"Popular opinion is the greatest lie in the world."
--Thomas Carlyle; image from
BOOK REVIEW
The Globalization of American Culture [review of Richard Pells, Modernist America: Art, Music, Movies, and the Globalization of American Culture (2011)]- John Brown, American Diplomacy: "'The best history books do one of two things: they change one's mind or they tell a terrific story.' So says Theodore K. Rabb, a distinguished Princeton University historian. Unfortunately, the book under review fails on both these counts. In a tome of nearly 500 pages, far longer than it need be, Richard Pells, a University of Texas professor emeritus and frequent Fulbright program grantee who specializes in twentieth century American cultural history, has produced neither a groundbreaking study nor an engaging historical narrative."
NEW BOOK ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Empire of Ideas: The Origins of Public Diplomacy and the Transformation of U. S. Foreign Policy by Justin Hart (2012) - Oxford University Press: "Table of Contents: Introduction: The Origins of U.S. Public Diplomacy 1. 'Down with Imperialism': The Latin American Origins
of U.S. Cultural Diplomacy 2. 'The Drift of History': War, Culture, and Hegemony 3. Propaganda as Foreign Policy: The Office of War Information 4. 'Foreign Relations, Domestic Affairs': The Consolidation of U.S. Public Diplomacy 5. "The Flat White Light": Revolutionary Nationalism in Asia and Beyond 6. 'An Unfavorable Projection of American Unity: McCarthyism and Public Diplomacy Epilogue The Creation of the USIA and the Fate of U.S. Public Diplomacy Notes Bibliography Index. Image from entry
VIDEO
On such a winter's day - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "As previously mentioned, the incredibly surreal performance of the Mamas and the Papas classic "California Dreamin" in Turkmenabad as performed by the students of the Turkmenabad music school"
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Public Diplomacy in A Changing Middle East - Remarks, Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Washington, DC, January 16, 2013, U.S. Department of State: “'The Arab Spring' ... is still evolving. And the speed with which it unfolded – and continues to unfold – should not distract us from appreciating the deliberative pace that democratic progress demands. ... Our public diplomacy recognizes these dynamics, and the challenges they embody. We work to do what we always do: contextualize our foreign policies by engaging with foreign publics. We know that, in this region, positive and sustainable change comes from the concerted hard work of citizens, political leaders, NGO’s and other partners who are dedicated to pluralistic and inclusive societies. We also know we cannot let the challenges stop us from moving forward, one diplomatic overture, one multilateral agreement, one program, one exchange, one partnership, and one trade or investment at a time. That patient understanding of progress is why we need to calibrate our public diplomacy with three distinct settings: the short term, the midterm and the long term. All three are necessary and mutually reinforcing. ... As the situation in Syria and other countries make clear, security is a deep concern for many embassies in the region. So we are always assessing and reassessing the balance between our need to engage with the safety of our diplomats. But we consider full engagement – not only through social media but face to face – to be essential to our national interests. That’s what public diplomacy is all about. No matter what the challenges, we can and must continue to engage. We can and must continue working to be more skillful in our communications, more nimble in our advocacy of U.S. policy, so that we can be even stronger defenders of our own American values and ideals. And so that the work we do contributes to greater safety, security, and prosperity at home and abroad."
US ‘Public Diplomacy’ Funded By Private US Companies - Barbara Slavin, Al-Monitor: "Strapped for cash, the US State Department is increasingly reaching out to private companies to help fund programs that bring Middle Eastern visitors to the US, seek to counter negative impressions of the US and promote economic development in the region. Tara Sonenshine, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, told a Washington audience Wednesday [Jan 16] that her entire budget was only “a little over $1 billion” annually, of which half is spent on bringing foreigners to the United States. As a result, she said, the US government has increasingly turned to 'public-private partnerships' to support its public diplomacy programs. An example, Sonenshine said, is Coca-Cola’s
sponsorship of students from the Middle East and North Africa at Indiana University. ... Other US companies that are supporting State Department public diplomacy programs include the Aspen Institute, ESPN and the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, a State Department spokesperson told Al-Monitor. Private sponsorship inevitably raises questions about the motives of the companies involved and to what extent they mesh with US goals. Sonenshine conceded that US officials are 'still navigating the rules of the road' for the partnerships but suggested that there weren’t good alternatives given the strapped fiscal situation of the US government and Congress’s historic reluctance to spend money on US diplomacy. ... Sonenshine, a former journalist and think tank executive who also served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, called public diplomacy 'a critical strategic tool in a full-on campaign of American engagement' with Middle Eastern audiences at a time of unprecedented turmoil in the region. In many countries, Islamic movements are on the rise and popular sentiment is hostile to the United States because of its past support for secular dictators and ongoing embrace of Israel. Without major changes in US policies, it is questionable whether public diplomacy can shift attitudes among those not directly benefiting from engagement programs. Sonenshine sidestepped questions about the efficacy of public diplomacy in changing mass popular opinion about the US in the Middle East, noting only that 'people who participate in exchange programs have a positive view of the US.' The term public diplomacy encompasses a broad range of efforts to 'convey and explain US policies and values,' as well as programs to foster 'democratic transitions … entrepreneurship … [and] educational exchange,' Sonenshine told the audience at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Image from article, with caption: A Coca-Cola logo on a truck at a distribution center in Alexandria, Va., Oct. 16, 2012
Public Schedule for January 18, 2013 - U.S. Department of State: "UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS TARA SONENSHINE 1:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sonenshine meets with representatives from Teach for All, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)"
Your questions to Kim Ghattas - bbc.co.uk: "Question from Michael in New York who emails: Will changes under Hillary continue once Kerry takes over? Kim answers: Clinton made permanent changes at State regarding conduct of foreign policy, i.e. focus on women, economic statecraft. Kerry may do less public diplomacy. ... Question from Gene in Las Vegas who emails: What increased level of safety have Americans gained because of the actions of Secretary Clinton?
Kim answers: With Obama and Clinton, America is less unpopular but still has dangers, e.g. Benghazi. More public diplomacy does help build trust." Image from entry, with caption: BBC State Department correspondent Kim Ghattas
Sino-Japanese military conflict is imminent U.S. worries intervention good offices (Photos) - bbs.isvoc.com: "U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs Campbell before a speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank, [said] the escalation of tensions in the region expressed concern. ... Himself and assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, Lippert, and White House National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs Russell and his entourage will travel to Tokyo on the 16th, to consult on issues such as maritime disputes with Japan. He said: 'Our overall information is, we hope that a cool head prevail and we hope that China and Japan recognize that Northeast Asia is the core of the global economy and we can not let the deterioration of the continuing tensions and Japan, two of Asia's most important the relationship between the economy, this is not only for our safety, but also for our future economic prosperity.' Campbell said that the United States is 'quiet diplomacy' with friends and allies in the Asia. He believes that, on these issues, the behind-the-scenes diplomacy than public diplomacy more effective."
Obama to Spend $200k on 'Cultural Programming' in China - jonathanmclead3.blogspot.com: "The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below . ...Description [:] The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards through this Request for Applications (RFA). PAS invites U.S. individuals, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organizations subject to 501 (c) (3) of the tax code, as well as Chinese organizations legally established in China, to submit proposals for conducting cultural exchange programs that will provide Chinese audiences with the opportunity to experience U.S. culture and the arts. PAS will have up to US$200,000 available to award multiple grants for up to US$50,000 per grant. Please see the full announcement for additional details."
Rep. Rohrabacher discusses Chinese-American media reciprocity, or lack thereof - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Foreign Policy, 8 Jan 2013, Dana Rohrabacher: [I]n September 2011 I introduced the Chinese Media Reciprocity Act, designed to enforce existing legislation in the Immigration and Nationality Act stating that nonimmigrant visas for members of foreign press shall be issued upon a basis of reciprocity. My bill requires visas for reporters who work for state media organizations from
Book Review: Bending History? Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy - blogs.lse.ac.uk: "How well has Barack Obama carried out his duties as U.S. commander-in-chief, top diplomat, and grand strategist? In Bending History? a trio of foreign policy experts illuminate the grand promise and the great contradictions of a president who has captured the attention and imagination of citizens around the world like few of his White House predecessors.
Robert Mason recommends the book to readers seeking to further their understanding of the contemporary issues and challenges in which US Middle East policy is being formed. ... The substance of the US reset policy towards the Middle East heralded by Obama’s Cairo speech thus had to be put on hold until the second term. The contrast between the consistent ‘hard power’ relations which exists between the US and Israel, including Obama delivering on a $30 billion military deal over ten years had until December 2012 stood in stark contrast to US ‘soft power’ towards its Arab allies. Only the imminent threat of a conflict with Iran has shifted US policy in this area. ... Focusing on a single issue such as settlements has simply prolonged the negotiating process and increased the costs for both sides. US public diplomacy took a further knock when Obama vetoed Palestinian statehood at the UN, even though he spoke to promote the 1967 borders with changes to account for facts on the ground in May 2011. The US Presidential elections in 2012 put further pressure on maintaining the status quo." Image from entry
Eisenhower a good model for Hagel to follow - Evan Thomas, Bloomberg News: "If he is confirmed [as Secretary of Defense], Hagel’s greatest challenge is likely to be Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. He may be of a mind to ask, 'What would Ike do?' Here’s an informed guess: Eisenhower would threaten to use force to take out any Iranian nuclear weapon. But he would be vague about exactly when or how he might strike. He would use public diplomacy and sanctions to forestall a decision to strike, and he would lean hard on Israel not to take pre-emptive action. (It was Eisenhower who used economic pressure to turn back a joint Israeli, French and British invasion of Egypt during the Suez crisis in 1956.) He would also rely heavily on covert action."
Fourteen Indonesian paticipants to learn sports in US - en.republika.co.id: "Fourteen 14 participants from madrasahs, pesantrens, and SMUs in Indonsia are selected to join US Sports Visitor Youth Program, sponsored by the US embassy in Jakarta and the Office of Citizen Exchanges in State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The participants will travel
to the US from March 15 to 27, 2013 for a 10- to 14-day sports-themed program involving training, nutrition, fitness, life skills, conflict resolution, disability sports, and exposure to the American perspective on sports. During an event at @america on Wednesday, Vice Minister of Sports, Suyadi Parwiro, said that the program offered a big opportunity for students to learn about sports in US. 'Sport played significant role in building partnership among countries,' he said. US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Susan Stevenson, said students participating in this program would experience sport as well as diversity. She believes that sport can bridge communication between the US and Indonesia." Image from article, with caption: Indonesia and US flags
A Traveler In The Foreign Service: Navigating The State Department’s Byzantine Foreign Service Selection Process - mygoldcity.com: "According to a Q and A on the State Department website, as of early 2011, there were more than 800 candidates on the list of eligible hires but State was only able to offer about 250 jobs that year due to the fact that few officers were quitting or retiring and funding to hire new officers lagged. That leaves an awful lot of people who thought they were about to join the Foreign Service very disappointed. Meanwhile, State continued to give the exam, bringing in even more candidates, most of whom would never be offered jobs. So how long does the whole process take? In my case, I was in the Economic cone, and the entire process from when I registered to take the exam to the day I started A-100 was about two years. The process can vary and candidates who are proficient in hard languages can move faster. Historically, the State Department also has a greater need for management and consular cone officers, so they tend to move off the list much quicker than political, economic and public diplomacy coned officers in most cases."
Federal Faces: Andrew Rabens - washingtonpost.com: "Position: Special adviser for youth engagement, State Department, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (Middle East and North Africa), Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Best known for: At 30, Rabens is building bridges between the United States and youth leaders in the Middle East and North Africa. At the State Department, Rabens works with 18 embassies and one consulate to strengthen youth networks. This involves identifying important issues facing youths, finding common interests and helping them tackle challenges. He has worked with embassies on the creation of Youth Councils, which advise the ambassadors and other embassy officials on youth issues in their respective countries. He also initiated the Active Citizen Summit, held this past fall in California and Washington. The summit brought together 60 young leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to strengthen relationships among one another and provide a window into the U.S. political process and society. ... Government service: Rabens began his career at the State Department more than four years ago as a Presidential Management Fellow. Before his current role, he worked on youth engagement efforts in the Bureau of African Affairs and in the Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs."
Voice of America Director David Ensor on Truth and Propaganda to Iran - BBG Watcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "We don’t think that news and local program placement is all that matters to people facing repression. We don’t think that hard-hitting analysis or commentaries are by definition propaganda rather than truth. ... Audience research shows that even those who seek VOA programs, especially in countries ruled by repressive regimes, are primarily interested in what is happening to them and what America thinks of what is happening to them.
Explaining America’s interest in Iran is the role for the Voice of America for countries in crisis like Iran. But an important country like Iran with a repressive government and a nuclear program also needs a surrogate U.S.-funded independent broadcaster based somewhere close to its borders, especially if VOA executives think that 'hard-hitting' is a bad word for their programs directed to the region and insist on telling their TV program guests to soften their criticism of the ayatollahs. ... Voice of America should always tell the truth and the VOA Charter requires that it tells the truth. But ... reality is too complex to be neatly divided between truth and propaganda, as Voice of America Director David Ensor proposes." See also. Image of Ensor (while at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul before his VOA appointment) from
Former RFE/RL president Kevin Klose will return to Prague to be RFE/RL's acting president - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. See also.
VOA to Mali: New FM relay in Bamako and pilot mobile newscast in Songhai language - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Smith-Mundt Has Been Modernized - Steven R. Corman, ASU Center for Strategic Communication: "I was shocked to see in a post at bbgstrategy.com that the 2013 Defense Authorization Act had passed and was signed into law over the holidays with Smith-Mundt modernization provisions intact. I say shocked because of thesh#*tstorm that erupted when these provisions were proposed last summer. I thought this was a no-go, or would at least require a fight, but the critics seem to have either lost track or lost interest. ... Section (c) makes it clear this only applies to State and BBG. Military units have interpreted the law as applying to themselves even though the original Smith-Mundt Act was clearly designed to apply to the State Department. So if this interpretation stands they will still be subject to the (IMO, in modern times) silly requirement that nothing they do by way of communication operations be viewable on U.S. soil. Otherwise this amendment is a step in the right direction…unless you are one of the critics, in which case it’s time to hunker down because the jack-booted thugs should be descending in their black helicopters any time now."
Top Social Media Websites Caught Censoring Controversial Content - transcend.org: "Defense Department ... Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC) program ... [is] an attempt to get better at both detecting andconducting propaganda campaigns on social media. SMISC has two goals. First, the program needs to help the military better understand what’s going on in social media in real time — particularly in areas where troops are deployed. Second, Darpa wants SMISC to help the military play the social media propaganda game itself. This is more than just checking the trending topics on Twitter. The Defense Department wants to deeply grok social media dynamics. So SMISC algorithms will be aimed at discovering and tracking the 'formation, development and spread of ideas and concepts (memes)' on social media, according to
Darpa’s announcement. ... SMISC is yet another example of how the military is becoming very interested in what’s going on in the social media sphere. ... The
A Wry Look at Why Foreign Policy Can’t Compete with the Golden Globes - Mary Jeffers, takefiveblog.org: What too many people think: "'Whatever it is that the government does, sensible Americans would prefer that the government does it to somebody else. This is the idea behind foreign policy.' - P. J. O’Rourke What Public Diplomacy folks like to think: 'The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.' - Elizabeth Cady Stanton"
Unspeak: How Words Become Weapons, How Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality - memeread.com: "Author: Steven Poole Publisher: Grove Press (2006) ... "Poole proceeds to analyse a number of common unspeak terms in considerable depth. Each gets a whole chapter to itself; they are Community, Nature, Tragedy, Operations, Terror, Abuse, Freedom, and Extremism. As you might expect, he gets a lot of mileage out of quoting people like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Tony Blair, and countless spokespersons for the UK and US governments. Some of the examples are quite extreme, such as the reaction of a senior naval officer to the news that three prisoners at Guantanamo had managed to hang themselves: 'I believe this was not an act of desperation, rather an act of asymmetric warfare waged against us'. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy called the suicides 'a good PR move to draw attention'. Once you have got over the almost incomprehensible callousness and cynicism of those utterances, you can clearly see the hidden agenda of implying that every single thing done by 'enemy combatants' is aimed at harming or at least embarrassing the USA. The alternative view - that perhaps those men had done nothing wrong, had been captured and imprisoned by mistake, and killed themselves out of sheer despair - is ruled out before it can even enter the listener's mind."
America’s War On Reality - Robert Parry, citywatchla.com: "The Reagan administration ... built around the President a propaganda infrastructure that systematically punished politicians, citizens, journalists or anyone who dared challenge the fantasies. This private-public collaboration – coordinating right-wing media with government disinformationists – brought home to America the CIA’s strategy of 'perception management' normally aimed at hostile populations. Thus, the Nicaraguan Contras, who in reality were drug-connected terrorists roaming the countryside murdering, torturing and raping, became 'the moral equivalent' of America’s Founding Fathers.
To say otherwise marked you as a troublemaker who had to be 'controversialized' and marginalized. The remarkable success of Reagan’s propaganda was a lesson not lost on a young generation of Republican operatives and the emerging neoconservatives who held key jobs in Reagan’s Central American and public-diplomacy operations, the likes of Elliott Abrams and Robert Kagan. The neocons’ devotion to imperialism abroad seemed to motivate their growing disdain for empiricism at home. Facts didn’t matter; results did." Reagan image from article. See also
Can Neo-cons Identify anti-Semites? Argentina as a Case Study - Jim Lobe, lobelog.com: "As everyone knows, prominent neo-conservatives have been spending weeks insisting that Chuck Hagel is an anti-Semite. The most toxic of these charges have, of course, been leveled by the Council on Foreign Relations’ mendacious Senior Middle East fellow Elliott Abrams in his now-infamous NPR interview a few evenings ago (which was taken apart by Lobelog alumnus Ali Gharib and which, I hear, is creating some major headaches for CFR president Richard Haass) . ... Abrams and the head of Reagan’s controversial 'Office of Public Diplomacy', Otto Reich (later George W. Bush’s first assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs) worked tirelessly in the mid- to late-1980’s with the help of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page and Norman Podhoretz’s Commentary magazine to tar the Sandinista government with the anti-Semitism brush (relying primarily on wealthy Jewish exiles who had strong financial ties to ousted dictator Anastasio Somoza and left the country when or soon after he did), despite the fact that the U.S. embassy in Managua 'found no verifiable ground on which to accuse the GRN [the Sandinista government] of anti-Semitism,' according to a July 28, 1983, cable. Their goal was to rally support in the Jewish community, the great majority of which was strongly opposed to the Reagan administration’s policies in Central America, behind arming the Nicaraguan contras."
No Day But Today - Major Derrick Shaw - fullspectrumperformance.me: "There is no doubt in my mind that music is the most powerful form of expression. If you disagree, I would ask that you to read the stories highlighting the impact of rock music on the Iron Curtain. One of them is found in an Andras Simonyi speech to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame presented here in the Public Diplomacy Reader compiled by Professor Mike Waller of the Institute of World Politics. Music helped to bring down Eastern Bloc totalitarianism because, to put it simply, oppressed people will ultimately rebel when they have a taste of pure freedom, or in this case: the sound of pure freedom."
AbEx vs. Comics: Which Is More American? - Noah Berlatsky, hoodedutilitarian.com: “I just recently read Justin Hart’s Empire of Ideas, about US efforts to influence foreign public opinion. I’ve got a forthcoming review of Hart’s book, so I’m not going to discuss it at any length here, but I did want to highlight a passage about the State Department’s support for abstract expressionism [in the late 1940's]. ... ['] [Congressman Karl] Stefan ... flashed up slides of paintings from a well-reviewed, but highly abstract, show of modern art the State Department had put together for an international tour. 'Mr. Benton [William Benton, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs] a what is this?' Stefan barked out. 'I can’t tell you,' Benton replied. Stefan continued: 'I am putting it just about a foot from your eyes. Do you know what it is?' After Benton repeated that he would not even 'hazard a guess of what that picture is,' Stefan scolded him: 'You paid $700 for it and you can’t identify it.' Stefan closed his examination of Benton by quoting from a letter he had solicited from one of his constituents, a mural painter from Shelby, Nebraska. The artist from Shelby called the exhibit the 'product of a tight little group in New York,' neither 'sane' nor 'American in spirit.' When Stefan asked Benton whether the exhibit depicted 'America as it is,' Benton responded: 'that was not the purpose of the art.' Benton’s rejoinder entirely missed the most important point. The State Department, playing its role in supplementing private cultural exchanges and conversations, put together an art show to counteract what policymakers perceived as the contemptuous attitude of foreigners toward American culture. In so doing, they emphasized certain aspects of American art
(abstract expressionism), while largely ignoring others (folk art and mural painting). Benton and his staff made a calculated, strategic judgment about how best to capitalize on American culture to enhance the nation’s image, but this was an inherently political activity, subject to endless debate about who should speak for America and what they should say. In this particular case, Stefan had the last word when the House voted to slash all funds for public diplomacy from the State Department budget.” Image from
The rise of #digitaldiplomacy – from boundlessonline.org - hotforeignaffairs.wordpress.com: "But what exactly is ‘digital diplomacy’ being used for? For individual diplomats, they can write a running commentary on the news and their daily activities as a state representative. Social media has become a new way to communicate with other diplomats as many don’t read their own e-mail, with people who have never met being able to build global networks. Governments often also measure online activity to flag up influential people for envoys to befriend. A lot of online activity is ‘public diplomacy’ where one government can communicate directly with the citizens of another. This has become more important as governments have realised that they can reach out by translating into multiple languages, for example the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now tweets in 47 languages. ‘Public diplomacy’ has become especially useful as an easy and cheap tool for disaster response and information gathering.
Common techniques used to involve citizens are interviews and question and answer sessions, notably Foreign Secretary William Hague holds regular #AskFS Q and As on Twitter. However, the downside to increased social media engagement is that diplomacy has become very messy from there being so many actors involved. In a medium too fast-moving for heavy regulations to be much use, many contradictions and faux pas can arise. One of the biggest problems is when embassies or envoys in another country act without state authority. For example, on 11th September 2012 when there were protests in the Middle East because of an American video which was highly negative towards Islam, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo released various tweets and a press release all of which had not been approved by Washington. These attracted a lot of attention during the Obama-Romney campaign debates and the diplomat responsible has since been relocated to Washington. This raises a big question for the future of ‘digital diplomacy’: can representatives on the ground speak with their own authority or must they always need the approval of their government?" Image from entry: The AFP’s e-diplomacy hub
Eurozoned Out - Justin Vaïsse and Thomas Wright, brookings.edu: "TO: President Obama FROM: Justin Vaïsse and Thomas Wright ... A healthy global economy is a core interest of the United States. A stable and prosperous European economy is integral to that interest. For three years now, you have lived with the possibility that the collapse of the Eurozone could wreak havoc with the U.S. economy. You have also had to live with the fact that the United States has few options and no silver bullets. Quiet diplomacy and support has been your hallmark and it has been reasonably effective. ... You should direct your administration to identify the potential vulnerabilities of reform proposals and to work with European governments, and others if necessary (public diplomacy aimed at the markets, multilateral efforts through the G-20), to prevent new failures of design. You should also use American influence to ensure that the United Kingdom remains within the European Union."
Sri Lanka's message to the International Community: Lost in Translation - Daya Gamage, asiantribune.com: "This is not the first time this writer has been raising Sri Lanka's deficiency in overseas public diplomacy and strategic communication which contributed toward building misunderstanding among the leading nations of the international community especially the United States and European Union on most pressing domestic issues that have global interests. The result was the strengthening of interested 'conglomerates' in Western capitals to successfully reach policymakers, rights groups and the media to project Sri Lanka as a pariah state that has no concern for the rule of law, good governance, basic rights and democratic norms. As the Asian Tribune reported in recent days highlighting three to four declarations and statements which underscored the American government's grave suspicion about 'the direction' this South Asian nation is taking - questioning her adherence to rule of law and democratic norms - Sri Lanka's incapability to use knowledgeable experts who understand public affairs, public diplomacy and strategic communication greatly contributed toward this calamity and confusion. ...Sri Lanka, in her foreign dealings, a goal and strategy are needed. Without them, everything will seem ad hoc, provisional, formless, meaningless. The U.S. State Department and the European Union will see it that way. Longer the delay to come up with strategic thinking and coherent overseas public diplomacy the adversaries reigns the day having control over the trajectory of Sri Lanka's destiny."
Ambassador discusses US, Israel future - Alana Victor, Daily Trojan: "Despite being interrupted at his presentation last year at UC Irvine, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren visited USC Thursday to discuss his stance on U.S.-Israel relations. The event was hosted by the
USC Center on Public Diplomacy and moderated by the Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Ernest Wilson III. More than 200 people attended the event. In his presentation, Oren told many personal stories to illustrate the 'multifaceted and deep relationship' between the U.S. and Israel. Image from article, with caption: Foreign relations · Ambassador Michael Oren emphasized the importance of Israel to the U.S. to students in the Annenberg Auditorium.
Original Thinking: Israeli diplomatic incompetence - Barr Shaw, Jerusalem Post: "How is it possible for Israel to effectively present its positions to the world when its government PR organs are in such a state of disarray? Not only are they in shameful condition, they have become incapable of addressing the most basic elements of our legitimacy and policy. ... And yet, the government refuses to seriously address the issue, or to devote the necessary budget and planning to public diplomacy, or even to provide factual and ongoing information to those who campaign for Israel’s good name. ... My point is that the government has failed to represent Israel in the critical arena of Israel’s public diplomacy. It has shown disrespect for activist warriors fighting a rear guard action in the war of delegitimization. In certain cases it appears unaware, insensitive and incompetent in addressing key battlefronts until they explode in their faces. ... Pro-Israel activists and groups, both here and abroad, are uncertain as to which government agency deals with public diplomacy. Is it the Foreign Ministry? Is it the Prime Minister’s Office? Or is it the minister of public diplomacy, and what does he do, exactly? It’s quite confusing. If this is the plane of diplomacy, then who is flying it? If this is the plane of diplomacy, we are experiencing a hell of a lot of turbulence, and we are worried about surviving the flight. Nor do we understand the direction they are taking us. ...Here I am prepared to make an impolite but provable claim. Israeli public diplomacy should not be left in the hands of native-born Israeli bureaucrats and politicians. With one or two notable exceptions, those that have dabbled in the subject have proven to be unmitigated disasters. Look instead at the private NGOs that are battling the anti-Israel delegitimization and demonization campaigns. All of the prominent action groups, in their respective fields, were created, developed and achieved external funding by Israelis emanating from English-speaking backgrounds. ...The time has come for the government to be outflanked by well-funded, independent, pro-Israel public diplomacy NGOs. Wealthy pro-Israel individuals and foundations must get involved with such NGOs so that Israel’s voice is properly and widely represented."
Israel: Arab belly dancers flock to Israeli festival Running in Eliat Jan. 16-19 - atransnationalvillager: "Proving that art transcends conflicts and boundaries, dancers from Turkey, Egypt and Jordan will participate in the annual International Belly Dance Festival taking place January 16-19 in the Israeli city of Eilat, on the Red Sea. The festival will feature some 950 dancers from Israel and 30 other countries across the world, Ynetnews.com reported. Festival organizer and world-renowned belly dancer Orit Maftsir said there had been no cancellations on the part of foreign participants in spite of the recent Israeli military operation in Gaza. The highlight will be the arrival of dancers and teachers from Arab countries 'who are not afraid to come to Israel and vibrate their hips for peace,' Ynet wrote. 'Beyond the cultural relations the festival creates between the region's countries, it also helps strengthen relations between the people,' the manager of the Club Hotel chain, which is hosting the festival, told Ynet. (ANSAmed)."
In Vladivostok, young parliamentarians of the Asia-Pacific Region met for the first time - vostokmedia.com: "As part of the 21th session of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), which will be held January 27-31 in Vladivostok on the Russian island for the first time will be a meeting of young parliamentarians of the Asia Pacific region.
As the press service of the Federation Council, Senator Svetlana Zhurova noted that as part of the meeting will focus on the current issues faced by young people. 'We plan to discuss the issues of development of international youth cooperation, youth parliamentarism, public diplomacy, the formation of the state youth policy', - explained MP." Uncaptioned image from article
Speech by AMB Liu Xiaoming at the Lunch with British Delegates to China-UK Future Leadership Forum - foreignaffairs.co.nz: "[T]he 18th Party Congress adopted a new action plan. It specified the actions China would take for advancement. These include: ... Enhance cultural and public diplomacy."
The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Ten Session of CPPCC members 5 years play main role of [sic] - cparts.info: "As the most extensive patriotic united front organization, the CPPCC members of minority nationalities with less population to improve production and living, to implement the regulations on religious affairs of neighboring countries, overseas Chinese and Xinjiang students, ethnic, religion, overseas Chinese Affairs Research, actively carry out public diplomacy activities, strengthen external connection communication and promotion, regular meeting of association, the tea party, promote ethnic live together in peace together, work together with one heart, harmonious development, promote political parties, groups, each nation, each stratum of great unity, harmony, merging.In order to further strengthen the floating population, the management of migrant workers, maintain social stability, the members suggested autonomous region issued the floating population service and management measures, the autonomous region’s attention, the autonomous region has invested 15000000 yuan to establish a comprehensive information system of floating population, and strengthen key areas remediation efforts. In 5 years, the autonomous region of the ten CPPCC members on the maintenance of social stability, give full play to the advantages, has played a unique role in strengthening and innovation of social management, to construct a harmonious society."
In-Depth Article by Peking University Professors on Shortcomings of China’s Government-run Volunteer Program in Africa [TRANSLATION] - spyghana.com: "Rethinking China’s public diplomacy with Africa — The Foreign Aid Youth Volunteers Program as a case study [This article was co-written by Wang Xiaozhi, a professor of international relations at Peking University, Huang Lizhi, a PhD student in the department of international relations at Peking University and Liu Haifang, the deputy director of the Africa Research Center at Peking University, and was originally published in the third 2012 issue of the Chinese international relations journal Contemporary World (http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-JSDD201203011.htm).] ... Public diplomacy is critical for Chinese and African governments, otherwise Chinese and African publics will continue to understand each other and China-Africa relations only through the lens of people who are not Chinese or African. This would lead to greater damage from ill-intentioned, delusional, misleading and deceptive opinions and statements. As a field that has emerged within diplomacy in recent years, public diplomacy is more flexible and contains more potential for creativity compared to traditional diplomacy. In particular, young people can accomplish a great deal in the field of public diplomacy.
Some of the public diplomacy initiatives that include young people that the Chinese government has embarked upon recently include the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum, the China-Africa Youth Festival and a project to have 500 African young people visit China. If we may criticize the exaggeration of the successes of these programs, which are too short and superficial, then sending Chinese youth volunteers to live in Africa presents a way to overcome these shortcomings and make young people more realistic and more influential public diplomats. ...We have conducted in-depth research into the operation and implementation of the Foreign Aid Youth Volunteers program. This article summarizes this research in case study form in order to facilitate a rethinking of the role, results and existing problems of China’s public diplomacy in Africa. The Foreign Aid Youth Volunteers Program shows that the roles of the various ministries in public diplomacy has not been clarified. The government organs that are mainly involved in running the Foreign Aid Youth Volunteers Program include the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China. Our research shows that the different decision makers and policy implementers involved in the program have different understandings of the role of youth volunteers in public diplomacy. Chinese volunteers who go to Africa have three main goals: First, they are cultural ambassadors responsible for disseminating the core values of China’s culture. Second, they are disseminators of useful knowledge and practical techniques. Third, they are responsible for promoting good relations between China and the country they go to." Image from
Namibia: Pré-Vue [discourse's-Analysis] Tri-Vium - Changes At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Paul T. Shipale, allafrica.com: "To come back to diplomacy, the clichéd image of the venerable profession of diplomacy is one of stuffed shirts living in exotic, well-appointed residences and attending a whirl of cocktail parties. Yet how far this is from reality is superbly described in a scholarly and magisterial book by Kishan Rana, Professor Emeritus, Foreign Service Institute of New Delhi, and Senior Fellow, Diplo-Foundation, Malta and Geneva who also served as Ambassador to many countries and chairs the India Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP). Rana's 21st Century Diplomacy is a nuts and bolts manual for modern diplomacy, which will be invaluable to both scholars and practitioners in the field of international relations. Similarly, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had outlined her vision for diplomatic changes to meet the global challenges of the 21st Century. She referred to her vision as 'transformational diplomacy', according to a report of August 23, 2007 by Kennon H. Nakamura and Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Policy Analysts. The Secretary's plan includes the imperative to 'localize' U.S. diplomacy by establishing small offices called American Presence Posts (APPs) outside of the world's capitals. The APPs maintain a working liaison with local governments, labour, and the private sector, as well as the media, civic organizations and opinion leaders in the host country. The diplomats assigned there were to engage in public diplomacy, outreach, and the promotion of commercial and strategic interests. In Namibia's context, one could be forgiven for thinking that some media and other (inorganic) outlets fit this mould. Another approach was to utilize new opportunities presented by changes in information technology with the development of Virtual Presence Posts (VPPs) and Digital Outreach Teams, with one or two officers managing an internet site, as well as explaining the country's policy, providing news of the country's relations with the host country, answering questions, and providing requested material. This sounds like a public relations exercise. Perhaps this is the reason why we have a Research and Information Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs now deputised by a media expert, Marbelline Mwashekele."
Briefing Session for Europe-Zone Representatives…Coordinating Committee of ENDF Holds ..CCENDF@gmail.com - http://erigazette.org: "On 13 January 2013, three members of the Coordinating Committee of the Eritrean National Democratic Forces (ENDF) held a 3-hour briefing session electronically to ENDF country representatives from seven European countries. The Coordinating Committee members, Messrs A/Rahman Sayed, Woldeyesus Ammar and Assefaw Berhe, made opening presentations to give extensive background information on the ENDF and what is expected of it during the year just started. In particular, Mr. Sayed outlined the tasks that ENDF members are expected to accomplish in the areas of raising public awareness, in the field of public diplomacy and in identification of effective work-colleagues with common vision, be it organized bodies or individual activists involved in the current struggle for change and democratization in Eritrea."
Fighting the war on multiple fronts - India Today: "External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid may soon end up shedding his camera fetish. Insiders say that there are enough seniors in the Cabinet Committee on Security and in the Congress party who were not too happy about the minister's string of TV interviews after the killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces, where the minister's responses were completely at variance with the line that the party was taking. In an age where public diplomacy can be used as a weapon, it can also misfire badly. The minister, who has the gift of the gab, would have to realise that his is a ministry with a big profile. Although this is his second avatar in the ministry, he will have to tread carefully because even one
loose remark may land him into big trouble. Besides there are many within his own party who wouldn't mind tripping him over." Image from
Machine-readable or electronic passports? - Gopal Thapa, nrnaksa.org: "We [in Nepal] can take a page from what Bangladesh has done and perhaps think seriously in terms of scrapping our present MRP [Machine Readable Passports] project and consider shifting directly to e-passports project, so as to save double financial burden, both for the people and for the government. There seems to be no point trying to launch an expensive MRP project now, only to be replaced in four years time with yet another equally cost intensive e-passport project. ...Lack of exercise in public diplomacy [:] Part of the problem for this unfortunate scenario has to do with MOFA’s inability to exercise in public diplomacy; that is to say trying to inform the public and media from time to time what the MRPs are all about, as this generation of passports are being introduced for the first time in the country."
New Year = New British Image? - psnow90, Public Diplomacy and Global Communication D: A group blog by students at London Metropolitan University: "Whether it’s our image or temperament many of us see the New Year as a chance to reinvent ourselves by using the past year’s events and mistakes and adopting a course of self mastery. However, these concepts of self improvement are not only synonymous with people.
In the hope of achieving a new influx of commercial opportunity and universal approbation, states can also redesign the image that is projected to the international community through the concepts of public diplomacy. By creating a national ‘brand’ which appears attractive to overseas populations, the hope is that the national agenda and foreign policies of the state are successfully achieved. So, using the United Kingdom’s previous 365 days as an example, what can British government do to convince other nations that the word ‘Great’ still resembles Great Britain in 2013? It’s safe to say that many British citizens believe that GB had a stellar year in 2012 in terms of flaunting itself to the world." Image from entry
Focus 2013 published: Creative and sustainable solutions from Finland - formin.finland.fi: "Focus on the Economy and Technology, an annual publication showcasing Finland and targeted at key international markets, has just been published for the eleventh time.
This year’s issue highlights Finland’s strengths in start-up entrepreneurship, work-life balance and sustainable technology. 'The magazine enables us to communicate the strengths of Finnish society: know-how, functionality and cooperative ability,' says editor-in-chief Nicola Lindertz from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 'We explain how to achieve a balanced life, how nature forms a key resource for the Finnish economy and how ideas or businesses can evolve through bold thinking. Focus is an important tool in Finland’s public diplomacy, reaching out to business partners, investors and decision-makers.'” Image from entry
White Australia in the Asian Century (Melbourne in 5 days: Day 2) - thetokyofiles.com: "The government published a high-profile 300-page white paper in 2012, 'Australia in the Asia Century,' outlining Australia’s strategic framework to navigation the so-called 'Asian Century'; such a report would have been unheard of in, say, 1990, including such statements as, 'Our reputation in Asia remains strongly linked to our landscape and lifestyle, and does not fully reflect the intellectual, creative and commercial credentials of Australia today. Promoting a modern, innovative and multicultural image of Australia in Asia is a public diplomacy priority.' The Immigration Museum, which only opened in 1998, is part of this effort."
Journal of Contemporary History Volume 48, Number 1/January 2013 - My Sociology: "Journalists and the Stirring of Australian Public Diplomacy: The Colombo Plan Towards the 1960s pp.175-190 David Lowe URL: http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?articleID=4C6BA3317AF40C72FB36"
Vietnam, Japan PMs hold talks in Hanoi - "The specific projects had not been decided but would likely be in trade, investment and infrastructure, said Yutaka Yokoi, Japan's Director General for Press and Public Diplomacy of Foreign Affairs."
Image from article, with caption: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (left) receives Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ha Noi yesterday in his first trip to Southeast Asia since becoming Japan's leader.
Execlusive Interview With Getachew Reda (Press And Publicity State Minister At The PM Office) Regarding ONLF, ERITREA, The Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya And Ethiopian Foreign Ministry - dailyethiopia.com: "Getachew Reda ... is known for his frequent media appearances to present government position and expert opinion on political and foreign relations matters. Getachew Reda was until recently Director General of the Public Diplomacy and Communications Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, now appointed as Press and Publicity State Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister."
Using your MBA to Revolutionize the Education Market - Emma Collins: “'Global education is traditionally the problem of development organization and large multi-lateral organizations, not companies,' Sehreen Noor Ali, a former public diplomacy strategist at the U.S. Department of State, wrote on the Policymic blog. But increasingly, she said, the field is being peppered with innovative new startups that involve the Internet space."
Corporate Soft Power: A Case of CSR - Svetlana Skryagina, csrinternational.org: "The notion of soft power – the ability of a country to attract and persuade, coined by Joseph Nye in the late 1980s, is recently being used in relation to corporate business. Drawing the analogy with nation-states, corporate soft power came into existence with strengthening of corporate hard power – business globalization and vast increase in the scale of operations. But how is it being addressed by the corporate world? If nation-states utilize the public diplomacy as a premier tool for influencing public opinion and promoting country image, what do companies employ? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) might be the case. CSR and corporate philanthropy programmes form a strategic basis of corporate soft power. International aid projects, including international pro bono and corporate volunteering initiatives, present a good example of companies’ efforts to contribute to social development, while enhancing their visibility and strengthening goodwill. One of the leaders in international pro bono services is IBM and its Corporate Service Corps program. Under the program IBM employees implement community-driven development projects for local communities, public bodies and non-governmental organizations in emerging markets."
The Scout Report 97th Edition - scoutcommsusa.com: "Think tanks and other news events: Institute of World Politics: Book Lecture with James Farwell: Persuasion and Power: The Art of Strategic Communication, Washington, DC (4:30 PM, Mon 14 Jan) Description: A discussion with the author of Persuasions and Power. From the publisher, the book 'stands apart for its critical evaluation of the concepts, doctrines, and activities that the US Department of Defense and Department of State employ for the art of strategic communication including psychological operations, military information support operations, propaganda, and public diplomacy.'”
USC Annenberg Pushes Innovation Lab, Experimental School, 1+ Year Master's - Mark Glaser,pbs.org: "Q and A The last time we talked, you said you wanted to 'blow up' the structure of USC Annenberg because it was balkanized with Centers. What's your progress now on changing that culture? Ernest Wilson: Geoff Cowan, my predecessor, was a visionary and high-energy guy. He ran Voice of America for a number of years -- Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. The culture here was pretty cool, but I hadn't quite figured it out then. Here's the way I think of my first five years, as I've just been appointed to another five-year term. The metaphor I used with you then was that there were two planets: the journalism school and the communications school.
Then there were all these centers revolving around these planets. What I wanted to do was make sense of that and figure out what our weaknesses and strengths were in trying to reinvent communications, journalism as well as public relations. What I've concluded is that ... journalism, rhetoric, public relations, communication, public diplomacy were all merged about 15 years ago into one unit. At the time that made life a little bit difficult for the constituent parts. But then, lo and behold! The world actually moved in the direction of greater convergence. When you talk to people in public relations or print journalism or whatever, they say, 'We can no longer have intellectual silos any more than we can have professional silos.' What I feel really good about is building on this inherited combinations of different disciplines and professions and looking very hard for synergies and places where journalism and communication and public relations and strategic communication can work together. That's what gives me the greatest sense of satisfaction -- that we're well on the way to doing that. I'll give you a couple examples: We've created the Innovation Lab, and we're going to create what I call the Experimental School. The initial idea I had, 'let's blow everything up' ..." Image from
MPD in China 2013: Thoughts on Beijing - David Mandel, PD News – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "The fact is, Beijing is complicated just as most cities are and living or visiting or admiring here requires you to ask complicated questions or else to willfully and morally-complicatedly ignore them. Ultimately, this becomes an issue for and of public diplomacy: how does one communicate the identity and virtues of China’s capital in a way that is efficacious to the larger goals of Chinese PD?
Throughout my trip, I came back to this question often and it seemed to underlie many of the conversations that I had with practitioners and academics alike. For my part, I believe the city stands on its own. Both good and bad, Beijing represents China. And I have learned more about this country and found more to appreciate by walking around than any amount of PD could induce. So come to Beijing, and see for yourself." Image from entry, with caption: David Mandel is a graduate student pursuing a Master's degree in Public Diplomacy from USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the CPD Blog Manager.
5-part Purdue series seeks to break down cultural communication barriers - Emily Campion, jconline.com: A Purdue scholar turned what could have been a tense lecture on cultural incompatibilities between Mandarin Chinese and American English into a light lunch-hour discussion Wednesday.
Wei Hong, a professor of Chinese and director of the campus Confucius Institute, spoke to faculty, staff, students and community members packed into Stewart Center Room 202. Laughter was frequent during the discussion, which was the first in a five-program series on cultural communication differences. Image from article, with caption: Wei Hong, director of the Confucius Institute at Purdue University, speaks Wednesday in Stewart Center during the first in a five-program series on cultural communication differences.
Prospects of Middle East Peace in the Second Obama Administration - wachh.org: "Professor [Shibley]Telhami has ... been active in the foreign policy arena. ...He has served on the U.S. Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World, which was appointed by the Department of State at the request of Congress, and he co-drafted the report of their findings, Changing Minds, Winning Peace. He has also co-drafted several Council on Foreign Relations reports on U.S. public diplomacy."
Media Workshop on the Fifth BRICS Summit - brics5.co.za: "BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging market economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS mechanism aims to promote development cooperation, security, peace and establishing a more equitable world. All media are invited as follows: Date: Tuesday, 15 January 2013 ...11h30-12h30: South Africa’s global competiveness: Presentation by Mr Miller Matola, CEO of Brand South Africa Presentations on the raison d’être of BRICS: Mr Clayson Monyela, DDG: Public Diplomacy Ms Nelia Barnard, Director: BRICS"
2013 Conservative Leadership Conference - beaufortcountynow.com: "Ed Feulner ...Feulner is a member of the Advisory Board of the Public Diplomacy Collaborative at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government."
No Offense - Molly Bettie, Public Diplomacy and Student Exchanges: Possibly the first study of the Fulbright Program to be conducted by someone who isn't affiliated with it in any way... - "'This department has changed so much in the past five years, it's incredible. It used to be old white guys and war--no offense, Molly.' 'The public diplomacy field is so US-centric, we need to look at examples of practices outside of American public diplomacy--no offense, Molly.' When people in my department say these things, outwardly I just smile and nod. I understand why they're saying it, and yes, there's some truth to what they're saying. But on the inside, it's like getting punched in the face by my mentors, my colleagues, people who I thought supported me."
Felipe Estefan ’10 Public Diplomacy - Maxwell Careers: "Felipe Estefan specializes in public diplomacy, governance and digital engagement. He is currently part of the Open Government practice at the World Bank Institute. In that role, Estefan
works on the use of mobile and web-based technology to make governments more open, more participatory and more transparent. Estefan also designs and implements communications and citizen engagement strategies for the team. ...Estefan, a native of Bogotá, Colombia, is a graduate from the Public Diplomacy program at Syracuse University. He holds an M.A. in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and an M.S. in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications." Estefan image from entry
Making the cut: SU students search for the perfect barber: Finding the right barber can be difficult and tedious, but some Syracuse students have found the right fit at local shops - Erin Elzo: thenewshouse.com: "Making the cut. Whether it’s styled short, long, buzzed or any other form imaginable, it’s a skill that’s widely respected. Men trust their barbers to take the concept of self-expression they desire and make it a reality. 'There’s just a bunch of different elements that go into it, outside of that one quick haircut that you get,' said Dexter McKinney, a graduate student in the public diplomacy
program at Syracuse University. 'For the most part, if my barber’s not available, I’ll go without a haircut for a while.'" Image from article, with caption: Dexter McKinney is a regular customer at Cut Kings Barber Shop, and has a standing appointment every two weeks with the barber, Muhammad.
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Afghanistan in 2015: A 'light footprint' strategy could be the best U.S. option after Western forces leave - Editorial, latimes.com: When it invaded Afghanistan in 2011 to overthrow the Taliban regime that had harbored Osama bin Laden, the United States — perhaps unintentionally — assumed a moral obligation to assist that country in its political and economic reconstruction. It is discharging that responsibility and will continue to do so even after Afghans take complete charge of their security. But as Obama also said Saturday, "after more than a decade of war, the nation we need to rebuild is our own." Below image from
Victory in Afghanistan? Not without U.S. troops: White House talk of 3,000 personnel — or none — by the end of 2014 ignores the reality of the situation there - Max Boot, latimes.com: The reality is that, though the U.S. is arguably making progress, we are a long way from our ultimate objective defined in the U.S.-Afghan security partnership agreement signed by Obama and Karzai in May: "sustainable self-reliance in security, governance, economic and social development." Obama has a perfect right to decide that the costs of victory in Afghanistan are too high. But if so, he should level with us instead of insulting our intelligence by claiming that we have already won a war that shows no sign of ending any time soon.
The message Hagel carries on Iran - Robert Satloff, Washington Post: Achieving success in nuclear negotiations requires the administration’s full commitment to increasingly painful sanctions, a credible threat of military force and a reasonable diplomatic alternative. This approach may not be sufficient; Iran may be bent on achieving a nuclear weapon. But any deal will be built on a stool with those three legs. If the administration goes wobbly on any of them, the stool collapses, at which point either Washington employs military force to destroy or delay Iran’s nuclear program or Israel becomes likely to act on its own.
U.N. rules and Syrian intervention - John B. Bellinger III, Washington Post: Obama’s caution about intervening directly in Syria or arming the opposition has been prudent. Intervention without an international legal basis could make it more difficult for Washington to criticize other countries if they intervene in neighboring states based on less laudable motives. Inserting more arms into an already unstable region risks more bloodshed, and those weapons could fall into the hands of groups hostile to U.S. interests, as happened in Libya. But If Assad’s attacks on Syrian civilians continue, the United States and other governments may soon conclude that intervention is morally, if not legally, justified.
The Blight of Return - Roger Cohen, New York Times: The United States should test Egyptian president Morsi by pressing him hard to forge Palestinian unity in pragmatism. That would remove an Israeli excuse for oppression that tramples on the Jewish state’s own best interests.
"Al Jazeera America will not win hearts and minds like that" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Al Jazeera America is the international broadcasting story of the year (and it's only January) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. Image from entry
Iran calls "Argo" propaganda, will film its own "Argo" - macedoniaonline.eu: Affleck’s Argo, a thriller set against the backdrop the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, won best director and best dramatic film at this year's Golden Globes but has been widely criticised in Iran. Just as Affleck was snubbed at the Oscars for a best director nomination, Iran announced it would be producing its own version of events.
In Russia, Culture as an Axis of Propaganda - Celestine Bohlen, New York Times: French actor Gérard Depardieu antics in Russia have become a seemingly endless source of jokes and cartoons, chewed over by politicians and pundits who speculate about his motives — pique, depression or tax evasion — in accepting a hastily issued Russian passport. They do, however, provide another example of cultural diplomacy used as propaganda. “Culture is an axis of diplomacy that was practiced by any number of autocratic regimes, Hitler as well as Stalin,” said Lorraine de Meaux, one of the two curators of the “Intelligentsia” exhibition at the École des Beaux Arts, which closed last week.
Handling of Press and Propaganda Battle Highlights Differences in Party - Frank Fang and Amy Lien, Epoch Times: The Communist Party chief of Guangdong Province, which has been the site of protests about press freedom in China over the last week, personally stepped in to mediate a dispute between journalists and propaganda authorities recently, reaching a compromise with angered media workers.
Hu Chunhua, the Party secretary of Guangdong, helped broker a deal that would see journalists at the influential Southern Weekly newspaper end a strike they are on, and exempt them from punishment, according to Reuters. Image from article, with caption: Hu Chunhua, party secretary of Guangdong Province, stepped in to resolve a standoff between Southern Weekly journalists and propaganda authorities recently
Propaganda from China's Great Famine: The posters and slogans that praised bumper crops as millions of Chinese starved - Foreign Policy: The Chinese government has not released photographs of the deadly famine that grew out of Mao Zedong's failed Great Leap Forward. Instead, whimsical, brighly colored propaganda posters, fixtures during the agricultural collectivization campaign of 1958 to 1962, offer a stark juxtaposition with what is known today about the mass starvation.
The unique collection presented here, compiled by the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, spins the Great Leap Forward as an unmitigated economic and political success, presenting a tragically warped picture of four years where tens of millions of Chinese died. The slogan on the poster above reads, "Beat the Great Leap Forward battle drum louder."
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