"HUSTLER and Larry Flynt are sex diplomats for the U.S."
--Philip Bristol, Public [Pubic? - JB] Diplomacy student, Syracuse University; image from
Additional image, Cheerleader of the Day: Syracuse, from
VIDEOS
Remarks at the Fulbright Foreign Student Enrichment Seminar - Remarks, John Kerry, Secretary of State, George C. Marshall Center, Washington, DC, March 15, 2013, U.S. Department of State
1979 Soviet Propaganda Cartoon: ‘Shooting Range’ [updated]
Beatles - 1966 U.S.S.R film [scroll down link]
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Waziristan termed Pakistan’s domestic problem: US diplomat hints at policy change - Zulfiqar Ali, dawn.com: "Indicating a major shift in American policy, Ambassador Richard Olson has described North Waziristan — once dubbed the hub of Al Qaeda’s central leadership — as Pakistan’s ‘domestic’ security problem. ... When asked about the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project, a new irritant in the Pakistan-US relations, Ambassador Olson
said that he avoided public diplomacy on sensitive topics. 'I don’t want to conduct diplomacy on sensitive topics through the media. It will be best for the sake of relationship between the two countries to conduct discussion on government to government basis,' he replied when asked about the possibility of sanctions and their nature if Pakistan continued work on the controversial project." Olson image from article
US State Department sets out its actions to support Human Rights Defenders - thoolen.wordpress.com: "On 8 March 2013 – probably timed to coincide with the debate in the UN Human Rights Council – the U.S. Department of State published an overview of it support for Human Rights Defenders. ... The webpage sets out the way in which the State Department protects and supports human rights defenders, including: ... • Amplifying the voices of human rights defenders through public diplomacy as well as local initiatives by posts to highlight the work of human rights defenders. The United States raises the profile of human rights defenders through its annual Human Rights Defender Award and International Women of Courage Award and its celebration of Human Rights Week each December."
Sonenshine on Global Outreach [video] - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "I just opened YouTube and among the suggested videos (creepy -- I know), I saw this short segment from an interview which Voice of America had just uploaded on their channel. In that interview, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Tara Sonenshine is talking about how new information and communication technologies are helping the work of US public diplomacy and giving it the opportunity to 'trump everything' in other countries. Well, OK, she is referring specifically to repressive governments and regimes - she even names a couple - but still, it's pretty amazing to see the Undersecretary herself making such blunt statements.
This is especially interesting in light of all the attempts VOA and all others affiliated with BBG always make to present themselves as mere 'journalists'. ... And somebody, please, please tell Ms. Sonenshine not to use that conniving look again [especially, towards the end]: that, coupled with her tone, made her sound really conspiratorial. It only feeds into the arguments those very regimes make against free expression at home and US 'support' from abroad." Image from
African Technology Innovation Centers: Groundbreaking Public-Private Partnerships - Sharon Hudson-Dean, PD News–CPD, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Since 2009, the U.S. Department of State has worked to strengthen and deepen U.S. diplomacy and development around the world through public-private partnerships (PPPs) that leverage creativity and innovation for greater impact. The proactive pursuit of PPPs by the State Department offers tremendous public diplomacy opportunities. To date, the State Department has worked with over 1,100 partners to support key foreign policy objectives. The Department is now promoting clean cook stoves, diaspora engagement, job creation and innovation in Muslim-majority countries, human rights, entrepreneurship and affordable Internet with partners from around the globe. ... Prime examples of this trend are the corporate and foundation partnerships with ambitious Africans in technology and innovation centers that have popped up across the continent in the last five years. ... Public-private partnerships are the new wave in public diplomacy and development aid work. By leveraging complementary strengths and interests, PPPs have the potential to reach development goals faster, more efficiently, and with greater collaboration among local participants."
CENTCOM..a frank, clear, scholarly and useful dialog - Badlun, pashtunforums.com: "Sometimes I wonder USA in spite of its democracy, human rights, development, prosperity, international aid has a negative image problem and many hate this superpower in spite of all its virtues. This country has changed the life of many persons and families. Many poor people of the world after entry to this land of opportunities become prosperous which completely change their life standard and that of their families. I personally know many such persons and families. USA is spending billions of aid on poverty and social development. It’s extending all possible help against natural disasters. It’s running thousands of education and health projects throughout the world. Their war in Iraq and Afghanistan besides their national interest is against terrorism and dictatorship. What they lack is public diplomacy and positive propaganda to let the world know what they are contributing to the development of the world. Once people know it they ll start loving USA instead of hating this great country.
They need propaganda as was done by USSR for communism although communism is worse than democracy and the record of USSR is bloodier than USA. ... USA or an NGO working for democracy and human rights in Afghanistan and Pakistan should use its funds on education, publicity and awareness. USA may start a special newspaper and a magazine of good quality in Pashto where the Pashtuns should be educated against terrorism and should provide good news and healthy entertainment. USA may learn from the past how communism won hearts even for its ugly agenda. There is a dire need of intense public diplomacy on the part of USA. Majority of things they are doing is good but people don't know and can’t appreciate it. ... USA is a very strange country. Spending billions and trillions on humanitarian and other aids but doesn’t cash it in public diplomacy. I am surprised that why USA not like the erstwhile USSR does not launch an ideological campaign for democracy and human rights as used to be done by the former USSR for the barbaric Communism. ... Friends from Centcom here are specially requested to comment why US fails on the fronts of propaganda, public diplomacy and winning hearts of people." Image from
Time for hawks to wake up - Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post: "Conservative hawks sought to divide Paul from the larger GOP on his broader national security vision rather than find some commonality with his insistence on a straight answer from this administration. It is not loony or delusional or irrelevant to require a president, who has been so cavalier with the truth and so willing to aggrandize executive power, to acknowledge some limit on his authority; it is disturbing that the administration had to be humiliated into providing an answer about domestic drone use against non-combatant Americans. Paul’s ideological opponents on the right only made him appear bigger and more attractive by their cluelessness as to the war weariness and privacy and civil libertarian concerns to which some have rallied. Hawks have been remarkably inept lately in public diplomacy and in putting some fences around political theory. They have stopped making cogent arguments for some policies either because either there are none (really is there some justification for continuing to pump up the Muslim Brotherhood?) or because like other conservatives they are trapped in an echo chamber. I will put this bluntly: They now face a Rand Paul problem because they did not construct a sound, reasonable national security policy that would endure over time. In short, they lost the public and now they are panicked that Paul may win the party and the country over."
Larry Flynt and HUSTLER, evidence of America’s depravity or the First Amendment in action through ‘sex diplomacy’? - Philip Bristol, Public Diplomacy student, Syracuse University, exchangediplomacy.com: "Throughout the exchange’s history we have posted a wide variety of different discussions that explore the world of diplomacy, especially public diplomacy in action. Many of these are 'ripped from the headlines' while others originated in class discussions or over a beer. The list of cultural exchanges that facilitate public diplomacy in action include food, art, music, dance, literature, sports ... TV and movies.
But what about sex and adult entertainment, do we have ‘sex diplomacy’? Last week I attended a talk at
Obama’s Presidency Brings Uncertainty to Saudi-US Relations - Mustafa al-Labbad, al-monitor.com: "Bilateral Saudi-US ties experienced a period of major growth under the presidency of George H. W. Bush, thanks to his strong personal ties to the oil lobby, and the exceptional role played by Prince Bandar Bin Sultan in strengthening the relationship between the Saudi and Bush families. Afterward, the situation changed with the September 11 attacks, which drastically undermined the image of the kingdom in
They pushed
Think Transatlantic: Promoting Transatlantic Dialogue - Margaret A. Cude, researchnewsletter.blogspot.com: "Initiated by the German Information Center USA, the center for public diplomacy at the German Embassy in Washington, the Think Transatlantic campaign was designed to stimulate discussion about the historic importance and stability of the German-American partnership and its relevance for the future. As noted on the
and to exchange the knowledge of best practices on building upon past transatlantic successes with new initiatives. ... The essay and debate competition winners of the universities that participated in the 'Think Transatlantic Campus Week' will attend a nationwide conference and final competition in Washington, DC, in March 2013. This event will be hosted by the German Information Center USA, and the expenses of the competitors are covered.” Image from entry
India And The ASEAN: A Media Analysis - Amruta Karambelkar, eurasiareview.com: "Each ASEAN member state has a different take on its expectations from India, which is obvious. The media coverage of a country is selective; in accordance with its national interest vis -a vis India. Some perception gaps are observed internally - except for Singapore and Thailand, where public diplomacy and media understanding are near identical."
Israel’s New Settler Government–Formed Just In Time For Obama Visit - Richard Silverstein - eurasiareview.com: "The new Israeli cabinet announced today is agovernment of the settlers, by the settlers and for the settlers. ... Naftali Bennet, the Palestine-denying leader of Bayit Yehudi, will become Hasbara (Public Diplomacy in English) and Trade minister.
You can look forward to more of those wonderful YouTube videos in which a disembodied hand uses a magic marker to make the Palestinian problem disappear with a few lines and strokes of the pen." Image from article
Edelstein is Likud's choice for Knesset Speaker - Lahav Kharkov, Jerusalem Post: "[Yuli] Edelstein tendered his resignation letter from the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry on Thursday evening, to ensure it goes into effect before he takes up his new position, because a Knesset speaker may not be part of the executive branch of government.
Edelstein was public diplomacy and Diaspora affairs minister and a former immigration and absorption minister." Yuli Edelstein image from article
Hotovely: PM risks turning Likud into dictatorship - Lahav Harkov, Jerusalem Post: "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu must take the results of the Likud’s democratic primary into consideration when forming a coalition, MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud Beytenu) said . ... 'I only want a meaningful job in a significant ministry,' Hotovely stated, adding
that the two topics that most interest her are foreign policy, especially in public diplomacy and Diaspora affairs, and Jewish identity in education." Image from article, with caption: Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely
[11] In continuity to Toronto’s Ninth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) (March 15-17, 2013) [scroll down link for item] - cfr.info.yorku.ca: "First launched in Toronto in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. Last year’s IAW was incredibly successful with 216 cities participating. The Israeli Ministry of Public Diplomacy even dispatched 'envoys' around the world in an attempt to undermine the week. This year Palestinians have endured another massacre on Gaza, the enlargement of settlements, and daily growing brutality by Israel. Hence our role in the international community to support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is more important than ever."
Telling Israel like it is — in Arabic: A secular, liberal woman from the Galilee, Boshra Khalaila leaves passionate critics of Israel open-mouthed simply by describing the rights and freedoms she routinely enjoys - Philippe Assouline, timesofisrael.com: "I first met Boshra Khalaila in the Spring of 2010, at the Ministry of Public Diplomacy’s offices in Jerusalem. She was 24 at the time. Like me, she’d been alarmed by the public relations debacle that followed the Gaza flotilla incident and had somehow found her way to the Ministry’s hastily set-up Potemkin village of a situation room, to volunteer her time and do damage control, in Arabic. ... Boshra, a secular, independent and patriotic Israeli Arab woman, defies stereotypes. She grew up in a liberal home in the Arab village of Deir Hana, in the Galilee. Her first contact with Jewish Israelis came at the age of 18, when she enrolled in Haifa University. There, she had to speak Hebrew for the first time. And it is there that she started to develop her political conscience and her attachment to the State of Israel. ... Boshra
was part of a team of five people, including another Israeli Arab and a Druze, who were sent to South Africa with Faces of Israel during Israel Apartheid Week. ... [S]he was interviewed by an Islamic, Arabic-language radio station in Johannesburg. The interviewer, a religious Saudi man, asked her questions which revealed a disheartening level of ignorance about Israel . ... Boshra went on to correct other popular misconceptions that the host had, including ideas about the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. ... She asked him why it was Israel and not Egypt, an Arab county, that provided for the territory’s necessities. 'He was speechless. He was often speechless during our interview.' The host’s silence ... begs the question of why, if a religious Muslim from a hyper-conservative state in the Middle East is willing to shed preconceived notions about Israel — even temporarily — the state is still faced with such disastrous public relations. Boshra’s diagnosis: 'Every media outlet pushes this narrative painting Israel as an evil aggressor. ...] ‘And our public diplomacy here in Israel,' she went on ... 'is catastrophic.'" Image from entry, with caption: Boshra with fellow Faces of Israel participants
Israel’s latest “shoot and cry” film on Lebanon? - mmedia.me: "Yorim u’Vochim, Hebrew for 'shoot and cry,' is perhaps a useful label capturing an emerging genre of Israeli films on the invasion of Lebanon in 1982. After Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir and Joseph Cedar’s Beaufort comes the latest and perhaps boldest of the three - Lebanon, Samuel Maoz’s debut film capturing his personal experience as an IDF tank soldier. In 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine,' Israeli revisionist historian Ilan Pappé described 'shoot and cry' as an attempt by the Israeli military and media to cleanse their consciences by dehumanising the enemy as well as furthering the Israeli narrative of victimhood. Though the film’s cinematography, acting and scenario deservedly earned it the Golden Lion award at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, as well as acclaim at the other festivals it has played at so far, it would be naive to differentiate this state-funded film from Israel’s public diplomacy campaign and efforts through the use of 'soft power' to mend the dented image of its 'defence' forces in light of their latest disastrous escapades in Lebanon and Gaza. The film, which surprisingly will not represent Israel in the Oscars foreign-language category and will not be released in Lebanon due to a ban on all Israeli products, follows four young soldiers in a tank, which is the claustrophobic and damp venue of the entire film. Lebanon is seen through the gunsight of the hesitant shooter (Schmulik), whom Maoz has revealed to be himself."
Beijing in diplomatic effort to change misperceptions at home and abroad: Leaders fear nation is perceived as weak at home and aggressive abroad, and hope new initiatives will change view of an increasingly vocal public - Teddy Ng, scmp.com: "Beijing is ramping up its public diplomacy efforts because the leadership fears that foreign affairs initiatives have led to misperceptions at home and abroad. The belief that China is perceived as aggressive in other countries but weak among its own citizens was the driving force behind the establishment of the China Public Diplomacy Association in December. The association is a non-profit group backed by the government. Its president is
Li Zhaoxing, a former foreign affairs minister who chairs the foreign affairs committee of the National People's Congress. Instead of focusing largely on foreign audiences, public diplomacy is increasingly targeting domestic citizens, who are more vocal about politics. ... Professor Zhou Qingan, who teaches public diplomacy and global communications at Tsinghua University, said the mainland public expected the nation to build strong ties with other countries without repeating the bitter history that saw China invaded. 'The public is looking for new foreign policy directives, and they are disappointed that our diplomats and officials are just repeating some slogans or official statements time and again,' he said. 'Eventually, [the public] will lose trust in our diplomacy.' ... [A]nalysts warned that overseas misconceptions about China were deep-rooted. The Confucius Institutes have been seen by some critics as tools for spying, and a 'Made in China' TV advertising campaign initiated by the Ministry of Commerce has been criticised for lacking creativity. Sunny Lee, a fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Chinese officials involved in public diplomacy were not familiar with Western thinking. 'They lack the experience of having lived in foreign countries, and they are not developing the campaign around what interests foreigners. Officials also have to learn one important thing - that public diplomacy is neither a tool to deceive foreigners nor to hide the negative side of China.'" Li Zhaoxing from article
David Palmer on writing better martial arts history and understanding the sources of “Qi Cultivation” in modern Chinese popular culture - chinesemartialstudies.com: "Of course the [Chinese - JB] government should be spending large amounts of money promoting a national martial art (Wushu). Of course lots of people should be joining martial arts clubs and classes in local community centers, back allies and public parks. Of course a communist nation should rehabilitate Buddhist temples associated with violent forms of hand combat and turn them into major tourist centers. And it makes perfect sense that the Chinese government should use Kung Fu as an important tool of public diplomacy.
Actually, none of these things make total sense. At least not without some additional explanation. From an objective standpoint it is not at all clear that the end of the Cultural Revolution should have inspired an explosion of interest in the martial arts. All sort of traditional activities and festivals were suppressed and most of them never came back. There was no necessity to any of this. In fact, I find the current decline of interest in hand combat training within mainland China much easier to explain than the expansion of the much more dynamic period of the 1980s and 1990s. The truth is that the Chinese martial arts have always been a somewhat socially marginal pursuit taken up by a handful of people, either to help them get a job (as an actor, police offer or soldier) or by a smaller number of dedicated hobbyists." Image from entry
An Impartial Scientific Study to Determine Which Nordic Country is Coolest, aka Most “Cool” - Lisa Markuson, pinklineproject.com: "I infiltrated the Finnish embassy to find out the truth about the country that is arguably the chilliest and most mysterious, and is most certainly the Nordic country closest to Russia. I spoke with Marjatta Talbot, event and travel manager, and gleaned the following: ... Finland currently holds the distinction of the world’s least corrupt country. They are extremely proud of this point. They also have the world’s best education system. This was corroborated by the Director of Public Diplomacy at the Swedish Embassy so it must be true. ... I interviewed the Director of Public Diplomacy at the Swedish Embassy, who refused to agree with me that Sweden was in fact one of the top 5 coolest Nordic countries."
London | India-China Soft Power conference | Call for Papers - culture360.org: "The notion of soft power, associated with the work of Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, is defined as ‘the ability to attract people to our side without coercion’. Nye’s concept, whose focus is primarily on the United States, has been adopted or adapted by countries around the world. It has generated much debate about the capacity of nations to make themselves attractive in a globalizing marketplace for ideas and images. ... This two-day international conference will explore competing and contrasting approaches to soft power in India and China, the world’s two fastest growing economies, whose rise is set to reconfigure global power equations in a multi-polar world. The conference will discuss the American origins of the concept and how it has been extrapolated in non-American contexts, namely in India and China. Suggested topics for papers include, but are not restricted to, the following: ... Public Diplomacy Web2.0"
Middle East Policy Challenges and Opportunities: Foreign Policy Classroom - 3/20 sfs.podbean.com: "The U.S. Department of State Foreign Policy Classroom Speaker: Aaron D. Snipe, Spokesperson, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Topic: 'Foreign Policy Challenges and Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa' Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Time: 2:00-3:00p.m. ... Where: U.S Department of State, 2201 C St. NW (Enter through the 23rd street entrance, between C and D Streets. Bring photo ID.) Please note, this program is closed to the press and is not for recording or publication. Aaron’s most recent Foreign Service assignments include two tours in Iraq where he served as the Public Diplomacy Officer (PDO) and Spokesperson for the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna Province from 2008 to 2009, and as the Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad where he coordinated the U.S. Government's civilian media and messaging efforts in Iraq from 2010 to 2011."
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry new FO spokesman - Business Recorder: "Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry Thursday took over as Foreign Office's new spokesman . ... Served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Netherlands (2009-2012), he represented Pakistan in the Hague based international organisations, including OPCW, besides conducting public diplomacy in co-operation with Pakistani community to bring the people of Pakistan and the Netherlands closer."
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Codify the drone war - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post: Does the president have the constitutional authority to put a drone-launched Hellfire missile through your kitchen — you, a good citizen of Topeka to whom POTUS might have taken a dislike — while you’re cooking up a pot roast? The correct response, of course, is: Absent an active civil war on U.S. soil (of the kind not seen in 150 years) or a jihadist invasion from Saskatchewan led by the Topeka pot roaster, the answer is no. Necessity having led the Bush and Obama administrations to the use of near-identical weapons and tactics, a national consensus has been forged. Let’s make it open. Image from
With Drone Warfare, America Approaches the Robo-Rubicon: If the moral dilemmas now seem difficult, wait until robotic armies are ready for deployment - Robert H Latiff and Patrick J. McCloskey, Wall Street Journal: The problem is that robotic weapons eventually will make kill decisions on the battlefield with no more than a veneer of human control. Full lethal autonomy is no mere next step in military strategy: It will be the crossing of a moral Rubicon. Ceding godlike powers to robots reduces human beings to things with no more intrinsic value than any object. Fully autonomous weapons systems have already been deployed. Israel's Iron Dome antimissile system automatically shot down dozens of Hamas rockets in November. Iron Dome (and similar systems protecting U.S. Navy ships) would respond autonomously to inbound manned fighter jets and make the kill decision without human intervention.
Secrets no president should keep: On U.S. drone policy, Obama needs to demonstrate the transparency he promised the American people - David Keene and David Cole, latimes.com: When it comes to the most awesome power Obama has asserted thus far — the authority to kill American citizens
and others without trial or charges — this administration has been anything but transparent. Image from article, with caption: An MQ-9 Reaper, armed with laser-guided munitions and Hellfire missiles, during a combat mission over southern Afghanistan.
A growing divide in Saudi Arabia between rulers, ruled - Karen Elliott House, Washington Post: So far the Obama administration, like its predecessors, has remained silent about most Saudi abuses of human rights activists whose only sin has been to seek peaceful change. That supine support doesn’t diminish the risk of political challenge to the royal family; it merely increases the risk that American standing among Saudis will be further eroded.
Arabs sick of propaganda as the ‘media’ - gulf-times.com: The Arab world is sick of media as propaganda platforms and expects to be informed impartially, says Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) director Jan Keulen.
Keulen made the remarks at the recent 3-day workshop on Monitoring Press Freedom Violations in the Arab World, which included experts from the region. Image from article, with caption: Participants at one of the discussions during the workshop.
Ben Affleck and 'Argo' Covert Operation? Film Is Iran War Propaganda, Says Conspiracist - Cavan Sieczkowski, The Huffington Post: An Iranian state-run news agency has published a report alleging that "Argo" is a war propaganda film and that Ben Affleck could be a covert operator. On Wednesday,
She also makes the bold claim that Affleck may very well be a war criminal. "Argo" is about the storming of the U.S. Embassy in
How to Make a Fake North Korean Propaganda Movie - J. K. Trotter, theatlanticwire.com: Yes, Kim Jong-un's state news agencies have been even more absurd than usual lately as the young leader gets pumped up to stoke the flames with South Korea, and puts outs videos of America in flames. But, no,
The film in question surfaced on Wednesday morning at The Daily Telegraph, from which it spread to outlets like BuzzFeed, The Week, and Wired. (We took note of its possible inauthenticity here.) By Wednesday evening, The Huffington Post had debunked the film as the work of London-based travel writer Alun Hill, who took what is apparently an authentic video produced in
Pope Francis and the Jesuits: The order in modern times has often been a papal critic. Now one of their own is the pontiff - Thomas Hibbs, Wall Street Journal: Founded in Spain nearly five centuries ago by Ignatius of Loyola, the Jesuit order was established for the
"propagation and defense of the faith and the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine." Image from
Propaganda Gardening – The Evolution of Revolution - activistpost.com: Gardening, especially public, renegade gardening, is one of the most important things conscious and awakening people can do right now to affect global change in favor of good health, a sound environment, and personal liberty. More than any other political issue, the freedom to garden,
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From Mark Bittman, "Keep your cabbage vibrant," New York Times
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