How we misunderstand terrorism: The only way to defeat terrorism is to release preconceived notions of its causes - Adam Garfinkle, Foreign Policy Research Institute. The U.S. has botched public diplomacy in the Middle East over the past six years. We should have been quietly networking traditional Muslim intellectuals and clerics to help them articulate that terrorism is morally wrong. In an absentminded fit of post-Cold War economizing, Congress destroyed the institution arguably best suited for the purpose -- the United States Information Agency -- and tried unsuccessfully to stuff its remains into the Department of State. One solution would be to re-establish USIA, but a new public-private partnership of some kind is probably the better way to go.
2008 International Relations - Rocky Mountain Roundtable: 2008 Roundtable Part 1: Roundtable Topic - Enhancing America’s Reputation in the World. This roundtable explores steps a new Administration can pursue to enhance public diplomacy and rebuild America’s reputation in the world. Participants: Tom Brokaw, Madeleine Albright, Richard Haas, Amb. Richard Holbrooke, Jessica Mathews, Vin Weber.
Exploring Sarah Palin’s Worldview - Melinda Brouwer, Foreign Policy Association: Public Diplomacy and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election: Now that the news of the Republican vp candidate is beginning to sink in, the international voices are beginning to chime in.
Miljarden voor een 'war of ideas'? - Anneke van Ammelrooy, De nieuwe reporter: Deals with US public diplomacy. Mention of James Glassman, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
Coming to America isn’t easy - Stefan, I live here now, Sights, sounds, and stories from an expat: The travel industry is lobbying fiercely for passage of a bill, the Travel Promotion Act of 2007. The bill has run into opposition from conservatives who argue that America’s tourism giants -- from Disney and Marriott to Hilton and American Express -- can pay for their own promotion. The counter-argument: This is not only about money, it is also about public diplomacy, winning foreign hearts and minds by showing them the wonders of America.
The Dutch Connection - Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, Countercurrents.org: When on March 31, 1949, VOA launched its first Farsi program, Harry Truman praised it and said that he hoped it would help facilitate greater understanding between Iran and America and promote prosperity and peace. His successor, Eisenhower, used it for covert operations to undermine the nationalist Mohammad Mossadeq in a CIA-backed coup. Today, Iranians are not affected by propaganda.
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Mosaic: The DNC as Seen From the Arab World - Truthdig: Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as his running mate sent a clear and unpleasant message to the Arab world, as did the absence of former President Jimmy Carter from the lineup of speakers at the Denver convention last week.Why America needs a post-Bush makeover: The U.S. has lost many of its natural supporters and allies in recent years. Here are six changes that would help - Bronwen Maddox, The Times (London): It seems just as presumptuous to advise a superpower on how to repair its world image and restore its influence abroad when it doesn't recognise the conversation. Bush Administration officials, and many of its citizens, have often made clear that they don't give a damn what others think.
Ending Tyranny: The Past and Future of an Idea - John Gaddis, The American Interest. Promoting democracy without its prerequisites can only breed disappointment abroad and disillusionment at home. It suggests that we think we know better than other people do what is best for them -- and it too often confirms that we do not. It leaches legitimacy from our priorities.
Russia's propaganda warfare - William Horsley, BBC News: Western leaders face two fronts in their stand-off with Russia over its use of force to re-draw borders in Europe: one is the Russian army on the ground. The other is a propaganda war.
Kremlin Makes Its Case With Tskhinvali Tour - Anna Smolchenko, Moscow Times. As international sentiment grew in Tbilisi's favor, the Kremlin mounted its own campaign of informational warfare.
Putin’s Useful Idiots - Stephen Brown, FrontPageMagazine.com: While Russia is brutally annexing its neighbors and still killing its opponents at home, the international community is now witness to the reemergence of a Cold War relic: the Western apologist for Russian aggression once known as the “useful idiot.” Although the Soviet government held these sympathizers in contempt, they parroted its propaganda with the enthusiasm of true believers. Now they’re back.
Georgia’s influence peddlers in Washington - Wayne Madsen, Online Journal: The Georgians, in addition to their congressional caucus, influence American policy through the Georgian Association, billed as the “oldest organization in the U.S. representing the Georgian American community.”
Schoolgirl with 25 snails on her face - boingboing
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