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VIDEO
US Government - World Class Liars: Syria: Deja Vu all over again
HUMOR
Obama Assures Americans This Will Not Be Another 1456 Ottoman Siege Of Belgrade - theonion.com. Via CDM on Fcebook
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Syria: The World's Red Line and the President's Challenge - Lori E. Murray, Huffington Post: "As Secretary of State John Kerry emphatically stated yesterday, the red line on Syria is the world's red line -- but where is the world? This is not the first time the U.S. has had to lead against brutal dictators. But this may be the first time that U.S. diplomacy has so dramatically failed in rallying a public coalition of support. ... As the president's National Security team floods the hill with a lobbying blitz over the next few days and week, there is an equally important challenge to bring the world along, publicly. Public diplomacy and public coalition support is as important a component of deterrence as is the threat and use of unilateral force. There is an important difference between leading and acting unilaterally, which seems to have been lost in the Administration's response to the Syrian crisis."
Intervention Lessons From Kosovo for Syria - David L. Phillips, Huffingtonpost.com: "Secretary of State John Kerry has been a passionate point man in the recent flurry of public diplomacy. However, the administration has not done enough to explain why it is in America's national interest to attack Syria."
The Left's Myths About Syria - Michael Sean Winters, ncronline.org: "Responsibility to Protect, or R2P ... [:] This line of moral analysis regarding international relations became prominent during the conflict in Darfur. It was a centerpiece of Hillary Rodham Clinton's public diplomacy. It is the most interesting development within the tradition of just war thinking in centuries. Surely, if we have the power to alleviate the suffering of the long-suffering Syrian people, we have an obligation to try and help."
Syrian conflict: US intervention may turn into a new cold war, says Mushahid - tribune.com.pk: "Senate Defence Committee Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed has warned that the US invasion of Syria will further de-stabilise the Middle East and can spark a new cold war in South-West Asia.
'I urge the US and all countries to uphold the UN Charter and international law and defer the matter to the United Nations as the Middle East region cannot afford a new war,' Mushahid said.
He was speaking at China’s Tsinghua University which had invited him to Beijing to receive an award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Public Diplomacy'. 'Parliamentarians can play a positive role in promoting peace and shaping public opinion,' he said referring to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee’s unanimous resolution passed on Tuesday to oppose attack on Syria. Image from article, with caption: Senate Defence Committee Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed.
When the U.S. Learned to be Mr. Nice Guy: Containing Anti-Gringo Sentiment in Revolutionary Mexico Gave Birth to Public Diplomacy - Julie Prieto, zocalopublicsquare.org: "Why do they hate America? What can we do to make them like us? There has been much talk about the promise and limits of U.S. public diplomacy in the Islamic world ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and an assumption that our efforts need to be adapted from the Cold War. But many of these discussions ignore that the robust, global system of public diplomacy funded by the State Department from the 1920s until the 1990s pre-dates the Cold War.
The U.S. formulated its system of public diplomacy in response to an earlier radical upheaval of the 20th century, the Mexican Revolution, which raged from 1910 to 1920. ... The programs launched to sway post-revolutionary Mexico wound up serving as the testing ground for many better-known Cold War cultural programs, such as the Fulbright Program, the Peace Corps, and Voice of America. Although America’s cultural diplomacy infrastructure was largely defunded in the 1990s, when the United States Information Agency was absorbed by the Department of State, the remaining programs continue to have an impact on world affairs and offer models of how to proceed in places like Egypt. ... At its core, public diplomacy takes the question 'Why do they hate us?' and answers, 'Because they don’t know us well enough.' In the case of Mexico, U.S. public diplomacy played a crucial peacemaking role that improved relations and endures on both sides of the border. Today, with international tensions as high as ever, it is time we relearned how to harness American culture to serve its politics." Uncaptioned image from article. See also: via PR.
ECA “The Lifeblood of Public Diplomacy” - Francisca Acevedo, greenheartcci.wordpress.com: "On the morning of July 8, 2013, President Obama announced his intent to nominate six individuals to key Administration posts; of these six nominees, Evan Ryan was nominated as the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of State. On July 30th, Assistant Secretary-designate Ryan’s confirmation hearing took place before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. During Ryan’s testimony, she highlighted how influential 'people-to-people exchanges' are in advancing
As a result of the exchange, employers benefit from working with employees of various backgrounds. This helps to bridge the gap between the
State Dept. tabs OSU’s ADA expertise for Indonesian project - oncampus.osu.edu: "Indonesia is on the cusp of broadening the rights of its disabled citizenry, and Ohio State’s L. Scott Lissner was both surprised and honored when he was asked to be part of that transformation. Lissner, the university’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator since 2000, will be a featured speaker about disability policy and practice from Sept. 15-Oct. 2 at sites throughout the country, including Jakarta, Surabaya, Central Java, Medan and other areas. The U.S. Department of State’s Public Diplomacy Program is sponsoring the trip in conjunction with Indonesia’s Ministry of National Education and Helen Keller International Indonesia. As soon as he got
the call, Lissner, who is well versed in U.S. policy, admits he had no idea what the Indonesian disability model entailed. What he found was a system moving from a paternalistic approach toward inclusion. Currently Indonesia delivers services through charitable organizations and a medical model approach rather than an integrative societal civil rights model similar to what the U.S. has." Lissner image from entry
Time and Christian Science Monitor report on U.S. Ambassador’s letter to Egyptian newspaper, VOA ignores the story - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "Time magazine and now Christian Science Monitor have both reported on the letter sent on August 28 by the then U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson to Al Ahram newspaper, in which she denounced as 'absolutely absurd and dangerous' the state-run paper’s claims that she was personally involved in a conspiracy to divide and destabilize Egypt. The Voice of America English news website continues to ignore this story even though it deals with anti-Americanism, media freedom issues, journalism, and U.S. foreign policy."
CUSIB Applauds Appointment of Kevin Klose As RFE/RL President and CEO - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org) welcomed the appointment of Kevin Klose to continue as the head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)."
North Face Outlet UK Sale Online – Computer Clean UK - starwarsactors.com: "Using historical film footage of Radio Free Europe broadcasters, rappers between several The world make statements exactly like dissident voices heard around the station ahead of the fall belonging to the Iron Curtain. Within the Cold War, Radio Free Europe broadcast both news commentary and music, which communists in Poland coupled with other Sovietdominated nations tried unsuccessfully to silence through jamming of radio signals. funding and growing indifference in the country to showing solidarity with dissidents who fight to their rights in countries like China, Iran and Russia. The song recorded by Slums Attack and also other European rappers serves especially remember where the struggle against political oppression and against banality of popular culture which ignores this struggle, is both timeless and universal. ... Fortunately, RFE/RL now is being returned for that former high journalistic standards by new acting president, former NPR executive Kevin Klose. Unfortunately, the station happens to be facing a large funding crisis. government sponsor, need to shake up their bureaucratic staff and give their journalists more resources. international broadcasting. Huge amounts of dollars are allocated to weapons, but almost nothing is spent on the facility and odds of freedom of expression in other nations. Additional problems could have been the appointment as persons in the BBG board of executives whose private companies trade in countries like Russia and China. Some might avoid as active or as serious about supporting hardhitting journalism for their colleagues who had knowledge in public areas service or human rights advocacy. international broadcasting may once again serve its freedom and public diplomacy role. public diplomacy which also has a conscience having a human rights focus, in contrast to public diplomacy that serves only immediate foreign policy and economic goals. But sufficient funding, good management and journalistic independence are needed to your success of America’s longterm soft power. America could study on rappers’ tribute to Radio Free Europe. ... Americans have forgotten how effective dissident voices from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and Voice of the usa (VOA) were in peacefully transforming unfree societies with only a minimal cost. But as powerful since it’s, what it’s all about of dissent, human rights and freedom cannot delivered completely at no cost and without upsetting foreign powers like Russia and China, or perhaps the White House and therefore the State Department. Europe’s rappers’ tribute to RFE operates as a reminder even though Central and Eastern Europe now are largely democratic, many less fortunate nations still need a platform for uncensored, dissident voices or a show of solidarity from America."
Buying arms vs. ‘selling’ the strike: Do Gulf states need more PR on Syria? - Eman El-Shenawi, Al Arabiya: "Saudi Arabia and Qatar have reportedly plugged billions of dollars in arms over the course of the Syrian conflict, emerging as the main foreign powers bankrolling the revolt. But amid the West’s hesitation this week over launching a military strike to punish Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, indicators suggest the Gulf states have been shooting blanks. Analysts now believe a portion of Gulf finances
could have been better spent on a global anti-Assad/ pro-intervention public relations (PR) campaign. ... ‘A lot of Gulf countries don’t invest in public relations, but invest in soft power,’ says Haroon Moghul, a fellow at the center on national security at the New York-based
JET alumni advocates for Japan: Program lauded for continuing to bear cultural fruit, friendships - Ayako Mie, japantimes.co: “'The JET program is a gold mine for public diplomacy and an opportunity for the government to reach out to the foreign public,' said Emily Metzgar, an assistant professor in the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism at Indiana University and a JET teacher from 1993 to 1995 in Shimane Prefecture. The JET program started in 1987 as a concerted effort by local-level authorities, the internal affairs ministry and the education ministry to enhance mutual understanding between Japanese and foreign nationals. Its primary role is to internationalize regional communities by helping improve English education and promote international exchanges. Teachers are often assigned to rural areas where there are few English speakers in the community, which allows them to become immersed in the Japanese language and culture. As of 2012, more than 55,000 people from 62 countries had participated in the program, with about half of them coming from the United States. ... According to Metzgar of Indiana University, who surveyed about 500 American former JETs, alumni serve as cultural ambassadors in their communities. She found that 68 percent of the respondents follow news about Japan, but 45 percent are displeased with the coverage of Japan by the U.S. media. In addition, 65 percent of alumni felt it is important to respond to misrepresentations of Japan in the media. 'Alumni think they represent Japan. They also try to make sure the discussion is fair and accurate, but not promoting propaganda for Japan,' said Metzgar. 'There is a nuanced understanding of Japan that average Americans do not have.' Even though there is no official number on how many former JET teachers engage in Japan-related work, Metzgar found some 30 percent of the 500 respondents to her survey have some connection to Japan in areas where language skills and familiarity with the culture are required."
Peer-to-Peer Science: The Century-Long Challenge to Respond to Fukushima [scroll down link for entry] - Emanuel Pastreich, Layne Hartsell, Foreign Policy in Focus, posted at asia-institute.org: "More than two years after an earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on a Japanese power plant, the
A Swedish Alternative to Military Action in Syria - James Pamment, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "The Swedish Migration Board earlier announced that all Syrian refugees will be granted permanent residence. This means that the 8,000 Syrians who have currently been granted asylum on a temporary basis, together with any of the millions of currently displaced Syrians who can make it to Sweden, will be able to settle there and bring their families.
While other countries are bickering over whether to intervene with force, Sweden is the only country in the European Union to simply do the right thing, quietly and decisively. ... Sweden’s bold stance on Syria – besides being the right thing – is a reputational masterstroke. It tells the world that the choice isn’t just between military action and inaction, but that there are alternatives based around compassion. ... Sweden likes to assume the role of honest broker, but this often comes at the cost of its ability to advocate specific points of policy directly to foreign publics. Its stance on Syria demonstrates that there is a role for it to play in public debates around the world. Shifts in its PD policy suggest that this could all come together in progressive, caring, authentic, open, and innovative ways (as the brand values assure us). The case of Syria, perhaps more than any other in recent years, demonstrates that Sweden must complement its quiet diplomacy and clever branding with public diplomacy." Pamment image from entry
Tunisia will make it! - Ulrike Reinhard, ulrikereinhard.com: "The last stop on our Middle East trip: Tunisia . The next one already in mind. We spent 5 days here, mostly in Tunis . A city I really fell in love with. Finally. I was here 18 month ago. Then an activist attacked me with a knife. Because I was working with NATO to prepare their summit in Chicago . We were running we-nato.org. An online platform aiming to link netizens with NATO staff and ambassadors. We started with a live stream with Joi Ito and Steffi Babst, these days head of public diplomacy at NATO, discussing Joshua Cooper Ramo’s book ‘The Age of the Unthinkable’. Unfortunately this premiere remained the one and only ‘conversation’ between the two groups – at least in the way we intended to design them. I quit the job before the summit took place. Why? I would say: we couldn’t synch our interests;-) Or: NATO’s organizational structure wasn’t (and probably still isn’t) ready for the speed of the online world. NATO probably would say: We pushed them too hard to give up classic PR. What so ever. I returned to Tunisia
Ethiopia: Turkey to Set Up an Industrial Zone in Addis Ababa - allafrica.com: Turkey is preparing to create a Turkish industrial zone in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, as part of its African policy which started in 2005 and has been showing marked development of its business assets. Speaking at the opening of the African Strategies Sectoral Evaluation Meeting in Ankara on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the Ethiopian prime minister had proposed the assignment of some land to establish a Turkish industrial zone in Addis Ababa, and that Turkey hopes to implement this plan. ... Commenting on the new diplomatic steps, Davutoglu stated that Turkey has come a long way in the last ten years. Davutoglu explained that a Turkish firm invested $50 million in Ethiopia in 2005 while there are now 341 Turkish companies with a total investment of $3 billion in the country. The Turkish foreign minister also mentioned the results of the Turkish government's public diplomacy in Africa. 'The amount of Turkish aid to the African continent, particularly to Somalia, has reached $750 million. If we hadn't spent billions of dollars in public diplomacy and activity, we wouldn't have the positive image and perception that we got from our humanitarian aid in Somalia,' Davutoglu said, reiterating that Turkey is reaping the rewards of its humanitarian foreign policy."
UAE Government ‘embraces social media’ - Awad Mustafa, thenational.ae: "The Foreign Affairs Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, has more than 800,000 followers on Twitter and is second among leading officials only to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the GCC Government Social Media Summit heard yesterday. ... The statistics are an indication of how leading government figures have embraced social media to engage and communicate with the public, said Dr Saeed Al Dhaheri, who advises the Foreign Minister on information systems. ... The ministry has also developed a social media policy and has trained diplomats on how to engage effectively with the public. 'This is part of our public diplomacy efforts that the ministry has focused on recently and it is to win the hearts and minds of the public through the use of social media and to clarify the intrinsic values of the UAE,' Dr Al Dhaheri said. 'I would like to see more ambassadors using it.'”
Lapid most ‘disappointing’ politician of the year, poll finds: Survey of Israeli adults finds massive public faith in military, far outstripping trust in Knesset, police and justice system - Ilan Ben Zion, timesofisrael.com: "Little more than six months after taking office as Israel’s most popular new political face, a poll published Wednesday found Finance Minister Yair Lapid to be the most disappointing politician of the year. ... Israel’s public diplomacy, known as 'hasbara,' also received poor scores. Asked 'what grade would you give the Israeli government’s public relations policy worldwide on the issues relating to the jihadist threat in countries bordering Israel?' 20% said very bad and 18% bad. Only 24% gave the government a positive assessment (15% good, 9% very good), 32% responded moderate, and 6% gave other answers."
Land Swap Deal - prepforias.wordpress.com: "Bill — the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement is again pending to be introduced in parliament legislation.Such roadblocks hamper gaining trust of neighbors. India often suffers a 'perception problem' in the eyes of its neighbors, which often view India with suspicion because of its size, economy and military might.
That in turn encourages them to turn to China. ... The bill in question called for India to exchange 111 of its enclaves in Bangladesh in return for 51 Bangladesh enclaves in India. ... There is a need to engage the people of Assam on a more direct level to talk about the benefits of the swap and any possible ramifications. Assam has a vibrant civil society, which should be engaged on this issue. In short, it is time for some public diplomacy." Image from entry, with caption: English: Map of the British Indian Empire from Imperial Gazetteer of India. On Assam, see.
Visible and available: Magic Lantern Foundation is back to selling documentaries on the Internet - Nandini Ramnath, livemint.com: "Magic Lantern Movies sells MLF productions and documentaries by Indian and foreign film-makers. ... The earlier emphasis on showcasing independent Indian documentary has given way to a broader embrace of all manifestations of the film-making form.
That’s why series on the Indian diaspora and Central Asia that were commissioned by the public diplomacy division of the ministry of external affairs are part of the same shopping basket that yields Children of the Pyre, Rajesh S. Jala’s disturbing exposé of child workers on the ghats of Varanasi; I’m the Very Beautiful, Shyamal Karmakar’s provocative exploration of the life of a bar singer, or Nakul Singh Sawhney’s Izzatnagari ki Asabhya Betiyaan (or Immoral Daughters), about honour killings in Haryana." Image from entry, with caption: Rajesh S. Jala’s ‘Children of the Pyre’
Halal Udon – Paul Rockower, Levantine: “An interesting piece on how Japan is courting Muslim travelers with halal menus and prayer rooms at its airports. Some smart gastrodiplomacy if you ask ..."
Dennis Rodman North Korea Visit: How a Baller is Rebounding Kim Jong-un's Image - Bryant Harris, policymic.com: "On September 1, North Korea revoked an invitation to Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, on account of joint U.S.-South Korean war games in which the U.S. allegedly used B-52H aircrafts designed to drop nuclear missiles. North Korea has detained six Americans since 2009 but pardoned five of them before their sentences were served, in part because of high profile diplomatic visits from former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. King intended to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, the sixth imprisoned American sentenced to 15 years in a North Korean gulag. But one American whose travel to North Korea won't be interrupted, however, is NBA star Dennis Rodman. Rodman, who has previously traveled
to North Korea in February 2013, insists that he is not acting in any diplomatic capacity but instead intends to merely spend time with his friend Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and to 'show people around the world that we as Americans can actually get along with North Korea.' While Rodman's endeavors qualify as quintessential, vital public diplomacy, there is always a fine line between promoting bilateral relationships and implicitly condoning severe human rights abuses. The latter is what Rodman is really doing, to the detriment of Kenneth Bae and the North Korean people as he tries to cast Kim Jong-un in an overly positive light. ... Although the concept of basketball diplomacy is a productive, innovative way to thaw frosty relationships with Kim Jong-un's regime, Rodman seems unable to grasp the implications of North Korea's gross human rights abuses as he unabashedly lavishes praise on the supreme leader and his predecessors, which the government no doubt uses as propaganda reaffirming their rule. ... Public diplomacy, whether it be from governments or private citizens, is a vital part of international peace keeping, coalition building, and understanding. However, true public diplomacy takes place between the people of a country, not between a privileged, high-profile basketball star and a repressive government. Rodman seems to fundamentally misunderstand his point and the ample opportunities he provides to fuel the North Korean propaganda machine undermine any net positives gained from his 'basketball diplomacy.'" Image from entry, with caption: Dennis Rodman North Korea Visit: How a Baller is Rebounding Kim Jong-un's Image
Isolationism, Sanctions, Coercion, Hostages and Dictatorship in North Korea - english.hani.co.kr: "Roland B. Wilson is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University focusing on East Asia conflicts, diplomacy, peace and humanitarian issues.
For about 27 years, he worked and extensively wrote on Asia Pacific and Northeast Asian military, foreign policy, public diplomacy and conflict issues as both a former Marine and U.S. Government worker." Wilson image from entry
RELATED ITEMS
Rising tide of US isolationism on display in House hearing on Syria (+video)- Rand Paul, a leading figure of the new isolationism who opposed a Senate committee resolution Wednesday authorizing the use of force, says the US has no vital security interests in Syria - Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor
Should We Fall Again for ‘Trust Me’? - Ray McGovern, consortiumnews.com: Forgetting lessons from the Tonkin Gulf to the Iraq War, the U.S. news media has mostly elbowed past doubts about whether the Syrian government launched the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack and now
is focused on the political drama of congressional approval for war, a big mistake says ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern. Image from
Syrian War Propaganda Primer - Garland Favorito, opednews.com: If you have turned on either CNN or FNN lately you have probably noticed that commentators on every program are vehemently attempting to push America into waging a war against Syria. They repeatedly claim that the Syrian government used chemical weapons to attack their citizens on August 21 but cannot seem to provide even 5 seconds of evidence to support the claim. This should be a red flag to anyone who remembers what we went through with this same scenario of unproven claims against Iraq ten years ago.
CNN Caught Staging News Segments on Syria With Actors - friendsofsyria.co: The primary “witness” that the mainstream media is using as a source in
Assad’s Inevitable Propaganda Victory - Hassan Mneimneh, blog.gmfus.org: With suggestions by his administration that a U.S. response will be inevitable and forceful, Obama has already raised expectations among Syrian rebels and their supporters — expectations that he is both unwilling and unable to meet. The letdown may result in more frustration, new accusations of broken promises, and the further erosion of the United States’ standing in the region. In trying to mitigate the rebels’ irrational exuberance, Obama may have swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction, giving advance notice to the Assad regime and its backers of the limited scope of likely U.S. operation.
The expectation of limited damage effectively voids the punitive potential of any military response. Damascus, on the other hand, is poised to declare victory irrespective of what happens. If limited U.S.-led military strikes do take place, the regime will claim victory in repelling foreign aggression and foiling the West’s plans. Assad’s propaganda machine is already setting the stage for this narrative by suggesting that a full scale invasion is in the works. Worse, if a strike does not happen, the regime will boast of its deterrence power and declare the end of U.S. hegemony. Rather than being punished for its lethal use of chemical weapons against its own civilians, the Assad regime is almost guaranteed to achieve a propaganda victory. Obama has fallen into a trap. Image from entry
Nazi-Style Propaganda from the Obama Administration - Keith Davies, shoebat.com: Watching the
the use of weapons of mass destruction by the accused party. “Undeniable evidence” has not been shown to us just as the Nazis trumped up lies against
Making the case against Syria: President Obama was right to seek Congress' approval on taking military action. But he also must ensure that any such mission remains limited - Editorial, latimes: We agree with Obama that convincing proof of widespread use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government justifies a military response — designed not to overthrow Assad but to punish him for defying a century-old understanding about the particular abhorrence of chemical weapons. But we were critical of the president for his seeming indifference to the importance of obtaining assent from Congress for military actions that do not address an imminent threat to the United States. Obama has now rectified that flaw in his approach.
Arm and Shame - Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times: The best response to the use of poison gas by President Bashar al-Assad is not a cruise missile attack on Assad’s forces, but an increase in the training and arming of the Free Syrian Army — including the antitank and antiaircraft weapons it’s long sought. But our response must not stop there. We need to use every diplomatic tool we have to shame Assad, his wife, Asma, his murderous brother Maher and every member of his cabinet or military whom we can identify as being involved in this gas attack. We need to bring their names before the United Nations Security Council for condemnation. We need to haul them before the International Criminal Court.
Shadow of a Doubt - Maureen Dowd, New York Times: Our previous gigantic misreadings of the Middle East, and the treacherous job of fathoming which sides to support in the Arab uprisings — are the rebels in these countries the good guys or Al Qaeda sympathizers? — have left us literally gun shy.
Red Lines Matter - Roger Cohen, New York Times: American interests and values are aligned in requiring that Assad answer for his acts. Because Syrian diplomacy is now backed for the first time by the credible threat of force, it may even produce something over the next 10 days.
On Syria, a U.N. Vote Isn’t Optional - Oona A. Hathaway and Scott J. Shapiro, New York Times: If the United States begins an attack without Security Council authorization, it will flout the most fundamental international rule of all — the prohibition on the use of military force, for anything but self-defense, in the absence of Security Council approval.
This rule may be even more important to the world’s security — and America’s — than the ban on the use of chemical weapons. Image from entry
To bomb or not to bomb - Kathleen Parker, savannahnow.com: To the heart of the current Syria debate is whether a limited missile strike would make any difference. The near-unanimous opinion is not really. From the porches and stoops of America’s heartland to the marbled floors of the U.S. Capitol, the consensus is that a limited strike would aggravate matters and potentially lead to a catastrophic clash with global ramifications. How would that work for our credibility?
Obama seeks an accomplice for Syria action - George Will, Washington Post: Obama’s sanctimony about his moral superiority to a Congress he considers insignificant has matched his hypocrisy regarding his diametrically opposed senatorial and presidential understandings of the proper modalities regarding uses of military force. Now he asks from the Congress he disdains an authorization he considers superfluous. By asking, however reluctantly, he begins the urgent task of lancing the boil of executive presumption
Obama rolls the dice on Syria by asking Congress’s approval - Ruth Marcus, Washington Post: Barack Obama is betting his presidency on the hope of cooperation from an institution that he disdains and has proved incapable of taming. His roll-the-dice gamble for congressional go-ahead in Syria may well succeed. Still, the risk is enormous for Obama’s fraying credibility, and the implications are significant not only for the power of this president but for his successors.
Obama’s pathetic Syria strategy - Colbert I. King, Washington Post: Clearly, the president was not ready to do something in Syria before the chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21. Thus, he had nothing to tell or ask of Congress or the American people. Instead, he let things unfold in Syria, prepared apparently for nothing, including that August slaughter. Now, at the 11th hour, before the cruise missiles start flying, Obama is seeking a green light from Congress to use military force to prevent or deter Syria from using chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in the bloody two year conflict.
Obama complicates Syria response: Our view -- Request for congressional authorization of a limited, short-term response was unwarranted - Editorial, USA Today: Assuming Congress gives Obama the green light he seeks, he had better think through the endgame before he makes his next move.
The World Won't Leave the 'Garbo' President Alone: Mr. Obama may not want a part of the Syria war, but he can no longer view the conflict as containable - Michael Young, Wall Street Journal: Mr. Obama's Greta Garbo attitude toward Syria in the past two years—he longs to be left alone—has had the backing of a majority of Americans. However, this approval is built on a false premise that the conflict does not affect U.S. interests. The reality is that the myriad crises in the Middle East are linked, and they have affected or will affect America's allies in Turkey, Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Why Obama’s 'red line' is a poor excuse for war in Syria - Danny de Gracia, Washington Times: What proponents of war in Syria fail to recognize is that the red line won’t stop in Syria.
If a predictable assurance is set that the United States will, in fact, respond militarily to the use of chemical weapons, America is now on the hook to fight anywhere and everywhere. Image from article, with caption: America still has a chance to avert war with Syria.
Never Forget Vogue‘s Vile Propaganda for Syria’s Glamorous Monster: Last year, Claudia Rosett gave a memorable speech at the Walter Duranty Awards that's especially timely as the debate about war in Syria continues - David Swindle, pjmedia.com: The winner of last year’s Walter Duranty Award for Journalistic Mendacity, Vogue’s Joan Juliet Buck and Anna Wintour for their unconscionable article “Asma al-Assad: A Rose in the Desert.”
Hinderaker excerpts from Claudia Rosett’s speech, juxtaposing with the photos of John Kerry dining with the mass murderer. Vogue showcased as a breathless scoop a portrait of Syria’s ruling couple as a pair of classy and benevolent aristocrats; the kind of couple any self-respecting member of the global elite could admire and endorse without violating standards of either morality or the latest trends in Parisian footwear. Image from entry
Sullivan Report on Embassy Security Flaws Leaks Out — Uh-oh, It’s Not/Not Diplomatic – Domani Spero, DiploPundit: The NYT just reported that an independent review panel headed by Mark Sullivan, a former Secret Service director has concluded that with American embassies and consulates facing an increasing threat of terrorist attacks, the State Department office overseeing diplomatic security is mired in the agency’s sprawling bureaucracy and must be elevated in importance.
Al Manar: Hezbollah’s Television Propaganda Tool - Michael Rass, theworld.org: Hezbollah, the Shi’ite militia controling much of southern Lebanon, is listed as a terrorist organization by the US. There are currently Hezbollah fighters in Syria supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s troops in their attempt to crush the uprising there. Now, Hezbollah has its own TV channel Al Manar, and it looks pretty professional. But you wouldn’t mistake it for CNN.
Tomgram: Engelhardt, Alone and Delusional on Planet Earth - Tom Engelhardt,TomDispatch: Washington has proven incapable of grasping the idea that there might be forms of power, and so of resistance to American desires, not embodied in competitive states. From Latin America to the Greater Middle East, the American system is visibly weakening, while at home, inequality and poverty are on the rise, infrastructure crumbles, and national politics is in a state of permanent “gridlock.”
ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"Someone who has 500 friends, has no friends."
--Günter Grass
FOUND ON THE WEB
Panelists addressed the history of public diplomacy in each country, how it is defined and the socie [sic] - thiqktankurbande20.blogspot.com: "On May 30, 2012, 10:00AM to noon, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) at Brookings hosted a discussion examining the use of public diplomacy in Northeast Asia. Leading experts discussed the objectives, practices, opportunities and challenges in public diplomacy for China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Panelists addressed the history of public diplomacy in each country, how it is defined and the societal and governmental structures under which public diplomacy is practiced. They also discussed the public diplomacy goals and practices of each nation, offering suggestions for the enhancement of public diplomacy."
MODERN ART
--From
AMERICANA
McDonald's exploring changes to Dollar Menu - Candice Choi, AP, philly.com: McDonald's Corp. says a revamped version of its Dollar Menu that includes items priced at $5 could be launched nationally this year. The world's biggest hamburger chain says it has been testing versions of its famous value menu that's called "Dollar Menu & More" in five markets across the country.
The company noted that no official changes have yet been made to its current Dollar Menu, which was introduced more than a decade ago. The change would come after McDonald's unsuccessful attempt last year to get customers to switch from the Dollar Menu to a pricier "Extra Value Menu," which features items costing closer to $2. But after sales flagged, the company went back to aggressively touting its Dollar Menu in TV ads. If the new "Dollar Menu & More" is rolled out, the Extra Value Menu would be retired, said Neil Golden, chief marketing officer for McDonald's, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
MORE AMERICANA
--Image from, under the headline,"Queens Councilman Take Aim At Pooping Pigeons Along Sidewalks Under 7 Train"
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