May 14-15

"Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief, has managed to amass more information about more people than anyone else in history."

--Somini Sengupta, "Facebook’s Prospects May Rest on Trove of Data," New York Times; image from

CONFERENCE

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Digital Diplomacy: A New Era of Advancing Policy, Washington, D.C. (9:00 AM, Thu 17 May) - "Description: In a world of likes and hashtags, governments are using social media tools to reach beyond traditional diplomacy. Ministries and embassies are adopting new strategies for the digital age and exploring innovative ways to reach and engage domestic and foreign constituencies. Join leading thinkers in diplomacy and communications for a discussion on the evolution of public diplomacy and the ways visionary diplomats are using these powerful new tools to connect cultures, increase awareness, and advocate policy positions. RSVP online."

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Winning Hearts and Minds on Women’s Rights: The sound of change can start with a television show - usaid.gov: "In northern Afghanistan, change can sound a little like this: 'Previously, I was opposed to female education, I thought that it was unlawful, not in accordance to Islam and the holy Quran. After watching the TV shows on Friday nights through Arzu TV, I realized that in a democratic environment, both women and men have equal rights and according to Islam.' That was a resident of Aqcha district in Jowzjan Province. The man, who added that he will 'allow his daughter to continue her education', had been watching TV. More specifically, he had been watching a televised roundtable discussion on Islam and its tradition of democracy and rights, organized by the Assistance to Defend Afghan Women’s Rights Organization (ADWRO).

The ADWRO is one of 19 'core' Afghan-led civil society organizations funded by USAID’s Initiative to Promote Afghan Civil Society (I-PACS II). As is clear from the comments of the man in Aqcha district, ADWRO is having considerable success with its radio and television campaign to promote women’s rights in northern Afghanistan, The broadcasts generally feature a diverse group of participants, including community leaders and government officials. They discuss the role of civil society and Islam in promoting democracy. It is an example of how the sound of change can start with a simple television show." Via JJ on facebook. Image from

Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan - governmentgrants.miniature-site.com: "U.S. Department of State - The U.S. Government (USG) is providing resources to promote diplomatic solutions, through language training, critical skills development and other public diplomacy programs."

United States President Barack Obama has nominated a career diplomat David Bruce Wharton as Washington’s top man in Harare - newzimbabwe.com: "United States President Barack Obama has nominated a career diplomat David

Bruce Wharton as Washington’s top man in Harare. Swiss-born Wharton, currently Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy in the State Department, replaces Charles Ray whose three-year tour of duty ends in July.Wharton Image from article, with image: New man in Harare ... David Bruce Wharton

UN Peacekeepers, Election Postponement Needed in Libya - Alec Simantov, north-africa.com:  Libya’s internal instability continues to have dire consequence for the region as a whole, most notably in Mali’s continuing crisis.  The latest reports indicate that Somali pirates have now acquired Libyan weapons as well. The National Transition Council (NTC) remains unable to do much beside send 'brigades' to negotiate ceasefires between warring parties. ... The US and Europe have gained a significant amount of currency with the NTC as a result of the NATO intervention. Should the diplomatic silence continue, the credibility and influence of Western capitals will eventually evaporate. Right now, the NTC will listen, but only if the US and Europe are once again willing to pursue aggressive public diplomacy initiatives to support the Council moving forward. The Obama administration and its European allies should be working to bolster their influence with the NTC, utilize it effectively, and push the Council toward more responsible and democratic decision making."

U.S. Government's New Tourism Goal: Annually Attract 100 Million International visitors by 2021 - edgeasset.com: "Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association is a happy man this week. That is because the White House recently announced their new National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which includes the lofty goal of having over 100 million annual international visitors coming into the U.S. within the next decade.

Dow’s office made the following comments this past Friday on the new National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which included: 'Today, the Obama Administration announced its National Travel and Tourism Strategy. This important step officially elevates the travel industry to what it should be: a national priority. It also recognizes the industry for its fundamental contribution to our economy, national security and public diplomacy.'" Dow image from article

Report: National Framework for Strategic Communication. The [W]hite [H]ouse Washington The Honorable Joseph R. Biden; Jr. President of the Senate The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives - ecagi: Public and Cultural Diplomacy 2: A group blog by students at London Metropolitan University: "The report concerns ‘a comprehensive interagency strategy for public diplomacy and strategic communication’. Hence, its objective is to present through what tunnels communication and diplomatic strategies are recieved and performed."

VOA's use of medium wave relay in Moscow is "brain-dead," she writes - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: VOA's use of medium wave relay in Moscow is "brain-dead," she writes - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Heritage Foundation, The Foundry blog, 10 May 2012, Helle Dale: Depending on Russian government-funded media to broadcast news from Voice of America (VOA) is about as brain-dead as depending on Russian spaceships to send American astronauts into space or depending on Russian fuel supply for the U.S. ground and air forces in Afghanistan. The outcome will surely not be in America’s interest. And yet, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has contracted with Voice of Russia for rebroadcasting VOA programs in English.

The BBG has closed down most of its own radio transmitters around the world and even closed down VOA’s Russian-language broadcasting in 2008. The board’s reasons are, firstly, to cut costs and, secondly, to move away from radio toward other more glamorous media, like satellite television and the Internet. The fact remains, however, that most of the BBG’s global audience are still radio listeners, and the way U.S. radio programming now gets on the air is through contracts with local broadcasters. Unfortunately, relying on others for rebroadcasting U.S. programs gives them de facto control of programming content and leads to self-censorship. A particularly shocking example of self-censorship as a consequence of foreign pressure was provided by the run-up to the Russian election. According to employees of Voice of America, VOA managers told them to cancel plans for coverage of the Russian presidential election on March 3 and 4, the day prior to and the day of the Russian vote. The reason? Voice of Russia was threatening to tear up its rebroadcasting agreement with the BBG unless the U.S. government’s broadcasters complied with limitations on election coverage imposed by Russian legislation. [Elliott comment:]Russian government restrictions keep VOA and RFE/RL content off of Russian television and FM radio stations. Very few Russians still listen to shortwave. Not taking advantage of a medium-wave relay facility that covers Moscow, uncensored 99% of the time, would really be brain-dead. Follow the advice of the Heritage Foundation, and there would be no American astronauts in space, no fuel for US forces in Afghanistan, and no VOA listeners in Moscow. See previous post about same subject." Image from article

Broadcasting Board of Governors asks to be protected from the hand that feeds it: U.S. Congress and U.S. taxpayers - BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: "We have seen almost everything in official Washington, but the latest news from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) of trying to separate itself from the hand that feeds it, and protects it from the agency’s own blunders, beats almost everything else. Nothing short of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, and we don’t mean it in a positive sense. Claiming the need for preserving the 'journalistic firewall,' BBG executives want to be protected from the U.S. Congress that pays their salaries and expenses with American taxpayers’ money. Reality check, anyone? We understand the journalistic firewall concept when it is applied to the Executive Branch. We don’t want White House staffers and State Department diplomats telling Voice of America or Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists how to report news. God knows they have tried this in the past, but mercifully now have been largely avoiding such interference because of the VOA Charter and the public outcry that such censorship would produce.

Guess what? The VOA Charter, which makes it illegal for anyone — members of the Administration and members of Congress — to interfere with journalistic reporting by the Voice of America was passed by the U.S. Congress. But it seems that BBG executives are not satisfied with this law. They are demanding to be protected from any kind of scrutiny from the Congress and they want the House of Representatives and the Senate to agree to their demands by giving up the Senate’s right to confirm the official who would serve as the most senior BBG executive."

Moscow Times reports on VOA Russian Service interview with Senator McCain, no mention of the interview on VOA English website - BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch

Regional Partnerships: The United States and NATO - geneva.usmission.gov: "In recent years NATO leaders have taken bold actions to make the alliance more effective, responsive and capable of addressing 21st-century threats. At the November 2010 Lisbon Summit, NATO leaders adopted a Strategic Concept to prepare the member nations for new challenges and opportunities while also preserving its core mission as a security alliance. The Strategic Concept identifies 'cooperative security' as one of NATO’s three essential tasks. And it states that trans-Atlantic security is best assured through a wide network of partner relationships with countries and international organizations around the globe. ... The new partnerships policy sets these objectives for NATO’s partner relations: [inter alia] ... Build confidence and achieve better mutual understanding, including about NATO’s role and activities, in particular through enhanced public diplomacy."

Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna Admissions Journal [video] - saisbolognaadmissions.blogspot.com: "SAIS prides itself on the practical application of academic coursework. The Bologna Center is no exception. Instead of a walk down Massachusetts Avenue to a nearby think thank or a short metro ride to Capitol South to meet legislators, a dozen Bologna Center students recently traveled to Brussels for a day of personalized meetings at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The objective of the April 23 trip was to obtain a first-hand perspective of NATO’s mission and operations through briefings with key personnel from a variety of areas. Our introduction began with a meeting with a fellow SAIS Bologna alum who works within NATO’s Public Diplomacy division.

We discussed the history and structure of NATO and major items on NATO’s agenda, particularly the upcoming Chicago Summit and NATO’s strategic framework. Subsequent speakers discussed NATO’s partnerships with non-NATO members, the methodology of NATO’s military operations and the concept of Smart Defense."  Image from

Call for participants: Summer School “Crises response: International Communities’ approaches, capacities and resources” - socialdip.blogspot.com: "Dates [:] The NISA Summer Session will be held on 01-07 July 2012, in Baku, Azerbaijan. July 01 and July 07 are the dates of arrival and departure. Participants will be accommodated and meals will be provided. ... Participants who complete the session successfully will receive relevant diplomas, certified by the NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan."

The European Union mid-term priorities at the United Nations - Ronny Patz, Ideas on Europe: "The EU Council just published 'The European Union mid-term priorities at the United Nations' for ‘public diplomacy use’. I suppose that this means that there is a second document ‘for secret diplomacy use’. And indeed, reading through the ‘priorities looks like a long shopping list of diplomatic blabla – whether it’s worth anything is hard to assess.”

The Challenge of Chinese Soft Power - Matthew Wallin, americansecurityproject.org: "Much ado has been made about burgeoning Chinese soft power, and how China is increasing its public diplomacy and extending its soft power reach. From expanding the number of Confucius Institutes around the world, to a growing international broadcasting effort, China has been actively working to wield more signficant soft power influence. ... In the end, despite China’s attention to improving its image abroad, it faces a great deal

of soft power and branding challenges. These will not be easy issues to overcome, especially as much of China’s growth is characterized by questionable industry standards, and nation branding takes behavioral and perceptual changes over long periods of time. It will take far more than international broadcasting and cultural diplomacy to change China’s image—China will actually have to do things that actually change its image." Image from article, with caption: Air pollution in Beijing in 2011

The Relegitimization of Israel and the Battle for the Mainstream Consensus: Article from the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs - Joel Fishman, sdjewishworld.com: "After world opinion became critical, many who had become complaisant and overconfident sank into a state of fatalistic demoralization and defeatism. For personal as well as cultural reasons, the political class could or would not face up to the type of conflict in which Israel was engaged. It lacked the imagination to adapt to the new situation. The preeminent Prussian military theoretician, Carl von Clausewitz, stated, “War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.”30 According to his definition, public diplomacy is clearly another form of war. He added that '… wars must vary with the nature of their motives and of the situations which give rise to them. The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish by that test the kind of war on which they are embarking, neither mistaking it for, nor trying to turn it into, something that is alien to its nature.'"

The Revolting Diplomat - Sanjana Hattotuwa, colombotelegraph.com: "Imagine a student, at an impressionable age, reading about Sri Lanka’s foreign service today. ... Who can speak about the importance of public diplomacy, soft power and a deep appreciation of Western culture that informs a critical appraisal of the West’s own human rights record?

If Ambassadors themselves are clueless about foreign policy decisions taken by government, what does this say about Sri Lanka’s ability to constructively engage growing international scrutiny over the crimson stained timbre of governance? This government calls many of us in civil society unpatriotic, servile puppets of the West. But who really are those openly defiling and shaming Sri Lanka?" Image from

Evaluating Employer Communication Competency Expectations: A Pilot Study - Deirdre Breakenridge, deirdrebreakenridge.com: "Samoilenko, S.A., Ballard-Reisch, D., andAkhatova, B. (2011). Evaluating Employer Communication Competency Expectations in Kazakhstan. Research Study presented November 18 at the 97th Annual Conventional of the National Communication Association in New Orleans, LA. ... In many countries there is a steady need for competent public relations professionals to assure nation-building inter-ethnic campaigns locally and public diplomacy efforts internationally. Kazakhstan is one of the most successful Central Asian countries among those that emerged from the breakup of the former Soviet Union. Kazakhstan represents an interesting example of a complex, inter-ethnic society working rapidly to adjust to globalization in order to keep up with constantly emerging professional requirements. The rapid growth of the oil and gas industries has significantly contributed to economic growth and decline in poverty. It also increased government public diplomacy efforts for nation branding to promote the country among international businesses and the global political community.

Communication researchers Sergei Samoilenko, George Mason University and Dr. Deborah Ballard-Reisch from Wichita State joined their colleague from Kazakhstan Dr. Akhatova to assess of the quality of the public relations education recently offered in Kazakhstan universities to satisfy the government ambitions for international recognition and acceptance. Primarily, the researchers wanted to understand current expectations held by business employers in Kazakhstan regarding important communication competencies that university graduates with a degree in public relations should possess in order to be successful in their organizations. Their research was intended to provide practical guidelines for educators to develop new curricula in strategic communications that will help Kazakhstan universities better prepare future communication specialists and increase opportunities for their employment." Image from article

Hollywood stars find faith during Israel tour - Elisa Moed, Gil Zohar, jpost.com: "A group of eight Hollywood TV and film stars completed a week-long tour of Israel Sunday as guests

of the Tourism Ministry and the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry. ... Many of the Hollywood stars were "Twitter-ing" to their legions of fans about their experiences in Israel, leading Public Diplomacyand Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein to remark 'Israel has become a very sexy destination. You're the best ambassadors for the State of Israel.'" Image from article

Limmud FSU Princeton Conference kicks off Friday - goodnewsplanet.com: Over 500 young Russian-American Jews from across the country will come together at Princeton University, May 11-13, for the first-ever three-day Limmud FSU (former Soviet Union) Conference in the United States. Limmud FSU is a festival of Jewish learning featuring a packed program of lectures, workshops, round-table discussions, music and a wide-range of cultural events to be presented in three different languages – Russian, English and Hebrew. ... Among the presenters at the conference are leading academics, politicians, writers and artists hailing from the U.S., Israel, Russia and elsewhere. Some of the presenters include ... Ronen Plot, director general of Israel’s Ministry for Public Diplomacy and the Diaspora."

Critical Review of CSIS Commission on Smart Power: A smarter, more secure America (A report of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies) - milayna12, Public and Cultural Diplomacy 5: A group blog by students at London Metropolitan University

New Public Diplomacy and non-state actors - wmirza888 - Public and Cultural Diplomacy l: A group blog by students at London Metropolitan University

‘Olympic Missiles’ and Britain’s Great Campaign - justinamutale, Public and Cultural Diplomacy 5: A group blog by students at London Metropolitan University

Blog 150: My Visit to Skidmore - Michael Kaiser, Huffington Post: "Arts management is still a young field and needs exposure, discussion and debate. Some of the blogs I have written -- about cultural diplomacy, arts education, the decline of professional journalism and the future of modern dance -- have sparked loud and vigorous dissent. That is not a bad thing in a field that hasn't yet coalesced around a central theory of good arts management."

Green Leaves and Gummy Bears - Ryna Keith, A World Not Our Own: A Public Diplomacy Blog: "This world is not my own, I am just passing through": And here we go again. I am back in Marsabit. ... I am going home for my older sister’s wedding at the end of this term.

That means I am going to be counting down every second between now and then. The last emotion I am feeling right now is sadness. ... So for now, I am in the middle of shifting my focus from gummy bears to green leaves." Image from

NATO and Finland cooperation - we-nato.org: "Jed Willard is Director of the Public Diplomacy Collaborative at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government."

Who Knew? Why is this lady off on another adventure? Isn't that Kimberly? - eduactionnow.blogspot.com: "Yes, that lady and that Syracuse University Public Diplomacy Program requiring completion of dual master's degrees from two of the most pretigious programs in the country.

From engaging classrooms to reserach [sic] in northern India to an internship at the US Department of State in Washington DC, Kimberly's love of learning and making a difference by solving enviornmental [sic] issues is front and center." Image from article, with caption: Hanging out with the children of India while researching international water issues.

Job Opportunity: Media Assistant, Technology and Science - aliyahjobcenter.org: "Embassy in Israel is recruiting a Media Assistant, Technology and Science [.] The Media Assistant will lead the Embassy’s communication work promoting Israel and our country's ties on Science and Technology. You will play a key role in a top priority of the Embassy – using public diplomacy to position us as a natural partner of choice for Israel on technology and science. You will join a busy Communications Team, working with the Embassy’s Tech Hub and Science and Innovation Network. ... The initial contract will be for one year, with a three-month probationary period. The position will be 50% (2.5 days per week, with some flexibility required), based in Tel Aviv."

RELATED ITEMS

Top Ten Ways the US Military can Avoid Teaching Hatred of Muslims - Juan Cole, Informed Comments: 1. Such courses should be taught by people with academic credentials in the study of Islam. 2. Bringing in the Imam of the local mosque, or better, doing a field trip to a mosque, should be an essential part of such a course. 3. Some bigot who happens to have been stationed somewhere in the Muslim world, has read Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes and Brad Thor fiction, and has a lot of crazy ideas is not a proper teacher of such a course. 4. The less our officer corps sounds like Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, the better. 5. Deliberately killing civilians is a war crime. 6. The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt

now has the largest number of seats in parliament in Egypt. It is not an extremist, violent organization, and US political relations with Egypt now depend on Washington getting up to speed in understanding it. A kindred group, the Nahdah or Renaissance Party, has the prime ministership in Tunisia. Officers who provoke international incidents with foreign governments by making false allegations against their parliaments should be drummed out of the service. 7. If you can’t say it about Jews or Catholics, you can’t say it about Muslims. 8. The one thing that would guarantee a century-long war of religions and massive terrorism against the United States would be for it to bomb Mecca. 9. If intelligent officers sit through a course in which the teacher seems to be a maniac and says hateful and implausible things, they should, like, object. 10. The Iraq War is over. The Afghanistan War is winding down. The US military is unlikely to be fighting ground wars against Sunni Muslims in the next decade. Turkey is a NATO ally that the US is sworn to defend from attackers. Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Bahrain and Afghanistan are non-NATO allies of the United States. An officer advocating war on mainstream Muslims is making policy that only a president and a Congress can make. He should be drummed out of the service. Image from

Billions Wasted, Again: State Likely to Give Up on Costly Efforts to Train Iraqi Police - Peter Van Buren, Huffington Post: We Meant Well: Note to Hillary Clinton: Before sending your drones to fib to Congress asking for money that should be spent here at home, and then wasting several billion dollars on a project in some foreign country, ask the foreigners if they actually want it first. If they do not want our help, how about returning the billions to the United States where we can sure put it to good use? Image from

State Dept May Dump Multi-Billion Dollar Iraqi Police Program; Noooooooo! Not So Says Embassy Baghdad -  Domani Spero, DiploPundit: Despite a New York Times report to the contrary, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Department of State have no plans to shut down the Police Development Program (PDP) in Iraq that began in October 2011. According to U.S. Embassy Spokesman Michael McClellan, “The Iraqi Government and the State Department regularly review the size and scope of our law enforcement assistance efforts to ensure that these programs best meet the needs of Iraq’s security forces.“ As part of its review of staffing and space issues in early 2012, and in close consultation with the Iraqi Government, the Embassy and the Department of State decided to return the Baghdad Police College Annex to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and relocate U.S.-funded advisors to the Embassy compound by the end of 2012.

Pentagon opens 14,000 jobs to women - Kristina Wong, The Washington Times: On Monday, the Pentagon opened for female troops about 14,000 support positions that previously had been withheld from them, allowing women to fill jobs below the brigade level.

Though still banned from ground combat roles, women have more opportunities to serve in units closer to battlefields.

Above Image from article, with caption: Staff Sgt. Marie Martinson, one of two female bomb techs in the 88th Air Base Wing Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, is seen here in Afghanistan with a robot pack beside her. Below image from

Secret Service Prostitution: From Reality to Farce - The Secret Service prostitution scandal from Colombia has already hit bottom, based on an interview from a Colombian radio station with the escort (pictured, at work, above) at the heart of it all. To begin, she will be posing soon for Playboy. You can get a preview here (Sort of Not Safe for Work, unless you work for the State Department, as there are no Wikileaks references). The Agent’s wife has stated she will stand by her now-unemployed whore mongering husband. For those of you outside the Beltway, this is a Washington-area thing, where political spouses profess loyalty to their low-life mates (Hillary and Bill!) According to the escort, the Agent was too drunk to finish the job and that’s why he would not pay her in the morning (she later said he did the deed then passed out, so who cares). She said the other Secret Service staff took up a collection and handed her $250, begging she would not call the cops. “He did not feel he got what he was being asked to pay for,” said the Pretty Woman. She was one of 20 professional women brought to the Secret Service party. The escort also said that the Agent could not dance well. The escort said he liked to dance in a “disorderly” manner in which “he lifted his shirt to show off his six-pack.” When the escort woke the Agent, he refused to pay, telling her “just go, bitch.” Eight Secret Service officers have been forced out, the agency is “trying” to permanently revoke the security clearance of one. HINT: Forget the whores, have him look at Wikileaks online! And lastly, the escort said no one from the US government has been in touch with her or interviewed her. Get this– the Secret Service (unlike the media) says they can’t find her. So much for intel. This appears at odds with Obama’s stated desire for a “rigorous investigation.”

Diplomats and Dissidents - Bill Keller, New York Times: The case of the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, which briefly wrought havoc in the U.S. embassy, is a good occasion to contemplate the perennial tension between our respect for human rights and our need to deal with undemocratic regimes on issues like nuclear proliferation, trade, counterterrorism and climate change. when the U.S. soft-pedals human rights, it reinforces the view of many Chinese that the United States is in decline, inviting miscalculation of our seriousness. The Chen case, on the contrary, illustrates that — sometimes — if we stand firm we can have our diplomacy and our self-respect

What Happened to Israel's Reputation? How in 40 years the Jewish state went from inspiring underdog to supposed oppressor - Michael Oren, Wall Street Journal: Why have anti-Israel libels once consigned to hate groups become media mainstays? How can we explain the assertion that an insidious "Israel Lobby" purchases votes in Congress, or that Israel oppresses Christians? Why is Israel's record on gay rights dismissed as camouflage for discrimination against others? The answer lies in the systematic delegitimization of the Jewish state. Having failed to destroy Israel by conventional arms and terrorism, Israel's enemies alit on a subtler and more sinister tactic that hampers Israel's ability to defend itself, even to justify its existence.

It began with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat's 1974 speech to the U.N., when he received a standing ovation for equating Zionism with racism—a view the U.N. General Assembly endorsed the following year. It gained credibility on college campuses through anti-Israel courses and "Israel Apartheid Weeks." It burgeoned through the boycott of Israeli scholars, artists and athletes, and the embargo of Israeli products. It was perpetuated by journalists who published doctored photos and false Palestinian accounts of Israeli massacres. Israel must confront the acute dangers of delegitimization as it did armies and bombers in the past. Along with celebrating our technology, pioneering science and medicine, we need to stand by the facts of our past. "The Spirit of Israel" has not diminished since 1973—on the contrary, it has flourished. The state that Life once lionized lives even more vibrantly today. Image from

Can Islamists Be Liberals - Mustafa Akyol, New York Times: Turkey still suffers from a paranoid nationalism that abhors minority rights, a heavy-handed judiciary designed to protect the state rather than its citizens, and an intolerant political culture that regards any criticism as an attack and sees provocative ideas as criminal.

Propagana Parade: The Dalai Lama Is Old and Senile - John Hudson, theatlanticwire.com: In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda: China addresses the

Dalai Lama's "murky psychology," Iran cracks down a rapper and Venezuela tries to define propaganda. Image fro article

Reaping the political rewards of the Iranian nuclear crisis - Arash Falasiri,opendemocracy.net: Both Iranian and Israeli governments mutually benefit from the threat of war, as they both use the excuse to polish their propaganda and to silence internal opposition.

Euro chief lashes out at Greek exit ‘propaganda’ -iol.co.za: Leading eurozone powerbroker Jean-Claude Juncker has lashed out “propaganda” suggesting that a politically-paralysed Greece would now exit the troubled currency. “I don't envisage, not even

for one second, Greece leaving,” the head of the Eurogroup said after Monday night talks among finance ministers in Brussels, during which he said the 17 eurozone partners unanimously affirmed their “unshakeable desire” to keep Athens in the club. “This is nonsense, this is propaganda,” the Luxembourg premier insisted of what economists have baptised "Grexit." Image from article

India rubbishes Pakistan newspaper report on troop withdrawal plan - economictimes.indiatimes.com: India on Monday moved swiftly to rubbish "propaganda'' emanating from Pakistan that it had agreed to pull back troops from the border as part of a larger agreement between the two countries. The Indian defence ministry denied a Pakistani newspaper report which held, quoting unnamed military and diplomatic officials, that the two countries had reached an agreement on the troop withdrawal during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India on April 8. "The report published in The Express Tribune (Islamabad edition) on May 14 that `India may move troops to peacetime locations' is completely incorrect and without any basis. There are no such plans," said the terse statement issued by the defence ministry.

N.Korea promotes propaganda over mad cow disease in SK - donga.com: North Korea is stepping up propaganda to spur civic unrest over mad cow disease in South Korea. Sources on North Korea said certain South Korean forces that are encouraging candlelight vigils by questioning the government`s actions on mad cow disease share common ground to an extent with North Korean propaganda.

The Cold War rival to Eurovision - Steve Rosenberg, BBC News: When nestled behind the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Union could not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, so it set up a rival competition - and called it Intervision.

Image from article, with caption: Set in a sea-side resort, singers at Intervision performed against the backdrop of a forest. Via YO on facebook

Deadly Disengagement: When Czech democracy needed defending, America was inattentive. The U.S. point man in Prague spent much of his time in New York [review of On the Edge of the Cold War by Igor Lukes] - Charles Dameron, Wall Street Journal: As Igor Lukes shows in "On the Edge of the Cold War," his engrossing chronicle of the days when Czechoslovakia hung in the balance, the country's place behind the Iron Curtain was anything but foreordained. But the U.S. government's carelessness and indifference to the Czechoslovakians' fate conspired to give an easy victory to the Soviet Union in the embryonic stages of the Cold War.

By the time American officials felt roused to act, it was too late. They had already been outfoxed by Stalin, who had a keen appreciation for Bismarck's maxim: Whoever rules Bohemia holds the key to Europe. Mr. Lukes's invaluable account makes it hard to dispute CIA Director Allen Dulles's conclusion in the 1950s that Czechoslovakia "would never have been lost if someone had been there doing something about it. Mr. Dameron is a Prague-based correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Image from article

80 Fascinating Historical British WWII Propaganda Films [Stuff to Watch][videos] - stortsfamily:  Recently the British Council, an organization that focuses on educational and cultural importance, released a bounty of historical films produced during the Second World War for viewing online.

These reels were produced to counter Nazi propaganda and convince the world that Britain was doing “just fine” despite the devastating effects of war. In them we see a country at war, an army stretched to its limits and some prime examples of national pride and the “stiff upper lip” attitude that is uniformly recognised around the world as being quintessentially British. There’s not enough room for 80 films here, so here are 6  favourites. You can check out the rest on the British Council’s website. Image from entry

A Very Rare German Propaganda `Detscherklienemphanger` Radio - warstuff.com.

A Most Useful Invention: The Printed Image in China, 8th to 21st Century Metropolitan Museum of Art Through July 29 - Lee Lawrence, Wall Street Journal: Conceived by British Museum curator Clarissa von Spee, "The Printed Image in China, 8th to 21st Century" explores the ways in which prints in China disseminated fact and fiction, high culture and good karma, political propaganda and critical commentary.

In the process, the show's 140-plus prints provide information about printing in general, showcase the breadth of the British Museum's collection, and offer insights into the versatility and power of mass reproduction.Propaganda has always found a friendly tool in mass reproduction, so it is no surprise to find later woodblocks denouncing war—such as Zhang Hui's 1938 "Barbaric Bombardment" and Huang Yan's horrific "The Last Bullet" (1943)—or championing government policy with heroic images of workers and happy Tibetan farmers. More exciting is how the dissemination of prints shaped other artforms. Image from article, with caption: Yang Newei's woodblock print "Portrait of Qu Yuan" (1942)

AMERICANA

Americans more optimistic economy is looking up, poll says - Susan Page, USA TODAY:
Though an overwhelming 71% rate economic conditions as poor, a 58% majority predict they will be good a year from now. Although those surveyed are inclined to say they are financially worse off than a year ago, nearly two-thirds say they think they'll be better off this time next year.

Airlines on time at record rate in first quarter, data show - Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY

RUSSICA

--The Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch in Samara; via DR on facebook