September 18-20

"The State Department probably uses classical music because there aren't words attached [to] it. It's hard to be inflammatory when you're just playing piano pieces."

--Pianist Michael Sheppard, who won a classical fellowship with the American Pianists Assn. in 2003; the prize included a State Department-sponsored tour of Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Syria; image from

CULTURAL (AGRICULTURAL?) DIPLOMACY AT ITS BEST

Jazz for Cows; via SL

NEW BLOG OF INTEREST

BBG Watch; via

EVENT (from Facebook)

Reporter's Notebook from Afghanistan/ Media Development in Afghanistan: Mahtab Farid.

Location: National Press Club Building; Time: Wednesday, September 21 6:30pm - 7:30pm; Farid (center) image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Colton v. Clinton Goes to the Court of Appeals .... And Oh, Who Are We Going to See in Kabul Next, Wolf Blitzer? - Domani Spero, diplopundit.blogspot.com: "[T]here is no such thing as in the 'public interest' when it comes to midlevel public diplomacy professionals even with the State Department's persistent staffing gaps in that cone, and despite the turmoil in the large swath of the Middle East. As if to put emphasis on the notion of 'public interest,' (or lack thereof), which of course, the Director General of the Foreign Service and the State Department gets to interpret, just when and how that is at play -- we are happy to report that David Ensor, formerly of CNN and US Embassy Kabul and now of Voice of America has been replaced by former CNN/ABC correspondent Eileen O'Connor.

Yep, for the same position at the US Embassy in Kabul as Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy. See? Routine State Department job titles do not even cut the cake there. Via the Potomac Flacks: 'First reported in Politico’s 'Playbook', Eileen O’Connor has been named the new Communications Director and Director of Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, succeeding David Ensor. O’Connor is currently Counsel in the law firm McDermott, Will and Emery. She is a former CNN and ABC foreign correspondent, who over a 24-year career in journalism was based in London, Moscow, Tokyo and in Washington, DC. ... Like there isn't anyone in all of the State Department's career corps qualified to run the US Embassy Kabul's press shop? I'm curious just how much taxpayer money goes to this kind of 'public interest.' And who, pray tell are we going to see in Kabul next, Wolf Blitzer?" Blitzer satirical image from

How might Tea Partiers play the Mideast?‎ - Eric Davis, The Daily Star: "The Tea Party fails to appreciate the constraints that the economic crisis places on its deployment of hard power. It likewise has not realized the opportunities that soft power – public diplomacy, technical and educational support, and direct engagement of adversaries – offer for enhancing U.S. influence in the Middle East. ... If the Tea Partiers sincerely want to reduce the deficit, enhance American influence in the Middle East, and strengthen Israel, they must eschew basing foreign policy on Biblical injunctions, prescribing withdrawal, or, conversely, advocating the use of force as the principle tools in Washington’s foreign policy arsenal. Instead, expanding American technical assistance would better serve the region’s economic development, along with aid to improve education, health care, housing and agriculture. If it is based on local needs, such assistance could strengthen ties with the regions’ countries."

CAIR: U.S. Christian, Muslim Delegation Issues Statement on Effort to Free Iran Hikers - marketwatch.com: "A delegation of American Christian and Muslim leaders today issued a joint statement on their return to the United States after meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other officials in Iran to foster theological dialogue and to seek the release of hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal on humanitarian grounds. The delegation traveled to Iran on Monday, September 12, at the invitation of the Iranian president and after having briefed the Department of State and the hikers' families about the trip. ... Based on their visit,

delegation members stated that they would raise the issue of detained Iranian citizens with appropriate U.S. government officials with the hope that these conversations will address the circumstances of Iranian detainees in a similar spirit of compassion. 'We hope that this initiative becomes a positive example of religious public diplomacy that shows how nations and cultures can move away from confrontation and embrace cooperation and mutual understanding,' a member of the delegation said. 'We wish to express our gratitude for the hospitality and openness shown to our delegation by the Iranian government during our visit.'" Image from

VOA director David Ensor tells newsroom staff: "There are going to be some RIFs" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Mr. Ensor [VOA Director David Ensor] is not a political appointee. He is a civil servant. He really should know this. One of the main reasons for the International Broadcasting Act of 1994 was to depoliticize the hiring of the VOA director.

Formerly the VOA director was appointed by the president, sometimes with Senate consent. Now that position is filled by the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors. The only political appointees now in USIB are the BBG members and the IBB director (who refrains from decisions affecting content)." Ensor image from

BBG's Michael Meehan: "I could just resign and go home and move on to other things" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "[N]oteworthy from the 15 September BBG meeting...--Approval of the merger of BBG and IBB staffs under the IBB director. And approval of revised grant agreements (no specifics given) with the grantee organizations (RFE/RL, RFA, and MBN). --The BBG has created a Commission on Innovation, with members including James Montgomery of BBC Global News. --An FM relay (presumably for Radio Sawa) will be set up in Benghazi, Libya, after the transmitter was held up for three weeks by Egyptian customs. An FM relay transmitter in Tripoli, Libya, will follow. --A 'direct-to-home' satellite feed for VOA and RFA Mandarin will be established on Telstar 18, the "number one ranked" satellite in China. The feed will consist of audio and still visuals, some of which will display the URLs of proxy servers to allow access to the VOA and RFA websites. --USIB news

bureaus will be consolidated. This includes VOA and MBN in New York, London, Cairo, and Jerusalem. VOA and RFE/RL 'are working towards' co-locating in Moscow in 2012. VOA and RFA 'are working towards co-locating in places such as Bangkok.' Governor Victor Ashe mentioned that RFA was subject to a drive-by shooting in Phnom Penh, and the VOA office in Phnom Penh, a mile away, knew nothing about it. --A consultant will look into the consolidation of USIB. --MBN president Brian Coniff reported that a new survey in Egypt shows the Alhurra audience has doubled to nearly eight million." Image from

Some history of radio listening in China, including to the "cheeky, slightly salacious" BBC and VOA - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Image from article

U.S. to buy Georgia: Why? - Oleg Malyshko, therearenosunglasses.wordpress.com: "[S]ince 2002, NATO has in cooperation with local Georgian non-governmental organizations and government agencies a variety of activities, including seminars, conferences and workshops. Organized every year, 'NATO Week' and summer schools, to establish communication with the young audience. Regularly group leaders, opinion-makers in Georgia,

are invited to visit the headquarters of NATO and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and to hear reports of 'the Alliance' and the staff of the Alliance regularly travel to Georgia and appear at public events. With the support of NATO Public Diplomacy in Georgia was established Information Centre of the Alliance, which plays a major role in the dissemination of information required the U.S.. Thus, Washington, in spite of the huge foreign debt and budget deficit, investing generously in Georgia instead of huge funds for specific political dividends." Uncaptioned image from article

Will Durban III Protest Video Succeed Like Danny Ayalon's Clips?‎ - Tamar Yonah, Arutz Sheva: "Pro-Israel activists have launched an information-packed public diplomacy video [included in entry] three days ahead of a major pro-Israel rally for September 21, when the UN is expected to vote on the Palestinian Authority bid for statehood. At least 15,000 are expected to attend. ... It remains to be seen whether the graphically sophisticated video can outperform or come close to the clear, informative, non-gimmicky clips released by the Foreign Ministry starring Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon who uses a personal approach – The Truth about the West Bank, which has received close to 400,000 views, and The Truth about the Peace Process, which has topped 120,000 views in less than a week. By far the most successful Israeli public diplomacy video to date was 'We Con the World,' privately

produced by satirical website Latma, which has garnered millions of views." Image from

El Al flight crews enlisted for Israeli PR work in North America: New project encourages national carrier flight staff to engage in public diplomacy efforts in three North American cities served by the airline - New York, Los Angeles and Toronto - Zohar Blumenkrantz, Ha'aretz: "Israel advocacy organizations have enlisted an unexpected group of citizen diplomats in the form of El Al pilots and flight attendants

who will give talks about Israel when they are abroad. The new project, known as Blue and White El Al Ambassadors, was formally launched over the weekend at Yeshiva University in New York. It is being sponsored by the Jewish Agency, the Stand With Us advocacy organization and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The program will include appearances - in the form of formal lectures and more informal meetings - by flight crew members at universities and in the Jewish communities of these cities. The deputy CEO for services at

El Al, Yehudit Grisaro, and Alon Portman, the missions director at the Jewish Agency, who is managing the new program, said hundreds of El Al pilots and flight attendants had offered to participate in the program as volunteers. The program is selecting those most suitable for the activity based on their ability to express themselves and represent what Grisaro and Portman called 'the beautiful, positive apolitical face of the State of Israel.' In recent months, the new El Al 'ambassadors' have undergone intensive training by staff of the sponsoring organizations."  Top image from; below image from article 

A new paradigm - Ghassan Khatib, Media Monitors Network: "With this week's start of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, the Palestinian leadership can rightly say that it has begun to reap fruit from its decision to take the Palestinian cause to the international community. ... As a result of this Palestinian decision, the dominant members of the world community are now engaged in finding ways to contribute to resuming a meaningful peace process and removing some of its obstacles. This is at the heart of the Palestinian objective. Further, a fresh and vital public debate is now underway--through the media, from commentators or in the arena of public diplomacy--another desirable outcome that is already bearing fruit."

Public diplomacy to improve China's image in the world‎ - People's Daily Online: "The 2011 Forum on Public Diplomacy and 4th Diplomats Forum was held in Beijing on Sept. 17 at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. The theme of discussion -- Opportunities and Challenges -- centered on China’s public diplomacy evolvement on the ever-changing international stage. More than 100 scholars and researchers from all walks of the society including government departments, colleges, diplomats, enterprises, mass media, and academic researchers of foreign affairs attended the symposium. The forum was divided into three sessions: 'Government and Public Diplomacy: Innovation of Traditional Diplomatic Policies', 'Culture Going Global and Public Diplomacy: Dialogue Between Civilizations and International Discourse Power', and 'Enterprises Going Global and Public Diplomacy: Brand Shaping and National Image'. The Report on Chinese Public Diplomacy Research, done by the Center for Public Diplomacy Studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University,

was also released at the forum. ... 'We should make full use of public diplomacy resources through various means to form a joint force of public diplomacy, which is coordinated with government diplomacy. We will also do our best in foreign affairs to help the people, politicians, media all over the world have a timely, accurate, objective and comprehensive understanding of a growing and strengthening China,' said Yu Hongjun, Vice Minister of the International Department of CPC Central Committee." Image from

Why Bangladesh Should Recognize Kosovo? - Behar Xharra, The CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "This article was sent to us by Behar Xharra. It was originally printed and circulated in local newspapers in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

It is an example of the type of public diplomacy Kosovo is conducting toward foreign publics." Xharra image from article

Media and Visit Officer, The British Consulate-General in Guangzhou - chinadevelopmentbrief.cn: "Position Open to: Chinese Nationals and British Nationals with 'W' visa or ability to obtain work visa (The Consulate will provide the necessary document)... This job offers the successful candidate an excellent opportunity to develop their communicating and influencing skills, manage high profile events and visits, set out a strategic direction for Posts’ public diplomacy engagement and gain an understanding of the breadth of the BCG’s work."

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Forest Hills Jazz Musician To Tour South And Central Asia‎ - Western Queens Gazette: "Forest Hills resident Paul Beaudry, member of the jazz group Paul Beaudry and Pathways will soon tour as a musical ambassador to South and Central Asia on behalf of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad. The jazz group was selected from applications by more than 100 ensembles to travel abroad and encourage mutual respect and understanding. Beaudry and his group will tour Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and India.

International tour activities will include public concerts, master classes, lecture demonstrations, workshops, jam sessions, collaborations with local musicians and media outreach. The Rhythm Road is a cultural diplomacy program produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center in partnership with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Each year, it sends 10 ensembles specializing in jazz, blues, urban and hip-hop and other types of American music to tour the world. Since 2005, 155 musicians from 40 ensembles have toured with the program, visiting over 100 countries on five continents." Image from

Trey McIntyre Project receives $450000 ArtPlace Grant - Dana Oland, The Idaho Statesman: "TMP has been on quite a ride lately. The ArtPlace grant [ArtPlace is a new public-private consortium made up of leading national foundations, such as Ford, Andrew W. Mellon and Rockefeller, and federal agencies pulled together by Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts] comes on the heels of a $15,000 grant from the City of Boise last week to extend the dance company’s Cultural Ambassador title, and a $100,000 NEA 'Our Town' grant in July, intended to spur creative 'placemaking.'

Placemaking is an arts-world buzz word that refers to the way art reflects its environment, and visa versa. In 2012, TMP will embark on its U.S. Cultural Ambassadorship, touring China, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines as part of DanceMotion USA, a cultural diplomacy project by U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The end result of that will bring dancers from those countries to Boise to create a new ballet." Uncaptioned image from article

Cultural Exchange: The diplomatic view of classical music -- State Department cables released by WikiLeaks offer sometimes-vivid glimpses into cultural diplomacy involving musical performances abroad - latimes.com: "Classical music is mentioned most often when the diplomat is discussing an individual's openness to Western culture, his level of sophistication and the cultural health of a region in transition. It is surprising to discover how classical music performances are used to introduce foreign audiences to American culture.

An explanation comes from pianist Michael Sheppard, who won a classical fellowship with the American Pianists Assn. in 2003. The prize included a State Department-sponsored tour of Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Syria, which led to Sheppard's name showing up in a cable. 'The State Department probably uses classical music because there aren't words attached it,' he said. 'It's hard to be inflammatory when you're just playing piano pieces.'" Image from article

Our View - Humanities have a role to play in times of instability‎ - Iowa City Press Citizen: "Before he helped spearhead the 2008 drive to have UNESCO recognize Iowa City as one of a handful of international Cities of Literature, Christopher Merrill served as the principal author of a 2005 report for U.S. Department of State -- a report that documented how the U.S. could improve its complicated and inconsistent history regarding whether to include cultural efforts in its diplomatic arsenal. Titled 'Cultural Diplomacy: The Lynchpin of Public Diplomacy,' the report stated, 'When our nation is at war, every tool in the diplomatic kit bag is employed, including the promotion of cultural activities. But when peace returns, culture gets short shrift because of our traditional lack of public support for the arts. Now that we are at war again, interest in cultural diplomacy is on the rise. Perhaps this time we can create enduring structures within which to practice effective cultural diplomacy and articulate a sustaining vision of the role that culture can play in enhancing the security of the country.' It's not surprising then, that Merrill's new book, 'The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War,' represents the latest effort by the director of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program to ensure that -- contrary to Plato's suggestion -- poets are allowed to work alongside philosophers and politicians when addressing the many problems that plague our world. ... [R]eaders will find that 'The Tree of the Doves' provides ample evidence for why, earlier this summer, Merrill was nominated by President Obama to serve on the National Council of the Humanities."

South Korean maestro conducts orchestras in North Korea amid signs of easing tension - Associated Press, washingtonpost.com: "North Korea says a prominent South Korean maestro has conducted two orchestras in the North in a sign of easing tensions between the countries. Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra chief Chung Myung-whun flew to North Korea on Monday to discuss musical programs for children there. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Chung watched and conducted performances of the State Symphony Orchestra and the Unhasu Orchestra."

DPP lawmakers question Ma on policy failures - taipeitimes.com: "Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators accused President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) over the weekend of lacking sincerity, saying he only knew how to talk about his accomplishments while failing to apologize for his policy shortcomings. ... The Ma administration

also said it would set aside NT$10 billion annually for the Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Fund of Taiwan and NT$5 billion for the establishment of a cultural diplomacy foundation, but both promises have not been fulfilled, they said." Ma Ying-jeou image from

Grayson Perry: How I went behind the scenes at the British Museum‎ -- Turner prize-winning transvestite potter Grayson Perry long cherished an ambition to show his own art – his own 'civilisation', as he calls it – alongside the great ancient civilisations of the world – but little dreamed the British Museum would agree to his proposal… - guardian.co.uk: "I was interested in what a museum such as the Met or the British Museum means, as a hub of learning, a world of wonder, a tourist magnet, a tool of cultural diplomacy, a site of pilgrimage, a place to take the kids on a wet bank holiday.

I wanted to find out how the context of such an august institution affected the audience's reaction to my art. So I sent a proposal to Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum. I suggested a show presenting my civilisation alongside objects I would select from the museum collection. I called my idea The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, a title that could perhaps be applied to the whole museum because, after all, tombs are where a large proportion of the BM's collection came from. I also wanted to celebrate the countless anonymous men and women who have crafted the marvels in the collection." Image from article, with caption: Grayson Perry, as Claire, outside the British Museum in London, ahead of his show The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman."

NZSO announces new CEO‎ - Tom Fitzsimons, The Dominion Post: "Mr Blake is one of the longest-serving chief executives in the public service. Before heading the Labour Department, he also had stints in charge of the Internal Affairs Department, the National Library and the former Cultural Affairs Ministry.

Mr Blake takes over the NZSO [New Zealand Symphony Orchestra] next February from current chief executive Peter Wells. While he was reluctant to spell out goals for his tenure, he wanted to see the orchestra continue to play New Zealand music – and do more international tours. 'Doing the sort of tour that happened last year, it's important culturally, it's important artistically, but it also has some much wider benefits, I think, in terms of cultural diplomacy.'" Image from article, with caption: Christopher Blake, currently head of the Labour Department, will take over as chief executive of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra from February next year.

Art Institute exhibit sheds light on USSR role in World War II - Terrie Albano, Chicago Independent Examiner: "In the wake of the Nazi invasion, Soviet artists immediately took up their paint brushes and pencils to mobilize the public to fight for the 'Motherland,' and 'save humanity.' This collective of writers and artists, working for the Soviet Union's news agency TASS, created more than 1,200 storefront window-sized posters,

nearly one for every day of the war. ... The Tass posters were sent out to cultural institutions in Allied countries to build support for the Soviet war effort and cultural diplomacy. One of the recipients was the Art Institute [in Chicago]. Apparently most of the posters were stashed away in a closet, until their discovery 13 years ago. This is the first time they can be viewed since the war. Image from article, with caption: One of the 250 TASS posters on exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago

Nigeria: 'We Want to Make Tourism a Major Contributor to GDP'‎ - AllAfrica.com: "Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Reorientation,

High Chief Edem Duke, found time out of his busy schedule to have a down-to-earth chat with Demola Ojo on issues confronting the sector, and sought more interest and support from all stakeholders . ... The minister revealed some of the plans he has to place Nigeria at the forefront of the tourism market. ... He continued by sharing some facts. 'Do you know that Barbados was founded by a freed Nigerian slave? That is cultural diplomacy waiting for us there. Today, the official residence of the prime minister has a Nigerian name. Nigerians don't need a visa to go there. They are asking for (Nigerian) TV content for the Broadcasting Organisation of the Caribbean. They are desperate to connect with us,' he revealed." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

America's costly war machine: Fighting the war on terror compromises the economy now and threatens it in the future - Linda J. Bilmes and Joseph E. Stiglitz, latimes.com: Ten years into the war on terror, the U.S. has largely succeeded in its attempts to destabilize Al Qaeda and eliminate its leaders. But the cost has been enormous,

and our decisions about how to finance it have profoundly damaged the U.S. economy. Many of these costs were unnecessary. Image from article, with caption: Wounded soldiers attend the opening of the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas on January 29, 2007. To date, the United States has spent more than $2.5 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. See also

Obama’s Arc of Instability: Destabilizing the World One Region at a Time - Nick Turse, TomDispatch: It’s a story that should take your breath away: the destabilization of what, in the Bush years, used to be called “the arc of instability.” It involves at least 97 countries, across the bulk of the global south, much of it coinciding with the oil heartlands of the planet. A startling number of these nations are now in turmoil, and in every single one of them -- from Afghanistan and Algeria to Yemen and Zambia -- Washington is militarily involved, overtly or covertly, in outright war or what passes for peace. After decades of overt and covert U.S. interventions in arc states, including the last 10 years of constant warfare, most are still poor, underdeveloped, and seemingly even more unstable.

Ron Paul's Fantasy Empire: The presidential hopeful says the U.S. occupies too many countries with too many troops—130 countries to be exact. It's a respectable argument, but is it true? - Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal: The Pentagon's 2010 Base Structure Report notes that the U.S. maintains a total of 662 bases abroad. But of those, only 20 were listed as "large sites" and another 12 as "medium sites."

The rest (630) were listed as either "small" or "other" sites. That's one reason the total number of bases changes from year to year. Then there's Mr. Paul's line about U.S. forces being "in 130 countries." Really? The truth is that American soldiers are in even more countries than that—but only if you count the small Marine detachments that provide security for our embassies world-wide. By that measure, we're in every country from Albania, where we have eight Marines, to Zimbabwe, where we have nine. In fact, according to figures compiled by the Defense Manpower Data Center, as of September 2010 the bulk of U.S. forces deployed overseas (not including those on ships or in transit) are stationed in just seven countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Germany, the U.K. and Italy, all of which are home to at least 9,000 troops. Aside from Afghanistan and Iraq (which may soon drop off that list) all of these are World War II and Cold War legacies. Another five countries—Spain, Turkey, Belgium (the headquarters of NATO), Bahrain and Djibouti—have between 1,000 and 1,500 troops. The next largest deployments are Portugal (703), Qatar (555) Honduras (403) and Greece (338). Image from

Western Media Involved in "Black Propaganda" Campaigns in Middle East - Global Research: Dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy, Igor Panarin,

on Saturday said the BBC channel plays the role of a Trojan horse by dilapidating the Middle East and subverting the civilized secular states in order to divide the Arab countries, let in the elements of terrorism and ignite deadly civil wars in them. He cited the BBC, Wikileaks website and other known satellite channels, which used social networking sites such as the Facebook in launching black propaganda campaigns to incite events in Syria and Libya, confirming the fabricated and illusive nature of the photos taken of certain events which were screened on those channels as if they really took place in the two countries. Image from

NATO psyop now telling Libyan airport and seaport authorities to get back to work - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Chinese TV News Reveals Regime’s Internet Commentator Training - theepochtimes.com: A Chinese TV news report unwittingly revealed how the communist regime’s Propaganda Department trains its army of paid Internet commentators, notoriously known as “50-cent-party,” to shape public opinion on the Internet. On Sept. 8, Xishui TV, a local station in Hubei Province, reported a training

conducted by the Xishui County Propaganda Department for spokespersons from various work units and all Internet commentators in the county. The purpose of the training, according to the report, was to continuously improve the skills of spokespersons and Internet commentators and to enable them to respond to a public crisis as well as guide public opinion in a “constructive way.” Image from article, with caption: A TV broadcast in mainland China unexpectedly revealed how the Propaganda Department trains Internet commentators to shape public opinion.

Propaganda, war, and the truth about Rommel‎: He's been described the acceptable face of the Nazis. But that image comes under attack in a German film - Tony Paterson, The Independent: A new film about Germany's "chivalrous" Second World War commander, Erwin Rommel has provoked furious criticism from members of his family who claim that its authors portray the "Desert Fox" as an unscrupulous Nazi war criminal who was a favourite of Adolf Hitler.

As the head of the German army's elite Afrika Korps, Rommel won fame and popularity for his military successes against the British in North Africa. Initially admired by Hitler, he was widely respected both during and after the war. Even Winston Churchill once called him a "great general." Rommel image from article

AMERICANA

A future for drones: Automated killing - Peter Finn, Washington Post: This successful exercise in autonomous robotics could presage the future of the American way of war:

a day when drones hunt, identify and kill the enemy based on calculations made by software, not decisions made by humans. Imagine aerial “Terminators,” minus beefcake and time travel. Image from article

America’s Internet service slips to #25 worldwide - Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing: "Welcome to America, the country with the 25th fastest

Internet service in the world, just behind Romania, and falling fast. The culprit? Hard to say, but maybe it's got something to do with the FCC's abolition of any sort of competitive markets for Internet service in the USA? Well, I'm sure it'll be fine -- after all, why would Internet access have any effect on national competitiveness, industry, jobs, health, education, civic engagement, and so forth?"  Image from