One problem is that they seem to be approaching this as some kind of marketing initiative: "It is clear the American brand has been badly damaged," says F. William Smullen III. The American brand? The United States of America is something to be sold like breakfast cereal or steel-belted radials? Why not instead formulate a coherent and principled foreign policy, and pursue it with consistency and integrity, whether or not it is popular with other countries?
The Hughes/Bush approach, conversely, seems to be to offer appeasement in return for popularity -- a weak reed on which to build any lasting national security. "Report: U.S. Image in Bad Shape: Hughes Set to Begin Public Diplomacy," from the Washington Post, with thanks to Scaramouche:
As Karen Hughes, longtime presidential adviser and new public diplomacy guru at the State Department, prepares to leave this weekend on a "listening tour" of the Middle East, a congressionally mandated advisory panel to the department warned that "America's image and reputation abroad could hardly be worse."The panel's report, which has been seen by senior officials but not yet officially released, said a fact-finding mission to the Middle East last year found that "there is deep and abiding anger toward U.S. policies and actions." The Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy cited polling that found that large majorities in Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia "view George W. Bush as a greater threat to the world order than Osama bin Laden."
The report warned that televised images of U.S. policy choices -- such as in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the invasion of Iraq -- reverberate across the Arab media and will "long haunt the image of the United States." The committee recommended a series of steps, including increased funding and staffing, to rebuild efforts to promote U.S. culture and ideas -- an essential task that it said has been eroded through bureaucratic shuffling and indifference.
In much of the world, the report said, the United States is viewed as "less a beacon of hope than a dangerous force to be countered."
The advisory committee was created by Congress in 2004 and charged with advising the secretary of state on how to advance the use of cultural diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy. Patricia de Stacy Harrison, at the time an assistant secretary of state, was appointed chairman. Then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell named F. William Smullen III, his former chief of staff, as a member. Congress selected seven other members for their expertise in cultural, educational and communications issues.
In her maiden overseas trip since being confirmed as undersecretary of state, Hughes is to visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said improving the U.S. image abroad is one of her top priorities; her success in recruiting President Bush's longtime confidante to spearhead the effort is seen by many in Washington as a coup.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said yesterday that Hughes is "going to be starting a conversation with the rest of the world." He said that she will be "listening" on the trip, "and in listening, she will also be trying to explain our policies and laying the foundation for the coming years, in terms of our public diplomacy efforts."...
"It is clear the American brand has been badly damaged," Smullen said. "I'm not suggesting we have to change our policy, but we do need to take an assessment of the attitudes toward us by people around the world."
Karen Hughes is living in a fantasy world. As are most of the career politicians. Journalism school Vs. feminism.
And as for the advancement of the "new generation" as hoped for amongst conservative UK readers, I've seen no signs yet. And I'm one of 'em.
I'd like Hugh Fitzgerald to run for office, please.
"Brand" ?!!! jeezus, what a moron.
Reminds me of this book
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0007140975/qid=1127576035/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-8890321-6876158?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
America has become a feminized society
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46296
fighting against the most misogynist, male belief system ever devised. We must find our will to defend our way of life. Grow a pair!
You nailed it, Robert. It's all about marketing. The wonks at State think that all the U.S. need do to make Arabs love it is to "rebrand" America, Inc. and "reposition" it in the Arab world. In this way, they can avoid dealing with the unpleasant and apparently insoluable issue of jihad, and hope that some of that old can-do, go-get-'em verve that has created such a demand for the products of American pop culture will help "sell" America itself.
One problem: How do you rebrand "Great Satan" without turning yourself into a snivelling, capitulating example of abject dhimmitude?
The Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy cited polling that found that large majorities in Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia "view George W. Bush as a greater threat to the world order than Osama bin Laden."
Well, of course. What the poll doesn't say is that the populace in those countries agree with Osama bin Laden's view of an Islamic world order (the return of the caliphate) and not George Bush's.
In much of the world, the report said, the United States is viewed as "less a beacon of hope than a dangerous force to be countered."
Again this belies the fact that the US and its allies are seen by many in the Islamic world as the forces that must be dealt with to allow reestablishment of the caliphate.
So large majorities in Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia view the Shrub as a greater threat to the world order than Osama bin Laden.
Well knock me down with a feather!
"He said that she will be "listening" on the trip, "and in listening, she will also be trying to explain our policies and laying the foundation for the coming years, in terms of our public diplomacy efforts."...
What a naive load of crap. In the first place, what makes this imbecile think the arabs have any interest in hearing Hughes "explain our policies". They are only interested in enumerating their demands, and expect Hughes to act like the good dhimmi and meet those demands, like their harlot arabists in the State Dept.
One of her stops is Egypt, is it? Charley Rose had the egyptian ambassador to the "league of arab states" the other night. Of course, he dismissed Isreali's sacrifice of the Gaza as completely inconsequential, and every time Rose tried to question him about abbas' agreement to disarm hamas, we got the familiar tutoque....still Jews living the west bank and Jerusalem ...blah, blah, blah. There is no conversation with these people. You just sit like a good dhimmi and listen to their demands.
"It is clear the American brand has been badly damaged," Smullen said. "I'm not suggesting we have to change our policy, but we do need to take an assessment of the attitudes toward us by people around the world."
The assessment of us by the (Islamic) world? "Infidel, polytheists, dhimmi..."
Before anyone panics, let's clarify something. "Public Diplomacy" is foggy bottom speak for propaganda. Karen Hughes is the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, which in any other country would be the "Minister of Information". It is her job to lie to the world, and most especially to the enemies of the United States. The American brand of distilled water is better than the North Korean brand of distilled water. It is the ultimate psy-ops. Think of it as a taqiyyah machine on steroids. The fact that so many FSO droids in the PD cone actually believe the spew is testament to its effectiveness. So by all means, "repair" the brand. Everyone keep your eyes on the sparkling crystal. Oooo. Aaaaah.
Meanwhile, the United States Marine Corps continues its "training exercises" in Djibouti without notice because folks like Under Secretary Hughes has everybody's attention.
Yep. Journalism school vs. feminism. Isn't it fun?
eve_anne_gelical
I understand what you're saying. Death to the individual. They want total control. I wish everyone else would get the plan. But I'm singing alone.
I can't wait to see Karen in a full black hijab with slits for her eyes in Saudi Arabia. If you're going to go dhimmi might as well go all the way.
John Sobieski, PI
The Pedestrian Infidel Blog
Carolyn2 said:
"America has become a feminized society."
Right on. Lack of masculine virtues is slowly killing us all.
Just when we were wondering, could American foreign policy, in which the fate of our nation and the fate of the free world rests, really be based on such shallow and insipid principles - the stone is dropped, and the answer echoes back: yes, yes, yes. Tell me that I'm dreaming.
Could this be the penultimate triumph of commerce and the latest business catch phrase over real philosophy or any actual understanding of reality? Business wins, oh goodie.
Mommy Karen, "they just don't know what good people we are" Hughes comes to the rescue! We're not in a great religio-political-cultural-ideological struggle at all! It's just a little matter of PR, you see. Never mind, American public, roll over and go back to sleep. Not to worry, dears, Mommy Karen will make it better.
Before anyone panics, let's clarify something. "Public Diplomacy" is foggy bottom speak for propaganda. Karen Hughes is the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, which in any other country would be the "Minister of Information". It is her job to lie to the world, and most especially to the enemies of the United States.
I would not panic if Karen or her bosses knew how and what to lie about. DO you think Karen or her bosses have the slightest idea about Islamic danger? If they had, would Bush hold Abduallah's hand, would Condi offer the terorrists $100/gun? Would Israel get slapped for protecting it's citizens? Would Saudi Arabia, the father of terror and Pakistan, the mother, worm themselves into Bush's 'allies against terror'?
Think.......
The Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy cited polling that found that large majorities in Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia "view George W. Bush as a greater threat to the world order than Osama bin Laden."
DUH! Osama is a 'Muslim Brother', Hello ??????
I can't wait to see Karen in a full black hijab with slits for her eyes in Saudi Arabia. If you're going to go dhimmi might as well go all the way.
Good Point!
While Karen is there to 'listen', why doesn't she convert to ISLAM? That way, she can listen to Mulims better, if she lives to listen.
As long as she only listens it might be OK.
It's when she opens her trap that we should worry about...
The odd thing about this is that Karen Hughes fits the profile to a tee of the type of American who otherwise reads jihadwatch and maybe also chats up a glibly Islamobashing storm on Paltalk (or at least basks in its milieu). So either she is (at the behest of her Commander-in-Chief) engaging in a kind of counter-taqyah (as Hulegu up above suggested), or the PC disease has tentacles and gas that reaches nooks and crannies we wouldn't expect.
I'm another American who doesn't give a rat's rear end what the rest of the world thinks about the "American Brand", whether they be in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America or Antarctica. One cannot go through life trying to make people like you. It doesn't work on the personal level, and it doesn't work on the international level. A listening tour, listen to the sound of two middle fingers flicking up.
"It is clear the American brand has been badly damaged," Smullen said. "I'm not suggesting we have to change our policy, but we do need to take an assessment of the attitudes toward us by people around the world."
Yeah -- I'm always concerned about the opinions of Nazis and barbarians. We would have fought a far better fight against the Nazis in WW2 if we had polled them on a regular basis to find out if they liked us yet or not!
hmmm first condi and now karen. maybe we are sending the muslims a covert slap in the face sending women up against all those macho muslim males.
This is not rocket science: Worrying about what "they" think of us is the beginning of the appeasement mind set. Obviously the Islamists have no such scruples. They don't give a rat's ass about what we think about them and are determined to destroy us.
Such weak politics! Such weak politicians! Such a weak way to run a government! Such weakness even to care what they think of us!
Margaret Thatcher once said she was not in politics to be liked, but to do the right thing. Politicians who are worried more about their image - or even their country's image - are politicians who are hell-bent on making them love us, instead of making them fear us. This is shallow, to say the least.
The way Muslims treat infidels and people who have transgressed should be a clear indication of the way they will continue behaving unless we put the fear of God - our God! - into them, and show them who's boss! That way we'll command the respect our politicians seem so to desire!
This is not about being liked, Karen Hughes; it's about WINNING!
Mark,
Can't agree with you more.
However, I think the problem is at the head. As they say, fish starts rotting at the head. I mean, if Bush had not set this pro-terror (yes, I think Bush is pro-terror, much to contrary beliefs) agenda, would Bin-Ladins be escorted to safety? Would 9/11 commission be resisted? Would White House be Bandar's joint? Would Pakistan be an 'ally' against terror? Would the war be against 'terror' instead of 'terorrists'? Would southern border be open?
Take away war in Afhanistan (which Bush had no potion , but to fight) and Iraq (which Bush pushed for personal rather than US Security reasons), and Bush is a terror-friendly commander-in-chief, only masquarading as a 'war-time-president' to win votes and elections. Think about it.
On Hughes' listening tour, a group of women in Saudi Arabia disagreed with the American stereotypes of Muslim women --- namely that they are mistreated, oppressed and too ignorant to know any better. As Maureen O'Dowd says in her NYT editorial today, nothing worse than a hypocritical American patronizing to them.