"Lamenting that 'our once blossoming commercial cities are no longer flourishing,' he [Karl Marx] declared that the spread of Communist ideas would 'defeat our intelligence, conquer our sentiments,' an insidious process with no obvious remedy."
--John Gray, "The Real Karl Marx" [Review of Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life by Jonathan Sperber]," New York Review of Books; image from article, with caption: Karl Marx and his daughter Jenny, a left-wing journalist and her father’s secretary, in 1869. ‘The cross she is wearing,’ Jonathan Sperber writes, ‘was not a sign of religious affiliation but the symbol of the Polish uprising of 1863.’
VIDEO
Lenin birthday 22. April 2009 - YouTube
SITE OF INTEREST
National Digital Public Library; see also
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Lessons from the Boston Marathon Attack: Rule of Law is No Conspiracy - Amy Myers Jaffe, fuelfix.com: "As the media swirls with speculation about the motivations of alleged Boston Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, I am struck by how much the discussion misses a relevant point for those striving for political reform in the Middle East. The more important lesson of the Boston Marathon attack and subsequent operation to capture the alleged bombers is about rule of law, civic responsibility and accountability of law enforcement — principles that could apply anywhere including a country whose constitution is linked to Islamic law. Conspiracy theories are bound to multiply in the weeks and months ahead so in anticipation of this, I offer the following observations: In Kuwait, early 2011 protests focused on defending rule of law under the constitution.
In Bahrain, opposition groups have sought to hold the government accountable based on the findings of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, set up to resolve severe security abuses that ensued during protests in 2011. The Arab Spring offers the hope for rule of law. The United States should take a stronger leadership stand on this through public diplomacy." Image from
Americans in Paris: NARIP Leads Music Supervisors on Mission from Hollywood to Paris - "NARIP [National Association of Record Industry Professionals] led a mission of commerce, culture and copyright advocacy from Hollywood to Paris in April to stimulate the entertainment economies of both countries. ... While in Paris, NARIP’s delegation met with Cultural, Economic and Commerical Affairs Officers at the American Embassy. Minister Counselor for Public Affairs Philip Breeden took great interest in NARIP’s initiative in Paris to seek out French music for American projects that will benefit artists, songwriters and copyright owners, as well as world television and film audiences. Also discussed were current efforts to address piracy, in both France and the United States. ... Philip Breeden joined the Foreign Service of the United States Information Agency in 1986.
He served in Public Diplomacy positions in Ankara, Antananarivo, Istanbul, Washington, D.C., London, and Tunis before becoming the Consul General in Marseille in 2005 and the Press Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in London in 2008. In September 2011, Mr. Breeden became the Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Mr. Breeden has been the recipient of numerous awards including a Superior Honor Award for his public diplomacy efforts in Tunisia, and the 'Palmes Académiques' for his work with high schools in France." Image from entry, with caption: Photo (L-R): Myrline Mikal, Director of the High-Tech Unit, U.S. Commercial Service; Firestarter Music’s Andrea von Foerster (Chronicle, Grey’s Anatomy, The O.C., Stargate Universe), NARIP President Tess Taylor; Big Picture Entertainment Music Director Marcy Bulkeley (Inception, Looper, World War Z, Harry Potter); Philip X. Breeden, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs (Information and Cultural Affairs) for the Embassy of the United States of America; Janee Pierre-Louis, Commercial Officer, U.S. Commercial Service; and Robert W. Gerber, First Secretary Economic Affairs.
U.S. – Russia panel on Magnitsky may cover Chechnya, includes critics of Radio Liberty firings - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "Monday, April 22, the Hudson Institute panel in Washington, DC on U.S. – Russia relations, the Magnitsky Act, and the future of the 'Reset,' may also turn into an interesting discussion on the war on terror and provide in-depth analysis of Russia’s role in Chechnya in light of the Boston suspects’ North Caucasus origins. The discussion among Russian and American scholars may also touch on issues of U.S. public diplomacy and international broadcasting as former officials in charge of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) unsuccessfully tried to eliminate radio broadcasts to Chechnya but succeeded in firing dozens of journalists working in Putin’s Russia for the American-supported media freedom outlet."
Can Seoul better convey N.K.’s threat? With foreign media painting a doomsday scenario - John Power, koreaherald.com: "Kim Eun-mee, a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Ewha Womans University, concurred that the government had a role in providing a counter narrative to exaggerated media reports about the North Korea threat. ... Kim, however, questioned how much the government could be held responsible for skewed perceptions about the situation here. 'Since the misinformation is not coming from South Korea, but from the outside media and other governments, it is not fair to blame the South Korean government for not having done enough for its public relations,' said Kim. 'Frankly, the South Korean government has done its share of public diplomacy and public relations. We should perhaps do more, but that could not be the top national priority of a government.' ... As ambassador for public diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ma Young-sam is one of those in government most responsible for promoting Korea to the world.
He told Voice that the Korean government had done a lot to assure the world that life in South Korea was continuing as normal. ... Ma ... confirmed that his ministry actively contacted media outlets when a report was deemed to be inaccurate or misleading. 'When there are misinformed media reports, the government contacts the media outlet to explain the background and correct misinformation,' he said. 'The global media effect has a tendency to make Korea look more dangerous than it really is. We try, therefore, to present an accurate picture to the world, and we always welcome the visits of foreign reporters.' But in a media industry where sensationalism sells and positive news is often not considered news at all, the government may be up against it. Violence or just the threat of it will often inevitably overshadow other aspects of the country in the international media." Image from article, with caption: A mass rally held in Pyongyang last month
Is Turkish Foreign Policy Paranoid? - Pinar Tremblay, Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse: "[W]hy is there this deep suspicion about others’ intentions in Turkey? In international politics, we define paranoia as deep mistrust of all other actors without sufficient evidence. As a country grows stronger — wealthier, more influential — its rhetoric of paranoia is expected to decrease. Yet, the Turkish case is counterintuitive and deserves further analysis. Turkey has been on the path of becoming more prosperous and stronger in the last decade. Almost everyone agrees — without attempting to measure success or failure — that Turkish foreign policy activism has grown exponentially in the last decade. This visibility brings along with it more scrutiny about Turkey’s presence in different countries. Some of this commentary is positive, and well deserved. This newfound activism is lucrative on several fronts (helping, for example, Turkish private businesses at home and abroad).
Yet, has Turkish paranoia decreased when we study the rhetoric of the Turkish foreign policy elite? This piece argues that the rhetoric that feeds paranoia has grown alongside Turkish power. There are four main indicators or pitfalls to explain this: [Among them:]1) A steep learning curve: The ability, or lack thereof, to deal with critique. The swift growth of activism has brought a high volume of criticism to the rather sheltered and idealist Turkish foreign policy elite. By foreign policy elite, I mean diplomats, ministry employees, public diplomacy office personnel, anyone affiliated with the Turkish government, and pro-AKP media people." Image from
Sisters and brothers in Humanity, we will commemorate, together and in Turkey, the Armenian genocide - egam-eu.blogspot.com: "For several years now, the genocide of Armenians, which is part of world History, is being commemorated in Turkey. The participants are still few but their number grows every day despite an official discourse of genocide-denial. Today, those among us who have been commemorating in Turkey are calling for solidarity beyond borders. This is the reason why this year, all together, from Turkey and elsewhere in Europe, involved citizens, civil society leaders, antiracist activists, intellectuals and artists, of Armenian and other diverse origins yet unified by the desire to see this historical fact finally recognized, we will commemorate, in Turkey, on this April 24th, the unfortunate 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. ... [Among the signers of this statement:] Zoran Milinkovic, President of the Serbian Institute for Public Diplomacy (Belgium)."
RELATED ITEMS
Tsarnaev Brothers and Propaganda of the Deed - Matthew Rothschild, progressive.org: Thank God the police caught Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and what a relief for the people of Boston. The Boston Marathon bombers have proven once again the insanity of terrorist violence, of what used to be called “the propaganda of the deed.” Obviously, their moral compass got cracked somewhere along the road. When you plant bombs in the midst of a crowd of innocent people, knowing that it will cause death and severe injuries, you’ve crossed over into sociopathic territory.
So there’s not much use in arguing morality with them if they’re prepared to do such things. But even in the language the terrorists speak, even in terms of “propaganda of the deed,” it’s such bad propaganda. Who do they think they’re going to persuade by killing and maiming innocent people? No one. Killing innocent people is no way to get any message across whatsoever. The deed is evil; the propaganda horrible. Image from entry
U.S.Targeted By Russian, Chechen Insurgency Propaganda - moonofalabama.org: The Russian government induces some smart propaganda by buying advertisement space in U.S. media. This to make the connection between the Boston marathon bomber, Chechen insurgents and U.S. sponsored terrorism in Syria . The right advertisement column of the Washington Post homepage is currently filled with links to Russia Beyond The Headlines, a multi-language site run by a Russian government paper.
The current top story at the RBTH site is Suspected Boston bombers linked to Russia’s Caucasus but the top story featured in the RBTH advertisement at WashingtonPost.com is Chechen ‘Jihadist International’ emerges in Syria. It is a prominent reminder for
The Banality of Smart Power: U.S. international-development efforts will fail entirely unless local policies are oriented toward economic growth in a free market [review of Beyond War By David Rohde] - Elliott Abrams, Wall Street Journal: If there is a theme here, it is what the author calls "the decay in American civilian institutions": State and USAID are underfunded and understaffed, says Mr. Rohde, leading to overuse of "Beltway Bandit" contractors and the militarization of foreign policy. To counter such decay, Mr. Rohde advises "a more economic and less military-oriented" approach. In the book's conclusion Rohde again stresses the need to help "small-business development" and use "trade and investment" as "tools of long-term American influence." There are two problems here, and Mr. Rohde correctly identifies the first one. Discussing various ways to spur entrepreneurship in Egypt—"USAID thinks the answer may be an Egyptian version of 'The Apprentice,' " the Donald Trump TV show—he writes that "if Egypt failed to enact economic reform, stabilize politically, and attract a vast amount of foreign investment, broad economic growth wouldn't occur. Incubators, reality shows, and talk of entrepreneurship would not be enough." Quite right: Our efforts are marginal at best and will fail entirely unless local policies are oriented toward economic growth in a free market. Yet there is another problem, which Mr. Rohde ignores: What would a USAID officer know about entrepreneurship and how to ignite it? Assigning USAID to foster business development is like asking it to build better howitzers: You've got the wrong guys for the task.
Make No Mistake, It Was Jihad: Let's hope the administration gets over its reluctance to recognize attacks on the U.S. for what they are - Michael B. Mukasey, Wall Street Journal: For five years we have heard, principally from those who wield executive power, of a claimed need to make fundamental changes in this country, to change the world's—particularly the Muslim world's—perception of us, to press "reset" buttons. We have heard not a word from those sources suggesting any need to understand and confront a totalitarian ideology that has existed since at least the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1920s. There are Muslim organizations in this country, such as the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, headed by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, that speak out bravely against that totalitarian ideology. They receive no shout-out at presidential speeches; no outreach is extended to them.
Teaching the Limits of Media Freedom Is Tricky in the Gulf - D.D. Guttenplan, New York Times: “Journalism in the Arab world is in the middle of a revolution.
As a result, journalism education is also in a revolution,” Lawrence Pintak, the dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, said by telephone. He said that before Al Jazeera started in 1996, television news was an “oxymoron.” “Now everyone in the Gulf gets their news on TV,” he said. Image from
How (Not) to Become a U.S. Ambassador - Greg Rushford, There are two paths that aspiring American ambassadors traditionally take to persuade the president of the United States to nominate them for that honor. First, there is the classic, merit-based path where senior U.S. foreign service officers with distinguished diplomatic backgrounds are quietly-and-carefully vetted in the higher echelons of the State Department. Those who survive the scrutiny by their peers have their names forwarded to the White House to get the formal — usually routine — presidential approval. The second route, the political one, is (sometimes scandalously) reserved for famous personalities, presidential cronies, and major contributors of campaign cash who buy their ambassadorships. But now comes the U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, a Vietnamese-American foreign service officer named An Le. Le wants to become the next U.S. ambassador to Vietnam.
Toward that end, the consul general has been working behind the scenes since at least last July with a network of Vietnamese-American allies, some of whom have political and business connections in both Washington and Hanoi. Although Le has urged his supporters to try to drum up congressional support, the main target of the lobbying campaign is the man who would make the nomination: President Barack Obama. Via MA. Image from
Visa Reforms for Skilled Workers - Editorial Board, New York Times: The immigration reform bill introduced by a bipartisan group of senators last week would make it easier for skilled workers to come to this country while toughening rules to prevent abuse in temporary work visas.
Is American Nonviolence Possible? - Todd May, New York Times: How has the United States become so saturated in slaughter? A reason is the decline of our ability to control events in the world. We might date this decline from our military failure in Vietnam, or, if we prefer, more recently to the debacle in Iraq. In any event, it is clear that the United State cannot impose its will as it did during much of the 20th century. We live in a different world now, and this makes many of us insecure. We long for a world more cooperative with our wishes than the one we now live in. Our insecurity, in turn, reinforces our desire to control, which reinforces violence. If we cannot control events in the world, this must be a result not of our impotence or the complexity of the world’s problems but of our unwillingness to “man up.” And so we tell ourselves fairy tales about what would have happened if we had committed to victory in Vietnam or bombed one or another country back to the Stone Age.
SOVIETICA [April 22 - Lenin's birthday]
--Henri Cartier-Bresson, Leningrad, 1973. Via PC on Facebook
--Via MT on Facebook
OLD SOVIET JOKE
"The good news: They found Lenin's mother. The bad news: She's pregnant again."
--Image from, with caption: USSR - CIRCA 1985: A Stamp printed in USSR shows the portrait of a Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova (1835-1916), Lenin’s Mother, circa 1985
AMERICANA
Raquel Welch: Aging Beautifully -- Sex symbol reveals what’s behind the glitter: career highs and lows, helping cancer patients and more [Includes video, "Sex Symbol Goes beyond the Cleavage"] - Margot Dougherty, aarp.org: Welch, born Sept. 5, 1940, is settling in but not settling down — personally or professionally. Unlike most celebrities, she wrote every sentence of her book, a combination of memoir, observations and beauty advice. "It was girl talk for me," she says. "I felt like people had me on a pedestal, and they didn't know there was this other person. They saw the poster but they didn't really know the story behind it." She's referring, of course, to the poster from her 1966 movie, One Million Years B.C., the one with a voluptuous, long-legged Welch swaddled in a doeskin bikini that struggles to keep her decent. She hadn't expected much from the movie — she may have been its heroine but she uttered only a single line: "Me Loana, you Tumak."
But the poster catapulted her to instant fame as America's reigning sex symbol. Above image from entry; below image from
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