An open letter to the world:
Dear World:

I have carried this within me for some time now, across six countries and three continents. Today I put this burden down. You do not know me, but I am an American.

Actually, you do not know me because I am an American- you can not get past that word, the label. I live with you, I am friends with your children, I have visited your house and many of you have eaten in my home. Many, many of your friends and families are neighbors of my family in America.

But you do not know me.

I am not from New York, or California. My zip code is not 09210, I did no got to school in the Big Apple. If you have visited either of those places you do not know me, or even worse, if you have been to Disneyland you have no idea who I am. My parents are neither rich nor poor. My family never owned slaves.

I do not carry a gun- but I reserve the right to. I may or may not have voted Republican in the last two elections, and I may or may not vote Democrat in the next two. That is the soul and beauty of my country. I believe in God, but subscribe to no religion that you can identify with. I expect to succeed.. or fail... on my own. I remember the last Great War, but am not ashamed- for I carry the lessons of that war within me- and we were neither instigators nor conquerors. Can you deal with that? I am not sure- but if you can't than you will not know me.

If you watch movies from Hollywood, or read novels by Stephen King you do not know me. If you listen to Britney Spears or Bob Dylan you do not know me. If you went to University or College in the U.S. you might know a little about me as an adolescent trapped in an adult body- but that is often worse than knowing nothing at all. If you saw me on the news about the Iraq War- supporting it as a soldier or protesting it in the street, you do not know me.

And you know what? None of that matters. For all of my travel, for all of my time living among you, I don't really know you either. So let's make a deal. In a pub don't ask me about the 2nd Amendment and I'll leave the subject of the 1916 civil war to rest. Let's not address Terry Schiavo 5 minutes after we meet and I'll not mention the Jewish treasures in your museums. Don't tell me who I should have voted for and I'll not mention the millions dead in two World Wars at your country's behest. Do not mention the plight of slaves in the New World over my first plate of rice and I will refrain from bringing up the Killing Fields.

Am I asking you to ignore me, or to not engage me? Never. I am asking you to apply your own standards for rationality. Let's talk as people, not countries. Let us know each other as individuals first. The reality is, we need to talk, you and I. Will we be friends? I hope so, but doubt it. That, however, is not important. What matters is the conversation. When your friends say "don't talk to the Americans" and mine say "you'll never make friends here" both perpetuate the same self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is our chance. Here I am, willing to listen. You have the option of slogans or conversation, preconceptions or reality. All you have to do is talk to me. You know who I am, and I know you can always spot me. I am the American in your neighborhood, in you restaurant or your shop. You can either berate me mindlessly, or open a dialogue. The choice is yours. You think I do not care, and you are wrong.

I'll be waiting, world. Stop by or drop me a line- but do not expect me to toe your line without a reason. I want the same thing you do- peace and happiness for my family first, and then I'll do whatever I can for yours. I have no shame in admitting that- and will not take your burden on for you. May God be with you, and when He is not may you have friends who will be- and in my heart of hearts I hope that America is one of those friends, as I hope you will be a friend to us. The opportunity is yours for the taking- so do not let it pass you by when we meet on your home turf

Dr. D

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3/31/2005 03:52:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Nancy Powell - What Advertising Works In The Third World
Regular readers know that we ocassionally post a "guest piece" or an exceptional e-mail (always with the author's permission). We do not edit (except for formatting to work with Blogger) or alter content in any way. Publishing these posts and e-mails is not necessarily an endorsement, it just means we found them interestimg and thought you might too. The following is from frequent commenter Peter Rice (Retired from the US Foreign Service), now living in Sarasota, FL . He is writing in response to a piece about former Ambassador to Pakistan Nancy Powell.

From my time in India and my conversations with people running the rewards for turning in terrorists program, a few comments about Nancy Powell:

India with a bit more than 1,000,000,000 people has a daily newspaper circulation of around 10,000,000 newspapers (about half in English), or about 1 newspaper for every 100 people.

The vast majority of Indians never sees nor reads a newspaper. There is typically only one AM radio signal (plus one FM signal in the largest cities), Govt. of India radio (called All India Radio) plus short wave at night, IF the signal can be received. For most of India, there is only one broadcast TV signal, from TV Very Boring (Govt. of India owned). The rich have satellite TV, the other 95% do not. We left India in 1999 and more likely get satellite TV now, but it would be very difficult to get a "turn in a terrorist" advertisement on satellite TV, considering that the majority of the viewers in Asia are likely to be offended by such advertisements.

Yes, there are billboards, but advertisements for turning in terrorists would likely offend some groups and the billboard would likely be taken down within hours. Billboards were the favorite media for advertising Indian movies.

The rest of South Asia is much the same. So advertising on match books/boxes is one of the few effective media. In most of the Third World (and the old Second World, the USSR and Warsaw Bloc) there are no free matches, so smokers (lots of males in the Third World smoke) are happy to take free matches.

In the USA, I remember there being advertisements inside matchbooks. Not advertisements to appeal to gentlemen (or lady) diplomats, rather for high school diploma mills, trade schools, and such.

I was told by people involved in the "turn in a terrorist program" (my name for it, not theirs) that the match box advertisements did produce leads that caused several terrorists to be caught.

Knowing the nature of far too many FSOs, Nancy Powell was offended by the manner of the advertising (on match boxes), offended that such advertising might offend some Pakistanis (it certainly would, anything that helped us would offend some of them), and/or just offended by anyone who was helping to fight "GW Bush's War".

We will not know what was in Powell's head. We do know the nature of the culture of the State Dept. whereby the ambassador is supreme and all powerful, able to openly disobey orders from Washington, DC (unless the orders are really really important to the Secretary of State).

As a test of this, think of how few ambassadors have been fired by the Secretary of State, fired in the sense of being removed from their job and returned to the USA. I know of none other than the fool who was ambassador in Panama City when we invaded, and he said on TV that he was unfit for the job and that everyone knew that he was unfit when he was sent there.

Powell was just a typically ambassador, she chose not to like the match box for rewards program and ordered that it not be done in "her country", Pakistan. And as a female, she will get another job as ambassador, and likely in a nicer post.

Another of the many examples that FSOs can choose to not follow orders, in particular those coming from GW Bush and his appointees, whom many of them despise.

Peter Rice
Retired from the US Foreign Service
Sarasota, FL

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3/30/2005 01:54:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Today's Special: Traditional blogging- corrected.
I had a hard time deciding what to write about today and could not pick a single topic, so I decided to do some more "traditional" blogging. Here are a few of the more interesting things I came across today and a brief comment on each:

Medal of Honor Memorial defaced.
One panel had a hole in it, while glass in a second panel was chipped. Each panel weighs about 200 pounds with glass that is one inch thick.
In addition, walls around the memorial were spray-painted with obscenities aimed at Gov. Mitch Daniels and President Bush, peace symbols and a plea to "legalize ganja," a reference to marijuana.
Melvin E. Biddle, of Anderson, also expressed disappointment over the attack on the memorial. His name is one of those listed on the glass panels, a tribute to his actions during the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
"It's just a shame we have people like that," Biddle said.

Melvin, you have hit it on the head. When they catch the scumbags who did this I will gladly pay for one way tickets for them to move to any hell hole you care to name, sir. (Thanks to Double Canister at 10 Yards for the tip)


Lessons (corrected)
In rural Bangladesh a madrassah teacher is on the run.
Maulana Nazmul Haq has been accused of raping nine of the students at the school and forcing several to have abortions.
Initially, when the first student complained to the police in Hatibandha on March 21st, the man put off his arrest by promising to marry the complainant, described in the story as "a hapless orphan." However, a total of nine girls have now lodged complaints. Interestingly, the police have concluded that only four of them were raped.

Wretchard is hosting a new blog by Dymphna called I Could Scream-Examining the plight of Islamic women. This will be a new must read (thanks to Oroculations for the tip). Thanks to Wretchard too, for pointing me in the right direction to give credit where due.

The Aid Swindle
The international community has sought to deliver quick success in rebuilding war-torn Afghanistan. But the country has become an El Dorado for international consultants and professional aid workers who ply the streets in Land Cruisers. Their methods have also fostered an atmosphere of corruption and sloppines that has left many Afghans feeling disappointed and cheated.

Hmmm. I seem to remember the Dipomad having something to say about the extravagances of the NGO set. I really miss those guys sometimes.

Nuke the Holy Land--For World Peace
"Rest assured that the American-Israeli Harpoons are nuclear, and the Zionists have every intention of using them on Tehran and Damascus if they think they can get away with it. Dangerous people do dangerous things in dangerous times, and there is nothing more dangerous that a pack of religious fanatics with their backs to the Mediterranean," added Vialls.

This is an interest piece about Israel, nuclear weapons and Harpoon missiles. Of course, I don't think this author and I have same "pack of religious fanatics" in mind when we discuss the Middle East. For even more odd writing click the last link in that paragraph. I really don't think this is a man I would cite.

The Iraq Culture Smart Card
SYNOPSIS: The Iraq Culture Smart Card is a Guide for Communication and Cultural Awareness. The 16-panel, folded card includes information on religion, religious holidays, clothes and gestures, ethnic groups, cultural groups, customs, and history, social structure, and understanding Arabic names. Also included are “Do This” and “Don't Do This”, commands, numbers, questions, and helpful words and phrases. The 15” x 11” card folds to 3 ¾” x 5 ½” and is printed on waterproof, tear resistant synthetic paper.

I found this through Der Spiegel online who pithily ended their blurb with: "They are meant for the 19- or 20-year-old soldier, moving door to door in a hostile environment," said Marine Col. Keith Lawless to the New York Times about the cards. "This will help him stay out of trouble." You know, kind of like the card the Germans issued their troops in WWII. Of course theirs was simpler "If it looks Jewish, kill it."

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3/30/2005 12:37:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

"ideologies of hatred"
In catching up on my reading from the holiday I came across an interesting piece by Bouthaina Shaaban, Syria's Minister for Emigrant Affairs. More accurately, what I found was a re-write of a piece by Shaaban from only a week ago. The new one is entitled Bush's policies succeed only in defaming all Arabs and ran on the Houston Chronicle site on the 27th. The first piece was the UPI Outside View in the Washington Times on the 21st- Syria's question to Condoleezza . The differences between them are subtle, but interesting, and I'll try to remember to indicate which piece I am referring to by denoting them HC and WT respectively.

From the WT:

Damascus, Syria, Mar. 21 (UPI) -- Reading the headline "Rice commits that Washington will build a different kind of Middle East," I understood the anxiety haunting the people of the Middle East. Rice's remarks to the American troops in Kabul reveal Washington's official concept of the region: "a different kind of broader Middle East that's going to be stable and democratic and where our children will one day not have to worry about the kind of ideologies of hatred that led those people to fly those airplanes into those buildings on September 11th."

As such, those remarks imply dangerous prohibitions, for Rice has accused the region of harboring "ideologies of hatred," and talked about "those people" referring to the people of the region as the culprits who flew "those planes into those buildings on September 11th."

From the HC:

DAMASCUS, Syria "I recently picked up a newspaper and saw the following headline: "Rice Promises That Washington Will Build a Different Kind of Middle East."Unsure what this could possibly mean, I looked closer at Condoleezza Rice's remarks to U.S. troops in Kabul, Afghanistan, to see if I could learn what this new Middle East was going to be.

"A different kind of broader Middle East that's going to be stable and democratic," was what she described that day, "where our children will one day not have to worry about the kind of ideologies of hatred that led those people to fly those airplanes into those buildings on September 11th."

So let me get this straight. Rice believes that our region harbors "ideologies of hatred" and that it is populated by "those people." Those terrorists.

As I said, subtle, but real. Minister Shaaban, I can not tell you what Secretary Rice believes, as I am not privy to her thoughts. But I can tell you this: your region does harbor ideologies of hatred and is populated at least in part by terrorists. Does that news shock you, or is it the fact that an American administration is calling the kettle black? You can splutter and equivocate all you like, and draw comparisons to Abu Ghraib if it helps you sleep at night.

But do us a favor and don't pretend that (HC)

the entire U.S. "war on terrorism," ...has severely damaged America's reputation and credibility around the world and ...has led to the disastrous policies that will harm relations between the United States and the Arab world for decades to come.

I will stipulate that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have harmed relations in the Middle East- they have made you and others of your ilk frightened, and scared men are dangerous. But I can also tell you that the decision to interfere in the ME was made by OBL and his minions when they turned airplanes into missiles. Much to our shame we were largely content to ignore the likes of the Taliban as they beat women for showing an ankle, or executed them for having the temerity to have been raped. Much to our shame we were content to ignore the madrasses in which hatred for Jews and the West was presented as "education." No, sir, there would be no "war on terrorism" were there no terrorists.

Minister, you push all the right buttons using Israel and apartheid in the same sentence (HC) with no regard to the fact that black South Africans were oppressed because they were black, and that Palestinians are being walled out of Israel because of the tendency to blow themselves up in crowded places. You want to end "all kinds of occupation, settlement, discrimination and hatred against Arabs and Muslims" (WT)- you were doing great up until the last three words of that quote. Some pigs are more equal than others, after all, I suppose. You even end the HC piece with a great soundbite:

I'm sure Rice recognizes the great difference between the reports she receives from pro-Israeli think tanks which see nothing in the Middle East except resources susceptible to extraction and unarmed people vulnerable to occupation or oppression and the reality of the Arab people's long history of building civilizations and proselytizing for peace.

Did you manage to keep a straight face as you wrote that? You do have incredible resources, which leads me to wonder why the "Arab people's long history of building civilizations " is precisely that- long a matter of history. Where are the great Arab civilizations of today? Where are the great centers of learning, the research institutes and hospitals? I won't even address the idea that Islam is proselytizing for peace. I don't have your ability to write pap and smile at the same time.

Minister Shaaban, the second draft of your article is better than the first. With a bit more work I am sure the New York Times will pick it up, and you will briefly be the golden boy of the "America is always wrong" crowd. In the meantime, if you are sincere in your expressions that you "want a future where they [Arab children] enjoy freedom, dignity and equality" (WT) and that "the events of Sept. 11 have weighed heavily on Arabs and Muslims just as they have on the people of the United States" (HC) I have a suggestion. Stop pretending that there are no terrorists and that Islamofacism is not a problem. Do what you can to solve your social issues at home, and expand your definition of children, Arabs and Muslims to include women and girls. Stop wasting time with pre-emptive whining and do what it takes to drag your country, your region and your religion from the 16t to the 21st century. In other words, build your own "Different Kind of Middle East".

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3/29/2005 02:29:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Follow up on Nancy Powell.
Yesterday I promised to address How a Lone Diplomat Compromised the Hunt for Bin Laden Congressman Launches a Probe and Reaches the President by Richard Miniter. After reading it carefully and hunting around for more information on the topic all I can say is I don't have enough information to make a call on this one. Someone once told me there are at least three sides to every story: mine, yours and the truth. I don't know what took place with the match books, but I do know that I am not counting on throw away reward announcements to find bin Laden and end the war with al Qaeda. I am not defending the non-distribution of any materials, mind you, it just seems this article is a little light on the facts. TigerHawk goes a step beyond that and has fisked the heck out of this piece:

You can't believe everything you hear from the State Department, but in this case it is a little difficult to see why a "senior State Department official" would bag the Department to protect Nancy Powell. The Sun does not explain why we shouldn't take the State Department at face value on these two facts -- that the program was terminated before Powell received her credentials, and that it was substantively ineffective.

I am curious to see where this one goes, and I'll be watching closely. Until then, it is one piece, from one journalist with a bunch of suspect facts. Thanks to all who sent this one by e-mail, sorry for a less than exciting rebuttal, but there doesn't seem to be much to say at this point that TigerHawk has not already said.

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3/29/2005 01:20:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Email Round Up.
Just back from the long weekend get away, I hope everyone enjoyed theirs as much as I did. It was very nice, only one anti-American dust up the whole time, and that a weak and semi-drunken one! Thanks to all who wrote in while we were away- a few good points came up that I'll try to get to either via posting or direct reply.

The most e-mailed bit concerned Ambassador Powell in Pakistan. I am sure you have all heard of this piece: How a Lone Diplomat Compromised the Hunt for Bin Laden Congressman Launches a Probe and Reaches the President. We'll have comment on that soon, hopefully tomorrow.

There were also a number of e-mails about the Kennan piece, I'll try to address those en masse in a post.

Finally, we received a press release for an online publication and blog called "America Is" by a Portugese writer. Here is are a few excerpts from the blog (from 2 posts):

New European Online Site Concentrates on Fresh View of America
LISBON, Portugal, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- A European online publisher wants to widen European perceptions of America with the launch of a new website America-is.com that focuses only on America and American issues across all subjects.The first text `America' is the latest work of Portuguese writer and poet Paulo Jose Miranda and is written in 99 points ranging from one liners to fuller explanations.Miranda says: "In Europe, no matter what kind of education you have, when the subject America is brought up, suddenly all intelligence vanishes from the discourse."It is as if we in Europe lack a US chromosome. The text America is completely different. It perceives the greatness of America all along in its 99 points."

America-is.com
1. The duty of every American is to make America grow. And every one who makes America grow is American. In Europe, it doesn’t make sense for a citizen of a country to immigrate to Germany, for instance, and become German, but to come to America and become American makes total sense. Coming to America is in itself already being American. To come to is not to visit; those who come don’t go. America is not a natural country. It’s a created country; an invention of human beings. Since World War I, the story of the world is to come to America.

48. There is hope everywhere. But it definitely grows more in the fertile fields and cities of America. Of necessity, hope grows more where there are more dreams. Hope: that which isn’t pulling that which is; that which is still desired imposing on that which is already had. Hope prevents humankind from falling down from itself.

63. The life of America remains open if we forget to close the refrigerator. The life of America heats up food in two minutes. The life of America is heard from afar. The life of America is seen by all.

Sorry for the round up type post, but it was long travel filled weekend. Back tot he regular stuff tomorrow.

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3/28/2005 03:56:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Keep the pressure on Annan.
Before I get into a topic today I'd like to take a moment and point you all in the direction of a promising new blog "Americans For Freedom"- a collection of links and commentary on the freedom movement in the Middle East. Thanks to this site I found "Blogs by Iranians", a comprehensive list of English language blogs written by Iranians around the world. Good stuff on both these sites.

Now for today's thoughts.

This weekend is the Easter holiday, and at least around here it also seems to be the start of spring. A season of rebirth and renewal, if I may be so cliched. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the United Nations. Big things are afoot in New York, and there has been much talk and even more written about what, if anything, the UN can do to get back on track (as if it ever was on track).

Koffi Annan's plan to reform the U.N. is not necessarily a bad one, it is simply insufficient for the task at hand. A timeline for reducing global poverty, more focus on human rights and reducing terrorism, and even examining the Security Council are all worthwhile ideas, but one key element is missing. Nowhere in all of this have I seen a plan by Mr. Annan or anyone else to make the U.N. relevant. Moral superiority (self-perceived) abounds in the hallways of the U.N., but outside that club there is precious little proof that the United Nations as it exists today or as it will continue to exist even with these reforms has any relevance to the real world. The Economist has summed it up nicely:

Mr Annan's reform plan, which was set out in a report to the General Assembly this week, will be presented at a summit of world leaders in New York in September. It needs America's support. Is that likely?

There is quite a lot that Mr Bush's people seem to like: a new intergovernmental peace-building commission to help prevent "post-conflict societies", like Congo, becoming failed states; a replacement for the UN's awful Human Rights Commission, whose members often include the worst torturers, by a smaller, elected Human Rights Council; an agreed definition of terrorism that denies any exemption for "freedom fighters" like those in Chechnya and Palestine; even an attempt to confirm a nation's right to launch a "pre-emptive" strike in the face of an "imminent" threat without going to the Security Council.

I for one do not feel that these plans go deep enough, however. Trying to be all things to all people means ultimately being nothing to everyone. The U.N. will continue to exist if for no other reason than the fact that it already exists and massive organizations that have convinced a large portion of the world of their worth rarely go away, not to mention the monumental levels of corruption that ensure those involved will fight to the death to keep the gravy train rolling. So, the U.N. will roll on and America will continue to pay the lion's share of the budget as well. Where does that leave us?

This is the best chance we are likely to ever see when it comes to righting the sinking ship that is the U.N., to ensure that the hundreds of millions of dollars we spend on U.N activities are put to good use. John Bolton will have his work cut out for him. We, and any other members of the U.N. serious about refining and focusing the mission of the global body, must continue to pay close attention to the reform movement. We must not, for a single moment, release the pressure on the oil for food scandal, or the sexual abuse by peacekeepers issue. Each and every abuse, incidence of corruption or misuse of power must be run to ground. An almost Herculean effort.

Can it be done? I don't know, and in fact often doubt it. We owe it to ourselves for the money we spend, and to the world for the promises the U.N. has made all these years and so rarely delivered on to try. If the U.N. can be reborn this is the best possible time to attempt it. The people of the world are speaking up, they are demanding freedom and liberty, and now it is time to look for justice, starting in the hallways of the U.N. building in New York. Mr. Annan has barely scratched the surface, let's not let up the pressure now.

Finally, I will not be posting over the Easter weekend, Mrs. D and I are going on a sort of pilgrimage, we both need a little time to tend to matters of the spirit, but I'll be back on Tuesday. I wish you all a pleasant weekend and if you are so inclined a joyous celebration of the holiday.

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3/24/2005 01:42:00 AM posted by Dr. Demarche |

You're welcome, Mr. Petri.
As an American living abroad, and a diplomat, I (and I think most of my colleagues) am especially tuned in to anti-Americanism. Overt acts or displays of anti-American attitudes are infrequent, to be sure. Most of these opinions are safely displayed in newspapers or television, it is rare to be subjected to any direct comments or actions. Even rarer, however, is an explicit display of pro-Americanism- especially coming out of Germany.

David, at David's Medienkritik, organized a pro-America rally in Mainz, Germany when President Bush visited there, and for that we thank him (he also reported this pro-America moment by the German Navy). Oddly enough (or maybe not) there seems to be a general spirit of pro-Americanism in Iran, as well. But when it comes time to put your money where your mouth is, who is pro-American out there?

Well, it seems that one Herr Manfried Petri is, and he is not about to hide it. On the same day that President Bush visited Mainz Herr Petri turned 50, and he bought himself a present: a full page ad in the most liberal paper in his town. The ad appeared as follows:

...a photo of a US flag fluttering in the wind covered half the page, and below it, printed in large and bold type, were the words: "Thank you America for 50 Years of Freedom and Peace!" Then came Petri's name and his date of birth. Nothing else.

This little expression of thanks cost him obver €6,000, or nearly $7,500, reports Der Spiegel online. Why would he do something like this?

He mentions an important event in his life, his first trip to East Germany, when he was 18. At the border crossing, soldiers held mirrors under his car to check for contraband. In East Berlin, he witnessed military parades and experienced nighttime curfews. His next important journey was to Cleveland, Ohio, where he spent a year attending a boarding school in 1972. In Ohio, he made friends he still has today. With them, he discussed the Vietnam War, demonstrated against President Nixon, and discovered a liking for politics. He decided to get involved in politics in his own country and, writing on a postcard from Ohio, he applied for membership in Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD). He said he was doing so "because of Willy (Brandt)," the German chancellor and Nobel Prize winner who was an early voice of reconciliation between post-war East and West Germany. Petri maintained his belief in the SPD even after Brandt resigned amid a spy scandal in 1974, but left the party in 1982, when Helmut Schmidt, Brandt's successor as chancellor, was voted out of office.

For every person like Herr Petri who has the courage to openly support America (and the means to do so in such a public way) there are many others who are fond of America but do not wish to buck the prevailing opinion, and that is too bad. It is precisely these voices that countries like Germany, France and Spain need to hear. For now, though, it is my great honor to say thank you, Herr Petri, for your gesture, and it an honor to count you as a freind of America.

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3/23/2005 02:01:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

The Last Frontier
Frequent readers know that I have just returned from an overdue visit to the United States. I was lucky enough to travel around in the U.S. while there, to a region I had not visited before (I am often struck by the fact that I've seen more of the world than of the U.S., I really need to work on that). This region, known for it's conservatism, was the last place I expected to find a thriving hotbed of multiculturism, but of course my preconceived notions proved false.

More than the Starbucks and Whole Foods stores, more than the occasional Thai restaurant or vegetarian Indian place, however, I was struck by the shear number of Mexican stores, restaurants and Mexican nationals in the area. Having been without good Mexican food (or practically any Mexican food) for a long time I was very happy to see these stores and places to eat. I was less happy to see the knots of men and a few women gathered on the street corners every morning waiting for a pick up to take them to that day's labor. Do I know for a fact that all of these men and women were in the U.S illegally? I do not. Would I bet large sums of money that the vast proportion of them were? I would.

I have addressed illegal immigration from Mexico before, in the "Tortilla Curtain" and "El otro lado" among other pieces. Now, with the discovery of a new tunnel across the border - a tunnel that is paved with concrete and includes an intercom system, the issue has come to the fore again. Speculation abounds that this tunnel was built by and a drug cartel for the movement of cocaine or other illegal substances. That sounds like a reasonable enough assumption. Of course the above referenced article is from the New York Times, and so the security angle is played down in favor of the liberal bleeding heart finale of the piece:

For some Mexicans, the border here seems a cultural affront. On Monday evening Carmen Castillo, a 47-year-old former nursing aide who along with her husband was deported last September after living illegally for 18 years in California, came to the Mexicali wall to visit her five children and a grandchild she had never met.

She talked to her children, all of whom were born in the United States and have citizenship, playing with the new baby through the rusty bars dividing the countries.

"It's like visiting in prison," a daughter, Carmen Nero, said as she held her infant son up to the bars. "It's heartbreaking. It's sad that there's a fence when we know we are all supposed to be together."

I have said this before, and I still hold it to be true. Were I a poor Mexican dirt farmer I hope I would be able to find the courage to face the long and often dangerous trek north in search of a better life for my family. I am not, however, a Mexican dirt farmer. I support a rational fix to our immigration system and encourage a dialogue on the issue. In the meantime, families that feel separated by the border are free to be together- in Mexico, until such time as the relatives in Mexico can enter the U.S. legally.

Presidents Bush and Fox along with PM Paul Martin will meet today with a host of other leaders, and odds are that this will be another pro-forma meeting, perhaps paving the way towards an eventual accord, but nothing more. The Council on Foreign Relations has produced an excellent set of recommendations for the future of U.S.-Mexico-Canada relations- briefly excerpted here from the 15 page document:

1. Create the institutions necessary to sustain a North American community. We propose that the trinational summit become a regular event... We propose further the establishment of a North American Advisory Council to prepare and monitor action to implement the decisions made at these summits.

2. Immediately create a unified North American Border Action Plan. The threat of international terrorism originates, for the most part, outside of North America. Our external borders are a critical line of defense against this threat... The governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States should articulate as their long-range goal a common security perimeter for North America. In particular, the three governments should strive toward a situation in which a terrorist trying to penetrate our borders will have an equally hard time doing so no matter which country he elects to enter first.

3. Adopt a common external tariff. We recommend that the three governments begin by harmonizing external tariffs on a sector-by-sector basis to the lowest prevailing rate consistent with multilateral obligations.

4. Stimulate economic growth in Mexico. To realize the full benefits of economic integration, and to ensure that these benefits are distributed broadly, Mexico must increase and sustain a rate of growth commensurate with its development goals. Mexico must devise a set of policies that commands broad public support and decide on the steps it will take to attract investment and stimulate growth.

5. Develop a North American energy and natural-resource security strategy. A reliable supply of key natural resources is essential to the region's long-term security and prosperity, while respecting each country's individual policies and priorities...Ultimately, regional collaboration on conservation and emissions could form the basis for a North American alternative to the Kyoto Protocol.

6. Deepen educational ties. Given its historical, cultural, political, and economic ties, North America should have the largest educational-exchange network in the world. We recommend the expansion of scholarship and exchange programs for students at both the secondary and university levels, the development of a network of Centers for North American Studies in all three countries, and cross-border training programs for elementary- and secondary-school teachers.

Just as I support a gradual end to traditional foreign aid in exchange for a program of market development, I am convinced that as long as Mexico is poor we will face hordes of illegal immigrants. By extension, as long as we cannot stem the flow of illegal workers we have no hope of weeding out the potential enemies of America who may make use of this back door into our country. Plans such as the one put forth by the Council are a step in the right direction, but they will take time. Unfortunately time is one element we can not trade with the radical Islamists that want to see us all converted or dead.

So as the leaders of North America meet today I hope that they keep one thing in mind. The people of the United States of America are not callous, we would all love to see a prosperous Mexico, able to feed, educate and defend her citizens. We appreciate the trade and close relationship we have historically had with Canada and Mexico. At the same time, however, we will hold our government responsible for our common defense. Paved, lighted tunnels across our border do not give me a warm fuzzy, and I know that I am not alone in this. While we work to spread liberty and freedom around the world we must continue to be vigilant at home, and this means securing our borders. President Bush has proven that he is able to speak plainly to the leaders of Europe and the Middle East. It is time for the same type of talk with our neighbors. The message should be clear and simple: we will protect our borders. That protection can benefit all of us, but the choice is yours.

I'll revisit this idea once we have an idea of what, if anything, emerges from today's multilateral talks.

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3/23/2005 01:28:00 AM posted by Dr. Demarche |

"Impervious to the Logic of Reason"
While I was in the U.S. one of the most influential men of the 20th century, George F. Kennan, passed away. He was 101 years old. I am certain that many others have already blogged about the importance of this man and the impact of his life on U.S. foreign policy, but I would be remiss if I failed to comment here.

In 1946 Kennan was quoted as saying that the Soviet Union was "impervious to the logic of reason, but highly sensitive to the logic of force." Statements like this, coupled with the "long telegram" and the 1947 adaptation of the telegram for publication as "The Sources of Soviet Conduct" (aka "the X article, as that how he signed it) in which Kennan developed and detailed his containment theory thrust him into the spotlight of international diplomacy.

The Cold War may be over (I reserve the right to comment on that topic later), but Kennan's 1947 piece still rings true today, and is just as applicable to the struggle against Islamic radicals as it was against communism. Read the following excerpt of the X piece and substitute Islam or Islamo-fascists for Russia/Soviets/Soviet Union etc:

But in actuality the possibilities for American policy are by no means limited to holding the line and hoping for the best. It is entirely possible for the United States to influence by its actions the internal developments, both within Russia and throughout the international Communist movement, by which Russian policy is largely determined. This is not only a question of the modest measure of informational activity which this government can conduct in the Soviet Union and elsewhere, although that, too, is important. It is rather a question of the degree to which the United States can create among the peoples of the world generally the impression of a country which knows what it wants, which is coping successfully with the problem of its internal life and with the responsibilities of a World Power, and which has a spiritual vitality capable of holding its own among the major ideological currents of the time. To the extent that such an impression can be created and maintained, the aims of Russian Communism must appear sterile and quixotic, the hopes and enthusiasm of Moscow's supporters must wane, and added strain must be imposed on the Kremlin's foreign policies. For the palsied decrepitude of the capitalist world is the keystone of Communist philosophy. Even the failure of the United States to experience the early economic depression which the ravens of the Red Square have been predicting with such complacent confidence since hostilities ceased would have deep and important repercussions throughout the Communist world.

By the same token, exhibitions of indecision, disunity and internal disintegration within this country have an exhilarating effect on the whole Communist movement. At each evidence of these tendencies, a thrill of hope and excitement goes through the Communist world; a new jauntiness can be noted in the Moscow tread; new groups of foreign supporters climb on to what they can only view as the band wagon of international politics; and Russian pressure increases all along the line in international affairs.

Indeed, last year on the occasion of his 100th birthday, Foreign Policy published "Everything I needed to know about fighting terrorism I learned from George F. Kennan." In reading this article one gains a better sense of the true insight and import of Kennan's thoughts and words. While describing the struggle against communism, he boiled down the larger issue of the struggle of American ideology against fascist or repressive ideologically anti-American regimes. To wit:

Like the Soviets before them, Islamic militants are a product of both ideology and circumstance. Although the militants can trace their ideas to strains of puritanical Islam from the 14th century and to the Wahhabi and Salafi movements of the 18th and 19th centuries, much of their pathology is unrelated to religion. Al Qaeda is, to a large extent, a symptom of social dislocation.

The benefits of economic globalization have largely bypassed Arab countries, even as it has exposed them as never before to outside influences. In oil-rich states, elites have used their wealth and power to maintain authoritarian rule and avoid economic and political reform. It is no surprise that the citizens of these countries view the outside world through the prism of exploitation. Meanwhile, the pervasive exposure to Western mass culture has served both to attract and alienate these societies. It's an old story: The more modern and dynamic society undermines the traditional society's values, practices, and allegiances. The recurring response to such an existential crisis is a surge in millenarian beliefs and an inclination toward nihilism. As has been the case in countless struggles before, terrorism is the quintessential weapon of the weak against the strong.

These conditions, however, need not be permanent. Hard as it may be to penetrate the anti-American sentiment prevalent in the Muslim world, the United States must undertake a strategy of engagement similar to what Kennan proposed for the Russian people. The two worlds are not as far apart as many think. A 2003 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reveals that citizens in Muslim countries place a high value on freedom of expression and the press, multiparty political systems, and equal treatment under the law.

As was the case in the Cold War the current struggle with militant Islam has the potential to be long and dangerous. We are already seeing Cold War type flare-ups with "client states"- our fighting men and women are engaging our enemies and their surrogates daily in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Americans at home live under the shadow of fear of another 9-11 style attack. Do not get me wrong, I do not hold that Kennan's ideas and words alone are enough for us to defeat the Islamo-fascists. While there are parallels and comparisons between the Cold War and the current battle, they are not exactly the same- the lack of a nation state readily identifiable as the enemy is only the most obvious of the discrepancies. These issues aside, however, there is much of the nearly 60 year old theory that is applicable today.

In closing I turn once again to Kennan's words, and ask that you read radical Islam into them:

Thus the decision will really fall in large measure in this country itself. The issue of Soviet-American relations is in essence a test of the overall worth of the United States as a nation among nations. To avoid destruction the United States need only measure up to its own best traditions and prove itself worthy of preservation as a great nation.

Surely, there was never a fairer test of national quality than this. In the light of these circumstances, the thoughtful observer of Russian-American relations will find no cause for complaint in the Kremlin's challenge to American society. He will rather experience a certain gratitude to a Providence which, by providing the American people with this implacable challenge, has made their entire security as a nation dependent on their pulling themselves together and accepting the responsibilities of moral and political leadership that history plainly intended them to bear.

Go in peace, Mr. Kennan.

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3/22/2005 01:28:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

This just in...
I may not have time to blog right now, but luckily there are plenty of others doing a great job.

Check out this great piece on The Word Unheard (brief excerpt follows):

More Lebanese Blogger Coverage: 188 Cell Phone Photo Slideshow!
What a day for Lebanon! Once again, their courage, passion and love of freedom serves to humble this American...

A MUST SEE! Ya Libnan is still at it and at it well……for a 188 photo slide show. Amazing work, rsh!

…and a first person report from Monday’s HUGE Independence Demonstration…
Back to the protest, everyone was gathered as they have never done before at Martyr's Square. There is no specific age group or gender or social class or religion. Everyone was singing patriotic songs and expressing their anger and dismay with different slogans – with the main themes being "7orriyyeh, Siadeh, Istiklal" (Freedom, Sovereignty, Independence) and "7akeekah, 7orriyyeh, Wi7deh Watanniyyeh" (Truth, Freedom, National Unity). Strangers were saluting each other with a wave of a flag, a nod, or simply a genuine smile.

I couldn't help the flurry of questions that popped to mind: Where were we during the last 5 or 10 years? What were we waiting for to express such solidarity and such nationalistic pride? The last time anyone of us carried a Lebanese flag (if ever) was during some school event or at Cub Scouts a long time ago. Did we have to lose an icon such as Mr. Hariri for us to react? Unfortunately, a good deal of us were afraid to participate in such protests. You would hear statements such as: "They are taking down names" (whoever 'they' are), "we would go to jail"

Then see Re-branding America in The Boston Globe (brief excerpt follows):

Of course, it may be hard to imagine the United States, or any other country, implementing Anholt's comprehensive nation-branding strategy. But taken less literally-as a policy critique, rather than as a program-Anholt's argument is simply a business-flavored version of what Bush's critics have been saying all along: Talking about freedom and democracy won't get us very far if those efforts are competing with Abu Ghraib and the Patriot Act. In a media-saturated world, image matters, and people won't listen to our sales pitch if our policies send a conflicting signal. In other words, we've got to ''live the brand.''

Nation-branding as a discipline is the confluence of two seemingly disparate fields: marketing and diplomacy. In the 1960s, marketers became interested in what is called the ''country of origin'' effect. Why is it, they asked, that simply sticking a ''Made in Japan'' label on a stereo boosts its value by 30 percent? Clearly, they argued, there was something about Japan itself-perhaps its reputation as a technically savvy society-that made consumers value Japanese technology over similar products from, say, Brazil. What are the roots of these national stereotypes, and how can marketing take advantage of them? And what if Brazil wanted to develop its own high-tech export industry? How could it change those stereotypes?

At the same time, throughout the Cold War the United States operated countless programs in what is known as public diplomacy, from Voice of America radio to CIA-funded magazines, such as Encounter and Look. Unlike propaganda, which spoke directly about the superiority of American values, public diplomacy fostered pro-Western sentiment through the open exchange of ideas and the dissemination of American culture.

During the 1990s, however, public diplomacy was scaled back, a mistake that the 9/11 Commission highlighted in its report. (''If the United States does not act aggressively to define itself in the Islamic world,'' the report declared, ''the extremists will gladly do the job for us.'') But it's not enough simply to revive Cold War strategies, argues Anholt. In a world increasingly connected by ubiquitous 24/7 media, there has to be a ''brand'' strategy-the message has to be coordinated and consistent, and it has to respond to stereotypes already in circulation. Nation-branding, then, is what you get when you take traditional public diplomacy strategies and add marketing tools designed to change national perceptions.

Finally, A Guy in Pajamas provides a link to an excellent piece for Saint Paddy's Day.

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3/16/2005 05:14:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Allah Made Me Funny
Time for a vacation form my vacation- I need to blog a little. Seems family and friends can only listen to me ramble so much. Frequent readers know that Public Diplomacy and the war against radical Islam are frequent topics here. Imagine my surprise on returning to the U.S. for a brief visit and finding that these are also common topics for American Muslims.

America's Muslims, it seems, are engaging in a little public diplomacy of their own- from imams to rock tours to comedians, they are reaching out to America. "Allah Made Me Funny" bills itself as "The Official Muslim Comedy Tour" featuring comics nicknamed the "Ayatollah of Comedy" and "Bin Laughin".

Meanwhile, "Junoon" who bills themselves as (ahem) Pakistan's Biggest Rock Band (or the Pakistani Pioneers of Rock, if you prefer), according to their website is:

"back with another documentary entitled 'It's my country too'. Directed by the award winning Ruhi Haq from the BBC, Salman talks to various Arab Muslims based out of Dearborn Michigan, about how their lives were affected by 9/11 and the discrimination they faced. Dearborn has one of the largest Arab-Muslim concentrations in the US"

I have not seen the comedy show or heard the band, and so have no idea if they are any good. That is really immaterial here, though. The news is not whether these shows are good, but that they even exist. The BBC has picked up on the theme running a piece by the producer of the above mentioned documentary. A sample:

"The more mainstream America hears the moderate voices, the less suspicious they'll be," he says.

"We as American Muslims must stand up, be proud of who we are, and be people who say unequivocally and enthusiastically, that we're American Muslim."

However, he is also critical of his own community. He says: "Our problem as a community is that we're very isolationist. We don't want to get out there and make bridges with people, connect with people."

Those quotes are from Mr. Bin Laughin, Azhar Usman, a former attorney now headlining the "Allah" tour. He is right on the money. If moderate Islam is to emerge into the light of day in America it will have to be of it's own volition.

I've been keeping my eyes and ears open here, soaking in as much as I can. I've been gone a while, but not much has changed. Not much usually does, until something like a September 11th makes it change. America's Muslim community existed on the fringes of society for many, many years before that terrible day. Will it be able to emerge now, and counter the forces of Islamofacism, or at least encourage the rest of the moderate Muslim world to help defeat the radicals within that threaten to destroy them all? I have no idea. It will bear watching, and perhaps we can even learn a thing or two about public diplomacy as applied to the Muslim world.

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3/14/2005 08:36:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

A non-post.
Thanks to all and sundry for the good wishes for my trip home- I'm here, arrived a few days ago, safe if no longer sane. The human body (mine at least) was not made for intercontinental travel.

I am on a borrowed computer with a dial-up modem, so this will be short. I just read this article and had to share it:

Iraqi insurgents refine propaganda tactics on the Web

A quote:

The Iraqi insurgency appears to have mounted a full-scale propaganda war.
And while the methods are not new - most militant groups now rely on the Web to recruit new adherents - the recent flurry of propaganda from Iraq has a distinctly defensive sound.

The violence has not let up, but the relatively peaceful elections and the new movements toward democracy in other Arab countries appear to have had a dispiriting effect on the insurgents, terrorism analysts say.

"I think they feel they are losing the battle," said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute, an American nonprofit group that monitors Islamist websites and news operations. "They realize there will be a new government soon, and they seem very nervous about the future."

One can only hope. Nervous men become desperate men, and while desperate men are dangerous, they are more prone to mistakes.

(End of Non-Post- be back soon)

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3/13/2005 07:37:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Home
This post might disappoint, or even annoy some of our readers. You'll not find any commentary on current events from me today. You see, tomorrow I am going home. Not for good, and not even for very long, but I've been away a long time, too long. It's like the night before Christmas and I am five years old again.

Not a day goes by when I don't think about home, my family and friends of course, and the comfort of the places and things I grew up with and spent my formative years surrounded by. But it's more than that. I imagine anyone who moves from Florida to Nevada feels a tug towards their home. For me, and I think for many who serve the U.S. abroad in any capacity, America the idea is still a very real thing, and we miss it. We (Americans) don't talk about it very much, it seems like something politicians talk about, vaguely unseemly and inapropriate. Sure, Texans will talk a hole in your head about Texas, and Southerners might praise the region, and some folks love to talk ceaselessly about their state. But America? It strikes me that we are a little uncomfortable with discussing the idea. Nationalism sometimes has a bad name , but it is just as often denied to exist and the term patriotism is used instead. Foreign Policy addressed this in 2003:

Nationalism is a dirty word in the United States, viewed with disdain and associated with Old World parochialism and imagined supremacy. Yet those who discount the idea of American nationalism may readily admit that Americans, as a whole, are extremely patriotic. When pushed to explain the difference between patriotism and nationalism, those same skeptics might concede, reluctantly, that there is a distinction, but no real difference. Political scientists have labored to prove such a difference, equating patriotism with allegiance to one’s country and defining nationalism as sentiments of ethno-national superiority. In reality, however, the psychological and behavioral manifestations of nationalism and patriotism are indistinguishable, as is the impact of such sentiments on policy.

Well, I am a nationalist. I believe in the idea of America. That is why I do the job I do, and why I started this blog. As a junior officer doing my mandated time on the non-immigrant visa line I "interviewed" as many as 500 (!) people per day- this was before September 11th, of course, when speed was the name of the day. Our goal then was to weed out the intending immigrants, the 214(b) cases. An extremely large number of the cases we interviewed were denied, up to 60% or more, and a large portion of these either lied to us outright or presented false documents. I always tried to remind myself that the lies these folks told, the false documents they presented, every one of those was as affirmation that the American dream was still alive. We might not talk about in the suburbs of Delaware, but it is the topic of many a discussion in the barrios and shanty-towns of the world. Today our consular staff are faced with weeding out far more dangerous liars and forgers, but the bulk of the work is still those looking to make a better life.

So as I sign off to go pack I can only say that my fondest wish is that we, as Americans, discover the dream again. To the faithful opposition I offer my best wishes- I know there are America haters out there, and others who make their fortunes putting her down- but that minority aside it is this tug of war, this clash of ideologies that keeps America vibrant. Most of the elites of the world, including America, have no idea or have lost track of what America means. For those of us that have not, let's get over our shyness and literally let it ring from every mountain top.

As for me, I am looking forward to that monent tomorrow when I present my passport to the customs officer and he or she says: "Welcome home."

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3/09/2005 02:32:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Resistance is futile
Just a quick post tonight- it's been a long day. So, a few random thoughts:

Has anyone noticed that revolution is fine, as long as those revolting are poor? The Asia Times, ever the voice of reason, is accusing the U.S. of Making Iraq out of Lebanon:

After having made a Lebanon out of Iraq, the United States, duly assisted by France and other West European powers, has embarked on a policy that is likely to make an Iraq out of Lebanon...

According to reliable accounts, the anger against Syria is confined to a small section of the population, many of them from the Westernized upper classes (hence the sarcastic title "Gucci revolution"). Through electronic manipulation of the visuals it has been projected as if large masses of the local population have revolted against the Syrians.

To quote from a dispatch of Kim Ghattas of the British Broadcasting Corp: "Some people here are jokingly calling the phenomenon 'the Gucci revolution' - not because they are dismissive of the demonstrations, but because so many of those waving the Lebanese flag on the street are really very unlikely protesters. There are girls in tight skirts and high heels, carrying expensive leather bags, as well as men in business suits or trendy tennis shoes. "

Apparently if you are well groomed and dressed nicely you have no business leading a revolution. We need to send them a few thousand gallons of pachouli oil and half a million tie-dyed shirts for the left to take them seriously.

Or, they could just join Hezbollah. No electronic trickery is needed to inflate the number of people at the pro-terror rally today- the international media will take care of that. Was it 200,000? 500,000? 1.6 million? I have no idea. How many Syrians or Syrian surrogates might have been there, though? I love this line from the San Francisco Gate, delivered without a hint of irony:

Trained dogs sniffed for bombs.

Hezbollah has dogs trained to sniff for bombs. Poor creatures must go nuts at home.

To change topics, I've received a few e-mails asking for comment on what I think of the nomination of Undersecretary of State John Bolton to be Ambassador to the UN. Take a look at these headlines:

• Bush names hard-liner as ambassador to UN
• US names hawk as ambassador to UN
• Dismay as US sends hawk to UN
• Bush names fierce critic to UN role

and my favorite: The Neocons' Wet Dream: John Bolton- Bush regime sends a WMD to the U.N.

Now, what do you think I think about? All I can say is, it's about time. Welcome to the second term, Kofi. Hopefully this will be enough to bring the Diplomad out of retirement, even if briefly. A few reasons to like this nomination:

The French don't like him: ``Talk about reopening old wounds,'' said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research think-tank. ``This sends entirely the wrong message.''

The Syrians don't like him: ``This is an extremely bad message that Bush has submitted to the neo-conservatives,'' said Imad Shoueibi, a Syrian political analyst in Damascus. ``They should have a more moderate figure representing them at the United Nations, but instead they have one of the most radical.''

The Germans don't like him: Eberhard Sandschneider, a policy scholar at the German Council on Foreign Relations, said many Europeans were relieved when Bolton was passed over for the secretary of state's job in favor of Condoleezza Rice.

The Iranians don't like him: ``The presence of hard-liner Bolton in the U.N. prepares the ground for U.S. intervention in the organization,'' Iran's state-run radio said in a commentary. ``But Bolton will not achieve this because the world community will resist him.''

All that, and the mustache to boot.

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3/08/2005 03:23:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Newsflash: Terrorists Cause Terrorism
This will come as no surprise to anyone, I am sure, but the left and the Euro-pacifists still don't get it. The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security which opened in Madrid today is all set to focus on the causes of terrorism this week, to coincide with the anniversary of the train bombings that scared the Spanish into electing a kinder, gentler government. The meeting is being organized by "the Club de Madrid - an independent body made up of more than 40 former heads of state and government from around the world." Here is what they propose to do:

The Club's secretary general, former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell, says one key aspect will be to "look very seriously at the roots of terrorism and locate the factors over which we might have some control".

"What, for example, might reinforce a sense of alienation, or a person's susceptibility to a belief system that justifies something which seems so horrible, such as the targeting of civilians and innocent people to make a political point?" he told openDemocracy.net.

The roots of terrorism are TERRORISTS, and I can tell them one thing that reinforces the idea that terrorism is a good idea: CAVING IN TO TERRORISTS. The article referenced above is so ripe for the picking of quotes that I almost don't know which way to turn. But let's try this:

"We have to face the fact that all of us are flying blind as far as this new form of terrorism is concerned," he [Middle East and international relations expert Fred Halliday] said. "There are a lot of questions to which we don't know the answers - such as how long this will go on."

Hey Fred, I can field that last one. It is going to go on until we kill all of them or they kill (or convert) all of us. It might end if we kill enough of them to convince the others that they won't win, but really, how do you convince someone that is ready to blow himself to bits for a heavenly reward that he will lose? If he wins he meets Allah and his virgins by taking a bunch of us with him. If he loses, and we kill him before he kills us, he still gets Allah and the ladies. Good luck Fred, let us know how this turns out for you.

Then there is an article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer which offers a few more great quotes, including this one which I am nominating for understatement of the year (emphasis mine):

Europe is looking for more stability while the United States is less fearful of change," even if that involves great risk, Fernandez said. "The value systems don't always coincide."

This one is a close second:

"The general tone of the conference will not be at all sympathetic to what the Bush administration has been up to," Powell said [Charles Powell, a history professor at San Pablo-CEU University in Madrid]

To be fair this article did include the only germ of reality that I have come across in reading about this conference:

...Europe is geographically close to Middle East hot spots, has historical ties and significant immigration from Muslim countries, and - unlike the United States - has relatively little military power.

So for the rest of the week the attendees of the conference will wring their hands and drown out the few voices of reason that might be brave enough to speak up. They will mouth the same tired platitudes favored by those of their ilk in the plenary sessions, and will blame Israel and the U.S. in private over the excellent Spanish red wine and tapas sure to be served. Madrid will have it's national day of mourning and no lessons will be learned.

Meanwhile, at the pointy end of the stick, troops from America and the other stalwart members of the coalition will continue to hunt down the vermin the boys and girls in Madrid want to welcome into "the club." For we, the members of the coalition, have learned our lesson. It took a lot to teach us, all the way from the attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon to the first World Trade Center attack, the embassy bombings in Africa, the USS Cole and September 11th, plus many more horrors in between. But we have finally put into action the promise the Gipper made terrorists everywhere- You can run but you can't hide.

Unfortunately for the folks in Madrid- Osama bin Laden and his followers have made the same promise to us.

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3/07/2005 02:55:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

"The Joy of Life is Death to America"
We have written before, more than once, about public diplomacy. Many of you already know that it is my opinion that America's efforts are not enjoying great success. The Mullahcrocy in Iran, on the other hand, is doing everything they can to get the word out to the masses. The following video clips are worthy of Michael Moore. They are slick, effective and frightening. As propaganda they are excellent. We know that satellite receivers abound in the ME. What are we beaming into those dishes? Nothing to compare to the following, I am willing to bet. We are losing the war of ideas on the airwaves to pieces like these, from the indispensable MEMRI TV (note the following links go right to the video clips, for access to transcripts click here):

The World Without America- a jihad recruiting video produced by the Conference of the Union of Islamic Students in Iran. Here is a portion of the transcript:
Oh sleepy ones, oh distracted ones, wake up and look around you: You have built your house near wolves' dens. Rise, this is no place to sleep. We must shout: Rise up soon because the world is not safe from the hunter. America is lurking for you, and will not give up until it destroys you completely. Indeed, if there was a global mobilization of Muslims, would anyone dare to be so impudent and act so cruelly towards the spiritual offspring of the Messenger of Allah?

"The Scheme of Thais" - Anti-American Music Video- MEMRI provides the context:
The Iranian news channel IRINN TV broadcast a between-program music video produced by the television department of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Thais was a Greek courtesan who joined Alexander the Great on his campaign, and, according to one story, persuaded him to set fire to Persepolis. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard's song shows the Statue of Liberty as Thais.

Anti-America Clip on Iranian TV- no transcript. Just watch it.

9/11, Pearl Harbor Planned by U.S. – a portion of the transcript:
Iranian political expert Manouchehr Mohammadi: There are many events like these in American history. It has been proven that the Japanese military attack on Pearl Harbor and on the American war ships was planned in advance and implemented with the authorization, support, and encouragement of US President Roosevelt. They needed a pretext such as this to enter WW II and in order to affect public opinion so it would give its consent to enter the war. The exact same thing happened on 9/11. This (tactic) is not used only by Hitler and George Bush. All the influential people and all the arrogant politicians need this pretext in order to carry out their aggression.

Iranian TV Compares President Bush to "Mr. Hitler" - a portion of the transcript:
In his book Mein Kampf, Mr. Hitler explicitly referred to this, and when Goebbels wrote the Nazi party's platform, Hitler said to him: "Whenever you make a decision, the people will not be involved. Either the people is [sic.] with you or against you." This is exactly what Mr. Bush is saying today, following the events of 9/11.

Footage from the 26th Anniversary of the Iranian Revolution Demonstrations- a portion of the transcript:
Reporter: Look how our young generation, our middle generation, and our elderly they have all come to create a most beautiful epic. This toddler has the final word. Mr. Taheri, please zoom in on our dear child so we can see what he is saying.
Demonstrator: Death to…
Toddler: ...to America.
Reporter: Yes. we'll teach our children

"Satan" – Anti-American Iranian Music Video – a portion of the transcript:
By the law of the jungle he deploys his armies. He slaughters children using horrifying bombs in the name of peace he invades the country He mobilizes hatred, and spreads corruption.
By the law of the jungle he deploys his armies. He slaughters children using horrifying bombs, in the name of peace, he invades the country, He mobilizes hatred, and spreads corruption.

I know that a number of our readers don’t believe that Public Diplomacy can be effective. Let's just call it what it needs to be: propaganda. Propaganda is a powerful tool, and we need to learn how to use it. It is too late to try to convince a man of the truth when he already believes the lies.

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3/06/2005 08:42:00 AM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Hello, Congress?
Ok, I know this is a blog mostly about foreign policy (and occassionally about liquor). But I am still an American, and it's my God given right to bitch about two things: the government and sports. Today I get to address both at once.

Can anyone explain to me why Congress is even remotely intersted in steriod use in baseball? Oh right- "This is a national public health issue." How is this a national health issue, and why is it that "overweight" NFL players aren't? Repeat after me: this is a MLB issue, period. If anyone has to do anything about it (and I am not sure anyone does) it is Bud Selig. Does Congress really have nothing better to do?

To the Congress- stay out of baseball and all sports. If you really can't think of anything to do allow me to make a few suggestions:

1) Call each other to task for the ridiculous pork spending that goes on every year, and maybe balance the budget occassionally, on time.

2) Investigate the number and types of requests each Congressional office makes for visa assistance each year. Why on earth do our embassies have to have FAQs on the internet with questions like this:


3) If you really feel the need to police something look within and make it punishable by a fine every time a Member of Congress misses a vote.

Once you have all of that worked out let me know, I am sure we can find something else for you to do.

To the boys of summer: play ball, and if do juice at least be man enough to admit it. (END OF POST)

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3/05/2005 02:17:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Lessons Learned
The State Department loves the phrase "lessons learned." I have yet to see anything actually learned as a result of the process involved in writing a lessons learned cable, but it is one hell of a chance to sit around in the echo chamber and tell each other how good we are.

Diplo #1: You da man Diplo #2!
Diplo #2: How can I be da man when you da man?

So on and so forth. But in the past week or two I think we actually learned a few things here at the Demarche.

We learned that our readers have generally excellent tastes in their choices of single malt beverages, and seem to know a bit about the history of the fabled water of life. Of course no one commented on how they prefer- neat, on the rocks or cut with a splash of spring water? Myself, I like it neat. Ice and water may not always be available, so why learn to like it that way?

I also learned that when I try to write a light hearted bit about beer drinking around the world (something else our readers seem to be well acquainted with. Hmmm, do I detect a theme?) I should not invoke Graham Greene. I received a number of e-mails and comments regarding my incorrect usage of the term "Ugly American." A couple of samples from the e-mail:

In recent post you are perpetuating a serious error in the true meaning of the "Ugly American." In the book the "ugly" person was the hero, he is ugly only in his genuineness and typically "American" sincerity, practicality, and lack of concern for appearances. He focuses on results, not trying to make an attractive appearance. This is "ugly" only in terms of the niceties of the local culture and the local American diplomats and aid bureaucrats. He ignores the superficiality of both in order to achieve practical results.

and

I really get tired of explaining to amateurs the differences between the ugly American and the Beautiful Americans at the Embassy and I never expected to have to do it for a pro. But, then, I can see why you might want to spread a little disinformation around. Were you in Saigon in the late fifties?

I stand before you humbly corrected. Not only are our readers possessed of excellent taste they are smart, too. I knew I liked you all!

In addition we learned that when we challenge you all to rise to the occassion you never let us down. Thanks for all your great comments on all the things we write here, and for all the e-mails that you send.

And now, albeit it a little late, the winner of our first ever international affairs poetry contest is a haiku, penned by our fellow blogger URTHSHU.

The winning entry:

Fingers in his ears
at the UN- "La la la!
Kofi can't hear you!"

So far I have not determined any prize, but thank you all for participating. Have a safe and happy weekend one and all, and thanks for making this worth our while. (END OF POST)

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3/04/2005 01:46:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Enough is enough.
In the past four months six teenage girls in a remote portion of Kentucky have been brutally murdered by their Christian fundamentalist fathers for engaging in premarital sex. Two of them were stabbed to death in front of their young children; two were shot, one strangled and a sixth drowned.

Why you might ask, have you not heard about this on the news?

Because it didn’t happen in Kentucky, or even in the U.S. and the girls were Muslim, not Christian fundamentalist. These six young ladies were all murdered in Berlin, Germany, in horrific archaic “honor killings.” Can you even imagine the outrage if this had happened in the Bible belt?

Der Spiegel magazine, in a piece titled “The Death of a Muslim Woman: The Whore Lived Like A German” gives a chilling account of the murders and murderers:

Examples include a Darmstadt girl whose two brothers pummelled her to death with a hockey stick in April 2004 after they learned she had slept with her boyfriend. In Augsburg in April, a man stabbed his wife and 7-year-old daughter because the wife was having an affair. In December 2003, a Tuebingen father strangled his 16-year-old daughter and threw her body into a lake because she had a boyfriend. Bullets, knives, even axes and gasoline are the weapons of choice. The crime list compiled by Papatya is an exercise in horror. And the sad part, said Boehmecke, is that it is far from complete. "We'll never really know how many victims there are. Too often these crimes go unreported."

In many cases, fathers -- and sometimes even mothers -- single out their youngest son to do the killing, Boehmecke said, "because they know minors will get lighter sentences from German judges." In some cases, these boys are revered by their community and fellow inmates as "honor heroes" -- a dementedly skewed status they carry with them for the rest of their lives. Currently, six boys are serving time in Berlin's juvenile prison for honor killings. "In a way, these boys are victims, too," she said. Sometimes they are forced to kill their favorite sister.

In a post earlier this week I referenced an article which included this passage:

As he [President Bush] told his audience in Brussels, in the first speech of his tour, ''We must reject anti-Semitism in all forms and we must condemn violence such as that seen in the Netherlands.'' The Euro-bigwigs shuffled their feet and stared coldly into their mistresses' decolletage. They knew Bush wasn't talking about anti-Semitism in Nebraska, but about France, where for three years there's been a sustained campaign of synagogue burning and cemetery desecration, and Germany, where the Berlin police advise Jewish residents not to go out in public wearing any identifying marks of their faith.

Europe has a tremendous problem bubbling up under their noses in their immigrant communities: they are not even beginning to assimilate. As the Euros fail to reproduce and struggle to maintain their cradle to grave social welfare system they are becoming more and more dependant on immigrant labor. That is all fine and well- but for the fact that many of the newly arrived have another plan. They do not see themselves as having arrived in Germany and driven taxis, or bussed tables, or sold trinkets in order to support Oma und Opa. They have arrived in order to secure a better live for themselves and their families (understandable) and in many cases to maintain and spread their religion. Unfortunately they don’t just knock on your door and try to get you read a magazine, and if you flirt with their daughters they don’t just give you a stern look and maybe talk to your father.

The EU is of course, in a tizzy over this. The French ban religious symbols and the EU as a whole thinks about banning Nazi symbols, but then decides that maybe the symbols themselves are not the problem. The EU has for some time been focused on the issues of racism, in which one group attacks another, but has paid very little mind to the segregated communities living in their midst, and the violence within. Is it any stretch of the imagination to think that a boy who would kill his “favorite sister” would just as easily carry a bomb into a crowded bar?

It is time to look the P.C. police in the eye and give them our best Donald Trump “you’re fired.” We need to step up to the plate and declare wide and loud that all cultures are not equal; all religions are not something to be honored and sanctioned. Any religion that tolerates the murder of young girls is not a religion that the world needs. Any religion that teaches young men that is ok to think and say things like "She only had herself to blame,"… "She deserved what she got. The whore lived like a German." is not a religion of peace, or submission, or even humanity. You say that all Muslims are not like that? Fine- then the ones who are not should lead the charge against those that are.

We have no problem protecting Blacks from Whites, Koreans from Mexicans, but we stop and quiver in our boots when it comes time to cast judgment on the internal workings of a group, unless of course that group is lily white. Enough. Germany- the September 11th cell formed in Hamburg. Do you really think it was for the pork sausages and beer? The unexamined life may indeed not be worth living, but in this day and age it may also be just the thing that kills you.

The Grand Mufti of Bosnia recently appeared in London, the following comes from the BBC :

Dr, Ceric said that tolerance of others began with how you approached those closest to you.

"Once you learn tolerance in your family, with your wife, with your children, with your local community, with the people of your own faith, then you will pass this tolerance to others," he told Australia's National Radio.
"We have rights to love our faith, our religion, but to respect others.

"We have no choice but tolerance, we have no choice but dialogue."

These killings are the latest wake up call; we have no choice but to heed it, and that might not mean dialogue. These barbaric acts and those who perpetrate them must be stopped. It is not racism or anti-Islamism or any "ism" to say this. It is simply the truth. If the Grand Mufti truly believes in his own words he and others like him must not tolerate those who would murder their own sisters and daughters, and potentially the rest of us as well. That is simply realism.

Enough is enough.

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3/03/2005 01:59:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |

Hammurabi, Redux.
(Note: this is a really long post- it is all New Sisyphus fault).

The elections are long over, as measured by the media attention span, and exactly what they mean to the future of Iraq and the region is a matter of much debate. The Michigan Review offers a few lessons learned. Here is the first sentence of each “lesson”, but these don’t really convey the article:

5. Don’t listen to the French.
4. Thoughtful political analysis is never a given
3. There are benefits to republican government.
2. The thirst for freedom exists in the Middle East – but it may not be the kind of freedom we want.
1. Elections are not about issues even in the times when they should be.

Austin Bay indicates that the terrorists are losing in Iraq quoting a WaPo account:

Insurgents fielded only “around 3,500″ fighters on election day, he said, citing U.S. intelligence estimates. Earlier U.S. intelligence had put the number of core Iraqi and foreign fighters at as many as 20,000.

Oraculations details how to deal with the rest of the terrorists out there (not for the faint of heart) in a post called U.S. Military Not a Realistic Answer because they can't win

The only solution, one of which we are partially using in Iraq, is a very old one: a mercenary enforcement. Private armies that will be motivated by money, pussy, and loot. Just the way it used to be before we had countries. Guys who will decapitate enemies and hang them in the public square for everyone to see. A government hired Mafia. That’s the way it used to be and Van Cleveld says it’s the only way we will survive this return to the past. It’s what worked before. Queen Elizabeth hired Sir Francis Drake and a bunch of other pirates and let them run wild in order to win an unconventional war. The Conquistadors were mercenaries. Wars used to be mercenaries vs mercenaries and sometimes they were bought off for higher wages right in the middle of a war. The Brits used Hessian mercenaries against us in 1776.

All of this is well and good, and some of it is mighty entertaining. But what does it mean for the people of Iraq? In our haste to congratulate the Lebanese let’s not forget that Iraq still has a long row to hoe. Next on their agenda is the writing of a Constitution. I can’t even imagine what that must be like. Luckily, I don’t have to. The U.S. government has a little known (anything I did not know about before today is little known) project called the United States Institute for Peace (no, that is not the nickname for the Marine Corps) which has recently released a very interesting report entitled “Iraq’s Constitutional Process Shaping a Vision for the Country’s Future.”

The central theme of this report is one that I have not seen elsewhere, namely the process by which the Iraqis develop their new Constitution is every bit, and possibly more, important than what the final product looks like. In an nutshell the authors spell out the idea that this is the opportunity for the various factions in the country to come together, in a very real way this is where the healing process begins. Here is the summary of the report (it is 16 pages long in .pdf format):

• The process by which constitutions are made matters. In countries such as Iraq, the constitution-making process can be a transformational one that facilitates peace and stability. If not organized transparently and with public participation, however, the constitutional process runs the risk of further fracturing the country.
• From the time of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime, there have been various positions advanced on the terms of a future Iraqi constitution, but little attention paid to the process by which this constitution will be made.
• The challenge will be for the elected National Assembly to organize this process, ideally through a set of interim rules to ensure transparency and to articulate fun­damental constitutional principles, as done in many other countries.
• A constitutional commission for Iraq, composed of National Assembly members and supported by a secretariat of Iraqi professionals, should conduct civic education, broadly consult the population, and compile a draft constitution. There are many models from around the world for such a commission.
• The constitutional commission’s education and consultation should reach out to all Iraqis, and should be given adequate time. The commission should engage in consensus drafting, and avoid relying on existing drafts.
• If invited to do so, the international community can play a beneficial role, which should be supportive of the commission’s work, and could consist of providing neu­tral advisers to the commission. Governments should respect what is a sovereign Iraqi process.

Now, I can’t say that I agree with everything in this report, but these folks have done their homework. They have examined the processes by which countries draft constitutions in the modern age (18 countries to be exact) many of them recovering from periods of violence and/or great internal divide. They draw many parallels between South Africa and its constitutional convention and what the Iraqi people face today. The authors see this as a possible role model for the Iraqi assembly:

South Africa’s constitutional process—a case that may provide some useful lessons for Iraq—is an example of this approach. At the time of its transition, South Africa was a deeply divided society, with a legacy of repression, ongoing violence threatening the transition, and a certainty regarding which political and racial faction would dominate the Constituent Assembly and the new government. Various political factions privately negotiated the terms of the interim constitution, which set out the basic ground rules for the process of adopting a permanent con­stitution and provided for the basic functioning of a Government of National Unity throughout the constitution-making period. The Constituent Assembly, in addition to drafting a permanent constitution for the country, would also function as a parliament in the interim period. The interim constitution set out 32 substantive principles to be followed in the drafting of the permanent constitution.

They stress repeatedly the need for a working group within the assembly, and the need for transparency and outreach to the Iraqi people.

In the context of a divided society, the emphasis on public participation in the development of the constitution can provide the best possibility for vulnerable groups, or even those who view themselves as politically disenfranchised, to engage in an open national dialogue regarding decisions that are vital to the future direction of the country. This approach can be crucial to forging a common vision for the nation’s future, resulting in a new constitution in which all these diverse groups may not have the immediate satisfaction of all their demands, but in which they have a stake and a sense of ownership.

At its core, broad public participation and consultation is most important in devel­oping an authentic sense that the new constitution is not irrelevant and abstract, or a tool to be used or abused by those in power but, rather, is the possession of all the people, who will insist on its implementation.

At first I scoffed at some of the ideas presented in the paper as to how best to conduct outreach. Ideas such as town halls and radio addresses are great, but what about skits or cartoons? Then I heard (turn on your speakers) a song in the back of my head and I realized they were right:

We the people

In order to form a more perfect union,

Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,

Provide for the common defense,

Promote the general welfare and

Secure the blessings of liberty

To ourselves and our posterity,

Do ordain and establish this Constitution

for the United States of America.

Public education and outreach will be very important. Of course they also have to listen to what the people tell them and take it under advisement, work together and make sure the timing is right as well. The report also spells out what the international community can do as well, provided we are asked:

The U.S. Institute of Peace–UNDP study has found the role of foreign experts to be especially constructive when they have served as a neutral resource, offering guidance to locals by elucidating the pros and cons of particular substantive issues, frequently through comparative analysis of how constitutional issues have been handled in other countries. This kind of role facilitates informed debate of issues among locals, who will ultimately make the substantive choices.
…
One of the most important ways that the international community can assist the constitution-making process in Iraq is by facilitating access to information about, and key experts from, the relevant constitution-making experiences of other countries.

In other words, don’t make them reinvent the wheel. The report ends with a number of concrete recommendations as well:

• Iraq’s new National Assembly should embrace a model of robust public participation in the constitution-making process. This effort can be pivotal in establishing the legitimacy of the process, fostering national dialogue, developing a common vision for Iraq’s future, and cultivating a sense of public ownership and commitment to the country’s new constitution, resulting in greater stability for the political system established by that constitution.
• The recent constitution-making experience of several countries, particularly with respect to public participation in the process, can provide helpful lessons and tools for Iraq, and the international community should facilitate Iraqi access to such comparative information.
• The National Assembly should consider early adoption of rules governing the consti­tution-making process that (1) spell out further details and organizational structure for the constitutional process, including active public consultation and participation, and (2) reaffirm fundamental principles and guarantees of human rights that will be respected during the life of the National Assembly and enshrined in the new consti­tution.
• Separate phases of public education and public consultation should be conducted. Members of the National Assembly, civil society groups, the media, academic institu­tions, and others should play active roles in this effort. This process should include dialogue among Iraq’s various ethnic and religious communities regarding one another’s concerns and ideas for the country’s new constitutional system. Adequate time should be allocated for this component of the constitutional development pro­cess.
• A constitutional commission should be established in Iraq to facilitate public edu­cation and consultation efforts, collect and organize public input for the National Assembly’s constitution drafters, and conduct research and drafting for the National Assembly.
• The drafting of the constitution should ideally develop from an open consideration of issues and options, rather than simply focusing on a complete draft constitution tabled by any particular political faction.
• The international community should provide resources and technical assistance to aid the Iraqi constitution-making process. Foreign governments and institutions should not be aligned with particular political factions but, instead, should provide neutral assistance to the National Assembly and civil society constitutional efforts.

If you have made it this far with me, thank you, and thanks to the Beltway Traffic Jam too. I am convinced, after finishing this report and thinking about what I would want from the drafters of a constitution today, and what I would not want, that more than anything I would not want the end product simply presented to me one day. For the Shia, Sunni, Kurd, Christian and all the other groups in Iraq to have a future they will need to agree on the foundation. How will mosque and state work together? How will good laws be passed and bad laws repealed? What ownership do I have over my freedoms and future?

As I said at the top, it is a long row to hoe. I wish the framers and the people of Iraq the best of luck.

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3/02/2005 03:07:00 PM posted by Dr. Demarche |