell, director of cultural affairs at the Embassy of Israel."

India and Bangladesh foster cultural diplomacy through Agartala film festival - truthdive.com: "India and Bangladesh are holding a special three-day film festival titled-’Bangladesh War of Liberation in Celluloid’ here to promote cultural diplomacy bilaterally. The Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) of both countries has

organized the event. Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner to India, Mahbub Hassan Saleh said: 'This is a part of our pursuance of cultural diplomacy and people to people contact is an aspect of that. So through these films, as I said, we would like to project the historic war of liberation of Bangladesh to the new generation of Bangladesh and the world, (to enlighten) the kind of sacrifices our forefathers have made during our historic war of liberation.' India helped Bangladesh secede from Pakistan in a bloody 1971 war, but relations were frequently fractious after that." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

America’s red lines in the sand on Iran - Richard Cohen, Washington Post: The ultimate remedy is Iranian regime change. This is not as improbable as it sounds. The Tehran regime is hardly popular and will become even less so as economic sanctions bite even harder. In the meantime, Obama must ensure that Iran perceives no daylight between the United States and Israel, and no chance that Washington will become naive about Iran’s intentions. This looming crisis is not only about Israel.

Iran: New US sanctions to have no effect, just propaganda - news.monstersandcritics.com: Tehran said Tuesday that the new US sanctions against Iran would have no effect and were solely propaganda. The White House announced Monday that US President Barack Obama has expanded sanctions against Iran

and its central bank and frozen all its assets and property in the United States. "Iran's central bank has no financial transactions with the US and is therefore not affected by the new sanctions," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast. "The sanctions have therefore no effect and are just a psychological war and propaganda by the US," he added. Image from

Pure propaganda! US and Israel working together on Iran, says Obama - robinwestenra.blogspot.com: The US is working closely with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, President Barack Obama has said.

Killing in Syria - Editorial, New York Times: Russia unconscionably refuses to halt its arms sales to the Assad government. The United States and its allies should publicly expose every shipment.

As Syria violence continues, world leaders do little - Ammar Abdulhamid, Washington Post: French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently called for the formation of a contact group on Syria. This needs to be implemented quickly. The issue cannot be ignored or postponed any longer; the Assad killing machine must be stopped.

Pentagon opens ‘Tweet’ offensive in cyberspace - Kristina Wong, The Washington Times: The Pentagon on Monday launched a new campaign - in bursts of 140 characters per message. The Defense Department (@DeptofDefense) held its first Twitter town hall, and the nearly hour-long session addressed questions from "don't ask, don't tell" to the Middle East

to cyber security. "...important to discuss national security matters with American public, service members, and #milfams #isthatallyougot?#askdod," Pentagon press secretary George Little, or @PentagonPresSec, tweeted. Image from

China's "CCTV America" programming block launches from Washington - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

The Puzzle of Two Footballs - Roger Cohen, New York Times: American football was a tough sport for an emerging power. It has fared so well that America shuts down for the Super Bowl. Nobody can doubt American exceptionalism when it is proven by the nation’s immunity from the global passion for soccer and immersion in a football culture of its own creation. This, after all, is the invented nation framed to free those embracing it from their pasts. For much of the rest of the world, used to the fluidity of football in its English iteration, this superpower football is a bruising, staccato, technical, over-plotted travesty bereft of flow. For Americans, in turn, soccer is too random, too given to dilettantes and too short of goals.

N. Korea's state media tout new leader's young age - english.yonhapnews.co.kr: North Korea's propaganda machines are churning out reports highlighting the early achievements of new leader Kim Jong-un, as his young age and apparent lack of experience continue to raise doubts about his leadership.

A series of recent reports in the North's state media, however, indicate that doubts persist over the young Kim's credentials, both within and outside North Korea's borders, analysts in Seoul said. Image from article

North Korea Propaganda Paintings - Patrick Smith, scribblejunkies.blogspot.com. Among the images:

Song Byeok “At the Crossroads of Propaganda and Pop Art” - lahunt, Emory Report:
World-renowned Korean contemporary artist and satirist, Song Byeok, lectures on his past life as a state-sponsored propagandist in North Korea and his epic journey to artistic freedom.

Tuesday, February 21, 4:30 – 5:30, White Hall 112; reception will follow. This event is free and open to the public! Byeok’s lecture at Emory coincides with an exhibition of his work at the Goat Farm in Atlanta, opening Friday, Feb. 17 and running through Feb. 26. Image from article

China – Propaganda - Pre 1937 - chinaahistoryofwarfare.com: Propaganda is central to the operation of the Chinese system of government. Aspects of propaganda—in particular the formalization of imagery and language—can be traced back to the earliest period of Chinese history, but propaganda has been most effective in the twentieth century thanks to the mass media and a powerful authoritarian government.

AMERICANA

Beautiful transfer of a 1957 color home movie of Disneyland [VIDEO] - Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

"You never see marital sex in the movies."

--Sex therapist and clinical psychologist Barry McCarthy; image from

"'I once wanted to be an atheist, but I gave up the idea,' said Henry Youngman. 'They have no holidays.'"

--J.C., The Times Literary Supplement (January 20, 2012), p. 32