Dec. 17, 2004 - 20:43 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

How Odd

Cokie and Steven V. Roberts it seems to me are people who have great intelligence and integrity. Back when I could hear well enough to understand TV when Cokie was on, the truth seemed to emanate from her, and I listened carefully. In this morning's Rocky Mountain News is an article by them. In part:

U.S.Needn't lie to score points with Muslims

"American credibility in the Muslim world is already at rock bottom. And now some geniuses in the Pentagon want to push it even lower, if that's possible."

"Several newspapers report that a bitter debate is raging in military circles over a seret plan to use covert disinformation and propaganda campaigns to manipulate views of America abroad."

"Three years ago, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was forced to close down a similar effort, run by a "Department of Deception" officially called the Office of Stategic Influence. But now this bad idea is back, spurred by a raging frustration within the Pentagon that America's enemies are winning the propaganda battle across the Muslim world."

"The motto of this renewed campaign seems to be "If they're lying about us, we'll lie about them."

"America does not have to lie to tell its story effectively. One key to winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world: spread the truth about the nation's goals and values."

"Take two examples. In Bosnia, American troops are winding down a nine-year mission that has protected a largely Muslim population from attacks by Christian Serbs. In Azerbaijan, organizations like Save The Children (of which Cokies is a member of the board) are using American aid to resettle thousands of Muslim refugees and help them rebuild their lives."

The world needs to see this side of America clearly, not through the distorting prism of propaganda. As an advisory group on public diplomacy chaired by former ambassador to Israel and Syria Edward P. Derejian reported to Congress last year, "Our adversaries' success in the struggle for ideas is all the more stunning because America's values are so widely shared." But many Muslims don't believe America actually lives by those shared values. And making deceit an official policy will only add to Washington's reputation for hypocrisy."

"So if lying is not the way to win "the struggle for ideas," what is ? The subject is widely debated in Washington right now, and there are no simple answers, but here are a few that make sense:

++ A shift in emphasis, and budget priorities, from war-fighting to peace-fighting. the Djerejian report calls for "an immediate end to the absurd and dangerous underfunding of public diplomacy."

++ "A more open attitude toward Arabic-language media outlets, like the satellite TV service Al Jazeera. Yes, their news reports can be virulently pro-Arab and anti-Israeli, but they are also willing to provide a platform for American voices, and they have much greater credibililty among Muslim listeners than radio and TV stations created and funded directly by Washington."

++ A change in visa restrictions that are crippling culural and academic exchanges with the Muslim world. As Harvard Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr. recently wrote, "In an effort to exclude a dangerous few, America is keeping out the helpful many."

Deceit is a legitimate strategy in waging war, but NOT in waging peace. We Americans are always better off when we live upto our own principles."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Comments and opinions. Propaganda is a hated word in this man's heart. Propaganda is what the Axis was using on the world to cover up the massacre of millions of people and keeping the live ones under their thumbs. To my mind no form of communications issuing from our country should ever be in the form that can be classified as Propaganda. Yet it seems to me that we have been getting "made in the USA for home consumption," propaganda for quite some time.

Our country's policy of shooting from the lip is in the end going to cost us more than the ego boost it gave the shooter.

There is such a thing as diplomacy, a thing that should not be run by the Pentagon, Justice or any other arm of the government other than that which is for diplomacy. Seems as if we are running short on diplomats, and paying little attention to those who are still hanging on.

To my mind it still rankles that smart assery appearance of our peerless leader landing aboard a carrier coming out in full flight gear and smirking his "Mission Accomplished" so very, very prematurely.

Any more it seems that dishonesty takes all tricks in our country. Peculiar, eerie, odd, oh How Odd . . . . . . . . .

Blog