Neo-Neocon ("to tell the tale of my political change and provide a forum for others") continued to exhibit exquisite good common sense.
Money quote(s):
"I consider it a non-issue at this point, except as it’s being used to discredit perceptions of Republicans and people on the Right as crazies.
I also believe–along with several commenters on this thread, that the consequences of a finding that he’s not a natural born citizen would be chaotic, and his replacement would hardly be better than he is. "
"I believe that it is highly likely that Obama was born in Hawaii, just as he’s claimed. That said, I also think it is very odd that he has refused so far to release the long form of his birth certificate (if those who say that Obama and only Obama could obtain a copy from the state of Hawaii, and that the long form is different from and more complete than the certificate of live birth that he has already offered of us, are correct)."
&
"This has nothing to do with whether Obama was born in Hawaii, as I’ve noted. It has everything to do with transparency, however. And it has everything to do with the failure of the press to do its job."
Showing posts with label press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label press. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
re: "Guest Post: How to win the GWOT - or whatever it's called today"
Mark Pfeifle and Jonathan Thompson guest-posted at Mountain Runner ("A blog by Matt Armstrong on public diplomacy and strategic communication in the 21st century").
Money quote(s):
"America has the finest military and diplomatic leaders in the world. They know how to win on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Yet, despite those winning ways, there are times when they become victims of circumstances rather than drivers of events. At such times, some may falter with the media and public, and when that happens, they too often lay blame the results on bad press coverage.
Earlier this decade domestic and international audiences wanted to understand what our military leaders and diplomats were doing in Iraq - what was working, what wasn't, and what the future held. We understood that people wanted a constant and understandable dialog then, and we know they now want the same about Afghanistan and Pakistan.
We need people skilled at understanding the motivational factors of societies and communities - domestically and abroad. We have some, such as Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno, and Ambassadors Richard Holbrooke and Adam Ereli, who understand the public's increasing need for information. Many are meeting the mark, yet others are still learning."
&
"We have fallen short of the mark in successfully communicating to a skeptical audience - domestically and internationally. We need experienced and knowledgeable communications heads, with staffs to support them.
Winning the battles and wars of tomorrow is not just about bombs and bullets. Winning requires expertise at communication and outreach. We won't win if we don't get this right. "
Money quote(s):
"America has the finest military and diplomatic leaders in the world. They know how to win on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Yet, despite those winning ways, there are times when they become victims of circumstances rather than drivers of events. At such times, some may falter with the media and public, and when that happens, they too often lay blame the results on bad press coverage.
Earlier this decade domestic and international audiences wanted to understand what our military leaders and diplomats were doing in Iraq - what was working, what wasn't, and what the future held. We understood that people wanted a constant and understandable dialog then, and we know they now want the same about Afghanistan and Pakistan.
We need people skilled at understanding the motivational factors of societies and communities - domestically and abroad. We have some, such as Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno, and Ambassadors Richard Holbrooke and Adam Ereli, who understand the public's increasing need for information. Many are meeting the mark, yet others are still learning."
&
"We have fallen short of the mark in successfully communicating to a skeptical audience - domestically and internationally. We need experienced and knowledgeable communications heads, with staffs to support them.
Winning the battles and wars of tomorrow is not just about bombs and bullets. Winning requires expertise at communication and outreach. We won't win if we don't get this right. "
Saturday, January 3, 2009
JO - 'If we must die, let it not be like hogs.'
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
'If we must die, let it not be like hogs.'
Franklin JOHNSTON
Saturday, July 05, 2008
It is crunch time for Jamaica. We may be killed pleading for our lives or die resisting evil men, as Jamaican-born Claude McKay urges in his sonnet, If We Must Die. But there is a third way. Some 40 years ago I met Sun Tzu. He lived in China in 500 BCE and his book, Art of War, is relevant to Jamaica. Our army or police (aka forces) command should read Sun Tzu daily, as it is better than Sandhurst or Citadel.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"We have treated people like animals and some are now behaving thus. Our healing will begin when we value all our citizens, equally. As a nation, our sense of self and our veneer of civilisation are fragile. Many dance to the tunes others play and our self-esteem is defined by the foreign press and such. Some are complicit in the killing of our people so long as we are the "flavour of the month" with Amnesty. We live by poster truisms. Consider the silly mantra that "Jamaica never defaults on debt". What is this to us? Has it made us secure, happy and prosperous? If we did default we might learn to live modestly; we would dig deep, find local solutions; buy local, eat local and prosper. Many states in Europe were bankrupt, recovered and are now developed."
"We must begin with "the low-hanging fruit" viz, locate and fix the things that promote and sustain crime and promote and pursue those things that can cauterise crime and violence. This is primarily brain work; not drill, spit, polish and pretty uniforms."
"Ignore the foreign press. They don't live here and we need this to mind-ready our people for action."
"Empower citizens. If we can't trust our decent citizens with guns, our path is dark as we need their help now."
"Make gunmanship a high-risk career so it loses its glamour. The present life expectancy of a gunman is longer than the citizens'."
"How Jamaica exists with no fit-for-purpose covert agency defies reason. In the Cold War era, some agencies recruited from UK campuses. A few Caribbean graduates were trained, deployed and at demob, these faceless experts went to the USA, UK and Israel."
&
"In some countries, citizens are required to bear arms to defend their nation: a rifle is over the fireplace or secured in the house. Jamaicans with a long-term stake (a mortgage, land title, etc) in our land should have arms on the premises; not a concealed weapon or handgun, but a rifle or shotgun with a 34-inch barrel. A gunman may steal them, but he can carry only one and needs both hands to aim a 710 mm, shoulder-fired shotgun. If he kicks in a door he will face a barrage of community shotguns. We would stand and defend our families. Citizens would not cringe or hide under beds. Never again!"
Jamaica Observer
'If we must die, let it not be like hogs.'
Franklin JOHNSTON
Saturday, July 05, 2008
It is crunch time for Jamaica. We may be killed pleading for our lives or die resisting evil men, as Jamaican-born Claude McKay urges in his sonnet, If We Must Die. But there is a third way. Some 40 years ago I met Sun Tzu. He lived in China in 500 BCE and his book, Art of War, is relevant to Jamaica. Our army or police (aka forces) command should read Sun Tzu daily, as it is better than Sandhurst or Citadel.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"We have treated people like animals and some are now behaving thus. Our healing will begin when we value all our citizens, equally. As a nation, our sense of self and our veneer of civilisation are fragile. Many dance to the tunes others play and our self-esteem is defined by the foreign press and such. Some are complicit in the killing of our people so long as we are the "flavour of the month" with Amnesty. We live by poster truisms. Consider the silly mantra that "Jamaica never defaults on debt". What is this to us? Has it made us secure, happy and prosperous? If we did default we might learn to live modestly; we would dig deep, find local solutions; buy local, eat local and prosper. Many states in Europe were bankrupt, recovered and are now developed."
"We must begin with "the low-hanging fruit" viz, locate and fix the things that promote and sustain crime and promote and pursue those things that can cauterise crime and violence. This is primarily brain work; not drill, spit, polish and pretty uniforms."
"Ignore the foreign press. They don't live here and we need this to mind-ready our people for action."
"Empower citizens. If we can't trust our decent citizens with guns, our path is dark as we need their help now."
"Make gunmanship a high-risk career so it loses its glamour. The present life expectancy of a gunman is longer than the citizens'."
"How Jamaica exists with no fit-for-purpose covert agency defies reason. In the Cold War era, some agencies recruited from UK campuses. A few Caribbean graduates were trained, deployed and at demob, these faceless experts went to the USA, UK and Israel."
&
"In some countries, citizens are required to bear arms to defend their nation: a rifle is over the fireplace or secured in the house. Jamaicans with a long-term stake (a mortgage, land title, etc) in our land should have arms on the premises; not a concealed weapon or handgun, but a rifle or shotgun with a 34-inch barrel. A gunman may steal them, but he can carry only one and needs both hands to aim a 710 mm, shoulder-fired shotgun. If he kicks in a door he will face a barrage of community shotguns. We would stand and defend our families. Citizens would not cringe or hide under beds. Never again!"
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