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John Brown aggregates all the most recent public diplomacy related news, including current issues in U.S. foreign policy, international broadcasting and media, propaganda, cultural diplomacy, educational exchanges, anti-Americanism, and the reception of American popular culture abroad.

NOVEMBER 19, 2004
by John Brown

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PRESS REVIEW, NOVEMBER 19 QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY “HOW CAN YOU ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY WHEN YOU’RE MISLEADING PEOPLE?” —Mario Corti, a former RFE/RL Russian service; cited in Associated Press, “Radio Free Europe Woos Russian Listeners” (New York Times, November 19) (see item 5) **** “EQUAL DOESN’T MEAN THE SAME.” —Journalist Robin Givhan, on President Bush’s appointment of two female cabinet members and publicly kissing them; Givhan notes that “A firm, congratulatory handshake does not seem particularly warm and embracing. And yet, he (Bush) couldn’t exactly grab them by the shoulders and slap them heartily on the back—as if they were men”; in Givhan’s “President Bush’s Kissing Cabinet” (Washington Post, November 19) LINK **** “SOMETIMES I WATCH THE SUNSET OVER THOSE SNOWY PEAKS AND WANT TO HOWL WITH THE COYOTES.” —From the just published novel by “soft power” Professor Joseph Nye, Jr; cited in Marisa Katz, “Joseph Nye Should Have Stuck To Nonfiction: Novel Approach [Review of “The Power Game: A Washington Novel” by Joseph S. Nye]” (New Republic) (see below item 9) A) PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 1. COMPROMISE SOUGHT ON INTELLIGENCE LEGISLATION: NEGOTIATORS SCRAMBLE AS DEADLINE APPROACHES - CHARLES BABINGTON AND WALTER PINCUS (WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 19): Despite the outstanding differences, the House and Senate have reached agreement on many proposals by the Sept. 11 commission, including the need to strengthen U.S. efforts to combat radical Islamic movements through public diplomacy. Even if the negotiations fail to produce a final bill this year, these agreements point to policy shifts that Congress and the administration seem likely to embrace next year. LINK 2. ARAFAT’S POTENT USE OF SYMBOLS - JIM COMPTON (SEATTLE TIMES, NOVEMBER 19):  Those who follow Arab-American affairs know of the baleful condition of our information outreach to the Arab world. The prestigious Djerijian report to the Congress on public diplomacy, “Changing Minds, Winning Peace,” was a scathing indictment of how poorly we make our case to Arabs, saying we face “lethal threats to our interests and our safety. In this time of peril, public diplomacy’s absurdly and dangerously underfunded.” It continued, “If America does not define itself, the extremists will do it for us.” The flaw in that analysis, of course, is that there is no way to market a pointless war and a bankrupt strategy to the Arab world. Does anyone seriously believe democracy is about to burst forth in Iraq? It is a quagmire. We cannot spin or explain or otherwise justify a war that has no evident end or happy outcome. LINK 3. CHANCE “TO MAKE THE COUNTRY SAFER”: PRINCETON RESIDENT AL FELZENBERG PLAYS CRITICAL ROLE ON STAFF OF 9-11 COMMISSION - JENNIFER POTASH (PRINCETON PACKET, NJ): The task of rebuilding the United States’ image in Islamic countries is the critical component to winning the war on terrorism, says Felzenberg, who has advised the Secretary of the Navy and the Voice of America. “How do you win over the hearts and minds of young people in parts of the world where the United States is not…... FULL TEXT
 
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