January 20

"Information is not power. ... Information is just, well, noise."

--Russell B, as stated in his blog: "Dad, freeway faculty, Iraq vet, composer of grouchy letters to the editor, Pamplona mozo. Catapulting the propaganda since 2001"; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Xi's visit to promote public diplomacy - Cheng Guangjin, China Daily: "Vice-President Xi Jinping's trip to the United States this year is expected to be an opportunity to further promote public diplomacy between the two countries, as more US citizens have positive views on China, a US embassy spokesman said on Thursday. Richard Buangan, press secretary of the US embassy in China, said preparations are being made for Xi's visit, which will hopefully be announced soon. Buangan didn't confirm specific dates for the visit. Buangan said it's important to 'keep in mind the public diplomacy aspect of a leader's visit', which is 'one of the best ways for both sides to understand each other'. Speaking at a news conference with video links connecting Chinese journalists from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou - cities where the US has embassies and consulates - Buangan said the US also wants to promote bilateral ties outside those areas. 'We seek to send teams of American diplomats to help the provinces, in the smaller second- and third- tier cities, to provide education and cultural exchanges, so that the Chinese living in these cities can also experience the positive aspects

of China-US relations' he said. ... In the 2010-11 academic year, nearly 160,000 Chinese students were studying in the US, up 23 percent from the previous year, making them the largest group of overseas students studying in the US. Statistics show that Chinese travelers spend an average of $6,000 while in the US. US Ambassador to China Gary Locke has made facilitating the US visa application process a priority as he recognizes the importance of welcoming Chinese visitors. US President Barack Obama has also initiated the 100,000-strong initiative, which seeks to bring more than 100,000 US students to China in the next five years. 'That's what contributes to mutual understanding in people-to-people dialogue,' Bungan said." Locke family image from

Inaugural Meeting of Secretary Clinton's International Council on Women's Business Leadership - Media Note, Office of the Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State: "On Tuesday, January 24th, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the first meeting of the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership at the State Department in Washington, D.C.

The meeting can be viewed via live webcast on the Internet at http://www.state.gov/e/eb/adcom/icwbl/. ... For more information about the Council, please contact the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau’s Senior Coordinator for Economic Policy & Public Diplomacy, Nancy Smith-Nissley, at smith-nissleyn@state.gov or Office of Press Relations, U.S. Department of State (202) 647-2492." Image from

Peace Through Superior Crunk - russellburgos.com: "[Joseph] Nye and other proponents of 'soft power' have gone to great lengths to try clearly defining the concept, but from my point of view they haven't been entirely successful. I appreciate the point that if the U.S. 'lives up to its values,' other countries might be more likely to adopt policies consistent with U.S. interests, but soft power has come to mean far more than simply 'walking the walk.' Indeed, Nye himself has helped expand the concept's purview by linking it to what has come to be called 'public diplomacy.' Public diplomacy, a term that practitioners adopted to distinguish themselves from propagandists (though it is by no means clear that the distinction is either functionally tenable or intellectually valid), is often held to represent the 'exercising' of 'soft power.'

In a 2008 article entitled, 'Public Diplomacy: Sunrise of an Academic Field,' Bruce Gregory defined public diplomacy as 'a communication instrument used in governance broadly defined,' one that describes ways and means by which states, associations of states, and nonstate actors understand cultures, attitudes, and behavior; build and manage relationships; and influence opinions and actions to advance their interests and values.' ... I'm dubious of the proposition that the United States can achieve its goals -- indeed, that it can achieve any goals -- through the exercise of 'soft power.' Whatever face we put on Uncle Sam's image, in many parts of the world the U.S. may well prove to be the diplomatic equivalent of the New Coke. They may love our flava, but when they find out who we are they'll reject us because we're supposed to be the Old U.S. -- the one so easy to hate." Image from

Leave USTR Alone, Consolidation is Not the Answer - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: "Attrition at USIA [United States Information Agency] was huge after the merger with State 12 years ago: the two cultures were night and day and the pachyderm, as expected, rolled over the mouse. If I remember correctly a good 25% of the very experienced staff was gone within two years. The State Department made a travesty of public diplomacy expertise from day one – so it’s no wonder. As a consequence, the US government lacks a nimble, coordinated agency designed to improve America’s image abroad. Instead, the current operation resembles a pair of torn jeans with a few shiny new colorful patches sewn on and a strong Pentagon tilt. Because State was so ineffective after 9/11, most public diplomacy funds went to the can-do Pentagon. But here’s one little problem: selling America abroad works far better when this country’s interface with foreigners is undertaken by civilians and our tanks, uniforms and battleships are kept in mothballs - or at least over the horizon. Even Madeleine Albright, a chief proponent of the ill-fated consolidation has been heard to question whether the whole consolidation affair wasn’t a mistake. Yes, Madeleine. It was. Hindsight is often better than foresight. History is not dead and the US still needs a flexible governmental organization along USIA’s lines to tend this country’s image throughout much of the troubled world."

The Rodney Dangerfield of Foreign Policy - Bill Kiehl, Public Diplomacy Council: "'I ain't got no respect.' That was the tag line of the popular comedian of the late 20th century Rodney Dangerfield. Regrettably, the late Mr. Dangerfield's line is perfectly applicable to today's Public Diplomacy. After all, the only government entity that kept an eye on USG public diplomacy was de-funded and de-authorized in the 2012 budget. Was there a hue and cry about this quasi-accidental elimination of a low cost citizen's commission whose antecedents date from the immediate post WWII era and whose members in years past have included some of America's leading corporate and media figures?

Nope. Not from the Department of State for sure since they have always considered the Advisory Commission unnecessary and unwanted. The State Department never has welcomed advice from outside it own narrow ranks. Nor from the Congress, which is more concerned with saving $135,000 by eliminating this group and the bipartisan commission's 'advice' while ignoring the billions of dollars slipping through their fingers in other programs. The White House could apparently care less too. Why should they show any interest in a commision to which they have not even bothered to nominate anyone. Three of the members of the now defunct Advisory Commision are still on extensions of their expired terms dating as far back as 1997!" Image from article

America's public diplomacy that kills... ...especially if you happen to be Pakistani - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "[Re] the assassination of a Pakistani reporter [in Pakistan] ... The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility and 'warned that others would be targets in the future.' Why did they kill him? He was working for Voice of America - rather, for VOA's Pashto-language Deewa Radio station, to be more precise. In short, he collaborated with the Americans - he did the dangerous yet the unwanted job on the ground to promote American interests. So, he was killed, and what did he get? A three-paragraph press release from the US Embassy, a statement from the Broadcasting Board of Governors from faraway Washington, and an article in the New York Times. Nothing from the State Department itself - not even on its much promoted blog - and worst of all, nothing in the mainstream American media (with the exception of the NYT, of course). ... This brings up a whole range of issues that should be discussed pertaining to this situation. I don't even know where to begin: America's misguided public diplomacy in one of the most critical parts of the world, complete disregard for the sensitivities of those affected, the totally oblivious American public which doesn't even get the opportunity to hear about these brave men (yes, mostly) who risk and lose their lives for what are essentially American interests... Perhaps the greatest irony in it all is that there still is a strong belief in that feeding information or dollars to the local population will help the U.S. win over their hearts and minds. Somehow, people should forget the random shootings, nightly drone attacks, disgusting soldiers urinating on dead bodies, the very presence of a foreign force... and buy into VOA's message."

The Future of U.S. International Broadcasting: A Call for Debate on its Mission and Funding - Alex Belida, MountainRunner: "With the 70th anniversary of the Voice of America approaching (Feb. 1st), it is an ideal time to assess the future prospects for U.S. International Broadcasting (USIB). ... [T]o enhance a mission of accurate, objective and comprehensive journalism, it is time to remove USIB altogether from government control and funding. I propose that a new entity be created, call it Radio-TV-America.

It would be a private corporation. Its CEO would be selected for a five year term, renewable one time only, by the Deans of the country’s leading graduate schools of journalism. ... [L]et us have a serious and more meaningful debate on the mission of USIB and whether it should be removed from government control." Belida image from

Broadcasting board seeks restructuring of management, networks - Charles S. Clark, govexec.com: "The Broadcasting Board of Governors proposes to conserve resources by reorganizing to trim overlap in its management of U.S. international broadcasting, the board announced Wednesday. Summarizing a resolution passed at the board's Jan. 13 meeting, Chairman Walter Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and author, said, 'the board is ready to strengthen U.S. international broadcasting in part by freeing up resources locked up in inefficient and duplicative administrative structures and reinvesting in programming. This is a historic agreement by the board to streamline international broadcasting into one great organization focused on quality journalism with many brands and many divisions but unified as one organization.' The board is preparing draft legislation that would establish a chief executive officer to serve as a central day-to-day manager while consolidating the agency's three nonfederal broadcast networks: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. It also would repeal a long-standing prohibition on domestic broadcasting of programming that, though adhering to journalistic standards, is designed to be consistent with U.S. foreign policy aims. The broadcasting board, an independent body of appointees from both political parties, also supervises the federal Voice of America and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Marti).

It has a budget of nearly $750 million and oversees producers who use multimedia to broadcast news, debate and cultural programming in 58 languages. ... Former VOA employees now working for the nongovernmental Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting criticized the plan. 'Defederalization of the Voice of America would weaken its pro-human rights impact abroad and make it less representative of the views and values of American citizens,' wrote committee leaders Ted Lipien and Ana Noonan. 'Centralization of management controls over the surrogate broadcasters could hamper their ability to specialize in human rights reporting and divert resources from those who are the most knowledgeable about the countries and regions to which they broadcast.' Matt Armstrong, who recently left as executive director of the defunded U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, told Government Executive that 'the efficiencies the BBG is seeking are long overdue.'" Image from article, with caption: Board chairman Walter Isaacson called the plan "a historic agreement by the board to streamline international broadcasting into one great organization."

Radio Free Asia's new television program to Burma is latest entry in the USIB duplication derby - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Special Forces Get Social in New Psychological Operation Plan - Noah Shachtman, Wired: "The elite forces of the U.S. military think they’ve found a new way to sway opinion in the Pentagon’s preferred directions: a voice-based social networking app that’s a cross between talk radio and Twitter. The American intelligence and defense communities have become enthralled by the possibilities of social media. They’re looking to use the networks to forecast political unrest, spread friendly messages, spot emerging terror groups — and even predict the next natural disaster. But these efforts have generally tried to leverage existing, and already popular, civilian social networks. A new project from U.S. Special Operations Command, on the other hand, looks to create something brand new: a 'user-generated social media radio application powered by the human voice, available on the PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, and Nokia smart phones, that lets users share their thoughts and experiences.' And this voice-activated

SOCOM network is being billed explicitly as a tool for 'military information support operations' — shaping public attitudes. That’s what the Pentagon used to call 'psychological operations. ... [I]n some ways, the command appears to be following the lead of the U.S. State Department, which years ago declared that ”the very existence of social networks is a net good” — and distributed tools to promote the existence of those networks. The idea was that open communication would inevitably lead to more democratic sentiment, which would inevitably redound to America’s benefit. (Theorists like Evgeny Morozov, in contrast, have argued digital communication is easier to track and trace — which makes the networks ideal tools for social control.) And since America’s special operations forces tend to work in parts of the world where the technological infrastructure is the most threadbare, SOCOM is looking to buy up a heap of 'air-droppable scatterable electronic media” that it can litter over a remote battlefield. Those gadgets include “AM/FM broadcast transmitters; miniaturized loudspeakers; entertainment devices; game device technologies; [and] greeting cards.' That’s right, greeting cards. American military’s psychological operators may be looking at new ways to persuade. But that doesn’t mean they’re giving up the tried and true. Via YO on facebook. Image from

Beijing, Tokyo to commemorate ties - Zhang Yunbi, China Daily: "Beijing and Tokyo are planning to launch a grand opening ceremony in mid-February to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations, Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa

said in an exclusive interview with China Daily on Thursday. China and Japan normalized diplomatic relations in 1972. Both countries agreed to mark 2012 as a year of friendship for Japan-China people-to-people exchanges, which will include the theme of 'encounters with new friends and bounds of hearts'. ... The year-long series will conclude in the winter, the ambassador said. 'Sports, movies, animation and cartoons, music and youth exchanges are among the priorities campaigned by both sides' to promote public diplomacy, Niwa said." Image from article, with caption: Uichiro Niwa said he hopes youths from both sides can enhance mutual understanding.

Rebranding Apartheid‎ - Ron Jager, Arutz Sheva: "Sharia law is the real apartheid. Let's tell the world the truth about Arab rights in Israel and Arab rights in Islamic countries. The Arab Spring and the Islamic takeover of the Middle East provides Israel and her supporters the opportunity to rebrand the current media narrative concerning Apartheid.

As usual, Israel's public diplomacy consistently misses the opportunity to expose the hypocrisy of our Arab neighbors. It is an outright lie to claim or to imply that Israel is an apartheid state, yet it is done all the time repeatedly by the Holocaust denier Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab leaders, and by his supporters in the United States and Europe. ... Falsly branding Israel as an Apartheid state means something more fundamental: that there is no justification for there being a Jewish state at all, based on hatred and contempt for Jews. By rebranding Apartheid and associating it with the absense of basic human rights and freedom in the Islamic nations of the Middle East, we can transform the accepted narrative to its rightful place." Jager image from article

Have Job, Will Travel: 6 Jet-Setting Career Paths - thedailymuse.com: "5. For the Peacemaker Foreign Service Officers represent the United States at embassies and consulates around the world in fields including politics, administration, economics, public diplomacy, or consular affairs (the people you go running to when you lose your passport), and it’s a great career path if you want to immerse yourself in a new culture every couple of years.

(Check out our guide.) Image from article

RELATED ITEMS

Afghanistan’s Soldiers Step Up Killings of Allied Forces - Matthew Rosenberg, New York Times: American and other coalition forces here are being killed in increasing numbers by the very Afghan soldiers they fight alongside and train, in attacks motivated by deep-seated animosity between the supposedly allied forces, according to American and Afghan officers and a classified coalition report. A decade into the war in Afghanistan, the report makes clear that these killings have become the most visible symptom of a far deeper ailment plaguing the war effort: the contempt each side holds for the other, never mind the Taliban. The ill will and mistrust run deep among civilians and militaries on both sides, raising questions about what future role the United States and its allies can expect to play in Afghanistan.

Another Guantanamo taint: A draft order likely violates the right to counsel and threatens to jeopardize the progress made in reversing Gitmo's legacy as a 'legal black hole' - Kal Raustiala, latimes.com: The U.S., and our long struggle against terrorist violence, will be the loser if the deck is stacked against the Guantanamo defendants.

Image from article, with caption: A detainee is seen being escorted by military guards back to his cell after his annual Administrative Review Board hearing inside Camp Delta's Maximum Security area on the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Balloons carrying Choco Pie sent to N. Korea - AFP: North Korean refugees living in South Korea launched balloons carrying cakes across the heavily fortified border on Friday to help their former compatriots celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday. Most balloons dispatched across the frontier by activists carry propaganda leaflets calling for the overthrow of the North's regime.

Made in China - Charlie Shifflett, Washington Times: The slogan "Made in China" has never been more significant. This column aims to explain what China's growing influence means in the lives of Americans -- from politicians working on Capitol Hill to moms and dads raising children just off Main Street. China owns a booming economy, an ambitious space program, and mountains of foreign currency reserves. More Chinese are getting university educations and learning English than ever before in the country's long history.

No longer just the "world's factory," China is now a political and cultural force on the global stage. The country's leaders are making allies in Africa, a continent full of valuable natural resources. The country's people are exporting art, movies and media. The author's firm belief is that China should be understood -- not feared, and that increased understanding will bring increased opportunities to further American interests. Uncaptioned image from article

Movie Review/’A Separation': The astounding film Iran’s mullahs couldn’t stop: Story of family falling apart is insightful on human level, bold as allegory - Adam Mazmanian: The Washington Times: With a Golden Globe for best foreign-language film won and an Oscar nomination in the offing, "A Separation," is poised to be the first Iranian film to gain a substantial U.S. audience. Ever since its unprecedented win of the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival last February, the film — the fifth feature from director Asghar Farhadi — has been winning plaudits from festival judges and critics around the world.

It's an astounding film on many levels, but many American moviegoers might be astonished simply to learn that there is a corps of world-class filmmakers at work in a country that is ruled by a repressive and murderous regime. Image from article, with caption: Shahab Hosseini is an uneducated, hotheaded husband in “A Separation,” by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (left). The film, which won the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film, is complex and, if taken as an allegory, could be seen as seditious.

The Media Divide: Inside America's Seggregated Diet - Evelio Contreras, Marc Fisher, Kat Downs and Jon Cohen, Washington Post: The explosion of new media technologies has changed not only how presidential campaigns are waged, but how voters learn about candidates and issues. Voters are increasingly walling themselves off in information ghettos in which they read, hear and watch primarily news and views with which they already agree.

AMERICANA

Marriage: Saying 'I don't': Is marriage going the way of the electric typewriter and the VHS tape? Not exactly - Stephanie Coontz, latimes.com: The decline of marriage seems especially dramatic in comparison to the way things were 50 years ago. In 1960, almost half of 18- to 24-year-olds and 82% of 25- to 34-year-olds were married. In 2010, the comparable figures were 9% and 44%. Ironically, however, 50 years ago what had everyone worried was the rapid rise in the proportion of married-couple households, as young people rushed to the altar. The age of marriage has been falling since 1900, but it plummeted between 1940 and 1955, when the average age of first marriage for women dropped by twice as much as in the preceding half-century.

By 1960, half of all women were married by the age of 20. Today, the average age of first marriage is almost 27 for women and 29 for men, up from 20 and 22 in 1960. Fifty years ago, getting married was a step young people took on the road to becoming economically secure, emotionally responsible and socially respectable. Today, it is more often the reward couples give themselves when they have achieved those goals. The vast majority of new marriages are between couples who have already cohabited. But many cohabiting couples refuse to marry until they are convinced that each partner has demonstrated his or her economic and emotional reliability. Marriage isn't disappearing. Most unmarried Americans say they want to eventually marry, and the vast majority will do so. But even in the best of times — which these are not — we're unlikely to see people returning to early and lifelong marriage. That bus left the station a long time ago, and it's been going in the opposite direction ever since. Image from article, with caption: Fewer people are getting married, a report finds.

MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

"We allow no taboos in the discussion and dissemination of knowledge."

--Among the 10 draft principles offered in a project called Free Speech Debate (www.freespeechdebate.com)just launched at Oxford University

HEADLINES

G.E. Says Operating Profit in Quarter Rose 6% - New York Times

GE 4Q profit falls, sales miss estimates - USA Today