"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute."
--US humorist Josh Billings (1818-1885); image from
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
NATO to In South Caucasus: Pragmatism Or Farewell To Illusions? - Sergey Minasyan, eurodialogue.org: "NATO is already perceived by South Caucasian countries not the way as it was in the first part of 2000. In its turn Brussels also already not that ambitiously targets at South Caucasus. ... It’s worth to note, that high expectations about the abilities of NATO in South Caucasus, smoothly transforming into unjustified illusions, among some regional elites (especially in Georgia, but also partially in Azerbaijan) have
always significantly differed from the readiness of the Alliance itself to institutional involvement into the region. ... Naturally, depending from the frequency of NATO summits, visits of NATO officials and results of the accomplishment of informational and propaganda projects by the NATO Public Diplomacy Department from time to time the interest to the regional activity of the block in local Mass Media rises again. But already we may state that pragmatism, by this more sensible from Brussels, covered the idealistic illusions of the evaluations of the place and the role of the Alliance in South Caucasus." Image from entry
On behalf of the members suggested that China build overseas investment strategy - petboogie.com: "Asked By: gxh89ndfbb Category: Dog Behavior ... March 2, the Fifth Session of Eleventh CPPCC National Committee spokesman Zhao said Chinese enterprises 'going out' has been very successful example, but on the whole is still in its infancy, because the enterprises also lack depth on the international market cognitive and comprehensive grasp of the international practice, the prevailing rules are not enough familiar with not very good at the local public diplomacy."
PSBT invites proposals for documentary films, deadline August 15 - dearcinema.com: "The Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT) is inviting proposals for documentary films from independent filmmakers for their project with the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and Government of India.
The PSBT needs clarity in the proposals that the films will project a nuanced and positive image of contemporary India’s soft power to international audiences: Business Entrepreneurs/ Innovators, Scientific India, Compassionate India and Changing Face of India. ... All proposals and films at every stage of production will be vetted by the Public Diplomacy Division of the MEA to ensure they meet their objectives. Filmmakers should visit the MEA website to look at the nature of Films they have produced in the past and also subjects their films have covered already, in order not to repeat them." Image from article
A-100 Journal 3- The Offsite - McKeatings, All Aboard the Crazy Bus: "McKeatings [:] We are a just-joined Foreign Service family working through a new career and taking care of our family of five plus pets. ... We turned in our bid lists early last week. This took a lot of the tension out of the building, but like a bad action-movie villain it hasn't gone away. Things will slowly build up until by the end of next week for Flag Day it will be as tight as a violin's highest string amongst the class. Some will be able to put the upcoming Flag Day out of their minds until then, taking a fatalistic approach. If you are destined to be the public diplomacy officer on lovely Diego Garcia (not an actual post), then there is nothing you can do about it. The mathematically inclined among us may start a poll of high rankings and make a spreadsheet of it. The truly wigged out may find any number of reasons to send a friendly email to the Career Development Officers (I for one welcome my new CDO overlords), not to lobby, you understand, only to inform."
A Reception with Ambassador Glassman - Ariel Cohen, Washington Academic Internship Program, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University: "The internship experience I have had this summer has been nothing shy of extraordinary. Ambassador James K. Glassman [former US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs - JB] has been such a wonderful person to work with, and having the opportunity to hear him speak at the reception on August 2nd was a great way to bring this summer to a close. I am proud of the work I have completed this summer and from him I have learned so many incredible things.
Being a strategic communication major, his [sic] wisdom on effective communication and its importance was very relevant for my degree. In relation, he continued on to discuss his insight into Public Diplomacy 2.0, which is allowing many to work together and have all their thoughts and opinions heard, rather than Public Diplomacy 1.0, which is one person speaking to many, or preaching as he referred to it. Most importantly, his beliefs on Public Diplomacy and proper communication are two things he exemplifies every day in his work at the Bush Institute. I find this very commendable. Often times [sic] people will lecture about what they think, but it isn’t always how they conduct themselves. With the Ambassador, this is simply just not the case, and that vital characteristic has been one of the reasons my internships has been so great. Although he is my supervisor and I do complete daily intern duties, more significantly, he has been a teacher, and taught me valuable lessons for my future endeavors. Overall, I was honored that the Ambassador was so enthused to speak for the other fellows, mentors, and supervisors. Both
him [sic] and his wife have helped make my experience in D.C. so amazing, and something I will forever look back on." Top Image from; below image from
RELATED ITEMS
Snapshot: Top 10 Recipients of US Foreign Aid in FY2012 and FY2013 Request - Domani Spero, DiploPundit:
Image from entry
Iran Guilty of 9/11; State Department Guilty of Blocking Victims’ Compensation - Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well
Is Saudi Arabia on the edge? - David Ignatius, Washington Post: By appointing Prince Bandar bin Sultan as its new intelligence chief, Saudi Arabia has installed what looks like a war cabinet at a time of rising tensions with Iran and growing internal dissent from its Shiite minority. The installation of a new intelligence chief came as Saudi Arabia was stepping up its support for insurgents in Syria seeking to topple the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. In this covert effort, the Saudis are working with the United States, France, Turkey, Jordan and other nations that want Assad out.
Romney Is Right on Culture and the Wealth of Nations: A 2002 United Nations report written by Arab intellectuals acknowledges the problems the Republican candidate pointed out - Richard Landes, Wall Street Journal: Israel and the Arab world illustrate the primacy of culture as both necessary and sufficient for economic development. Israel, a country with no natural resources, an economic backwater even in the Ottoman Empire, rose to the top of the developed world in a century on culture alone. The Arab nations, on the other hand, illustrate the necessity of a certain kind of culture: Even those with vast petrodollars still have among the least productive economies in the world. Americans tend to assume that everyone shares their cultural attitudes—that everyone strives to get to "yes," to positive-sum, win-win, voluntary relations; that everyone holds productive work in high respect and prizes the principles of fairness embodied in the meritocratic principle of "equality before the law"; that everyone encourages criticism, treasures intellectual capital, promotes risk-taking, prizes transparency and fosters innovation. With institutions built on such values—with a culture dedicated to making, not taking, money—a society can make use of whatever primary products a land offers. But there are cultures whose favored mode is not voluntary but coerced and zero-sum relations, where the principle of "rule or be ruled" dominates political and economic life. The elites in such cultures hold hard work in contempt, and they distrust intellectual openness and uncontrolled innovation as subversive. They emphasize rote learning and unquestioning respect for those in authority. Protection rackets rather than law enforcement assure the public order and bleed the economy. Public criticism brings sharp retaliation. Powerful actors acquire wealth by taking, rather than making. Few cultures on the planet better illustrate the latter traits than the Arab world, a fact outlined in painful detail by a 2002 United Nations report written by Arab intellectuals.
Is Romney right about culture? The presidential candidate has copped a lot of criticism for attributing Israeli prosperity to its culture. He's still right - Robert Reilly, mercatornet.com: UN Arab Human Development Reports refer to "sometimes a disregard of reality" in the Arab world. This disregard, with its devastating consequences, is the direct result of a deformed idea of God that disallows causality, reason’s ability to know reality, the intelligibility of the world, and the integrity of creation. It has produced a dysfunctional culture.
Assad regime propaganda TV HQ attacked - middle-east-online.com: Explosion hits Damascus offices of Syria state TV, causing casualties.
Iran's First Lady Truck Driver Is a Star - John Hudson, Atlantic: With all the talk that Iran is America's greatest enemy, it's easy to forget that the country's women enjoy freedoms not available to some of their peers in Muslim countries (we're looking at you, Saudi Arabia). One of those freedoms is the ability to drive, and Mehr News, a semi-official Iranian news site, isspotlighting the country's first professional cross-country semi-truck driver, whose name appears to be فرشته بیرانوند لرستانی in Persian, and Google Translate renders as Angel Biranvand Lorestani.
The fabulous photo essay of her daily routine appears below and, as you'll see, there's no flat tire or faulty carburator that can stand in her way. It's not exactly clear why Mehr News is choosing now to spotlight
The price of blogging in Vietnam - abc.net.au: The international community is calling for the release of three Vietnamese bloggers facing trial for propaganda against the state. The request comes just days after the mother of one of the bloggers committed suicide by setting herself on fire.
London Olympics (and the power of propaganda) - Mildred Talabi, mildredtalabi.com: For several months before the Olympics, Londoners were effectively brainwashed with messages of how our beloved city will be overrun with hundreds of thousands of tourists and spectators which will heavily affect the roads and disrupt the public transport system. Restrictions were put in place on certain underground stations, express Olympic lanes were painted on to roads and motorways, and we were told to “get ahead of the games” by setting off much earlier than usual to travel, or better still, avoid travelling at all during this season. It’s now two weeks into the Olympics and I, like a few others who have dared
to venture out, have found myself travelling seamlessly through London – the roads are clearer, there are less people on the trains and buses, and London, outside of the immediate Olympic areas, is generally moving faster than usual! Now this may well be a glowing testament to the organisational skills of TFL and everyone else involved in the Olympics, but (without meaning to be political), there’s also something to be said here about the power of propaganda. The constant messages over radio, TV, newspapers, internet, billboards, and even Mayor Boris Johnson’s personally recorded announcements over public transport networks, were enough to convince people to stay away from London in masses – so much so that the Mayor has been accused of turning London into a ghost town! Image from entry, with caption: Olympic traffic – much quieter than expected on most roads.
Wartime propaganda posters - mexfiles.net: There are several propaganda posters from the “Guerra contra nazifascismo” at the link. There were serious attempts by the Nazis to infiltrate Mexico — but, Mexicans
being Mexicans, how could they not see the funny side of it? Image from entry
Pleasant Propaganda: The Museum of Russian Art - livingstoncontent.com: Plan on seeing the exhibit of Soviet Paintings (From Thaw to Meltdown: Soviet Paintings of the 1950s-1980s) at The Museum of Russian Art in
The strong women and robust men in their industrial settings are both beautiful and horrifying at the same time, when you realize some of the workers were more likely emaciated prisoners from the nearby prison (“Beautifying Saransk” by Alexander A. Mukhin). But the exhibit takes you beyond the grand hyperbole to show how the artists worked within the political boundaries even as they let bits of reality in. By the time you get to the back of the top floor, you are seeing more realistic depictions, including the unsettling working conditions in steel mills. Image from entry, with caption: Vlad, let’s hang out at the people’s dam today.
IMAGES
Image from, with caption: Through a remarkable combination of engineering and mathematics, NASA precisely positioned a second satellite orbiting Mars to capture the split second when Curiosity fell from the skies.
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