"making public diplomacy statements is almost as old as the printing press."
--Anonymous said..., bruisefalling.blogspot.com; image from
VIDEO
(a) Escobar on RT: US fears opposing views are gaining strength - youtube.com, Via SL.
(b) “Sanctions: How Did We Get Here?” – rt.com: "Following Kerry’s attack on RT over its coverage of the Ukraine crisis, on Thursday the US State Department posted its own version of events in a video entitled “Sanctions: How Did We Get Here?” – blaming Russia for the whole crisis." [On the speaker's voice on this video, see "An American epidemic: The vocal fry zone," (2014)
(c) "Фурии майдана: секс, психоз и политика «Профессия - репортер». See the below first item in "Related Items" for details
FACEBOOK ENTRY OF INTEREST
Next Level - "Next Level is sending artists around the world to use hip-hop as a tool for cultural diplomacy and conflict resolution." Image from entry
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE NEWS
#ThatsCold! Russians, US in Hashtag Battle - abcnews.go.com: "#UnitedForUkraine isn’t the only hashtag to be reappropriated by Russia. In the last few weeks, State’s #RussiaIsolated hashtag regarding Russia’s actions in Crimea sparked a series of tweets from Russian embassies around the world mocking the campaign by tweeting positive messages about Russia and including #russiaisolated. Pro-Russian groups have also started a series of parody accounts, such as @russiaisolator. And pro-Russian social media troll Psaki and state’s @ukrprogress accounts, immediately posting critical and sometimes crude tweets in response.
Russian Embassy, IDN @RusEmbJakarta
State has admitted it is playing catch-up to Russia on social media propaganda, with the undersecretary for public diplomacy, Rick Stengel, a former journalist, telling CNN that Russia’s been building up its social media presence for the last 10 years. In response, the U.S. has started the New Ukraine Task Force, a social media hub in Russian to talk to Russian speakers in Eastern Ukraine and in Central Europe, who State says are being bombarded by Russian media. The campaign is also spearheading the English posts and hashtags that are trying to help counter the influence in greater Europe of RT, the Russian government-owned television station formally called Russia Today that is distributed around the world, including the United States. Secretary of State John Kerry called the channel a 'propaganda bullhorn' Thursday. RT denies the accusation and formally called for an apology today. However, with RT’s reach of 85 million households around the world and no regulations as to how the Kremlin is allowed to influence Russian media, the U.S. government faces challenges in matching Russia’s media reach without violating U.S. freedom of press laws and values." Image from entry
Mutually Assured Derision: The State Department makes a hash of diplomacy - James Taranto, Wall Street Journal: "Some of Foggy Bottom's tweeters are
deadly earnest, making them totally defenseless against post-Soviet sarcasm." State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki image from entry. Via ACP on Facebook
State Department spokeswoman hopes Russia lives by 'the promise of hashtag' - Charles Hoskinson, washingtonexaminer.com: "State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki lit up Twitter late Thursday with one of the worst public diplomacy fails in social media history."
It is time for the West to move ahead without Russia - John McCain, John Barrasso, John Hoeven and Ron Johnson, Washington Post: "John McCain, John Barrasso, John Hoeven and Ron Johnson, all Republicans, represent Arizona, Wyoming, North Dakota and Wisconsin, respectively, in the Senate. ... Putin is winning the war of ideas among Russian-speaking peoples in the former Soviet Union. Putin’s propaganda rests on lies, but it is effective and hardly refuted. We have all but given up on communicating the truth, in Russian, to Europe’s Russian-speaking populations. This needs to change, and the old state-run public diplomacy is not necessarily the answer. The private sector can play an important role."
Let’s Easter Twitter with US Embassy Kabul April 20, 2014 - Peter Van Buren, wemeantwell.com: "Let’s enjoy a quick look at what the U.S. Embassy in Kabul is Tweeting. This is called 'social media diplomacy' and is designed to 'reach out' to 'local' people in the host country and make them love America more. State is kinda shy about saying it, but given the world-wide nature of these things, there is also a sweet little domestic propaganda side to it all. And get this– you pay for all this with your Bitcoins! To begin, like the U.S. Embassy said, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it. Thing is, Afghanistan is remarkably not Christian, and the purpose of social diplomacy is to 'reach out,' so opening with the Christian thing might be… awkward? Many Muslims in the target area already characterize the U.S. as a Crusader at war with Islam, so there, there’s that going for us. Next up the Embassy reTweeted something in Spanish about the U.S. Ambassador visiting one of the Crusader bases in Herat. Apparently the base contains some Spanish troopers, so that’s the linguistic connection sure, but like Christians, there are relatively few Spanish speakers among the local Afghan population. And on to the domestic side of today’s social diplomacy Tweets, two cheery notes. The first heralds Afghan efforts to build an new 'Silk Road.' The many Afghans still fighting for, with or against the Taliban and/or the U.S., never mind those whose relatives have been blown up by car bombs or drones, may not fully share the vision of progress, but one guesses the whole Silk Road thing is meant more for gullible Americans than gullible Afghans.
The second Tweet doubles down on the good news, this time sharing the breaking story that 'U.S. Foreign Policy in South Asia [is] A Vision for Prosperity and Security.' So that’s sorted. The only skeptics on that front might include the relatively few Americans who read the news, and pretty much everyone in Afghanistan. BONUS: Wait a tick– if the purpose of social media diplomacy is to engage with the local people, why are the Tweets all in English (and Spanish?) Maybe it is like a language tutorial, some kind of 'linguistic diplomacy.' There’s also the 'issue' that Internet use in Afghanistan varies from 12 percent in Kabul itself, to zero percent lots of other places. The average is about two-three percent. Subtract out of those already low percentages those who do not read English (or Spanish) and those who do not use Twitter and you’ve got a pretty small pool of targets. Anyway, those happy few Afghan web browsers are no doubt the most important people in the country and all that. Besides, you know, social media, Cuban Twitter, youth demographic, whatever. We are a sad and lonely people, aren’t we? Image from entry
Storehouses of knowledge on the US - Robin Augustin, nst.com.my: "Visitors to any library will find a wealth of information and knowledge, but in a corner of the Kuala Lumpur library, they will find a treasure trove of American literature. The Lincoln Resource Centre in the American Embassy, which was established on Feb 15, 1950, have nine offshoots in public libraries across the country. These Lincoln Corners act as mini-resource centres with books, magazines, journals, videos and DVDs on issues pertaining to America. 'America is proud of its diverse population and we want to represent that here in our Lincoln Corners,' said American Embassy public diplomacy officer Angie Mizeur. Because of this, Mizeur said the resource centres appeal to and represent a wide range of people. From US policies, education, geography, history, society, culture, and literature, they offer up-to-date information about the country. There are computers, televisions, iPads, Kindles and Nintendo Wiis with interactive apps and educational materials that give its users a peek into American culture and ideals. 'Our Lincoln Corners also host programmes with American speakers on a wide variety of topics such as government, politics, and cultural traditions, English learning, entrepreneurship, and history.
The diverse information is something the patrons of the Lincoln Corners appreciate because the US and Malaysia both enjoy a rich history of cultural diversity. Some Lincoln Corners also have EducationUSA, a programme which gives advice on tertiary education in America.' She added that when individuals have access to information, they become better citizens and in turn, enrich and enhance their communities. 'The Lincoln Corners are based on a fundamental American belief -- that a wide range of all types of information should be easily accessible to all members of society. Our partners even bring these materials to rural communities.' They are not just information centres, but also serve as community centres." Image from entry, with caption: Lincoln Corners are mini-resource centres with books, magazines, journals, videos and DVDs on issues pertaining to America.
#Happy #Yerevan - ArmComedy Update – Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: “A few weeks ago I had a post about the 'Happy Yerevan' video, made by the US Embassy in Armenia as a part of its digital public diplomacy effort. The video has been quite a hit: it's received almost 156,000 views in two weeks, and is now the most popular video on the Embassy's YouTube Channel (the second being the video of a 2012 ‘US-Armenia FlashMob’, which has been viewed about 47,000 times since October 2012). Given the size of Armenia 's population, the language/interest barrier, and the Internet penetration rates, ‘Happy Yerevan’ is clearly a success for American YouTube diplomacy in the country.”
Leveraging the Appeal of U.S. Higher Education in Public Diplomacy Programs: the Coursera-State Department Partnership - Mieczyslaw Boduszynski and Monica Chellam, uscpublicdiplomacy.org: "Through the Learning Hubs program launched in the fall of 2013, Coursera is partnering with the State Department. The program seeks to bring the high-quality educational resources available on Coursera’s online platform to students around the world. The Silicon Valley company, together with its university partners, provide the course content while the State Department provides supporting infrastructure: classrooms, technology, and tutors. Coursera wins by furthering its mission (to empower individuals with a world-class education) and building its brand in new markets. The State Department wins by gaining access to a free new public diplomacy resource. The department leverages the prestige of dozens of U.S. universities, and ties itself to the positive (young, innovative, tech-savvy) Coursera brand to draw youth to its
embassies. The State Department also benefits from reaching young people in places overseas where security restrictions limit the mobility of U.S. public diplomacy practitioners. ... [T]he Coursera-State Department partnership shows that there is great potential for partnerships, which leverage the universal appeal of American higher education and draw on the power of the Internet. However, to be successful they must be based on sustained coordination among online course providers, universities, embassies, and the State Department, in addition to being tailored to the needs and particularities of diverse operating environments overseas." Uncaptioned image from entry
How To Attend An On-Campus Or Online Program in the U.S. - Andrea Argueta, interviewquestions10000.blogspot.com: "Does the idea of studying in the United States cross your mind every once in a while? Do you want access to global perspectives by studying in a diverse learning environment? Or are you simply looking for an adventure? No matter what your reason is for wanting a U.S. education, you're not alone. In fact, the number of international students in the United States reached an all-time high during the 2010 to 2011 academic year, at 723,277, according to 'Open Doors 2011: Report on International Educational Exchange' by the Institute of International Education, an independent organization that has been conducting an annual census of international students in the U.S. since 1919. Judith A. McHale, former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs says that a high number of foreigners studying in the United States 'testifies to the quality and diversity for which American higher education is known around the world.' So, whether you want to study at a traditional U.S. campus or earn an American education online in your home country, you're in luck. Both options are possible, and the process to make it happen isn't as complicated as you might think."
Bahamian Diplomats Push For Renewed Access to Fulbright Program For Bahamian Students - thebahamasweekly.com: "Renewed access to the Fulbright Program for Bahamian students was discussed during a high-level meeting held at Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department on Thursday, April 24, 2014. His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, participated in the meeting along with Deputy Chief of Mission Chet Neymour and Third Secretary Mikhail Bullard, during which they stressed that the 'most relevant amongst the Fulbright Program for The Bahamas are the Foreign Student and Visiting Scholar Program.' ... In their formal presentation, the Bahamian diplomats noted that the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program 'provides grants to approximately 800 foreign scholars from over 95 countries to lecture and/or conduct postdoctoral research at U.S. institutions for an academic semester to a full academic year.'... Noting that scholarship programs such as Fulbright are 'key mechanism for cultural and academic diplomacy,' the presentation added: 'Twenty-nine countries in the Americas are annual recipients of this scholarship, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and other Eastern Caribbean Countries –all fellow CARICOM countries. Currently, however, Bahamians are not able to apply for a Fulbright scholarship. The upcoming deadline for Fulbright Scholarships in the Caribbean is July 1, 2014.[']
It was also stressed that, historically, the vast majority of Bahamians that have studied abroad have studied at United States institutions. Further, as of 2012, there were approximately 1,700 Bahamians obtaining tertiary level education in the United States. 'This is certainly a significant constituency, particularly for the State of Florida, and one that has the potential to be further enlarged,' the formal presentation noted. ... 'Given the close and friendly relations between the two countries, and the size and importance of the U.S. Embassy in New Providence relative to others in the Caribbean region, we wish to enhance this area of technical cooperation between our two countries and work towards renewed access to these prestigious scholarship programs for Bahamians.' ... Managing Director of Academic Programs [Marianne] Craven committed to advance the request by The Bahamas to the relevant U.S. bodies involved in the program, particularly in light of the recent strengthening of the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in New Providence." Uncaptioned image from article
Four Lessons on Cross-Cultural Communication and Democracy - Laura Hemmati, leadarise-journal.com: "Today, at the U.S. Mission to the EU in Brussels, a selection of 15 lucky Leadarisers enjoyed an intimate lunchtime discussion on cross-cultural negotiation, dispute resolution and cultural bridge building with leading public diplomacy and international relations expert Akram R. Elias.
Leadarise participants represented the public, political, security, hospitality and communications sectors leading to a rich and interesting discussion on the challenge of using cultural intelligence for better negotiation, societal integration and democracy. ... Akram R. Elias has over 27 years of professional experience as a consultant in the areas of public diplomacy, cross-cultural training, and communication. ... He is the founder and President of Capital Communications Group, Inc., a Washington D.C. based firm that provides services in public diplomacy, cross-cultural communication, and international business networking." Image from blog, with caption: Akram R. Elias, Laura Hemmati and Leadarise participants
Sen. Wicker, Rep. Shock question BBG strategy as do BBG chair and members, but change seems still elusive - BBG Watcher, BBG Watch: "Chairman Shell, Governor Armstrong, Governor Meehan and other BBG members should be applauded for noticing the flawed IBB-run Language Program Review process and for promising a reversal of the IBB proposal to end BBG media outreach to the Balkans, but their biggest challenge will be to deal with the IBB bureaucracy itself and choosing the right CEO." On BBG, see; on IIB, see.
The Daily: The End of Soft Power? - Julia Watson, thepublicdiplomat.com: Covers other recent articles pertaining (directly and indirectly) to public diplomacy.
Pew Research on China and the US: A Soft Power Dimension - Public Diplomacy and International Communications: Thoughts and comments about public diplomacy, soft power and international communications by Gary Rawnsley: "To coincide with President Obama's trip to Asia, the
Friday Links: Beijing police prepare for anniversary, woman kicks elderly man in face, and a laowai street cleaner in Shanghai - Anthony Tao, beijingcream.com: An air pollution article that asks, ‘Was social media primarily responsible for government action on air pollution in
Concessions are made, but far-reaching responses are absent.’ (Johan van de Ven, Danwei)” See also. Image from, with caption: The results of a Google.com image search for 雾霾 (wumai), the Chinese characters for smog.
Can Bashar Assad Repair His International Reputation? Lessons from Francisco Franco - Neal Rosendorf, uscpublicdiplomacy.org: "As I lay out in my new book, Franco Sells Spain to America: Hollywood, Tourism and Public Relations as Postwar Spanish Soft Power,
attempted an international reputation makeover in the first decade of the 21stcentury, seeking to portray Bashar al-Assad as a liberalizing, cosmopolitan reformer. For a while it seemed to be gaining traction. But the core difference between Franco
The Public Diplomacy of Doing Nothing: Iraqi Government Inaction on the Siege of Fallujah - uscpublicdiplomacy.org: "The Anbar province in west Iraq has been home to a Sunni-inspired insurgency in the country for some time now. In December 2012, a series of sit-in demonstrations by Sunni Arabs, who dominate the province, began after staff working for Sunni Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi were arrested. The arrests were defended by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the head of Iraq’s Shia-led government, who is constantly (and fairly) accused of seeking nefarious ways to sideline his political opponents. ... Since the Anbar crisis started, Maliki appears to have gotten away with doing nothing at all. ... Maliki’s inaction was a valid political strategy. He strung along the Sunni tribal leaders with the promise of a diplomatic resolution while there was still time for them to disrupt his re-election. But then he stalled on delivering any actual diplomacy, letting the situation on the ground deteriorate organically in the meantime. Now, much of the province is not stable enough to participate in the elections, in which the majority would vote against Maliki. The price that Maliki paid for this strategy was the loss of respect by Sunni citizens – poor public diplomacy – but this was an acceptable price, especially since they did not respect him originally. Politics will always take precedence over public diplomacy. And public diplomacy will always have a political cost because you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Sometimes, perhaps even more often than not, that political cost will be too high to pay."
Together For Peace for Our Children - hetq.am: "Joint Statement of Leyla Yuhus and Laura Baghdasaryan [:] We, the two women – human rights defender and journalist, two mothers from Azerbaijan and Armenia, have been cooperating for almost 10 years, shoulder to shoulder in the uphill struggle for building and enhancing Public Dialogue between our nations warring for more than 20 years.
It is almost 10 years since we have been going hand in hand with joint articles, books, and finally with the first and still unique joint website. This is a ground for dialogue between Azerbaijanis and Armenians. It was the website where citizens of
Israel should give Palestinian reconciliation a chance - Ben Caspit, Al-Monitor: "The reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Ismail Haniyeh’s government, between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — which rattled Israel, the United States and the international community — will help all parties to easily skip past the April 29 deadline of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations while teetering onward toward the next stage. ... All in all,
Blair's Speech and the New Great Game - Karl Naylor, karl-naylor.blogspot.com: "Tony Blair's speech, as with everything this man utters, is a carefully calibrated public diplomacy missive better called a propaganda offensive. The timing is instructive; Blair is upgrading his profile in the Middle East because the crisis in Ukraine is set to lead to EU states searching for alternative energy sources."
War on media and wars within media - Shahab Jafry, pakistantoday.com: "The government, according to Zaidi [Salman Zaidi, deputy director at Jinnah Institute, an Islamabad based think tank], has always been bad at public diplomacy."
Division Spotlight: Aaryne Elias - Jennifer Stevens, Division of Business Affairs [,] College of Charleston: "What is something that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you?
The year before I joined the CofC staff, I was living and working in Tirana, Albania as a public diplomacy intern at the American Embassy. I worked on community outreach initiatives in conjunction with the local schools and civil society organizations. I also managed the embassy’s social media outreach, which included tweeting under the name of the Ambassador." Elias image from entry
Molly Schwartz - rstreet.org: "Molly Schwartz is an associate fellow molly_photoat R Street Institute focusing on open data, government transparency and the politics of information. A junior analyst at the U.S. Department of State, Molly performs data analytics to measure the resonance and influence of public diplomacy.
She was previously a Library of Congress National Digital Stewardship Resident at the Association of Research Libraries, where she completed a project on web accessibility and usability in research libraries. Molly will be a Fulbright scholar in Finland from 2014-2015, conducting research at the Aalto University of Art, Architecture and Design and experimenting with user-centered design concepts at the National Library of Finland." Schwartz image from entry
The First Tibetan Chinese Student Dialogue - Michelle Ryan, Michelle Ryan is a third year student of international Relations, currently on exchange at the National University of Singapore. Michelle is primarily interested in the intersection of international economic policy and human rights, and has worked in several related areas; including NAFTA and
immigration policy with the Nationalities Service Center in her native Philadelphia; and financial regulatory policy with Better Markets in Washington DC; most recently completed an internship with the office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy at the US Department of State. Ryan image from entry
PhD Student Brandon Gauthier Wins OAH Award - "Brandon K. Gauthier received a John Higham Travel Grant from the Organization of American Historians and the Immigration and Ethnic History Society to present a paper at the
OAH’s annual conference in April 2014. His paper, entitled “‘Bring All the Troops Home Now!’ The American-Korean Friendship and Information Center and North Korean Public Diplomacy, 1971-1976,” detailed the history of a North Korean funded “anti-imperialist peace organization” in New York City that sought to generate public support for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and force the withdrawal of American forces from the Korean peninsula. He is currently at work on a dissertation examining the intellectual and cultural history of U.S. foreign relations with the DPRK from 1948-1996." Image from entry
RELATED ITEMS
Want a Good Look at Putin’s Pervy Propaganda? See ‘The Furies of Maidan’: A Russian MP’s wild rant at a pregnant reporter was inspired by an ‘investigative report’ that blames Ukraine’s revolution on sexually frustrated women and claims, ‘They like it hard ’ - Cathy Young, thedailybeast.com: Even amid the increasing surreality of Vladimir Putin’s
Moscow Paper Recalls US Aid to Soviet Russia Before Washington Recognized the USSR - Paul Goble, Window on Eurasia: This article suggests that there is real resistance among ordinary Russians to the Kremlin’s current demonization of all things American, a resistance that is based on memories that the American people have been willing to help the Russian people even as Americans opposed the government in Moscow.
A User’s Guide to Russian Propaganda - Terresa Monroe-Hamilton, trevorloudon.com: Western press and media are having trouble distinguishing facts from Russian propaganda. This is understandable – the Russian propaganda machine is a mature and venerable institution that engages in an art that, for better or for worse, the West simply does not practice as often nor as effectively.
The intent of this guide is to help those less accustomed to the ways of the Russian government to discern between reporting and propaganda. Image from entry
Turkey to allocate $400 million for Genocide denial propaganda - panarmenian.net: Turkish government will allocate $400 million to the Armenian Genocide denial propaganda, with $150 million to be paid to the U.S. lobby, the head of information programs at Turkish International Media TV (IMC) said.
U.S. Army Propaganda: Less Suicides in the Military? Cooked Book Numbers Conceal The Real Truth By Joachim Hagopian (Global Research) - emilyspoems-celticnotionsandpotions.com: The big news headlines today declaring the suicide numbers are down amongst active duty ranks is just more distorted disinformation and propaganda in the wake of those Fort Hood shootings. Joachim Hagopian is a West Point graduate and former Army officer. His written manuscript based on his military experience examines leadership and national security issues and can be consulted at http://www.redredsea.net/westpointhagopian/. After the military, Joachim earned a masters degree in psychology and became a licensed therapist working in the mental health field for more than a quarter century. Joachim has experience treating veterans with PTSD. He now focuses on writing.
ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"Since October 2011 and consistent with other agencies’ Section 702 minimization procedures, NSA’s Section 702 minimization procedures have permitted NSA personnel to use U.S. person identifiers to query Section 702 collection when such a query is reasonably likely to return foreign intelligence information. NSA distinguishes between queries of communications content and communications metadata. NSA analysts must provide justification and receive additional approval before a content query using a U.S. person identifier can occur.
To date, NSA analysts have queried Section 702 content with U.S. person identifiers less frequently than Section 702 metadata. For example, NSA may seek to query a U.S. person identifier when there is an imminent threat to life, such as a hostage situation. NSA is required to maintain records of U.S. person queries and the records are available for review by both OOJ [sic] and ODNI as part of the external oversight process for this authority. Additionally, NSA’s procedures prohibit NSA from querying Upstream data with U.S. person identifiers."
--From: "NSA’s New 'Privacy Officer' Releases Her First Propaganda," emptywheel.net; image from
RUSSICA
From "The face of separatism: clowns, vagabonds, goblins"; via TV on Facebook
Alexander Pushkin, "To the slanderers of Russia" (1831); below Pushkin image from
What do you raise an outcry over, national bards?
Why do you threaten Russia with Anathema?
What stirred you up? The throes of Lithuania?
Desist: this is a strife of Slavs among themselves,
An old domestic strife, already weighed by fate,
An issue not to be resolved by you.
Long since among themselves
These tribes have been at war;
More than once has bent beneath the storm
Now their, now our side.
Who will prevail in the unequal strife:
The boastful Lekh, or the faithful Ross?
Will the Slavonic streams converge in the Russian sea?
Will it dry up? Here is the question.
Leave us alone: you have not read
Those bloody tablets;
To you is unintelligible, you is alien
This family feud;
Mute to you are the Kremlin and Praga;
Unthinkingly you are beguiled
By the valor of a desperate struggle -
And you hate us . . .
And for what? Reply: is it because
On the ruins of blazing Moscow
We did not acknowledge the insolent will
Of him under whom you quaked?
Because we hurled into the abyss
The idol heavy-looming over kingdoms,
And with our blood redeemed
Europe's freedom, honour, and peace?
You are menacing in words - just try to be in action!
Is then the old thane, resting on his bed,
Unfit to mount his bayonet is Ismail?
Or is the Russian Tsar's word powerless by now?
Or is it new to us to be at odds with Europe?
Or has the Russian grown unused to victories?
Are there too few of us? Or will, from Perm to Tauris,
From frigid crags of Finland to the flaming Colchis,
From the shaken Kremlin
To stagnant China's walls,
Flashing with steely bristle,
Not rise the Russian land?
Send then to us, oh, bards,
Your sons enraged:
There's room for them in Russia's fields,
'Mid graves that are not strange to them.
==
Клеветникам России
О чем шумите вы, народные витии?
Зачем анафемой грозите вы России?
Что возмутило вас? волнения Литвы?
Оставьте: это спор славян между собою,
Домашний, старый спор, уж взвешенный судьбою,
Вопрос, которого не разрешите вы.
Уже давно между собою
Враждуют эти племена;
Не раз клонилась под грозою
То их, то наша сторона.
Кто устоит в неравном споре:
Кичливый лях, иль верный росс?
Славянские ль ручьи сольются в русском море?
Оно ль иссякнет? вот вопрос.
Оставьте нас: вы не читали
Сии кровавые скрижали;
Вам непонятна, вам чужда
Сия семейная вражда;
Для вас безмолвны Кремль и Прага;
Бессмысленно прельщает вас
Борьбы отчаянной отвага -
И ненавидите вы нас...
За что ж? ответствуйте: за то ли,
Что на развалинах пылающей Москвы
Мы не признали наглой воли
Того, под кем дрожали вы?
За то ль, что в бездну повалили
Мы тяготеющий над царствами кумир
И нашей кровью искупили
Европы вольность, честь и мир?..
Вы грозны на словах - попробуйте на деле!
Иль старый богатырь, покойный на постеле,
Не в силах завинтить свой измаильский штык?
Иль русского царя уже бессильно слово?
Иль нам с Европой спорить ново?
Иль русский от побед отвык?
Иль мало нас? Или от Перми до Тавриды,
От финских хладных скал до пламенной Колхиды,
От потрясенного Кремля
До стен недвижного Китая,
Стальной щетиною сверкая,
Не встанет русская земля?..
Так высылайте ж нам, витии,
Своих озлобленных сынов:
Есть место им в полях России,
Среди нечуждых им гробов.
1831
ONE MORE IMAGE
Via JB on Facebook; caption: The leopard seal - a 3 metre long voracious predator found throughout the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic.
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE WEB
Via JJ on Facebook
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