June 10

"I have a new strategic communications approach to recommend [:] Shut the fuck up."

--Robert Gates, the former defense secretary, reportedly blasting the national security team in the Obama White House, Tom Donilon, who is now Obama's national security adviser, for blabbing about the raid to kill Osama bin Laden; via the Weekly Standard;  image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

The Limits of Public Diplomacy -  nickborg.blogspot.com: "Stephen Walt has a good post on the recent announcement by U.S. Agency for International Development to cancel Pakistan's version of Sesame Street, which was part of the State Department's broader efforts at public diplomacy. Walt suggests that no amount of American propaganda or cultural influence will be successful if U.S. foreign policy is repeatedly insensitive toward the day-to-day realities in other countries. In his words: ‘… the assumption underlying most efforts at public diplomacy seems to be the belief that anti-Americanism around the world is a failure of marketing. If we just do a better job of selling what we do around the world (or if we get to them young enough, with clever characters like Elmo or Cookie Monster), then Pakistanis won't mind our launching drone strikes on their territory and will give us a free pass when we kill a bunch of border guards by accident.’ Walt makes a convincing case that underscores the limits of America’s soft power. However, he would almost certainly agree that public diplomacy is not a completely useless tool of statecraft.

Consider the fact that during the Cold War America’s soft power -- the ability to persuade others to want what you want -- via public diplomacy played an integral role persuading foreign audiences of the superiority of America's economic, social, political systems. Moreover, American film, blue jeans and pop music, brewed much of the discontent that embodied the ‘hearts and minds’ behind the Iron Curtain, which subsequently accelerated the spectacular displays of mass demonstrations at the end of the Cold War. As Joe Nye observes in his book Soft Power, when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it was clear that ‘Lennon trumped Lenin.’ But make no mistake: throughout the Cold War the U.S. had several public diplomacy initiatives in Southeast Asia, Latin American and the Middle East, yet public opinion toward the U.S. in these regions was (and remains) less than encouraging. These regions, of course, happen to be home to some of the most brutal excesses of American power -- witness the Vietnam War, military coups that overturned democratically elected governments in Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954 and Chile in 1973, covert funding of right-wing paramilitary forces in Nicaragua and El Salvador in the 1980s, and CIA funding and support for the Afghan mujaheddin, just to name a few. Thus, despite U.S. marketing ploys to sell images of itself as a beacon of democracy, on which the rest of the world ought to follow, we should not be surprised when some countries are angry at the abuses of American power, no matter how noble the intentions. While it doesn't hurt to have various diplomatic initiatives accompanied by the persuasion of legitimacy, or to simply try to project a positive image of America around the world, the former British foreign secretary, Anthony Eden, was correct when he remarked in 1937 that, ‘good cultural propaganda cannot remedy the damage done by a bad foreign policy…’" Image from entry

Debate on the enforceable-but-unenforced domestic dissemination ban simmers - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting [Notes most recent items on the Smith-Mindt modernization debate.]

Already in Battle - ngocvanhob.com: “The New York Times, citing anonymous sources in the Obama administration, reported that the president had secretly ordered the use of the Stuxnet worm to attack the computers that run Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities. The Times reported that this was in collaboration with Israel, and was the continuation of a program code-named Olympic Games, started under President George W. Bush. The attack is estimated to have set back the Iranian nuclear program by as much as two years. Attacking another nation-state’s potential military capability may sound like an act of war to some. Joel Harding, a former military intelligence officer and now a communication and public diplomacy information operations expert and consultant, wrote in a blog post shortly after The Times’ story, ‘It’s official. The United States of America was the first to use an atomic bomb against an enemy and now the United States is the first to have acknowledged using a cyber weapon against another country. We are now certified bad guys to the rest of the world.’ ‘To whoever leaked the information from the Obama administration, for whatever purpose, you have now doomed the United States to a terrible legacy forever,’ he wrote. ... But Harding told CSO he does not think this means the U.S. has started a cyberwar. ‘There will never be a pure cyberwar in my opinion,' he said. ‘There will be operations in cyberspace but they will always be in support of other actions. By itself warfare in cyberspace cannot conquer an enemy. The effects will normally be temporary and probably not physical in nature.’ Still, he said the admission taints the U.S. in the eyes of the rest of the world. ‘It is a challenge to maintain a high moral position if we are the first to acknowledge the use of such a weapon,’ he said."

State Department Hosts Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership With Young African Leaders - IVN, imperialvalleynews.com: "On June 13, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton will welcome more than sixty young African leaders to the Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership, a three-week professional development program by the U.S. government in collaboration with the Meridian International Center to the Marshall Center at the Department of State. Additionally, on June 14, Under Secretary of Political Affairs Wendy Sherman will open the program at the Palomar Hotel, the site of the two-day Summit. On the evening of June 14, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine will keynote a reception. Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson will provide the Summit’s closing remarks on June 15. During the three-week program, participants will travel to nine U.S. cities for mentoring partnerships at American businesses and reunite in Chicago June 29 for closing ceremonies."

Chinese official demands foreign embassies stop tweeting Beijing air pollution readings - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. Image from entry

Broadcasting Board of Governors passes resolution to limit public access to information - BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: "In an attempt to limit disclosure of sensitive and embarrassing information and curtail public and Congressional scrutiny, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) adopted a resolution forcing BBG members to keep silent on budgetary and legislative matters unless allowed by the BBG chair or presiding governor to share such information with the American public and the U.S. Congress.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency supervising all U.S. government-supported, civilian international broadcasting, whose mission is — ironically — to inform and support freedom and democracy abroad." Image from entry

DotConnectAfrica writes a Letter to US Congress on who should govern the Internet, supporting the Status Quo - ethiopianreview.com: "DotConnectAfrica writes an Open Letter to US Congress to Express Support in Defense of the Status Quo on Global Internet Governance Model and Reaffirmation of the Multistakeholder Process . ...Recent news reports in global media, and moves by certain countries such as Russia, China, India, South Africa and others proposing changes to the present governance model of the Internet and to place its regulation under the aegis of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a member of the multilateral United Nations Organizations (UN), could possibly derail the current ICANN-led stakeholder model, with potentially disastrous impact not only on the new gTLD programme but on global Internet availability, security, stability, openness; and the inalienable rights of peoples everywhere to freedom of communication, availability of information, and the free usage of the Internet as a forum for inter-change of ideas and a platform for fostering education, collaborative research, innovation and inventiveness, etc., ideals and values that are considered pillars of American culture and a buttressed democratic ethos which the United States continues to share with the world through its international public diplomacy efforts."

Selling the “clash of civilizations” to the Left by Cédric Housez - frenchdissidents.wordpress.com: "The only important thing is that France should have no contact with those the Atlantist circles present as terrorists or terrorists’ allies. ... The Arab policy of France would then be based on an old anti-Semite tradition. Even worse, through this policy, France would be actually collaborating with what the United States and its booster of public diplomacy present as the worst threat of our time: the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists."

Can Israel defy the World - israpundit.com: "Bill Narvey says: June 10, 2012 at 3:24 pm ... 4. Under Olmert, Israel began to see value in Hasbara in the sense of public diplomacy. Netanyahu appears to be more strongly pushing that. Since Israel is tied most closely to the U.S. and it is U.S. pressure on Israel that appears to have the greatest impact, it seems Israel’s hasbara efforts, not to defy U.S. pressure, but to find ways to soften that pressure would be the better course."

The Edward R. Murrow of Roadies - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "Somehow I have become a PD roadie."

The winners of the Cultural Diplomacy residency for 2012 - arsdor.org: " We are happy to announce the winners of our Cultural Diplomacy Residency programme: Alexandra Rusu, Ana-Maria Onisei (for April-July) and Ghenadie Sontu (for September-December). ... The residency begins with an intensive theoretical and practical training ... and at a British cultural partner institution. Afterwards, the residents will work within our team on cultural projects in different areas: literature, music, dance etc. When: January-December 2012 Where: Romanian Cultural Institute London."

This Week's Must-Reads For Women in Business (And Short Skirts) - Lahle Wolfe, womeninbusiness.about.com:  "Women Biz News - 'We women are not comfortable being 'little men,'

and we don't like being boxed into what is considered womanly at the expense of being seen as leaderly'  writes successful CEO and former Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Charlotte Beers in her glass ceiling smashing and empowering book I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work." Image from

Do I have What it Takes, I Sure Have the Patience to See - thetravelingbard.com: "What is the process to becoming a Foreign Service Officer? The first step is to read every single word on the website. It explains the nature of the job and the career tracks. There are five. And you must select one before you even register for the FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test) because it asks you what one you are choosing. The career tracks include: consular, economic, management, political, and public diplomacy. You are not allowed to change your career track after you register, and you have to take into consideration what areas are more popular than others and what is in more demand, which could help you move faster throughout the process."

Week 10 — Finish essay and watch a video - mediaenglish1.wordpress.com: "Hello hard workers! I hope you are completing your essays to submit at the start of your class this week.  If you need a copy of the assignment, click on essay assignment sheet. Your only other assignment is to watch this six-minute video on NHK World. Remember what we learned last week about international broadcasting and public diplomacy. Give some thought to how this segment meets the purpose of a government-sponsored broadcast to other nations.”

RELATED ITEMS

Joan's Case Update #3 - Cover-up Not Clean-up - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: "As a taxpayer, I object to having my dollars used to support corruption, cover-ups and vendettas at the State Department."

State Department: McGurk “Uniquely Qualified” to be Ambassador - Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well:  In the face of a ferocious head wind of criticism against Ambassador-to-Iraq wanna be Brett McGurk, State’s official comment is that he is “uniquely qualified” to serve as the top American diplomat in Iraq and urged the Senate to confirm him quickly. Iraq is a messy, complex place.

4484 Americans died there, over a hundred thousands Iraqis lost their lives. The Embassy in Iraq costs the US taxpayers between $6.5 and $4 billion a year, and has over 16,000 people working for it. This is not the place for an amateur, or for someone who can’t keep his zipper up and his mind on the job. We need someone serious, mature and committed in this tough job, and we’re being fed Bluto from the Delta House. Zero point zero. Image from entry

Military Suicide Rate Surges To Nearly One Per Day This Year - Robert Burns, AP, Huffington Post: Suicides are surging among America's troops, averaging nearly one a day this year – the fastest pace in the nation's decade of war. The 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan – about 50 percent more – according to Pentagon statistics obtained by The Associated Press.

Obama’s 262 Drone Strikes in Pakistan: A map of all the reported attacks—five times as many under Obama as under Bush - Chris Kirk, Slate: The war in Iraq is over, and the war in Afghanistan is ending, but unmanned aerial drones continue to wage an expansive war on terrorism. Obama has ratcheted up his predecessor’s tactic of deploying unmanned aircraft into Pakistan and Yemen to kill supposed terrorists (even U.S. citizens).

Since Obama took office, media outlets have reported more than 300 drone strikes in Pakistan targeting al-Qaeda or the Taliban, outnumbering the Bush administration’s drone strikes five to one. Supporters say the strikes are an efficient way to kill militants, while critics say the strikes kill too many civilians, spur terrorist recruitment, shirk judicial oversight, and represent an abuse of presidential power. This map, which is based on data from the New America Foundation, displays the location and kill count of reported drone strikes since 2004 and shows that Obama has greatly extended the drone program. Image from article

Do U.S. drone strikes on al-Qaida make us safer? - Sean M. Lynn-Jones, Power and Policy: It remains to be seen whether U.S. killings of al-Qaida leaders will bring about the demise of that terrorist organization. So far, however, those killings seem to have disrupted al-Qaida and reduced the frequency of its actual and attempted terrorist attacks on the United States and U.S. citizens, although al-Qaida remains a significant threat. The Obama administration may be on target in its calculation that the benefits of decapitation strikes outweigh the costs. Below image from

Patrick Cockburn: America is deluded by its drone-warfare propaganda - World View: The use of unmanned aircraft to assassinate its enemies is guaranteed to backfire on Washington, CounterPunch: The US and its allies ponder what to do about Syria, one suggestion advanced by the protagonists of armed intervention is to use unmanned drones to attack Syrian government targets. The proposal is a measure of the extraordinary success of the White House, CIA and Defense Department in selling the drone as a wonder weapon despite all the evidence to the contrary. The downside to these exaggerated successes is that the White House and the US security agencies believe more of their own propaganda than is good for them. Ramshackle insurgent movements in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen are not like regular armies, in which the elimination of officers or senior cadres might be a crippling blow to the organisation. Just as important, in the long term, assassination campaigns do not win wars, and they create as many enemies as they destroy. The attraction of the drone for President Obama and his administration five months before the presidential election is self-evident. The revelation that he personally selected targets from the top ranks of al-Qa'ida for assassination by remote control shows the President as tough and unrelenting in destroying America's enemies. The programme is popular at home because the cost appears not to be large and, most importantly, there are no American casualties.

From Peace Prize to Paralysis - Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times: Obama was forceful in demanding that President George W. Bush stand up to Sudan during the slaughter in Darfur, so it’s painful to see him so passive on Sudan today. When governments turn to mass murder, we may have no easy solutions, but we should at least be crystal clear about which side we’re on. That’s not too much to expect of a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

How the Arab World Uses Facebook and Twitter [INFOGRAPHICS] - Zoe Fox, mashable.com: Social media has been often touted for the role it played in the popular uprisings that have spread across the Arab world since December 2010. Despite the buzz, you may be surprised that only 0.26% of the Egyptian population, 0.1% of the Tunisian population and 0.04% of the Syrian population are active on Twitter. Of all the countries in North Africa and the Middle East, Twitter is most popular in Kuwait, where 8.6% of the population is active users, defined as those who tweet at least once per month. Facebook’s more popular throughout the region. In its most popular country, the U.A.E., some 36.18% of the population is on Facebook. Article includes charts. Via JC on Facebook

Facebook Meets Brick-and-Mortar Politics - Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times: As a liberal Egyptian observed, “Facebook really helped people to communicate, but not to collaborate.” No doubt Facebook helped a certain educated class of Egyptians to spread the word about the Tahrir Revolution. Ditto Twitter. But, at the end of the day, politics always comes down to two very old things: leadership and the ability to get stuff done.

French Women Worry About Getting Fat, Too - Susan Dominus, New York Times: Selling an American-style weight-loss program to France would seem an absurd business proposition: from a French point of view, Americans might appear better equipped to give pointers on how to gain weight than how to lose it. The obesity rate in the United States is around 35 percent, compared with 14.5 percent in France. But the rate of increase in France has been worrying: in 1997, the obesity rate in France was only 8.5 percent. The government has initiated a series of antiobesity measures meant to restore traditional healthy eating habits (including last year a near ban on ketchup in school cafeterias). France’s obesity concerns still pale in comparison with this country’s.

Nonetheless, French women do get fat, increasingly so, and so do men — 38 percent of the adult population there is now considered overweight. Elaborate diet plans with chirpy self-help axioms are as American as gluten-free apple pie, part of a culture in which food is both the enemy and the cure. We overeat, we diet, we overeat some more — and Nestlé is apparently betting that even the French will succumb to that same vicious cycle, needing American remedies for American habits. Image from

AMERICANA

(a) American Gastronomy, via Paul Rockower, Levantine

(b) 23 Vintage Bad Girl Mugshots: Bad babes breaking laws in beehives. From the collection of vintage mugshots of Least Wanted. Among them:

Via CR on Facebook

(c) “the product of randomness.”

--Barack Obama's life, according to his latest biographer

(d) Donald Trump sues former Miss Pennsylvania - Ann Oldenburg, USA Today

ONE MORE IMAGE

Via IB on Facebook, location regrettably not identified