"Is eradicating terrorism more difficult or less difficult than making a newsweekly profitable in 2013?"
--Juli Weiner, "Obama White House on Hiring Spree," Vanity Fair, noting that "The White House has confirmed that Obama has tapped Rick Stengel, managing editor of Time magazine since 2006, to serve as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, a job that involves 'communications with international audiences, cultural programming, academic grants, educational exchanges, international visitor programs, and U.S. Government efforts to confront ideological support for terrorism'”; Stengel image from
LATE NIGHT POLITICAL HUMOR (via Bulletin News, LLC)
Jimmy Fallon: “Putin said it’s dangerous for Americans to see themselves as exceptional, and said that, quote, ‘God created us equal.’ Then, he got back to arresting people for being gay.” Image from
Stephen Colbert: “Thinking are you exceptional is not extremely dangerous. It’s exceptionally dangerous. Folks, I was on the fence before this, but now it’s clear we’ve got to bomb Syria. I mean, massive air strikes. And just to stick it to Putin, I say we use lesbian pilots flying the Enola Gay.”
VIDEO
US conservatives smitten with virile Putin - Rachel Maddow, video.msnbc.msn.com: "Rachel Maddow reviews the unabashed gushing American conservatives are doing over Russian President Vladimir Putin, who so reinforces their disdain for President Obama that they're apparently willing to overlook the fact that he's the president of Russia." Via MP
Ron Paul: Intel Briefings ‘Propaganda Tool’ - freebeacon.com: "September 9, 2013 7:50 am During an interview Sunday night on Al Jazeera America, former Texas Congressman Ron Paul called Congressional intelligence briefings nothing but a propaganda tool. Paul went on to say that after a couple years he just stopped going to the intelligence briefings."
EVENT
Freedom Theatre from Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine, Gives Historic Performance of “The Island” Sept. 16-17 at Georgetown University as Part of its Inaugural U.S. Tour - "Following sold-out performances at its community-based theatre and cultural center in Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine, Freedom Theatre will perform THE ISLAND Monday and Tuesday, September 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Georgetown University as part of its inaugural U.S. tour. This historic event is presented by the Davis Performing Arts Center in partnership with the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, a collaborative initiative between the Theater and Performance Studies Program and the School of Foreign Service. Each performance will be followed by discussions with the artists and leading policymakers/officials." Via CS
PHOTOESSAY
What Vladimir Vladimirovich does not realize about God ... - John Brown, Notes and Essays; image from
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
The Road from Benghazi - Mieczysław Boduszyński, project-syndicate.org: "Last year, on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, an assault on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, led to the deaths of four American diplomats, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. The attack, which caused the US government to cancel public-diplomacy programs, evacuate offices, and tighten security substantially, was a massive setback for American diplomatic efforts in Libya. At the time, I was the public affairs officer at the US embassy in Tripoli, responsible for strengthening US-Libyan ties, which were minimal, at best, during Muammar el-Qaddafi’s 42-year rule. Libya’s new government allowed me access to civil-society actors – including journalists, academics, writers, activists, and representatives of minority groups – who were off limits to US diplomats under Qaddafi’s regime. These interactions revealed that most Libyans hold positive views of the US, owing to America’s support for Libya’s 2011 revolution. Given this, the US seemed to have a tremendous opportunity to build strong bilateral ties, nurture robust people-to-people connections, reduce the appeal of extremism, and contribute to capacity-building in many areas, including security. After the Benghazi attacks, I grieved not only for my fallen colleagues, but also for the loss of the chance to deepen a relationship that had, in Qaddafi’s final years, consisted mainly of counterterrorism efforts, limited commercial relations, and historical issues, such as the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Stevens, who championed a more comprehensive approach, would have been devastated to witness the fortress that the US embassy became after his death. To be sure, tightening security and reducing the scope of public-diplomacy efforts was the right move in the wake of the Benghazi attacks. But, as time has passed, it has become increasingly apparent that US politics is paralyzing diplomatic operations in Libya as much as security concerns are. ...While
Rick Stengel Is at Least the 21st Journalist to Work for the Obama Administration - Elespeth Reeve, theatlanticwire.com: "Time managing editor Rick Stengel (pictured above) is leaving journalism
to go work for the State Department, making him at least the ... 21st reporter to go to work for the Obama administration. Stengel will be the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Politico and Capital New York report. The last high-profile journalist to leave Time for the Obama administration is Jay Carney, who is currently White House press secretary. [Note: Articles lists journalists-turned-bureaucrats]. Stengel image from article. See also (1) (2) (3) (4).
From Time to State PR: A Big Jump? - Peter Hart, fair.org: "The latest media-politics revolving door news is that Time managing editor Richard Stengel is leaving the magazine and heading over to the State Department to be the new undersecretary of State for public diplomacy and public affairs. That’s PR–or maybe propaganda, if you prefer that term. It makes news when journalists jump into politics, and it seems like many have done so during the Obama administration. (Cue the usual noise about this proving liberal media bias!) But it’s worth asking whether this is as big a jump as it might seem; one can, after all, serve
on the cover: A young woman who was brutalized, as the cover text told readers, 'on orders from the Taliban.' And the cover headline sent the intended message: 'What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan.' ... In the magazine, Stengel wrote that the cover story explained 'how Afghan women have embraced the freedoms that have come from the defeat of the Taliban.' ... Responding to the WikiLeaks disclosures about the war by highlighting atrocities allegedly linked to the Taliban, and wrapping that around a call to prolong the U.S. military occupation, is less like journalism and more like propaganda. Which is the job Stengel’s taking now–formally." Image from entry. Headline from AConservativeEdge citing above theatlanticwire.com piece: "21st Journalist to Join Incestuous Orgy With Obama Administration."
Obama-Lover Gets Government Job! - rabidrepublicanblog.com: "He spent over 7 years brainwashing you. Now he’ll be John Kerry’s State Department PR guy. Richard Stengel spent the last seven years as top Editor at Time Magazine– picking Obama as ‘Person of the Year’.
He worked hard to shape public opinion – none of that old-fashioned honest journalism for him! Now – with Time’s revenue and circulation [3.2 mil] dwindling – his new job will be UnderSecState for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, i.e. Kerry’s other script-writer…" Image from entry
Richard Stengel leaving Time for State Department - Joe Pompeo and Dylan Byers, Politico: "Richard Stengel, the top editor of Time magazine for the past seven years, is planning to step down as managing editor for a new job at the U.S. Department of State, sources familiar with the situation tell POLITICO and Capital New York. If confirmed, Stengel will serve as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, the role responsible for leading 'America’s public diplomacy outreach, which includes communications with international audiences, cultural programming, academic grants, educational exchanges, international visitor programs, and U.S. Government efforts to confront
ideological support for terrorism,' according to the State Department’s website. ... At the State Department, Stengel will find himself in the company of other veteran journalists. Last week, as first reported by The Huffington Post, the White House announced that Douglas Frantz, late of The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, has been named the State Department’s assistant secretary for public affairs. Glen Johnson, formerly The Boston’s Globe’s political editor, took a position as a senior state department advisor earlier this year. Tara Sonenshine, who was the previous undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, left the post in July after a little more than a year. Ann Stock has been in the role in an interim capacity." Image from article, with caption: Stengel’s title will be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Via LJB
Richard Stengel to Leave Time for the Obama Administration - Christine Haughney, New York Times: "Richard Stengel, the managing editor of Time magazine, is leaving to become under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department, according to people with knowledge of the appointment. Mr. Stengel succeeds Tara Sonenshine, who held the post with Secretaries of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Kerry before leaving in July. Before that, the position was occupied by Judith A. McHale, a former chief executive of Discovery Communications, who worked under Mrs. Clinton and left the position in 2011. Mr. Stengel has said that his deputy editor, Nancy Gibbs, would succeed him.
Daniel Kile, a spokesman for Time, declined to comment about either job move. Mr. Stengel became Time’s 16th managing editor in 2006, after serving as a writer who covered the 1988 and 1996 presidential campaigns. He got a glimpse of the responsibilities that are to come when he traveled with Secretary Clinton to the Middle East in 2012." Via JD on Facebook. Comment on Facebook re this article: "Richard Hoagland [:] What's really needed is a total re-imagining of the public diplomacy function. While it still does good work, it continues to drift toward the Peace Corps end of the spectrum. Part of the ill-handled integration of USIA into State." See also (1) (2)(3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17). Image from, with caption: Transition: Here's where we moved from one party to the next, thanks to Rick Stengel, who briefly played camp counselor, figuring out who needed a ride and then sending a few ahead in Ron Silver's SUV. See those sunglasses in the background? We're not saying he put them on and wore them around for the rest of the night, refusing to take them off and insisting that everyone call him "The Ricker," but we're not saying he didn't.
R Episode VIII: A Tale of “Time” | Public Diplomacy - Matthew Wallin, - americansecurityproject.org: "Charged with leading
Mahtab Farid - Facebook: "Is being a well connected Time's magazine editor to the senior officials in DC enough to run our country's public diplomacy efforts? Richard Stengel has been nominated to do this prominent job. He has not worked in government, or served as a civilian or a solider. Doesn't speak a foreign language. Doesn't have any cultural or international experience, except to travel to South Africa to help write Mandela's bio and followed Hillary Clinton to a few countries so he can write a story. Why can't we have a seasoned foreign service diplomat or experienced individuals with more international knowledge to lead this effort? Public diplomacy happens oversees not in Washington..."
A Passion for Service - James Costos, Huffington Post: "This post contains the statement of James Costos, Ambassador Designate to Spain and Andorra, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 25, 2013 in Washington, DC, followed by Ambassador Designate
Costos' August 22nd swearing-in ceremony remarks. ... [Costos"]If confirmed, I look forward to relying on my extensive business experiences to encourage more commerce between Spain and the United States. With the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations just beginning, I will work with Spain to move these free trade negotiations forward by meeting and listening to the concerns of government officials and the Spanish people, traveling the country to raise awareness about the economic benefits of this agreement, and use traditional and social media to engage in public diplomacy on America's behalf." Costos image from entry
A Global Venture to Counter Violent Extremism: Policy Innovation Memorandum No. 37 - Ed Husain, cfr.org: "A global venture that identifies and funds counterradicalization projects in strategically important countries would be a first step in reversing the grip of the al-Qaeda narrative. Worthy efforts have been undertaken in the past, such as the State Department's public diplomacy initiatives and the appointment of a U.S. special representative to Muslim communities, but they have come up short by failing to address the ongoing funding crisis among anti-extremism organizations. A global venture, however, would build on existing efforts and financially strengthen Muslim civil society against extremism. The money to seed this project should come from a wide variety of individuals, organizations, and governments that share an interest in countering extremism. Public and private funding is readily available in Turkey and Gulf countries, from Muslim American communities, and from Western development and philanthropic organizations. Rooting this venture in a diverse network of partners would bolster the program's appeal while heading off the al-Qaeda allegation that it is an American plot."
Ambassador Eklil Hakimi welcomes career Afghan diplomats participating in training program - embassyofafghanistan.org: "Afghan Ambassador Eklil Hakimi welcomed 13 career Afghan diplomats to Washington this week as they began an extensive, two-week long, multi-nation training program sponsored by a partnership between the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Hakimi, along with U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador James Dobbins and Chinese Charge d’Affaires Lu Kang, welcomed the group at a reception at the State Department Monday morning. 'With a strong trilateral relationship supporting the Afghan Diplomat Training Program, we can better prepare young diplomats to take on these important areas of development and become agents of real and lasting change at home and abroad,' said Ambassador Hakimi.
'This program is the first step toward comprehensive trilateral cooperation. It will be followed by similar programs in the agriculture and health sectors.' Thursday evening, Ambassador Hakimi and Embassy staff invited the early-career diplomats and the program coordinators from Meridian International and the U.S. State Department to the Embassy for a formal dinner to celebrate their accomplishments and discuss the opportunities afforded by this important program." Image from entry, with caption: Ambassador Hakimi stands with the Afghan diplomats participating in the training program in his office that the embassy after talking with them for some time. Via JJ on Facebook
Bloated Bureaucracy - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "Two recent articles posted on the website of the Broadcasting Board of Governors’s (BBG) employee union, AFGE Local 1812, pointedly describe the management crisis and its causes at the federal agency in charge of
Are you learning English from BBC Learning English or from VOA Learning English? - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "VOA's Special English has changed its name to VOA Learning English. So now we have two major international broadcasting organizations with a product called 'Learning English.'" See BBC Learning English and VOA Learning English.”
RT (Russia Today) "is a never-ending, forever-repeating documentation of the American tragedy" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Putin's PR blitz - win or lose? - Tara Sonenshine, CNN: "All this excitement over recent Russian public diplomacy on Syria is a bit odd to those of us who have been following that diplomacy strategy for over a decade. That Vladimir Putin chose to write an op-ed in The New York Times this week is not at all shocking. It is part of a broader pattern of Russian outreach that began in 2001. What confuses people about Russian public diplomacy is that it often veers from a closed fist approach to an open handshake depending on its narrow objective -- all the while testing America as it seeks to build its own popularity around the world. Since the end of the 1990s the Russians have been aware that America and other nations see a weakened former Soviet empire behaving badly in the world, and they have sought to correct that perception beginning with the hiring of an American public relations firm back in 2006, which generated interest at the time. For years the Russians have worried about how they are portrayed in American media, about Hollywood's depiction of Russians as mobsters and thugs, for example. Scholars of Russia have written often about Russia's near-obsession with its place in the world, including a fixation on polls -- like Gallup's -- about Russia's popularity with the outside world. Over the years, Russian officials have looked for opportunities in the media to portray Russia as helpful and constructive -- even when it was not. They attempted to use Russian television, and later the Internet, to brandish a better image in the West -- creating a news agency, RIA (The Russian Agency for International Information) which operates 80 news bureaus around the world and Russia Today which boasts a following of 630 million people in over 100 countries.
The Russians are also fans of inserting newspaper supplements of Russia Today in American newspapers just to remind readers of their relevance. Let's face it. Russia remains relevant but its image in the world has suffered throughout the last decade, for good reason. ... [L]et's not forget Russia's hosting of NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Russia often finds itself in the odd situation of doing negative things and trying to get positive press. It cracks down on dissidents one day but then bids for the Olympics the next. It woos the United States and then bashes it. And then its leader writes an op-ed. ... For Americans, there is something emotional about Russia. It inevitably evokes fear and fascination in the United States and the West perhaps because of its long and complex history, its culture, and memories of Cold War days when so much time, effort and money was spent defending ourselves against the Soviet Union. Russia's latest attempt to win hearts and minds is intriguing and is likely to be effective if the result is some kind of interim deal over chemical weapons. ... If the diplomacy fails, and the U.S. decides to strike Syria, Russia will lay the blame for any damage on America. So either way, the gamble makes sense from Putin's view." Image from article, with caption: Russia's President Vladimir Putin is a popular but polarizing figure who has dominated Russian politics for more than a decade. Image from article
Obama, Kerry, Hagel: Why Antiwar Hopefuls Make War - Daniel McCarthy, theamericanconservative.com: "Even Putin is now teaching us a lesson about the power of diplomacy—including public diplomacy in his New York Times piece—that we would do well to learn. American diplomacy has long been reduced to an adjunct to our coercive power, used too often to make excuses for a policy defined by the cruise missile. That has to change, for strategic reasons as much as moral ones. But it will take time."
Vladimir Putin’s New York Times op-ed, annotated and fact-checked - Max Fisher, washingtonpost.com: "Russian President Vladimir Putin has an op-ed in today's New York Times urging President Obama not to strike Syria. It's a fascinating document -- a very Russian perspective translated into American vernacular, an act of public diplomacy aimed at the American public and the latest chess move in the U.S.-Russia standoff over Syria, one in which we the readers are implicated. Putin does make a number of valid and even compelling points, but there is an undeniable hypocrisy and even some moments of dishonesty between the lines."
Is it possible that Putin wrote the New York Times op-ed himself? - Max Fisher, washingtonpost.com: "A spokesman for Ketchum, the public relations firm that helped place Russian President Vladimir Putin's op-ed in Thursday's New York Times, tells Buzzfeed's Rosie Gray that Putin wrote it himself. On its face, that obviously sounds pretty implausible. Putin is very busy running one of the world's largest countries. Even if he did have spare time to craft carefully worded op-eds, his English is good but not that good. And even one of the world's more narcissistic heads of state is unlikely to take a step this high-stakes without bringing in the Kremlin communications/propaganda staff he surely keeps on hand for precisely such occasions. In any case, the claim that he wrote it also sounds like exactly the sort of thing that a professional PR shop -- one that does a whole lot of business with the Russian government -- is paid to say. Of course we can't know for sure who crafted the op-ed. My immediate reaction was certainly to think: No way would Putin write it; this is an act of public diplomacy and official messaging, and surely he left it to his professionals. Except. Except for one paragraph at the very end that seemed so at odds with the op-ed's diplomatic and political mission -- so likely to irritate Americans rather than persuade them -- that it almost makes me wonder. Here it is: [‘]My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the
Putin’s Public Diplomacy Over Syria in the NYT - Stanislav Budnitskiy, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Putin is no pacifist or impartial peacemaker. Just like Obama, he is a commander-in-chief and head of state, naturally, pursuing a certain geopolitical agenda. It is still encouraging to see him turn into a public diplomat on the pages of The New York Times, hopefully giving diplomacy another chance at a time when 'cases for blowing things up' are prevailing within the
Putin’s Op-ed on Syria: Public Diplomacy without Listening - Matthew Wallin, americansecurityproject.org: "[E]ven without the insulting rhetoric, Putin’s op-ed represents a perfect example of the idea that the message one sends doesn’t matter nearly as much as the message received. Russia can try to paint any narrative it wants about what’s going on in Syria, but so long as it bolsters Assad on the international scene, its actions will matter more than its words. Even though Putin made some points that are sure to appeal to the American public, his focus on trying to criticize the U.S., and being dishonest about the Russian role in the conflict completely deflates his arguments."
Putin's Op-Ed, Syria, and the New World Order - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "Putin came up with yet another idea of giving a piece of his mind to the American public. Directly. This time, in a form of a New York Times op-ed. 'Sovereign' public diplomacy, if you will. Nonetheless, it was a deliberate attempt at trying to make the Russian case to the American public, and weigh in on what seems to be an increasingly sloppy debate in this country. As an attempt at public diplomacy, the op-ed did very little. If anything, it did the exact opposite. The op-ed managed to succeed in getting intense coverage and scrutiny by Americans of every creed and political conviction, most of it -- even when justified -- simply hateful. ... However ... [c]riticizing Americans for this [the problematic exceptionalist stance that Americans hold on to so dearly: the invincible, messianic attitude towards the world, and political affairs especially] is a plain bad move in terms of public diplomacy (whether you look at it in mere propaganda terms, or in terms of actual persuasion and appeal); yet it is a valid one. After all, the US does not exist in a vacuum and the 'rest' (including the aspiring rest) are increasingly making their presence known, too. The fact that Putin states this so bluntly only demonstrates his perception of power: how he sees Russia, Russia's role in the world, as well as that of the US and others."
The West Just Doesn’t Get Putin - Dmitri Trenin, carnegie.ru: "Unfortunately, many Americans rejected Putin’s arguments this week because they have developed a caricatured view of the man making them. Putin may deserve that caricature in some areas, but not in this case. The very fact that a simple op-ed article became the top news item around the globe is a significant achievement for Russia’s president, in his new role as public diplomat in chief." Via RM on Facebook
Syria and true news - buenosairesherald.com: "Russia’s public diplomacy and media mastery showed the country’s Cold War professionalism intact this week. With President Obama busy on a pre-speech TV interview blitzkrieg at home seeking to convince the US public of the important of gunning Syria, Russian diplomats were listening into the cracks of an improvising Secretary of State John Kerry in a press conference in London. Kerry’s line that Syria could avoid being attacked if it turned over its chemical weapons was immediately dismissed as 'a rhetorical argument' by the very State Department, only to be reclaimed as White House policy a few hours later."
The New York Times promotes Putin’s propaganda - Sarah Lee, unitedliberty.org: "In trying to determine something new to say about what’s happening in Syria and how, with his charmingly offensive op-ed in The New York Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin
is essentially trying to do the job of the American President by telling us how we should all view events in the eastern Mediterranean, it became clear to me that what’s potent about these events from a domestic perspective is how they shine a light on something that conservatives and libertarians have long been yelling into the wind: the use of propaganda via media to misinform the public is pervasive and very dangerous. ... [T]he U.S. — while no stranger to persuasion through media — holds at least a different opinion of such blatant bastardization of events and we tend not to present it in our 'papers of record,' preferring at least some modicum of balance from a respectable outlet. Now, since it’s an op-ed, it isn’t held to the journalistic standard of 'fair.' It doesn’t have to be, and shouldn’t be. And maybe it’s good that Putin’s contempt — veiled though it was — was on full display." Image from entry
Gary Rawnsley - Facebook: "I recently heard a Russia specialist claiming Putin subscribes to the Millwall school of public diplomacy: You hate us, we don't care."
Russian PD by American PR - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "
Russia's strategy on Syria is about 'public diplomacy' [video: Fox interview] - "Description Amb. Stuart Holliday: Putin is trying to 'reassert' the country's leadership position."
"The proposal is a true diplomatic breakthrough long in the making" - immasmartypants.blogspot.com: "[Comment by:] RT September 11, 2013 at 8:06 AM [:] In the early 1980s Nightline ran a role-playing simulation of the President and his national security advisors resolving a crisis with the Soviet Union over Iran. Arguably the most important discussion didn't occur in the Cabinet room. Back-channel discussion between lower-level people in the US and Soviet diplomatic services, who already had a working relationship and met on a regular basis, established the terms for high-level public diplomacy without fear that either government would be embarrassed."
Prof. Gilboa: The Time to Decide is Now, Obama: Leading scholar says 2013 is the time for decision, otherwise Iran will become a nuclear powerhouse - Kochava Rozenbaum: "As a leading scholar in the field of public diplomacy, Professor Eytan Gilboa has said Obama has mishandled the situation in Syria and potential negotiations with Iran."
US won't let Sri Lanka escape 'Accountability and Reconciliation' - Daya Gamage, Asian Tribune: "At the confirmation hearing for the newly nominated assistant secretary for South Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal reiterated that she will 'continue to stress the importance of reconciliation and accountability
and for the government to meet its commitments to all of its population'. ... The Asian Tribune, in assessing this scenario ... believes that the handlers of the external affairs have been put on the spot for this lapse which has further created a public affairs and public diplomacy issues for Sri Lanka." Image from entry, with caption: Ms. Biswal at Senate hearing on September 12
Sri Lankan Sanje Sedera: Rising star in US politics enters Nevada State poll - Daya Gamage - Asian Tribune: "The Sri Lankan-American Sanje Sedera has the knack of reaching to policymakers not only in his native state Nevada but also in Washington and the Obama White House. ... Sanje Sedera just announced his candidacy for the State of Nevada State Assembly District 34 as his party's nominee. ... Sedera's entry to the fray in next year's Nevada State Assembly election
has already energized the Asian-American community in Las Vegas and obviously will draw attention of those who handle public diplomacy for Sri Lanka, and of course not forgetting the Sri Lankan Diaspora spread in other nations in the West." Image from article, with caption:
Sanje Sedera addressing a gathering convened for his candidacy
East-west balance keeps geopolitics stable - Liu Zhun, globaltimes.cn: "China should insist on its bottom line when developing relationships with neighboring countries. As long as China's core interests are respected, friendships and cooperation will ensue. China also needs to make breakthroughs and build a multi-layered diplomatic approach. Public diplomacy, involvement into global governance and providing public goods should be given more emphasis."
Public Diplomacy Council September Forum: “Public Diplomacy as a Global Phenomenon" - publicdiplomacycouncil.org:
Image from entry, with caption: Public Diplomacy as Global Phenomenon: The Council and its partner the University of Southern California held the first of a series of Lunch Forums on public diplomacy around the world. In the picture: Noam Katz, Minister for Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Israel (at left); Timur Söylemez, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Turkey (center); and Moderator and Organizer John Brown. The discussion took place Monday, September 9 in Washington at the American Foreign Service Association.
Japan protests over French paper linking nuclear crisis to Olympics - Kyoto News International: "The Japanese government on Thursday protested over French newspaper cartoons satirically depicting the potential impact of the Fukushima nuclear crisis on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. ... Senior Japanese officials expressed displeasure over the cartoons, urging the Foreign Ministry to increase public diplomacy to counter such 'inappropriate' reporting."
Turkey's cultural diplomacy in Hungary more effective with Yunus Emre Institute - turkishweekly.net: "Turkey's cultural diplomacy in Hungary will be more effective with Yunus Emre Institute, said Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Omer Celik Wednesday speaking to the journalists at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Celik emphasized the importance of Yunus Emre Institute, a Turkish soft power initiative, which he said was accepted as the backbone of the country's cultural and public diplomacy. Pointing out that a quite nice building was constructed in a historical place in capital Budapest for the Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center which will be opened on Thursday, Celik said cultural diplomacy in the region would become more concrete with the institute's going into action."
Panelists analyze how the world sees the US America - David Ahia II, dailytrojan.com: "Richard Wike, associate director of Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, gave a presentation on global opinions of the United States on Wednesday at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The event, hosted by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD), took place from 12 to 1 p.m. Accompanying Wike was Annenberg adjunct professor Robert Banks and CPD Director Jay Wang.
The event was part of the center’s Conversations Series. ... The full discussion, along with a one-on-one interview with Richard Wike conducted by Lauren Madow, a graduate student in public diplomacy, will be posted to the CPD website, uscpublicdiplomacy.org on Monday." Image from entry, with caption: Global view · Richard Wike, associate director of Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, speaks as Professor Robert Banks looks on.
A Modest Proposal Before Bombing Syria - Robert Schadler, westernjournalism.com: "Robert Schadler is Senior Fellow in Public Diplomacy at the American Foreign Policy Council. He has degrees in International Relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the University of Pennsylvania."
Syria Direct Brings Authentic News From The Frontlines - “Syria Direct ... trains Syrian journalists in
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Trying diplomacy in Syria: Obama is right to pursue Russia's proposal. But it must not be a long and winding road to nowhere - Editorial, latimes.com: Obama's decision to explore a diplomatic solution is a prudent one. We continue to believe that the use of chemical weapons against civilians requires a response from this country, ideally in concert with other nations.
But, like the president, we hope that message can be effectively delivered other than by military might. Image from
The Putin Doctrine: To build up Russia, he's trying to tear down the U.S. - Ilai Saltzman, latimes.com: The Obama administration should realize that Putin's objectives are diametrically opposed to most American interests and come up with a doctrine of its own to deal with him if it wishes to maintain U.S. national interests over time.
The American people’s reply to Putin - Dana Milbank, Washington Post: Did Edward Snowden help you with your letter?
Putin has a good time at Obama’s expense - Kathleen Parker, Washington Post: Actually, Vlad, millions around the world do see the
Putin’s Audience - Peggy Noona, Wall Street Journal: Why would Vladimir Putin take such an aggressive tone in parts of a piece supposedly addressed to Americans and supposedly explaining his views on Syria and, more largely, U.S. foreign policy? Because he’s not really writing to America. That’s not who he’s talking to. He chose as a venue a major American newspaper, but he’s writing to the world. He is telling the world he knows how to correct America, tell it off, criticize it for its conceit.
We can stop Syria by using lessons from Iraq - Jessica T. Mathews, Washington Post: The Syria crisis presents a great opportunity: If an international effort disarms Syria’s chemical arsenal, and that success is recognized and built upon in ways that success in Iraq was not, the positive repercussions would be felt far beyond the Middle East.
Vladimir Putin Takes Exception A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an op-ed piece - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal: The steely-eyed geopolitical strategist has reminded us that he's also the media-obsessed operator who plays to his base back home by tranquilizing bears, wrestling alligators and riding horses shirtless, like Yul Brynner in "Taras Bulba."
Here's What Went Unmentioned in Putin's New York Times Op-Ed - Julia Ioffe, New Republic: The fact that Putin is not the most credible messenger when it comes to the rule of law or pacificism is one thing, but this has always been his strength: taking words and concepts with generally agreed upon meanings—laws, elections, constitutions—and redefining them for his own strategic benefit, and then cloaking himself in their legitimizing powers. And if the last week has shown us anything, it is that there is one man in the game who has a strategy, and it is not Obama. So far, Putin has played it all right, and accomplished two goals: standing up to U.S. aggression, which will play nicely at home, and keeping Assad in power. Via PR
How Assad Wooed the American Right, and Won the Syria Propaganda War - David Kenner, Foreign Policy: Even before President Barack Obama put his plans to strike the Syrian regime on hold, he was losing the battle of public opinion about military intervention. Part of the credit, no doubt, goes to a successful media blitz by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and its supporters.
In an interview aired on Monday night, Assad himself advanced his government's case to Charlie Rose, saying that the
Why Syria’s images of suffering haven’t moved us - Philip Kennicott, Washington Post: We have arrived at a double crisis: a dissolution of agreement about what is civilized behavior and a dissolution of faith in the meaning of images — a crisis of politics and a crisis of representation. Given how closely photography and video have been linked to defining those international norms, this is a frightening moment. Concern over the failure of images to elicit compassion has been around for decades.
When the best chance for peace means war - Sebastian Junger, Washington Post: If you have a bumper sticker that says “No Blood For Oil,” it had better be on your bike. The
American Ineffectualism: Every American ally is cringing with embarrassment at the amateurishness of the last month - Mark Steyn, National Review: In the Obama era, to modify Teddy Roosevelt, America chatters unceasingly and carries an unbelievably small stick. In this, the wily Putin saw an opening, and offered a “plan” so absurd that even Obama’s court eunuchs in the media had difficulty swallowing it. A month ago, Assad was a reviled war criminal and Putin his arms dealer. Now, Putin is the honest broker and Obama’s partner for peace, and the war criminal is at the negotiating table with his chances of survival better than they’ve looked in a year. Via MC on Facebook
Russians Read Putin's Op-Ed - Masha Lipman, New Yorker: On Thursday, he published an Op-Ed in the Times that was transparently meant to emphasize his advantage. He called it, ironically enough, “A Plea for Caution from Russia.” The Op-Ed is presented as an attempt to speak “directly to the American people,” but even without that note there are signs that it was not meant for domestic consumption. At home, Putin and his government have long engaged in anti-American propaganda, portraying the United States as a force that seeks to harm Russia; in the Op-Ed, he reminds readers that Russia and the United States “defeated the Nazis together.”
Ignoring the current very low level of relations between the two countries and their leaders, Putin has friendly words for Obama: “My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this.” But the best part comes at the very end. After expressing concern about “American exceptionalism,” Putin calls for humility: "We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal." “God” is not part of the Russian political language. Putin and others in the Russian political establishment do not end their speeches with an equivalent of “God bless America.” Special kudos for the ghostwriter, or whoever helped adapt the Russian leader’s message for American rhetorical tastes. Image from article
A Good War - Uri Avnery, outlookindia.com: 'Jewish joke: A hungry young Jew sees an announcement outside a local circus: anyone who climbs to the top of a 50 meter pole and jumps onto a tarpaulin below will win a prize of a thousand rubles. Out of desperation he goes in, climbs the pole and shudders looking down. “Jump! Jump!” the ringmaster shouts. “Jumping is out of the question!” the Jew shouts back. “But how do I get down again?” That’s how Barack Obama was feeling, a moment before the Russians provided the means. Actually, Obama comes out of this crisis rather well. His hesitation, which evoked so much contempt in Israel, does him credit. It is right to hesitate instead of rushing into war. In war, people get killed.
Pentagon Memo: Pentagon in Back Seat as Kerry Leads Charge - Tom Shanker, New York Times: Pentagon budget cuts, including billions ordered by the White House, have already constricted a Defense Department that grew in size and power after Sept. 11, 2001. To many Pentagon officials, the cuts are another assertion of centralized control over decision-making by the White House. After all, when Mr. Obama first pressed the pause button on military action against Syria — and sent the question to Congress for a vote to authorize the use of force — Mr. Hagel and Mr. Kerry learned of it only after the president had reached the decision with his White House inner circle. Neither cabinet secretary was involved.
The Duty to Protect, Still Urgent - Michael Ignatieff, New York Times: In 2001, the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty developed the idea that all states, but especially democracies, have a “responsibility to protect” civilians when they are threatened with mass killing. Let’s be clear what the problem is: it’s not just compassion fatigue, isolationism or disengagement from the world. It’s more than war weariness or sorrow at the human and financial cost of intervention. It goes beyond disillusion at the failures to build stability in
The end of U.S. exceptionalism: The debate over intervening in Syria says a lot about present-day America - Timothy Garton Ash, latimes.com: "Isolationism" is the lazy term often applied to the attitude now found among Democrats and Republicans alike. It is true that the United States has a history of periodically withdrawing into its own vast continental indifference, as it did after World War I. But this time feels different. Although the current withdrawalism undoubtedly drinks from some of those traditional wells, it flows through a country not brashly rising on the world stage but fearfully conscious of relative decline.
In America, not isolationism but skepticism: Americans have often been reluctant to go to war. But on Syria, they may look and sound more anti-interventionist than they really are - Doyle McManus, latimes.com: Most Americans are willing to support military action when they are convinced that U.S. security is directly threatened — as they did, for example, when they were convinced (wrongly) by President George W. Bush that Iraq's Saddam Hussein was building nuclear weapons. On the flip side, most Americans will not support military intervention for purely humanitarian reasons — as Bill Clinton learned in Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo, operations that were all widely unpopular at the time.
That's a problem Obama hasn't solved when it comes to Syria. Americans are often tempted toward disengagement from the world, especially at the end of a long and costly war (in this case, two wars ), and especially when the question involves military action. It happened after Vietnam, it happened after the Cold War, and it's happening again today. But after those earlier episodes, public opinion bounced back. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton made the case for American intervention abroad, and in cases when intervention succeeded, public support grew. Image from article, with caption: Syria protest: An anti-war demonstrator is seen outside the White House before President Obama addressed the nation on Syria Tuesday.
Opposing the Syrian War Propaganda - Michel Chossudovsky and James Corbett, globalresearch.ca: With the latest diplomatic negotiations on Syria, unilateral US military intervention has been stalled for the moment. But as part of a decade-long Pentagon plan to overthrow the Assad government, a US-led armed strike on Syria remains an ever-present threat to stability in the region.
Syria's Christians become propaganda pawns - Bill Weinberg, ww4report.com: The ancient Syrian Christian village of Maaloula has changed hands at least three times in the past week of fighting between government forces and al-Qaeda franchise Nusra Front—and Syria's Christians are becoming propaganda fodder in an international war of perceptions. Nusra Front issued a video clip showing a commander urging his men not to harm Maaloula's historic churches and monasteries. The Assad regime countered with images of the rebels shooting in the air and at buildings in in the village, and of a church damaged by mortar fire, Haaretz reports.
Saudi Arabia bans ‘terrorist’ propaganda on Internet - Agence France-Presse, rawstory.com: Saudi Arabia said Monday it will outlaw the dissemination of information on the Internet for the benefit of “terrorist” groups, in line with a decision taken by Gulf Arab monarchies. The official SPA news agency said the cabinet approved the “unified legislation against cybercrime,” which the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) adopted in December.
The legislation targets those who “create sites and publish information on the Internet or a computer network for the benefit of a terrorist group to enable contacts among its leaders or its members, to promote its views or funding,” said the agency. It also prohibits “the dissemination of ideas that could affect public order or morality,” said SPA, without providing further details.
Most members of the six-nation GCC — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have tightened their laws against cybercrime in recent years. Image from entry
Iran's State Press Stole Our Article -- and Turned It Into Blatant Propaganda - Uri Friedman, Katelyn Fossett, Foreign Policy: Fars News Agency, the state-run Iranian news outlet famous for picking up an Onion story and presenting it as news, has apparently decided that plagiarizing satirical articles isn't brazen enough. On Thursday, the news agency's editors reprinted a Foreign Policy article on the debate over chemical weapons in
And by "reprinted" we mean they lopped off entire paragraphs, changed key words, and added others to turn the argument into a case for why the U.S. shouldn't take military action in Syria -- and why the rebels, not Syrian President and Iranian ally Bashar al-Assad, have committed unspeakable atrocities (oh, and Iran comes off looking pretty good too). Image from article
Music doubling as propaganda: The recent classical music concert that the Indian government promoted as bringing a "message of hope" to Kashmiris is no such thing - Nagesh Rao, socialistworker.org: The "EHSAAS-e-Kashmir" (Feelings for Kashmir) concert held at the
It featured music by Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky performed by the Bavarian State Orchestra of Munich and conducted by Zubin Mehta, music director for life of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. As for who got to watch this performance live, the embassy website was unambiguous: "1,500 guests from
Krispy Kreme opens first Russia store - Kathy Lally, Washington Post: On Thursday, in an opinion article published in the New York Times, President Vladimir Putin scolded the
Has no one told them that here in Great Russia American calories rule? A Subway sandwich shop operates at the other end of lovely old
WWI propaganda lives in gas revulsion - Neil Steinberg, suntimes.com: People associate poison gas with the horrors of World War I, but its use in warfare was already illegal according to international law — and already produced by most major powers anyway — in the late 19th century. What World War I did was loosen qualms against using poison gas. To top it off, while all nations had it, gas had been first used effectively by the Germans, one of the “heinous devices created by these demons of depravity,” to quote W.C. King’s post-war book “Germany’s Crime Against Humanity.” The British called mustard gas “H.S.,” for “hun stuff.” The bottom line is that any weapon that depends on the wind is of limited strategic use. Thus it is gas’ undependability, more than anything else, that places it in a special category of disapproval. If it worked better, we’d find it in our hearts to use it. Land mines are devastating against civilians, too, in a sense worse than gas, since they remain a threat for years after being deployed. The world is nearly united against land mines, but the U.S. feels it needs mines to hem in the North Koreans, so we refuse to join all land mine bans. Morality has its limits. Gas is bad because all weapons of war are bad. That President Barack Obama would single it out in this fashion is more a quirk of history than any absolute ethical point. Odd that we would risk war over some century-old propaganda. Then again, it’s been done before.
AMERICANA: EXCEPTIONALISM AND ISOLATIONISM
American isolationism/exceptionalism - John Brown, Notes and Essays: If there is a recurrent pattern in American history, it is the tension between the U.S.'s isolationism and its exceptionalism. Of course, some would say, American "isolationism" and "exceptionalism" are
two sides of the same coin: American provincialism masquerading (unintentionally?) as superiority. Image from
MORE AMERICANA
Melting pot: This map shows the ethnic heritage of Americans - dailymail.co.uk; via JH on Facebook
KOREANA
"Seoul's New Tower Seems Familiar, and Not in a Good Way" - curbed.com: Set to be finished in
ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"We must be careful not to confuse data with the abstractions we use to analyze them."
-- William James
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