"[I]n regards to public diplomacy. My understanding of the art is 'say much, but say nothing.'"
--Comment by CBT, in Eric Zorn, "The Weeks in Review -- Open Thread," blogs.chicagotribune.com; image from
ROUNDTABLE
Soft power: framing the international agenda (WP1300) - wiltonpark.org.uk: "Wednesday 11 - Friday 13 December, 2013 ... The 7th roundtable meeting in the Wilton Park public diplomacy, soft power series.
The expert roundtable will provide an opportunity to explore ways in which soft power can be deployed and coordinated to best effect, particularly in support of foreign policy objectives." Image of Wiston House, location of the conference
KRISPY KREME [LIN?] AND U.S. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
From Facebook: "[From Public Affairs Officer, American Embassy Moscow Joseph Kruzich, who added 4 photos (one above).] Krispy Kreme doughnuts have arrived in Moscow. We had some at the American Embassy in Moscow yesterday. Delicious! ... "
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
UN Leader's Visit to Israel Shows Waning US Influence in Middle East - Ben Caspit, al-monitor.com: "Netanyahu is a weak prime minister, a failed manager and a controversial leader. However, when it comes to public diplomacy he is unmatched. ... Whenever we think that the Middle East has hit rock bottom, we hear heavy pounding from below, and then it turns out that hitting rock bottom is still quite a ways away.
There’s one truth, however, that’s emerging right before our eyes: The West is losing control over the events. Western deterrence is already nonexistent.The days when everybody would hold their breath waiting for the daily press briefing from the White House are long gone. US President Barack Obama has made a mockery of himself, so much so that nobody really cares about what America thinks, says or does." Image from
The Rhetorical Trap in US Foreign Policy - Gerard Toal, toal.org: "US political leaders are addicted to rhetoric that soars, and that all too frequently produces severe legitimacy crises like [sic] we see today. [']One Response to The Rhetorical Trap in US Foreign Policy David Grondin says: August 20, 2013 at 1:59 am Reblogged this on Militainment and the National Security State and commented: An astute analysis of the recurring problem in US public diplomacy by Gerard Toal via Critical Geopolitics. How to weigh 'interests' against 'security'. [']"
Israel Behind The Egyptian Military Coup? - jonkofas.blogspot.com: "Tel Aviv made the mistake to declare publicly its support for the Egyptian military and to urge EU and US to back the dictatorship of the armed forces, thus raising suspicions among the already 'conspiracy-minded' Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Naturally, Tel Aviv made a dreadful mistake even commenting on the Egyptian situation, but I suppose the right-wing government could not contain its enthusiasm.
Even with hard evidence that Tel Aviv was behind the coup, it really does not matter. The bottom line is to follow the money, and that has a trail leading right back to the same suspects that want a military dictatorship allied to the West and to Israel. The situation becomes even more complicated because the US government has been following a public diplomacy that is not the same as the private one, something a number of administration critics, including Sen. John McCain pointed out. After all is said and done, it seems to me that ... the military coup of Morsi is ... more complicated, and it could not possibly have taken place without mass public opposition to Morsi." Image from
Egypt: On Calling the Coup that Wasn't a Coup a Coup - karl-naylor.blogspot.com: "[T]he shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander's line on the Egyptian coup that cannot be called a coup by Washington lest it is obliged to suspend the $1.3 billion subsidy it provides to the generals to buy US military hardware is to tell Britain he thinks it really is a coup. ... The only reason Alexander calls it a coup now is because he wants to differentiate himself from those who are not calling it a coup because the US cannot call it a coup. Many people across the world know it's a coup, some why Obama and Hague won't call it a coup and most don't care that Douglas Alexander is now calling it a coup because Hague cannot. The rest of Alexander's article is a mere string of banal and robotic 'public diplomacy' platitudes."
Iraq eyes US to fight insurgents: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s desire for US military help to fight the Sunni insurgency could prove tricky for both Baghdad and Washington - Salah Nasrawi, weekly.ahram.org.eg: "[T]he security deterioration has also forced Al-Maliki to think the unthinkable and seek military and security help from the United States, whose military presence provoked more resistance than it suppressed during its 10-year occupation of Iraq.
Last week, he dispatched Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and two of his most trusted aides to request the United States to provide assistance in combating Al-Qaeda infiltrators in Iraq. While Zebari handled the public diplomacy in Washington, the behind-the-scenes talks were conducted by Falah Fayadh, national security adviser to Al-Maliki, and Tarik Najm, a political adviser to the prime minister. According to US media reports, the Iraqi officials were seeking a military and security package that would include Apache helicopters and the prospect of sending intelligence officers to Iraq to help the security services target Al-Qaeda operatives in the country. Some reports also suggested that Iraq was asking the United States to send drones that could be used in counter-terrorism operations, including the fight against Al-Qaeda." Image from article, with caption: Iraqi security forces inspect damaged vehicles after a bomb attack in Baghdad’s Kadhimiya district. A series of car bombs killed at least 28 people and wounded more than 100 last Thursday.
The original American cuisine; the new American cuisine – Paul Rockower, Levantine: “Two interesting articles, one on Nephi Craig and the rediscovery of Native American cuisine within the American culinary landscape. Oh man, I hope someone at the Culinary Diplomacy Initiative at State reads this piece, because Craig would be the perfect gastrodiplomat. And Native American food would make phenomenal gastrodiplomacy to share around the globe.The other article is an interesting piece on the Goya empire, its connection with Latino consumers and how it brought ethnic food to White America.”
Active Citizen Summit 2.0 - griffin, American Council of Young Political Leaders: "Last year, ACYPL, in partnership with the Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy, hosted the first-ever Active Citizen Summit. The program brought together 49 young political and civil society leaders from across the Middle East and North Africa and gave them the opportunity to engage in interactive leadership and communications training, short-term campaign internships, substantive policy discussions, and informal relationship building. Participants concluded the program with individual presentations on a project they developed during the program, and several of these projects are currently being implemented across the region. Well, we are thrilled to announce that we have been given the privilege and opportunity to host the Active Citizen Summit 2.0, which is focused on issues related to youth employment. The program will begin in the Bay Area with participants attending training sessions, then they will be placed in 2-day internships that align with their work on employment issues in their own countries, and finish in DC at the State Department."
Al Jazeera's American Play -- Interviewee: William Youmans, Professor, George Washington University; Interviewer: Robert McMahon, Editor, CFR - cfr.org: "The launch this month of Al Jazeera America raises questions about the Qatar-funded station's motives and prospects for success in a crowded cable TV marketplace. Qatar's government appears to be trying to advance a public diplomacy mission by emphasizing a strong news presence, says William Youmans, a media expert and assistant professor at George Washington University. The channel, investing hundreds of millions of dollars, could succeed in an increasingly fragmented news landscape, he says. 'There's a large percentage of Americans who still think of Al Jazeera as sort of terrorism TV,' Youmans says. 'But there's a significantly larger population that will be open minded if the product is good, if the product is professional.'"
Reporting Legend Christopher Harper Destroys Al Jazeera for Lifting ‘Old Soviet Propaganda Handbook’ - Noah Rothman, mediaite.com: "Harper and his reporting team were nominated for two Emmy awards before he joined ABC’s 20/20 in 1986 where he worked until 1995. The accomplished reporter has been teaching journalism since then, first at
Detailing Harper’s background is important because it lends even more gravity to his sharply worded criticism of Al Jazeera
Wanted: An Externally Oriented Japan - nippon.com: "Under Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, Japan is charting a more confident course, although one more troubling to some of its neighbors. We spoke with veteran international relations specialist Kent Calder about recent developments and the prospects for Japan’s public diplomacy. ... INTERVIEWER [Peter Durfee, a director of the Nippon Communications Foundation] With respect to the softer aspects of outreach, Japan is spending more these days on public-relations projects, such as its 'Cool Japan' support for culture creators. CALDER It’s certainly a positive thing for Japan to appeal to younger people. No doubt in the longer term that will be important. Coming from Washington, though, the more immediate issue I see is insufficient understanding of where Japan is right now, in terms of its policies and the way it looks at the future. There are still lingering remnants of things that happened in the first Abe administration that are misperceived. His second administration has a different stance in some ways, which isn’t adequately understood. I think the immediate priority for Japanese diplomacy and policy right now is to foster an understanding that Japan is back, that it’s contributing to the global economy in very constructive ways. ... INTERVIEWER Do you think that Japan is unskilled at this sort of public diplomacy, or at relating to other cultures? CALDER I’m actually doing a comparative study on this right now. I feel that Japan is internally oriented, even in some of its external diplomacy. There’s real value in having an on-the-ground presence in key countries—not only in the United States, but in Southeast Asia, as just one area that I would stress. Interaction with the outside world through other foreigners, as well as through articulate Japanese representatives, is key, as is wider use of social media and the Internet. Certainly, there have been some very articulate Japanese ambassadors, in Washington in particular. But it’s tremendously important to have spokespeople, a presence on the ground, in a range of institutions—in Washington and elsewhere, especially on the nongovernmental side—to present Japan’s views, or views that show an understanding of Japan."
Turkey, Greece sign deal to cooperate on press: The agreement between the two countries underlines friendship between their peoples; mutual understanding; and their aim to develop cooperation - worldbulletin.net: "According to Article 1 of the agreement, the two countries should promote, when needed, the consultation and cooperation that take place between public information and communication offices, namely Turkey's Office of the Prime Ministry and the Directorate General of Press and Information and their counterparts in Greece.
In accordance with Article 2, the countries should encourage cooperation between their respective newspapers, news agencies and other information services with a view to promoting the exchange of information and printed material. Article 4 underlines that the countries should establish a Committee of Strategic Communication that would draft the two countries' Annual Plan for Strategic Communication on an annual basis. Through that plan, measures promoting public diplomacy and communication should be decided on and implemented, aiming to bring closer the people of the two countries by promoting mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship." Image from
A Typical Day at a UNRWA Summer Camp - Miriam Woelke, meashearim.wordpress.com: "The vast majority of the world’s population hates Israel and favours Palestinians but has no clue of what is really going on in the Middle East. It is more than obvious that Arab countries are able to spend tremendous amounts of money of their own PR. Israel has, compared to the Palestinians, a terrible Hasbara (public diplomacy). One reason is the lack of money and, secondly, mainly idiots seem to work in the Israeli Hasbara field. At least employees with no clue about how people outside of Israel view the international media."
Falklands’ lawmaker begins round of contacts in Brazil’s main cities: Falkland Islands lawmaker Dick Sawle is expected next week in Brazil where he will be meeting representatives from the business community, students’ organizations and share lunch with a group of members of Congress, announced British ambassador in Brasilia Alex Ellis - "Falklands MLAs have been actively involved in an intense public diplomacy campaign in Latinamerican countries to give
their side of the Islands sovereignty dispute with Argentina, and have been quite successful in achieving their goals with a strong echo in the media of different countries visited. But Brazil was still missing and MLA Sawle will be doing the round of talks and PR in Latam’s largest economy and with great influence over regional diplomacy." Image from article, with caption: MLA Sawle is fluent in Spanish and has good command of Portuguese
Why I ambushed Russia’s news network with rainbow suspenders - James Kirchick, Washington Post: "Formerly 'Russia Today,' RT is Moscow’s multilingual, global cable news network. ... RT’s pernicious influence [is that of] ... an outlet that poses as a legitimate news organization, yet is anything but.
For too long, journalists in democratic countries who take Western freedoms for granted have either accepted job offers or appeared on this network and others like it, lending these propaganda outlets undeserved credibility. They should instead treat RT with the contempt it merits." Image from; on RT, see
Students size up Cuba — a country frozen in time - Greg Asciutto, news.usc.edu: "USC students studied the shifting political, social and economic landscapes in Cuba for the second consecutive summer as the result of a collaboration of three schools — the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the USC Price School of Public Policy. Under the
direction of professors Roberto Suro and Pamela Starr, 25 students from several disciplines — public relations, public diplomacy, specialized journalism, strategic communications and international relations — spent one month immersed in research and investigation of all things Cuba. Image from entry, with caption: The streets of Havana offered students a chance to find experiences relevant to their own interests.
Economic Development through Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and a Sustainable Private Sector in Palestine Ahmad Hassanein, techwadi.org: "Sabry Saidam, Founder, Palestine Digital Library and e-Republic ... Dr. Saidam has completed numerous ICT- related studies, the last of which was on ICT in the MENA region (2011-2015). He is the Co-founder of PNB, the Palestine Institute of Public Diplomacy, and of the Palestine Education for Employment (EFE). Dr. Saidam received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in the U.K. and a certification in Human Development at Oxford University."
RELATED ITEMS
What the U.S. should stand for in Egypt - Anne Applebaum, Washington Post: It’s none of our business
who runs Egypt and we shouldn’t be “backing” anybody at all. Now that the military is in power, we should come out loudly and clearly against its coup and use whatever limited influence we have to persuade the generals to return Egypt to constitutional rule. Image from
The Ugly American Telegram - Andrew J. Bacevich, New York Times: In Washington, the conviction that removing obstreperous leaders, whether adversaries like Saddam Hussein or “friends” like Hosni Mubarak, facilitates Washington’s ability to steer events remains the most persistent — and dangerous — of illusions. Yet time and again, the effect has been to let loose the forces of anarchy.
El-Sisi’s reign of terror and the propaganda of ‘Fascism': Discourses about the legitimacy of the interim government continue to obscure the reality on the ground, writes scholar - Irfan Ahmad, aljazeera.com: On August 17, the military regime’s mention of ‘potential terrorism’ as the enemy became amply official with the press conference of Mustafa Hegazy, advisor to the ‘President’ Adly Mansour. As he began to speak in English, itself quite a statement about who his principal audience was, on the top left of the TV screen appeared a crisp phrase in English: ‘Egypt Fights Terrorism’.
Obediently rehearsing Islamophobia, Hegazi mentioned ‘religious fascism’ and ‘theological fascism’ more than once to justify the brutality of the regime and hundreds of deaths it orchestrated. His attack on foreign media to suppress truth was indeed to hide the falsehood of the military regime he was paid to speak for. Hegazi’s press conference will go down in history as shameless propaganda, in some respects outsmarting even Goebbels’, in instituting lies and vilifying the Egyptians fighting for civil rights, freedom and democracy. Importantly, the pro-coup Egyptian media as well as the mainstream Western media like CNN continued to call the anti-coup demonstrators either pro-Morsi or Brotherhood supporters. The designation ‘Pro-Morsi’ personalised the issue without ever telling people the just cause they stood for. It also downplayed the fact that those participating in sit-ins were not just pro-Morsi supporters; they also included people unaffiliated with the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) but supporting democracy. Image from article
Egypt uses victims’ bodies as weapons in propaganda war - Catherine Philp, The Times [subscription]. Image from entry, with caption: Egyptians seeking
the bodies of relatives killed at protest camps have been asked to lie about the cause of death.
Syria's propaganda war over chemical weapons - dw.de: The Syrian opposition has claimed once again that the Bashar al-Assad regime has used chemical weapons against its own people. But a gas attack would not fit in with the president's strategy so far, say analysts. Coincidence, or deliberate provocation? Just as the UN weapons inspectors arrived in Syria to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use by the government, the opposition groups have reported more use of such weapons. Margret Johannsen, Middle East expert at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) at Hamburg University, said the exact circumstances of the attacks needed to be established.
Syria gas attack story has whiff of Saudi war propaganda -William Engdahl, rt.com: The reports of massive chemical attacks in
That in turn could erupt into a conflagration across the Middle East and a Super Power confrontation with
A Peek Inside Kerry’s ‘Peace’ Efforts Or Propaganda? – Sam Bahour, Palestine Chronicle, posted at Eurasia Review: If the U.S. and Israel continue to choose the game of might is right, then they should expect, sooner rather than later, a new generation of Palestinians to look Israel straight in the eye and say, “You win! You get it all Israel: Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, both east and west sides, all of the settlements, all of the water, all of the Jordan Valley, all of the electromagnetic spectrum, all of the airspace, and most importantly, you also get all of us. Now, we heard you have free health care in Israel; where do we pick up our medical cards? We also want some of that free education too.” In other words, if the U.S. and Israel are adamant to throw into the sea international law, humanitarian law, UN resolutions, human rights, rights of refugees, and sheer common sense, then expect the Palestinians to redefine their self-determination from a struggle for statehood to a struggle for civil rights between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. In the words of the late Palestinian (and global) intellectual, Edward Said, it’s “equality or nothing.” What is it about these three simple words that are so hard to comprehend?
Protons and propaganda: A visit to Israel's new nuclear science museum -- The Nuclear Science Museum in Be'er Sheva is, instructive, perplexing and unique – the only other nuclear museums are located in France and in the U.S. - Roy (Chicky) Arad, haaretz.com: "[I]t quickly becomes clear that this is not your usual science exhibit, but rather a propaganda campaign aimed at thousands of schoolchildren. More than it’s geared to reveal, the Nuclear Science Museum is designed to screen and calm the revulsion and criticism likely to be aroused by the topic of nuclear reactors and atomic bombs.
My suspicion is validated when, in the museum’s main hall, I spy a sign about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The whole text is 23 words long: 'The bombs were dropped in August 1945 to end World War II. Japan surrendered five days after the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.' Nothing negative is mentioned about the bomb that will be forever remembered as a scar in the human chronicle; its 200,000 dead and countless cancer victims are entirely ignored. The bombing is made to seem reasonable and effective, just another kids’ activity." Image from article, with caption: 'The Nucleus of Science' exhibition
Neo-Nazis Use Leo Frank Case for Anti-Semitic Propaganda Push: White Supremacists Exploit Interest in Jewish Lynch Victim - Paul Berger, forward.com: The conviction and lynching of Leo Frank a century ago galvanized the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan. Today, the centenary of Frank’s murder trial is galvanizing neo-Nazis. A slew of anti-Semitic websites, some professionally designed and purporting to be balanced online archives with URLs like leofrank.info and leofrank.org, are seeking
to attract curious researchers and to revise history. “This is an attempt to reach the minds of young people and poison them,” said Mark Potok, editor-in-chief of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Report. Leo Frank was convicted of the murder of 13-yearold Mary Phagan in
Ad-Free’ Cuba far from being propaganda free - Alberto de la Cruz, babalublog.com: In an article in Forbes, Eric Goldman explores the lack of commercial advertising in
PLA officer criticises 'Pacific Rim' as US propaganda - James Griffiths, shanghaiist.com:
In an op-ed in the People's Liberation Army Daily on Friday, Zhang Jieli attacked Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim as 'exporting' US policy regarding its pivot to Asia. According to Xinhua, Zhang said that Hollywood films "have always served as a propaganda machine to convey American values and their strategies in the world." (China , of course, would never allow its domestic film industry to produce propaganda films.) It's easy to see why 'Pacific Rim ' in particular has attracted Zhang's ire. The heroes of the film are all American, one is even Japanese-American, and are depicted as -- in Xinhua's words -- acting as "the world police" by saving mankind from evil monsters. "The decisive battle against the monsters was deliberately set in South China Sea adjacent to Hong Kong ," Zhang said. "The intention was to demonstrate the US commitment to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific area and saving the mankind."
'Pacific Rim' has grossed over 640 million yuan inChina since its release on July 31, though some viewers have complained about the slightly odd subtitling of the film for the Chinese version. Netizens said that "populated" had been replaced with "polluted" in the line "... Hong Kong where it was most polluted", and the name of a weapon had been changed to "Pegasus Meteor Fist", an apparent reference to the Saint Seya video game series. It's not the slightly dodgy subtitling that's got Zhang all hot and bothered however: Seeing China 's rise as a challenge to their values and system, some western people have spared no effort to infiltrate the Chinese psyche, ideologically and culturally with the help of Hollywood movies, he said. Those damn Mexicans, always promoting America
'Pacific Rim' has grossed over 640 million yuan in
America Lite: America's diminished credibility and influence - Bob Taylor, Washington Times: There was a time when the United States stood for something and usually responded with action. Today we seem to stand for nothing and only respond with words. We have become the Twitter States of America. We are now America Lite. Our country cannot, and should not, be involved in every situation that arises around the globe, but our presence as a deterrent against evil should always be recognized as a threat to rogue nation. In that regard, our global influence has been greatly diminished by the present administration. The time has come to stop pretending domestic and international problems do not exist and start doing something about them.
How the NSA’s boss can believe his agency’s own propaganda - Timothy B. Lee, Washington Post: National Security Agency director Keith Alexander is hardly the only leader of a powerful institution who is unduly optimistic about the benevolence and effectiveness of the organization he leads. Think, for example, of George W. Bush with his “Mission Accomplished” sign.
Spending time at the apex of a powerful institution almost inevitably gives people a skewed understanding of the world. The tendency to promote team players and marginalize dissenters creates a danger of groupthink at the highest levels of the organization. The problem is exacerbated by people’s reluctance to tell their bosses bad news. Each level of the bureaucracy gives its bosses a sugar-coated version of the information it receives from subordinates. By the time information reaches the top, it can be dramatically skewed. Alexander image from article
Propaganda: Key To The Communist Takeover In Russia - Monica Showalter, news.investors.com: Propaganda was decisive in the victory of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution of 1917. From its very beginning, "The Soviet state was more permeated with propaganda than any other," wrote University of California historian Peter Kenez in "The Birth of the Propaganda State: Soviet Methods of Mass Mobilization, 1917-1929." It was astonishing that a ragtag, uncouth band of conspiratorially inclined communists, led by V.I. Lenin, managed to topple the mighty czar of Russia and the weak social democratic government that followed him, decisively taking power in the October 1917 revolution. But much of it can be explained by their mastery of propaganda, which was stronger, simpler, more centralized, more national and more quickly delivered than that of any of their socialist rivals.
In pictures: World War I propaganda posters to go on sale online - dailyrecord.co.uk: A lottery grant of £51,300
will allow the McLean Museum in Greenock to scan the collection of around 300 original posters and make them available on the internet. Image from entry
Propaganda Posters Urge You To Resist The 'Super Mario Bros.' Threat! - Charles Webb, multiplayerblog.mtv.com: What if the the Koopas started up an all-out, World War II-style propaganda campaign against the murderous Italian plumber, leaping his way through their homeland, attempting to interfere with the internal politics of the Mushroom Kingdom? That's more or less the premise of the "Mario WW2 Propaganda series" of which you can see more after the jump.
The posters are the work of the Fro Design Company aka L.A.-based graphic designer and web artist Fernando Reza. The images evoke the print propaganda campaigns on both sides of the Atlantic against the Nazi threat, one image drawing directly from the iconic first issue of "Captain America" where our hero socks old Hitler in the jaw. Image from entry
VIDEO
WoW Moviewatch: Horde Propaganda - Michael Gray, "Horde Propaganda is a little bit of a diversion from Slightly Impressive's usual style, but it's one that I enjoy. Taking a page from those old timey propaganda films, Griff commits a solid send up of both the Garrosh loyalists and the all over war effort."
SOVIETICA
-Via LH on Facebook
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