August 13-14

"Nice girls do have affairs, and they do not necessarily die of them!"

--Helen Gurley Brown, longtime Cosmopolitan editor, recently deceased at 90

"How to Turn Him On While You Take It Off," "The Pill That Makes Women More Responsive," "I Was a Passed Around Girl."

--The cover lines for Cosmopolitan Magazine written exclusively by movie producer David Brown, the husband, alive until until 2010, of the longtime editor of the magazine, Helen Gurley Brown; they were childless; image from, with caption: Helen Gurley Brown and her husband, David, in 1979.

VIDEO

Hezbollah’s Propaganda War - callmestormy.com

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Better Public Diplomacy in East Asia - Weston S. Konishi, A. Greer Meisels, nationalinterest.org: "Negotiating security agreements between governments is not an easy task. National interests are scrupulously weighed. Technical details are worked out after months, and sometimes years, of tedious communiqués moving back and forth across official channels. Tensions can flare even among the closest of allies. When agreements are finalized, there is usually a palpable sense of achievement—and relief—among those involved in the hard work of hammering out a difficult deal. But the Herculean efforts involved in bringing these agreements to fruition are often unknown to the general public. And even an official agreement does not imply that it has been accepted by the public. The court of public opinion is increasingly the ultimate test of whether an official agreement moves forward or stalls. In East Asia, home to two of America’s closest strategic allies, Japan and South Korea, public opinion has decided the fate of a series of recent strategic agreements. As the United States embarks on a strategic 'rebalance' toward Asia, Washington and its allies in the region must do a better job making the case for policies that require broad public support. This is especially true in fiscally constrained times, when the threat of sequestration may require the United States to rely more heavily on its friends. ... [I]n Washington, there is a growing recognition that the ability to explain U.S. foreign policy is of critical strategic importance—particularly in today’s global information environment, as the perception of declining U.S. power spreads around the world.

For that reason, in 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives established the Strategic Communications and Public Diplomacy Caucus to examine recommendations for improving the U.S. image abroad. The Defense Science Board (DSB) also has established a task force on strategic communication to develop new communications strategies for the U.S. military. Although these efforts are aimed largely at an external audience, our allies could perhaps take a page from this playbook and adapt these methods to their own domestic constituencies. The United States and its allies need to take strategic communications more seriously, devote more resources—both financial and human—and put effort into PR campaigns to build public support for controversial security agreements. In many cases, these efforts will need to be coordinated both bilaterally and trilaterally, as regional security requires new, coordinated efforts and sophisticated messaging campaigns shared among diverse capitals such as Washington, Tokyo and Seoul. Strategic communications must be accompanied by more honest and open public discourse on sensitive security issues. The concerns of citizens both at home and abroad must be taken into account. But they should not necessarily come at the expense of national-security interests. Governments must do a far better job explaining the strategic rationale behind their most controversial decisions. and allies in the region to share the burden of ensuring a stable and secure East Asia." Image from article

The Roles of Russia and Iran in the Syria Crisis - Amb. Litt, ambdavidlitt.com: "I have argued that US policy in Syria needs tighter lash-up with Syria’s immediate neighbors and our traditional allies, and more effective public diplomacy about what we are doing and why, especially within the Middle East region. An end to the violence and a successful transition will move even more quickly with the acquiescence of Russia and Iran. Any move toward US military intervention, however, would set back this possibility. Conversely, we should work diligently with Moscow toward this end, as Damascus relies strategically on the appearance of continued Russian support, and operationally Russia holds an important key to Syrian military supplies."

A Snapshot of Public Diplomacy in Action - Tara D. Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, campaign.r20.constantcontact.com: "As we mark the Holy Month of Ramadan, it is personally satisfying to me to see how focused some of our summer programs have been on building ties with Muslim communities - especially young women - around the world. Thirteen Afghan parliamentarians just completed a visitor program on 'The Role of the Legislative Branch in a Democracy.' Ten young women from Iraq deepened their understanding of research in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields at Smith College. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem recently brought together 16 girls from the West Bank and East Jerusalem to consider futures in pharmacology, biotechnology, molecular biology, and genetics.

And 180 new Fulbright Masters and PhD scholars from every province in Pakistan, the largest group of Pakistani Fulbrighters ever, are heading to universities throughout the United States. Read on and you will see other ways we are reaching out to Muslim communities. You will also learn that - yes - there is such a thing as hip hop diplomacy, and we are exercising it throughout Kyrgyzstan. You'll also learn about the recent visit of the third generation of Jóvenes en Acción (Youth in Action), a group of charming and committed high school students from across Mexico whose summer exchange here helped them focus on community service projects they can initiate at home." Image from entry

Marshall Plan As Public Diplomacy? -  Vestniek: "A few years ago, the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the State Department declared that the Marshall Plan 'still stands as the greatest example in our nation’s history of public diplomacy done right.'  Who knows? Maybe Judith McHale was inspired by the fact that her own new office in the State Department was the same one George C. Marshall occupied as Secretary of State. Or, maybe the fact that she was speaking in Lexington, Virginia at the time had something to do with it. But she was right. The Marshall Plan still stands today as an example of strategic communication and policy coordination.  The approach Secretary Marshall followed in formulating the plan which bears his name clearly encompassed the ten principles that underpin modern public diplomacy.

McHale's 'Marshall Plan as public diplomacy' concept came back to me as I read the excellent report issued August 7 by the American Security Project. It is the one called 'The New Public Diplomacy Imperative.' The author, Matthew Wallin, is a policy analyst at ASP who comes with a master’s degree in public diplomacy from University of Southern California. To judge by the crisp insights and clear thinking evident in this paper, public diplomacy folk should keep an eye on Wallin. He gets it. One of Wallin’s key arguments is that we do major damage to American credibility by over-promising and under–delivering. His example is the much heralded Cairo University speech made in June, 2009  by President Obama. Wallin lists the seventeen specific commitments the President made to the Muslim world in that speech, such things as closing Guantanamo detention facility, pursuing resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S. internships for Muslim students, opening 'scientific centers of excellence'  in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, and 'supporting democracy everywhere.' His point is not that we should fault President Obama for having failed to do many of these things. Sure there were political and other obstacles that got in the way. But, because he has failed to accomplish many of the key promises, the unfulfilled commitments have continued a trend of disappointment in the eyes of many Muslims. It is unfortunately a record that fits with the narrative that flows throughout the Arab world and reverberates among many Muslims. Better to promise less, and deliver more than the audience expects. This over promising and under delivering is unfortunately an all too frequent feature of American diplomacy. Too many of our senior leaders demand that the bureaucracy produce lists of 'deliverables' for them to announce when they make foreign trips. Too many official visits end with announcements and promises that are quickly forgotten by all but the hopeful recipients. All this makes it doubly difficult for the public diplomacy officer to win trust and build credibility.” Marshall image from entry

The New Public Diplomacy: The American Story Starts with Knowing Ourselves - Helle Dale, blog.heritage.org: "A newly published study by the American Security Project (ASP), 'The New Public Diplomacy Imperative,' highlights public diplomacy (PD) as a crucial element of our national security strategy and details the many obstacles for U.S. public diplomacy to reach its potential. Over the past few decades, a new interest in America’s image has been fueled by the rise in terrorism and the subsequent war on terrorism. As Professor Barry Sanders, author of American Avatar: the United States in the Global Imagination, stated at a Heritage Foundation event, 'resentments prevent collaboration.' Not only that, but it breeds violence. Foreign opinion matters because it is an important factor in shaping world events. The U.S. government acknowledged as much in its 2010 National Security Strategy: ['] The United States Government will make a sustained effort to engage civil society and citizens and facilitate increased connections among the American people and peoples around the world. ['] Yet ASP and many other organizations such as the Heritage Foundation have argued that steps should be taken to increase its effectiveness. Since the State Department took over the responsibilities of the U.S. Information Agency in 1999, the organization and focus of America’s PD mission has been lacking. The position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, which was created in 1999, has remained unfilled 30 percent of the time since its creation, with an average tenure of 512 days. Case studies cited by ASP help illustrate the challenges of PD in practice. For instance, President Obama’s 2009 'A New Beginning' speech in Cairo was an attempt to make amends with the Muslim world. It was masterful in its wording and was generally well received. But because Obama made many promises that he never fulfilled—including a number outside his control—the result was more skepticism among Arab Muslims. The ASP study also highlights the need for metrics in PD. Yet finding appropriate metrics

for evaluating PD has traditionally been an area of ambiguity and difficulty. As the effects of good PD are often seen over the course of a generation, they can be exceedingly difficult to track. Perhaps an effective method for collecting PD metrics lies in one of its fundamental tenets: listening. It is through feedback from the targets of our PD efforts that we will learn the most about how we are doing as communicators and understand how we need to improve. Indeed, much of the debate over how to improve U.S. public diplomacy from a structural standpoint has fallen on deaf ears among policy makers who can change it. Content may be part of the problem. What is the message the U.S. is trying to convey, and how do we connect it to good policy that is consistent with American ideals and increases national security? As ASP author Matthew Wallin writes, 'In order to maximize the effectiveness of public diplomacy, the U.S. must first and foremost strengthen the quality of its narrative and strategic messaging.' Only after fixing the content will American PD be able to gather the support it needs to make headway again both on Capitol Hill—and abroad." Image from

Dizdarevic Leads Fifth Annual Basketball Diplomacy Camp - guhoyas.com: "As a student-athlete on Georgetown's 2007 NCAA Men's Final Four basketball team, [Sead] Dizdarevic learned the importance of education in the development of a successful athlete. A native of Montenegro, he recognized the need to create a program that emphasizes the importance of sports, academics and leadership for young student-athletes in his homeland of Montenegro and the Balkans.The program is co-sponsored by the United States Department of State and Georgetown University. Previous programs have been very successful and extremely beneficial to the young student-athletes from the Balkans.

Through sports, Public Diplomacy has proven to be an effective way to build bridges across ethnic, religious and cultural divisions and strengthen the bonds of friendships and understanding between people of the United States and people in the Balkans. The Basketball Diplomacy Camp has limited resources, so Georgetown University is actively seeking matching funds to ensure and enhance the continued success of the program." Dizdarevic image from

Citizen Diplomacy in 2012 Olympic Games - Mahtab Farid, U.S. Public Diplomacy in Afghanistan: "There is no better tool, strategy, or a diplomacy solution than sharing an international arena in harmony with laughter on a sport's stage. It was truly an amazing ceremony to watch how the medal stage for the men's- 68 kg in taekwondo was shared by the American, Iranian, Afghan and Turkish medalists.

Iran and U.S. haven't had diplomatic relations for over 3 decades. Administration after administration from both parties have tried variety of policies to build some kind of a relationship and still U.S. policy towards Iran remains an unsolved puzzle after all these years. Yet through the spirit of Olympics an Iranian athlete shares the stage with the American athlete. The Iranian government might call U.S. a 'Great Satan' or former U.S. President George W. Bush can call the Iranian government an 'axis of evil' but the power of sports bring the citizens of two nations together." Image from article, with caption: Servet Tazegul from Turkey, Mohammad Bagheri Motamed from Iran, Rohullah Nikpah from Afghanistan and Terrence Jennings from United States of America

Food Politics at the Department of State: Culinary Diplomacy - victorkeeley3.blogspot.com: "I’ve been sent a copy of the Department of State’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership Initiative. called 'Setting the Table for Diplomacy.' Its mission statement: ['] The Diplomatic Culinary Partnerships initiative builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of 'smart power' diplomacy, which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools, by utilizing food, hospitality and the dining experience as ways to enhance how formal diplomacy is conducted, cultivating cultural understanding and strengthening bilateral relationships through the shared experience of food. I particularly like the idea of 'using food as a foundation for public diplomacy programs to learn about different cultures and discuss important related issues such as nutrition, sustainability and food security.' ['] Yes! Everybody eats.  This is my kind of diplomacy."

West Celebrates as Dark Age Descends over Egypt - Tony Cartalucci, Prisonplanet.com: "In January of 2011, we were told that 'spontaneous,' 'indigenous' uprising had begun sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, including Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt, in what was hailed as the 'Arab Spring.' It would be almost four months before the corporate-media would admit that the US had been behind the uprisings and that they were anything but 'spontaneous,' or 'indigenous.' ... It is hardly a speculative theory then, that the uprisings were part of an immense geopolitical campaign conceived in the West and carried out through its proxies with the assistance of disingenuous organizations including NED, NDI, IRI, and Freedom House and the stable of NGOs they maintain throughout the world. Preparations for the 'Arab Spring' began not as unrest had already begun, but years before the first 'fist' was raised, and within seminar rooms in D.C. and New York, US-funded training facilities in Serbia, and camps held in neighboring countries, not within the Arab World itself. In 2008, Egyptian activists from the now infamous April 6 movement were in New York City for the inaugural Alliance of Youth Movements (AYM) summit, also known as Movements.org. There, they received training, networking opportunities, and support from AYM’s various corporate and US governmental sponsors, including the US State Department itself. The AYM 2008 summit report (page 3 of .pdf) states that the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, James Glassman attended, as did Jared Cohen who sits on the policy planning staff of the Office of the Secretary of State. Six other State Department staff members and advisers would also attend the summit along with an immense list of corporate, media, and institutional representatives."

American Enterprise Institute writer wants US Government to increase spending -- on VOA Turkish - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcsting: "The American (American Enterprise Institute), 13 Aug 2012, Ilan Berman: "[W]what is the Obama administration doing to engage Turkey? The answer, sadly, is 'not much.' In fact, diplomatic niceties aside, Washington’s formal outreach to Ankara today is marginal at best—and about to shrink even further. Nothing illustrates this quite as eloquently as the current, sorry state of the Voice of America’s (VOA) Turkish service.

The current budget for the office, which conducts the U.S. government’s formal broadcasting toward the country in question, is something like $400,000—a pittance in an era of bloated government programs. That sum funds seven staffers who, in addition to producing online content, generate 15 minutes of original TV content (broadcast via a Turkish carrier) four times a week. Yet even this paltry figure is in danger of being slashed still further. As part of anticipated federal budget cuts now on the horizon, the staff of VOA’s Turkish service is expected to decrease by more than half—to just three people—by early next year. Such a constriction would make it practically impossible to continue the current rate of output, keep up its quality, or both. And as a result, U.S. messaging toward Turkey is poised to wither on the vine." [Elliott comment:] Isn't AEI one of those conservative limit-government-spending think tanks? It's ironic, then, that this AEI piece laments the reduction of a government program. AEI, given its advocacy of free enterprise, should take a look at CNN Türk, a partnership between the private CNN and a Turkish media company. It might be providing a reliable news service at no cost to the US taxpayers. Mr. Berman's term 'U.S. messaging toward Turkey' suggests he is not thinking of news, but public diplomacy. That's a different agency, elsewhere in Washington. Ads in Turkish newspapers or on Turkish television channels would be good means for the 'messaging' of US foreign policy." Image from entry

China's Gastrodiplomacy on BBC2 - Public Diplomacy and International Communications: Thoughts and comments about public diplomacy, soft power and international communications by Gary Rawnsley: "I am enjoying a new series on BBC 2 called Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure, presented by Ken Hom (from Hong Kong living in the US) and Ching-He Huang (from Taiwan living in the UK). Ken and Ching-He are travelling through China to experience the regional cuisines and to find out whether the economic transformation of the country has changed the diet [a]ry habits of the Chinese and their style of cooking. On the way, they discuss their own backgrounds and talk about rediscovering their Chinese roots. Gastrodiplomacy is becoming a defined field of international communications and engagement in its own right, and my friend Paul Rockower has written a lot about this on his own blog ... . Exploring China is not only a contribution to China's gastrodiplomacy, but also demonstrates Chinese soft power in action. ... [T]hrough Exploring China the country is accumulating an incredible amount of soft power capital without having to do anything except allow two chefs and their film crews wander around markets and into kitchens to cook. It is an authentic non-Chinese (and therefore a most credible) induction into China that is likely to match, if not surpass the efforts of the Confucius Institutes, CCTV 9 and CNC."

The legacy of the Shanghai expo and Chinese public Diplomacy - Nicholas Cull, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy (2012) 8, 99-101. "Whatever the achievement of the Expo during the 184 days it was open to the public, its long-term reputation will be influenced by what happens to the Expo site. My recent return visit to the Expo site suggested that there is still a long way to go." Note: "All Palgrave Macmillan Journals have a free online sample. You can view these articles by selecting 'on line sample' from the homepage of your journal of interest. All abstracts and full text articles within these samples are completely free. They may be downloaded and printed. Simply visit www.palgrave-journals.com"

Panda diplomacy and soft power - China’s Encounter with the World: A summer school at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China: "Nowadays, China still lends Pandas to other countries and these creatures are seen as a symbol of China’s diplomacy. According to statistics China has a long history of public and soft power.  ... One of the success[es] of China’s soft power, especially after hosting the Olympics in 2008, is the growing familiarity of foreigners with China. In addition, more and more people are visiting China every year, and China’s foreign aid keeps on growing. On the other hand, according to Professor Rawnsley, China's attractiveness suffers from its lack of credibility as its continued media censorship and the government’s rather one-sided presentations of  Chinese history (see my post) makes people suspicious about any government-sponsored information. ... Public opinion research has shown that the image of China is detoriating [sic] (especially in Asia itself) although is still mainly positive. ... Zhao Qizheng, China’s Minister for Public Information (what others would call less euphemistically a Propaganda Minister) is the driving force behind China’s public diplomacy offensive of the past years, arguing that China needs to ‘catch up’ and improve its image in the world despite its democratic failings.”

Diplomacy Is Not Just for Diplomats: Lessons for China from Japan - Wang Min, nippon.com: "China has a history of exchanges in the spheres of culture and sports to add sparkle to its diplomacy, such as the exchange of table-tennis players back in the early 1970s (referred to as 'ping-pong diplomacy') that helped restore its diplomatic relations with the United States. This might be viewed as an early example of what is referred to in English as 'public diplomacy.' In the Chinese language that term has been translated in a number of different ways, whether directly using the characters for 'public' or more indirectly in terms of diplomacy involving 'ordinary people' or 'private citizens.' In any case, the Chinese have had this diplomatic concept that underscores the importance of non-governmental actors.

The Chinese think there is much to be learned from Japan in the public diplomacy field. The world saw numerous examples of how the Japanese were orderly and helped each other in the aftermath of the unprecedented earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011. ... One noteworthy example of Japan’s public diplomacy was the post-3/11 efforts of the internationally acclaimed actor and Hollywood star, Watanabe Ken. In January 2012, he took time out of his busy schedule to attend the gathering of business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to express in English his appreciation for the support given to Japan. Many Chinese are taking pride in the fact that China’s economic power—as expressed in its gross domestic product—surpassed that of Japan in 2010, to occupy the number-two spot in the world. But the question of whether this achievement has been matched by a growing maturity of China’s public diplomacy is debatable." Image from

Jamaica’s Brand at 50c-c - Jamaica’s Brand at 50: "After gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, the fifty years since has seen the country face many development challenges, including persistent budget deficits, high debt, increasing poverty and high levels of violence. But in some senses the future is bright, as while only possessing a population of just 2.8 million, the fifth largest Caribbean country, has crafted a famous, unique and distinct nation-brand, possessing a multitude of cultural assets; something which, in an era whereby the concept and practice of ‘soft power’ and ‘public diplomacy’ is flourishing, is vital. ... Although currently far behind the aim of a creating a 'cultural super-state', there is hope that the developing country can successfully develop and execute a cultural diplomacy strategy helping Jamaica foster positive values and attitudes, combating the negative perceptions that might exist. As has been recognised effective public and cultural diplomacy is required within the 21st Century. While Jamaica need to identify and eventuate the features that make the country unique; different, as the cultural exploits and success of Jamaica musicians, sports stars and artists increase, Jamaica can build a brand that 'will become a potent market and cultural force in the global arena”, “purposefully and tactically re-imag[ing], reposition[ing] and promot[ing] Jamaica’s culture and identity abroad'. "

Israeli Government Sponsored “Brand Israel” Seminar on New Media and Public Diplomacy - weeklypresspakistan.com: "The Ariel University Centre, located in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, is collaborating with Israel’s Ministry of Public Diplomacy to conduct an international seminar on New Media and Public Diplomacy in Disputed Areas: Israel as a case study. Brand Israel as an academic subject."

Pax Indica-an assesment of Shashi Tharoors latest offing - "The past year has been one of the best years for commentators and who have acutely followed Indian Diplomacy. David Malone's Can the Elephant Dance?,NAM 2.0 and now Shashi Tharoors latest Pax Indica have delighted commentators and students alike. Yet there is a fundamental difference in the way 'Pax Indica' has been written. Moving away from the usual moorings of discussion of Foreign Policy, Tharoor has infused a certain reflective style in the workings of this book. And it is this fact that makes this book an interesting and scholarly read. Tharoor immensely benefited from his stint in UN and MEA has quoted numerous incident from his own experiences that have added to its ingenuity. ... His penchant for engaging the public to foreign policy and various means to do it not only makes for fabulous reading but also should be noted by the mandarins of the South Block.

He also leaves no stone unturned to target the failings of the South Block itself including recruitment procedure for IFS officers and suggests measures to improve it. The expert-bureaucratic dichotomy and the need to engage 'experts' couldn't have been explained any better. Further the discourses on 'public diplomacy,' global governance etc are particularly engaging." Image from article

Cultural diplomacy in a tutu… - Adrienne Sichel, iol.co.za: "[I]n 2008, ballet activist Dirk Badenhorst began visiting Cuba and setting up a mini shuttle of dance education that has trickled into his Mzansi Productions’ modus operandi. Cuban teachers from the revered national school appeared in Centurion where the company was then based. Then young Cuban students and graduates started igniting the stage in shows at the Cape Town International Ballet Competitions and Mzansi seasons.

The exchange peaked last year with Badenhorst’s International Ballet galas in Cape Town and Joburg and Mzansi’s staging of Don Quixote, in Joburg and in Durban. ... 46 NBC dancers will perform extracts from seven classics. Adding to the cachet of this visit, will be the presence, at the Joburg premiere, of co- founder and current director Alonso." Uncaptioned image from article

travel orders our life in the foreign service - alex, "I’m feeling a little uninspired to blog these days. It’s a tough beast, this Foreign Service blogging thing. It’s not that life overseas – life as a U.S. government representative overseas in particular – is boring. It’s not that at all. There’s so much I could say, that I would like to say, but should I? Would what I think is funny be seen as offensive by a Beninese person or third-country national who stumbled upon my blog? I’m in the business of public diplomacy — I defintiely [sic] don’t want that. Might another Foreign Service Officer [sic] judge my words in a way that impacts my career? It certainly happens. And then there’s safety. I think I’m wise enough to withhold the sort of information that could be used for harm, but what if I make a misstep? Officially, personal blogging is allowed by Foreign Service Officers – allowed, but highly discouraged."

RELATED ITEMS

The Militarization of the State Department - Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well: "Of the many (many) issues that debilitate the effectiveness of the Department of State, none should concern us all more than the ongoing militarization of America’s foreign affairs. I have written about the chilling effects of this, others have

written whole books on the subject, and columnists have focused on specific areas of concern, such as Africa. The State Department risks almost complete irrelevance, sinking into the role of America’s concierge abroad even as the ever-ironically named Department of Defense grows and grows." Image from entry

Scholars, Spies, and Global Studies - Nicholas B. Dirks, chronicle.com: What does "global" really mean? At a time when the relationship between the United States and the world is changing rapidly, we can no longer afford not to answer that question.

We can no longer accept having fewer regional specialists than we once did in the social and policy sciences -- not to mention in the humanities and global languages. It is time for us to engage directly the challenges we face introducing students to the complexities and overweening importance of global affairs. Via NS on facebook. Image from article

Have Obama And Romney Forgotten Afghanistan? - Dexter Filkins, New Yorker: How’s this for a conspiracy of silence? With less than three months to go until Election Day, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have successfully avoided saying almost anything about America’s war in Afghanistan. Remember that war? You will at some point, however little the two candidates talk about it.

You can make your own guesses about why the candidates have said so little about Afghanistan—their positions are virtually identical, the economy is more important, etc. My own guess: neither of them knows what to do about the place. Via; image from entry

The Romney Package - Bill Keller, New York Times: Romney has so far largely bypassed his party’s mainstream in favor of advisers with a decidedly neoconservative bent — confrontational, unilateral, with a missionary urge to spread American-style democracy and a particular affinity for Israel’s hard-liners. Romney’s more conventional insiders call it the “Bolton faction,” for John Bolton, among the most hawkish of George W. Bush’s “freedom agenda” interventionists. Bolton is now on the Romney team, but Dan Senor is the one who has Romney’s ear. At 40, he is next-gen Bolton, smoother, TV-savvy, post-cold war in age but cold war in spirit. (He co-founded a think tank with the Soviet-era neocon William Kristol.) Senor helped choreograph Romney’s recent foreign debut, in which the candidate needlessly offended the British and the Palestinians. You might think that gaffe-a-thon would be a career setback, but Senor has survived bigger debacles. He was the spin-doctor for L. Paul Bremer, who, as the American proconsul of post-conquest Iraq, presided over the most highhanded and blundering stage of the occupation.

The least foreign policy ticket since? - Jonathan Bernstein, Washington Post: Something that hasn’t received a lot of attention in the initial rush of attention to the Paul Ryan selection is the extraordinary lack of foreign policy and national security experience the Republican ticket offers. That would be unusual at any point, but it’s even more surprising they would have such a ticket while the United States remains at war. It’s hard to imagine a ticket with fewer foreign policy credentials.

In Syria, it’s past time for the United States to act - Richard Cohen, Washington Post: Opponents of U.S. intervention say that the United States has no urgent reason to get involved in Syria. For the moment, they have a point. But the spread of the fighting will threaten neighboring countries — Jordan and Lebanon, in particular — and further destabilize the Middle East. In addition, the opportunity to end what amounts to slaughter ought to be seized.

U.S. officials warily endorse new Egyptian defense minister - David Ignatius, Washington Post: As U.S. officials struggle to assess the consequences of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s purge of the top military leadership Sunday, they appear to have confidence in the new defense minister, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, who had extensive contact with the United States in his previous post as head of military intelligence. Morsi is taking a series of steps that may be leading toward a collision with Jerusalem. But for both the United States and Israel, watching developments in Egypt is a bit like riding a tiger — potentially very dangerous, but impossible to steer.

Waiting for Barack: U.S. diplomacy in Syria is right out of Samuel Beckett - Review and Outlook, Wall Street Journal: Mr. Obama has decided to put the world on hold until after November 6. Israel is supposed to do nothing about Iran, and Syria's rebels are supposed to hunker down and survive, in order to let Mr. Obama keep assuring Americans that "the tide of war is receding." On the contrary, thanks in part to Mr. Obama's calculated abdication, Middle East tension and turmoil are rising.

Syria's Coming Sectarian Crack-Up: Assad's forces will retreat to the north, and an Iranian-backed Alawite canton will be born - Michael Doran, Wall Street Journal: If the breakup of Syria and the rise of an Iranian-backed canton are indeed undesirable, then Washington must get to work immediately to create an alternative.

Iran Doesn't Belong in the U.N. or IMF - John Bolton, Mark Wallace And Kristen Silverberg, Wall Street Journal: This September, New York will be forced once again to host Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who will undoubtedly use his speech before the U.N. General Assembly to spew anti-U.S. and anti-Semitic rhetoric. It is time for individual countries to prohibit international institutions from ignoring their own principles.

Tehran NAM summit will foil US, Israel anti-Iran propaganda: Lawmaker - presstv.com: A senior Iranian lawmaker says the forthcoming summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

in Tehran will thwart US and Israel’s propaganda against Iran. “NAM member states have always stood against the expansionist policies of the United States and other bullying countries. They have also voiced support for the Islamic Republic of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities in numerous meetings,” head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi noted on Sunday. Image from article, with caption: Iran will host the 16th summit of the NAM member states on August 26-31.

Moscow not pressuring Tehran to retract S-300 lawsuit: Iran MP - presstv.com: A senior Iranian lawmaker

has dismissed as “propaganda” the report that Moscow is pressuring Tehran to withdraw its lawsuit over Russia’s refusal to deliver the S-300 air defense systems. Image from article, with caption: a Russian-made S-300 air defense system

Time for Less Jaw-Jaw With China: Washington's dependence on dialogue could breed more misunderstanding - Michael Auslin, Wall Street Journal: Washington has caught itself in a "jaw-jaw" trap with Beijing. It has convinced itself that Sino-U.S. relations are threatened if it's not in constant contact. Yet the truth is such dialogue raises unrealistic expectations. Stability in Asia may well be achieved for a longer period of time if China understands that the United States will not be distracted by shiny baubles like an annual dialogue. Less frequent meetings will help Washington articulate its opposition clearly, and may even help recognize Beijing's interests better. Most of all, this will stop America from using dialogue as a substitute for more serious action, and hence signal to China that its bad behavior won't just result in another summit meeting.

Take that, Mr. Tandem - Editorial Board, Washington Post: Putin seems to be saying that Russia during the Russian-Georgian conflict was eager and ready to give a bloody nose to Georgia, which had become a major recipient of U.S. aid.

U.S. wins Olympics medal count: can America enjoy its “we’re no. 1 moment?” - Mike Wise, Washington Post: Yes, there was flag-waving of a sort at the Olympics. That’s what usually happens at nation-sponsored press events, be it Italy, Tunisia or Britain, a brilliant host that has kicked some royal be-hind at these Olympics, winning more medals than any British team in history. The United States shouldn’t apologize for cleaning up at the podium in these Games and blowing by China in the medal totals the past few days. But neither do its athletes and the USOC brass here have to gloat in a way that comes across as, “We’re American Exceptionalists, take it or leave it, jack.” Via GD

The Olympics and Peri-Pathetics - John Brown, Huffington Post: Included in the next Olympics program, there should be a non-competition, in a lovely park/garden (preferably with fountains), of persons just promenading, enjoying gentle physical movement at leisurely pace suiting their age/inclinations.

Summer Reading: The Dictator’s Handbook, A Practical Manual for the Aspiring Tyrant - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: Chapter 10 of the The Dictator’s Handbook, A Practical Manual for the Aspiring Tyrant by Randall Wood and Carmine DeLuca, includes a helpful section on Working with the Foreign Diplomatic Community, specifically on how to deploy the charm offensive.

Image from entry, with caption: Secretary Clinton meets with President Yoweri Museveni who has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. He was re-elected on 20 February 2011 making him the fifth longest serving African leader.

The Dolphins of Pyongyang - Max Fisher, theatlantic.com: When youthful dictator Kim Jong Un spent who knows how much money building and populating a state-of-the-art dolphin aquarium, opened to great fanfare in Pyongyang this week, it would certainly seem like another moment of madness and unhinged narcissism by a regime that is singularly talented at both. And, of course, it is crazy -- North Korea is in the middle of yet another food crisis, and whatever these highly trained animals and their specialized equipment cost probably could have kept some number of North Koreans fed, or perhaps rebuilt the thousands of shoddy homes destroyed in recent flooding. 

But there's an internal logic to these obviously wasteful extravagances, a method to the Kim family madness that is both crueler and shrewder than it might seem. Far from silly, these dolphins -- who will likely live better lives than most North Koreans -- are of a piece with the regime's long-running propaganda campaign that is one of the most important pillars of its against-all-odds rule. However many homes or however much electricity the country produces, many North Koreans will have no way of knowing that they have less than most of other people. High-quality dolphinariums and amusement parks, on the other hand -- the latter of which are, by all accounts, state of the art --  are absolute signs of wealth; you have them or you don't. If Kim is trying to reinforce North Koreans' impressions of their national prosperity, building the best possible luxury destinations is probably an effective way to do it. Image from article

Propaganda about Chitrali youths and Hindus deflated - pakobserver.net: Over the past few weeks, there have been several reports that appear to have been fabricated by the vested interest to embarrass the country. First it was reported that youths from Chitral have joined Afghan national army and now reports are being aired that Hindus from Sindh were migrating to India due to forced conversion and other concerns. Reports about youths from Chitral joining the Afghan army were deflated when it was made clear that some people had joined the Afghan army from a village that was spread on both sides of Pak-Afghan border. This newspaper carried a detailed report that belied the propaganda that the Chitrali youths joined the Afghan Army as they could not get jobs in Pakistan.

The LTTE’s lingering lies live on - Gaston de Rosayro, nation.lk: There are three kinds of liars, the common liar, the damned liar, and the expert liar. In the sphere of our nearly three decade conflict, the Tamil Tiger terrorists have been taking the medium of expert lying to a fine art form.

To say that Colombo’s efforts at counter propaganda have been rather tame would be putting it relatively mildly, because in truth it has been pathetic, to say the least. Image from article, with caption: Sri Lanka now needs a highly efficient professional team to counter LTTE international propaganda mechanism if it is to defeat LTTE remnants here and abroad

AMERICANA

Mississippi has highest obesity rate; Colorado has lowest - Nanci Hellmich, USA Today: Mississippi has the highest obesity rate with 34.9% of state residents who are roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight, and Colorado has the lowest rate at 20.7%, new government data show.

RUSSICA

Via IM on Facebook

MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

"The people who get promoted don’t have opinions; they’re the people who just do whatever they’re told."

--American diplomat Peter Van Buren

"The other day a young airline employee offered to send me 'the irrelevant form.' I said, 'Do you mean the relevant form?' And she said, 'Yes, the irrelevant form.'"

--Lynne Truss, "The Harm When Schools Play Down Writing," New York Times

"Television began as an inherently social activity because most families could afford only one set and everyone gathered in the living room to watch. But over the years, family members retreated to different rooms to watch different TVs. Now, with social media, people are making connections again with others watching the same thing on TV, even if it’s someone on the other side of the country or world."

--David Bauder, "Social media scores Olympics victory as well: Twitter, Facebook pump up interest, boost viewership," Washington Times

ONE MORE IMAGE: FOOD AND THE SINGLE GIRL