VIDEO
Bar Refaeli Israel ad controversy: Supermodel responds on Twitter - Andrea Reiher, blog.zap2it.com: "Supermodel Bar Refaeli is under fire from the defense forces in her home country of Israel after a controversial ad she filmed for the Israeli Foreign Ministry [video above] -- and no, it's not because she sucks face with a nerd." Refaeli image from; see also John Brown, "Public Diplomacy Goes 'Pubic'" (2007) in part dealing with Israel's role in creating "pubic diplomacy."
Additional (fully-clothed) image:
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Obama in Israel: What’s Behind All the Smiles? - Helle Dale, blog.heritage.org:
"President Obama Wednesday stated during an appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres that 'the state of
Obama stirs the Middle East cauldron [March 22] - Victor Kotsev, Asia Times: "Much speculation took place recently over whether Obama would seek to kick-start the peace talks by presenting, for example, his own outline for a deal. So far this hasn't happened, even though one argument goes that he would wait until he reaches Jordan, Friday and Saturday, to do that. Such a high-profile step could prove to be controversial and counterproductive. 'There is no scenario in my mind that Israelis and Palestinians could succeed through public diplomacy, only through secret negotiations,' Gershon Baskin, a veteran Israeli peace activist and negotiator who brokered the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap deal in 2011, said in a recent conversation. Yet the visit could lend legitimacy and jump-start other, less public initiatives: it is worth mentioning Netanyahu's recent secretive visits to Amman and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's surprise trip to Riyadh earlier this month to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry. In the same spirit."
He came, we saw, but did he conquer? The success of President Obama's visit to Israel will be measured retrospectively [March 21] - Itamar Rabinovich, globes.co.il: "Barack Obama's visit to Israel should be assessed according to its success on the two levels on which it is being conducted: public diplomacy, and the diplomacy of closed rooms. And the assessment needs to be made with due caution, since we are analyzing an event that is not yet over. At the level of public diplomacy, this is a visit designed to win over Israeli hearts. Obama is well aware that the effort he invested in his first term to bring about an Israel-Palestinian settlement failed, and that one of the causes of its failure was the skeptical attitude of Israeli public opinion. The Israeli public treated the president with suspicion. He was perceived as someone who avoided visiting Israel during his term, and as giving priority to improving relations with the Arab and Muslim worlds, demonstratively breaking the intimacy in relations with Israel in order to win credit with the Arabs and Muslims. ... When the visit is over and everyone breathes a sigh of relief, things will get back to diplomatic routine. The secretary of state will return to the region; he will try to promote a settlement, the problems will surface, and then we will be able to give a clearer and fuller answer to the question how successful President Obama has been in the task he took upon himself. ... The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to Washington."
Nine Steps To Kill The Two-State Solution - Joel Braunold, braunold.wordpress.com: "Step 7: One million Jews in Judea and Samaria, tripling its Jewish population [:] With the housing and trade ministries, Habayit Hayehudi can now start working on this. The proof will be in where the new low-income housing is built. Even if just restricted into the settlement blocs, if this plan is being followed the aim will be a massive increase in settlers. As with step 6, we will have to see if alyiah and settlement are linked. President Bush (1st one) conditioned the aid to help resettle the Russian Jews on them not being housed in the West Bank understanding the threat there.
One other important step to remember, Bennett received the public diplomacy portfolio as well. Through this he can push the settlements into the official Israeli government narrative both at home and abroad." Image from
An Open Letter to President Obama [March 19] - Tamar Yonah, israelnationalnews.com: "Mr. President, it is rumored that after your visit, you would like to enter into deliberations to design a new plan for peace. A very worthy idea. ... The West consistently relates to the Arabs as primitive people who cannot be expected to live by civilized norms, to keep their contracts. On the one hand, this is insulting to the Arabs; on the other, it is a good reason for them to continue to behave as expected. The West must honor the Arabs by expecting them to behave honorably. The Arabs signed treaties with Israel promising to refrain from incitement. These clauses are not kept. They are principal clauses, thus Israel has the right to consider the treaties as having been beroken [sic] by the Arabs, but Israel always, always, tries to live peacefully instead of standing strongly for her rights. This tactic has also proven to be a great mistake. The need for reassessment is clear. The method of negotiation of the treaties has also proven to be a failure: leaders meet together in private, closed sessions, come up with finished documents which are quickly approved by the governmental bodies, without the peoples involved being part of the process. In our times, closed-room negoitiations are a great mistake. The need for reassessment is clear. The Great`President Wilson had the [f]ormula which is appropriate for this generation of Public Diplomacy: OPEN AGREEMENTS OPENLY ARRIVED AT. The method of open negotiations is a method in which public opinion will change, that the public will learn and be part of the thinking process and will understand and agree with the results. Yes, is it a long process. The need for reassessment is clear."
Israel to Obama: Be Gentle With Me - richardsilverstein.com: Comment by: "pabelmont March 21, 2013 at 10:01 AM Public diplomacy is not diplomacy.
Why go to Israel except to make those demonstrations that help the 'goer'. OK, clear. Private diplomacy (aka 'diplomacy') is private, secret generally unless wikileaks intervene). It is time for this president to tell the world that he will not interfere with, and will support, their efforts to put the 'S' into 'BDS' for the purpose of ending the settlement project, the wall, and the siege." Image from
Kerry in Kabul - Anne Jolis, Wall Street Journal: "John Kerry dropped into Kabul on Monday for some public diplomacy with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Their press conference covered a prisoner handover in Bagram, the retrenchment of some U.S. Special Forces from Wardak Province and the reaffirmation that everyone wants office space in Doha for something approximating credible 'peace talks' with the Taliban. 'We continue to join with President Karzai in calling on the Taliban to join a political process, to renounce the violence,' Secretary of State Kerry told assembled reporters. The Taliban issued a reply of sorts later that night, with a car bomb and team of gunmen that killed one British soldier and wounded several more in Helmand Province. Earlier in the month Mr. Karzai had declared that recent Taliban suicide massacres had been 'in service to America. . . . in the service of foreigners not withdrawing from Afghanistan.' It was just one of Mr. Karzai's ham-handed attempts at anti-American pandering. ... On Tuesday Mr. Kerry met with female entrepreneurs at the U.S. Embassy, where they told him of their rising fears as the NATO drawdown proceeds. The owner of one trucking and catering company, quoted by the Washington Post, informed the Secretary that things are 'a little bit insecurity.' She added: 'I'm being polite to say 'a little bit'."
New State Secretary Faces New And Old Challenges In The Middle East, Afghanistan [March 25] - PBS Newshour, netnebraska.org: "GWEN IFILL: For more on the challenges ahead for Secretary of State Kerry, I'm joined by Michele Dunne, formerly with the National Security Council and State Department. She now heads the Middle East Program at the Atlantic Council. And Susan Glasser, executive editor of Foreign Policy magazine. ... GWEN IFILL: Finally, he's very different, or is he very different from Hillary Clinton, from what we have seen, for the last four years? Is it style? Is it substance? Is it geography, the Middle East instead of the East? MICHELE DUNNE: I think he is going to be different from Sec. Clinton in the sense that, you know, people see this as probably his ultimate achievement as being secretary of state, that he's not necessarily looking forward to a further political career. And he's really focused on the next few years and trying to achieve something. I think he has a lot of confidence in himself, after all those years heading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But one last point, though, is to remember that whatever agenda he might set, U.S. foreign policy is usually largely reactive. And particularly in the Middle East, things will happen. And the region will probably change whatever priorities Sec. Kerry tries to set for himself. GWEN IFILL: Susan? SUSAN GLASSER: Well, you know, it's hard to see any real substantive differences if you listen to Clinton and Kerry talk at the 30,000-foot altitude. Stylistically, however, I think there really is. And I think clearly Kerry is a believer in that face-to-face, one-on-one backroom diplomacy with power players. I'm going to go see the men who count in the world. And Hillary Clinton, she used and harnessed that -- that enormous global celebrity of hers, and she played a very sort of inside-outside game, if you will. She was always using public diplomacy and speaking directly in the same way that actually Barack Obama was on this trip to Israel. So, I think that's a major difference already that you're going to see."
Department of State Public Schedule - rockycoastnews.blogspot.com: "UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS TARA SONENSHINE 11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Sonenshine delivers
remarks on 'Public Diplomacy and Countering Violent Extremism,' at the University of Maryland." Image from entry
The Role of Public Diplomacy in Countering Violent Extremism - Remarks, Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Remarks at the University of Maryland's START, College Park, MD, March 27, 2013 - U.S. Department of State: "Thank you, Bill – and thank you to all the students, scholars, and CVE [? - JB] and CT [? - JB] practitioners here today. It’s a pleasure to address you at START [? -JB] , which is doing such important work to understand the causes and consequences of global terrorism. ...
Make no mistake: We are locked in the most urgent battle for our shared security and futures since the Cold War. And what public diplomacy brings to the table is the forging of personal success scenarios. When people become deeply invested in their own futures, they help to create more secure worlds out there. And that leads to more secure worlds back here. When they build more prosperous worlds out there, it leads to opportunities for our own students, our investors, traders, businesswomen, and entrepreneurs back here. As I saw with my sons, when people build their own LEGOs , they like to make sure no one else is going to bring them down. And that’s an important foundation for a shared, secure world." Image from
Management of a Youth Exchange Program for Pakistani Youth - Camp Future Stars, Turkey, August 2013 - grants.gov: "Category of Funding Activity: Education Category Explanation: Expected Number of Awards: 1 Estimated Total Program Funding: $180,000 Award Ceiling: $180,000 Award Floor: CFDA Number(s): 19.501 -- Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No ... Description [:] The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad announces a competition for international and registered Pakistan NGOs for a cooperative agreement to coordinate logistics associated with administering a two-week youth exchange program that will take place in August 2013 for Pakistani youth during the period of May 1, 2013, to September 30, 2013. This camp will include participants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This present RFP is only for coordinating logistics for Pakistan participants. The budget available for this program will include all those logistical costs, to include pre-departure orientation, re-entry debrief, travel, personnel, and operating expenses."
US must review Yemen policy to stress reform – and security - demdigest.net: "In an open letter to President Barack Obama, thirty-one analysts, journalists and former diplomats call on the president and his national security team to leverage the US government’s relationship with [Yemen's] President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi ...
to encourage his government to meet agreed reform benchmarks and address human rights violations. This letter, signed by former US ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine, former State Department policy planning director Anne-Marie Slaughter, analyst Emile Nakhleh, and Shuja Nawaz, Director of the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, among others, outlines a series of policy recommendations, including: ... Implement a more robust public diplomacy strategy to demonstrate that US interests in Yemen are not limited to counterterrorism and security issues." Uncaptioned iamge from article
Afghanistan: Manufacturing the American legacy - William Blum, intrepidreport.com: “'A decade ago, playing music could get you maimed in Afghanistan. Today, a youth ensemble is traveling to the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. And it even includes girls.' Thus reads the sub-heading of a Washington Post story of February 3 about an orchestra of 48 Afghan young people who attended music school in a country where the Taliban have tried to silence both women and music. ... The State Department’s director of communications and public diplomacy for Afghanistan and Pakistan declares: 'We wanted Americans to understand the difference their tax dollars have made in building a better future for young people, which translates into reduced threats from extremists in the region.' ... There can be no question that for the sad country of Afghanistan all this is welcome news. There can also be little doubt that a beleaguered and defensive US foreign policy establishment will seek to squeeze out as much favorable publicity as possible from these events. On the issue of the severe oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan, defenders of the US occupation of that desperate land would have you believe that the United States is the last great hope of those poor females. However, you will not be reminded that in the 1980s the United States played an indispensable role in the overthrow of a secular and relatively progressive Afghan government, one which endeavored to grant women much more freedom than they’ll ever have under the current Karzai-US government, more probably than ever again."
What matters to Central Americans should matter to us - posted by Mike Allison centralamericanpolitics.blogspot.com: "Roberta Jackson recently published an op-ed in
It is great that the
Under CISPA, which government agencies can get your data? - activistpost.com: "Under CISPA, companies can collect your information in order to 'protect the rights and property' of the company, and then share that information with third parties, including the government, so long as it is for 'cybersecurity purposes.' Companies aren't required to strip out personally identifiable information from the data they give to the government, and the government can then use the information for purposes wholly unrelated to cybersecurity – such as 'national security, a term the bill leaves undefined ... Under CISPA, which government agencies can get your data? ... United States Department of State ... Reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of International Information Programs Bureau of Public Affairs Office of the Historian Office of Policy, Planning and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs"
The Wit and Wisdom of Ken Pollack — revisited - Posted in Culture of Lickspittle, War On Terror, dickdestiny.com: "At a press briefing Dec. 18 [year not provided - JB], State Dept. public diplomacy topper Charlotte Beers announced that her division has asked author Ken Pollack to interrupt a book tour and travel overseas to talk about his book 'The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq.' Turns out the State Dept. also has been courting foreign journalists over the past year.
'We set up many more responsive facilities than we’ve had in the past for the foreign press at the president’s ranch in Texas, at the White House and in our own State foreign press centers, which are Washington, New York and Los Angeles,' Beers said." Image from article, with caption: Ken Pollack, then. Once a very important person, now a nobody and a fraud, still a symbol for our time.
Unilateral Disarmament: How the West Has Destroyed its Broadcasting to Russia - Masha Karp, usgbroadcasts.com: "BBC or RFE/RL ... today ... target only those, who already receive their information online and have access to all the riches of the internet, leaving the remaining two-thirds of the country exposed exclusively to state-controlled TV propaganda. ... The need to oppose Russia’s totalitarian ways by resorting once more to the soft power of broadcasting has yet to be recognized by the US establishment… If by some miracle the sacked Radio Liberty journalists are invited back and the station returns to its mission of providing information to Russia, there will be a glimmer of hope that at least some remnants of Western broadcasting in Russia can be salvaged. If not, it will be clear that this battle has been lost – without even a fight." Via MC on Facebook
From Emotional Detachment To Rational Realism: Turkish-Israeli Relations - Ihsan Bal, eurasiareview.com: "As is well known, the tensions between the two countries [Israel and Turkey] had reached a pinnacle when Israeli soldiers had killed 9 Turkish citizens in international waters. This tragedy has doubtlessly also instigated a process whereby in the last 3 years both sides have learned important lessons. In all meetings Turkey has continued to convey three inviolable preconditions for the easing of tensions and the normalization of relations: Compensation, apology and the lifting of the blockade. One should not forget that it was the intense efforts of the United Stated [sic] of America which works closely with both countries and the proximity the Obama administration has established with the Turkish government that prevented the tensions between the two countries turning from a temporary crisis to an insoluble and chronic enmity. The irreplaceable actors of public diplomacy such as civil society organizations, think-tanks and public intellectuals of both countries have unquestionably played an important role. In fact the determinant factor that has brought the relations to its current state is the presence of such lobbies and individuals who have conveyed their opinion that the cost of keeping relations unresolved had taken its toll on both countries."
Bar Refaeli roils: Is supermodel a super Israeli or simply a shirker? - Vincent Kessler, Reuters, by Martin Fletcher, Correspondent, NBC News posted at mercator-whittier.blogspot.com: "As the beautiful face of a nation, supermodel Bar Refaeli has few rivals.
So Israel's foreign ministry thought it was on to a winner this month when it picked the blond, blue-green-eyed, willowy, tall and curvy Refaeli to lead a public relations campaign highlighting Israel's world-beating technologies. Instead, it sparked a bitter controversy about just who is a'real' Israeli. The Israeli army attacked the proposal, saying that the 27-year-old Sports Illustrated cover girl was a draft dodger and a bad example to Israel's youth. ... The foreign ministry's private response to the military was to mind its own business. As diplomats, though, their public reaction was phrased more carefully: 'Bar Refaeli ... is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world and she is widely recognized as Israeli. There is no reason to dredge up the past when we are dealing with a public diplomacy campaign of this kind.'" Image from entry, with caption: Model Bar Refaeli arrives at the screening of the film "The Beaver" at the 64th Cannes Film Festival in May, 2011
Intl Conference on the African Union and Cultural Diplomacy calls for applications - bizcommunity.com: "The International Conference on the African Union and Cultural Diplomacy is a gathering within the African continent that seeks to highlight Africa´s self-attained achievements with regards to its standing in the international community as well as it´s [sic] increasing emancipation from the often assumed dependency on the Western world. Applications to participate in the conference are now open. The focus will be on the role and successes of the African Union as an intergovernmental regional organisation seeking to combat political, social and economic inequalities. Past achievements will be considered while simultaneously accenting the future challenges the African Union faces. Multidimensional in focus, the conference will revolve around three main themes. Beginning with ´The Rise of Corporate Africa´, the positive impact of enterprise on development throughout the continent will be accented. The following theme, ´African solutions for African challenges (human development)´ will be dedicated to the overlapping issues of education, the eradication of poverty and the empowerment of women. The final topic ´Community development through arts, culture and sports´ will exemplify the power exerted by cultural diplomacy on the furthering of community development.'"
MPD in China 2013: The Domestic Question of PD and the MFA - Danni Li, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "To the disadvantage of the [Chinese] MFA in the field of public diplomacy is not only its weakened voice in foreign policy but also a conviction that, since 'public diplomacy' is 'public', government should assume a lesser role. The conviction is not a China-unique one, yet China’s interpretation of it is far from universal. Instead of empowering non-government actors to advance into the terrain while the government retreats from it, China’s strategy seems to be hiding the government behind non-government actors, herding the latter into the terrain, and saying: 'Tada! We are doing public diplomacy!'”
My Story: A life that progresses and dreams that clarify -- 11 - Bernard Yegiora - asopa.typepad.com: "I have spent most of my life in Simbu, where I began my journey in education at preschool. From preschool I moved to Gon Primary School to do Grade 1. I stayed there for three years and moved to Grade 4 at Kundiawa International Primary School. ... As writing for his column was in line with my masters’ research on Chinese soft power, I grabbed the opportunity and used this public diplomacy tool to enlighten my fellow citizens about China and its intentions and how PNG could gain from China’s rise.
Upon my return from China after two years with a master’s degree in international politics, I was given the opportunity by Divine Word University to showcase my skills, talents and knowledge in their bid to build PNG’s human resources." Image, presumably of the author, from entry
Tough job awaits Canada's first-ever envoy to Myanmar - Mark McKinnon, Globe and Mail: "After 25 years of almost no contact between Canada and Myanmar, Ottawa will launch an era of new and hopefully warmer ties this spring by opening an embassy in Rangoon and appointing a veteran Asia hand as the first ambassador there. Though Ottawa has yet to confirm the appointment of 50-year-old Mark McDowell, it was announced Saturday in the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper and independently confirmed by The Globe and Mail. ... Mr. McDowell, who is now counsellor and head of the public diplomacy section at Canada’s embassy in Beijing, will be Canada’s first full-time ambassador to the country formerly called Burma."
Bosnian Grand Mufti's Message To Pope Francis - Sheikh Mustafa Cerić, Albany Tribune: "The election of Argentine Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church, deserves both our congratulations and our reflection for the future of Muslim-Christian coexistence and dialogue. As a survivor of genocide at the end of 20th century in Bosnia, I am very interested in the policy of the Vatican and the message of the Holy See, which speaks for the Catholic Church. While the political influence of the Vatican might be limited to public diplomacy, the spiritual influence has great significance for millions of Christians around the world.
Consequently, the pope has always had a great impact on global peace and security. ... Indeed, I hope that Pope Francis will renew the Catholic-Muslim Forum with new energy and commitment to the spirit of the A Common Word Initiative which Pope Benedict XVI helped begin. With such work, I am hopeful for my two grandchildren that they may live in peace in Bosnia without fear of religiously motivated violence." Image from
What the President Did Not Tell - pkhope.com: "Note to the Readers: Those of us who have been involved academically and diligently studying political behavior of the traditional Pakistani political actors know quite well that what these politicians say and what they do in actuality are altogether two different things. Rhetoric, public statements, speeches, slogans, and symbolic nationalist sentimental narratives are solely for public consumption and for the purpose of public diplomacy. There are always contradictions between what is politically said by those politicians and what is meant to be achieved. Motives are generally concealed and real intentions are camouflaged and masqueraded. It is now an established fact that the main objective of the contemporary ruling elite in Pakistan has always been to seek political power and use it for their vested interests – both politically and economically."
Full-time Media Affair Specialist at US Embassy - bizmean.com: " ... CONSULATE OUTREACH (30%) [:] Develops, plans and supports regional outreach for the Ambassador, Consul General, PAO and other Mission Principals. Serves as Consulate’s principal point of contact for Australian and US Defense Public Affairs elements in planning and executing complex public affairs program in support of joint military initiatives, defense visits, asset displays and ship visits, including media fly – outs, tours and representational events. Serves as Consulate’s principal public engagement point of contact for the U.S. – Australian Force Posture Initiative implementation. Researches and procures specialized information and media services (e.g. photographers and other outside contractors) as necessary for Public Diplomacy programs."
Yang article set for academic journal - SoJ Web Report, journalism.indiana.edu: "Associate professor Sung-Un Yang’s research article, 'Diplomat in Chief? Assessing the influence of presidential evaluations on public diplomacy and public opinion in Pakistan,' has been accepted for publication in American Behavioral Scientist, a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the fields of social and behavioral sciences. The paper’s co-author is Guy Golan, associate professor at Syracuse University.
Obama to the Middle East: Expectations and Implications (Part 1) - Chainsoff's Blog: "About chainsoff [:] Public Diplomacy, Extensive real-world connections and personal relationships with political, business, media, and military leaders throughout USA, Russia, China, Poland, North Africa and the Middle East, Analysis of North Africa and Middle East issues, Analysis of
insurgency and irregular warfare in the Arab world News Media Consultant and Liaison Media Rights Broker Full Member of International Public Relations Association (IPRA) www.ipra.org Member of Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium www.trackingterrorismconsortium.org" Image, presumably of Chainsoff, from entry
RELATED ITEMS
Caution, Curves Ahead - Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times: Regarding Syria, the president is to be commended on his caution, up to now.
Don't abandon U.S. troops' allies: The United States needs to live up to its obligations and provide visas to those Iraqis and Afghans whose work with Americans has left them in danger - Editorial, latimes.com: When American troops went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, they relied on local translators, drivers and guides to help them navigate incalculable risks.
In exchange, the United States promised, beginning in 2006, to provide visas for those men and women whose work put them in danger. But nearly a decade later, it has yet to fulfill that commitment. Washington must live up to its obligations. A good place to start would be for Congress and the White House to move swiftly to extend the Special Immigrant Visa program, which is due to expire in the months ahead. Image from article, with caption: Iraqi immigrant Ubaida Mufrej stands in the office of his car parts export business in Seattle. Mufrej came to the United States under a special visa program for Iraqis who worked with U.S.-led forces during the Iraq War.
Iraq's great divider: Prime Minister Maliki's actions may lead to the country's breakup, as the U.S. stands idly by - Henri J. Barkey: Maliki's increasingly dictatorial tendencies are ensuring that the country will split along sectarian and ethnic lines. This is not what the United States wants, nor is it conducive to stability in the region, as Iraq would succumb to the interference of its often-rapacious neighbors. Washington has abetted the process by playing into Maliki's hands.
Drone-kill map aims to ‘shock people’ on U.S. policy - Cheryl K. Chumley, Washington Times: A technology worker with Pitch Interactive is using his computer skills to make a political point, with the creation of an interactive graph that shows the kills in Pakistan due to
visualization illustration that shows drone kills that occurred in Pakistan between 2004 and 2013. The map specifies whether the kills were children, civilians, suspected combatants or government targets, Raw Story says. Mr. Grubbs used data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the New American Foundation to draw his map.Mr. Xi Goes to Moscow - Stephen Kotkin, New York Times: The reality is that the national interests of China and Russia mostly diverge — except for a shared desire to change the current U.S.-dominated world
order, explicit in Russia, implicit in China’s rise. Image from article
The Limits of China’s Market Model - David Barbosa, economix.blogs.nytimes.com: In his book “No Ancient Wisdom, No Followers,” the author James McGregor delivers a sharp critique of China’s recent development path, and what he calls “authoritarian capitalism." McGregor: In the long run the United States doesn’t need to worry about Chinese state enterprise taking over the world. The best thing the United States can do to deal with China is get our own house in order.
IMAGE
Photo of the Day: Women’s Day in Badghis, Celebrating From Behind - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: Quoting U.S. Consulate Herat: "500 men and women attended a Women’s Day celebration in Badghis last week. During the program Deputy Governor Shakib spoke about the importance of involving women in education, economic and political processes in Afghanistan. Project manager for Ring Road contractor EMJV Dr. Hamid Scander pledged $100,000 from the Ring Road Community Development program for women’s advocacy programs in Badghis." Words would be superfluous.
AMERICANA
"President Obama celebrated Passover by hosting a Seder at the White House. There was an awkward moment when Sasha [one of the president's daughers] asked, 'Hey, I thought we were Muslim?' That didn't go over well."
--Talk show host Conan O'Brien, from Bulletin News, LLC, image from
Florida Gulf Coast’s ‘Dunk City’ goes viral [video] - washingtonpost.com
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