http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/13/fixing-a-hollow-service/ The World Affairs Blog Network Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:00:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/13/fixing-a-hollow-service/comment-page-1/#comment-1161 Public Diplomacy » Blog Archive » Our Backward Public Diplomacy Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:22:20 +0000 http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/13/fixing-a-hollow-service/#comment-1161 [...] This is the baleful balance sheet on what has become an American retreat from the public forms of overseas diplomacy. It is by no means a new story, but it bears repeating in the light of recent reports (see Melinda Bouwer’s latest “Diplomacy” blog). The truth is that while America has retreated into fortress embassies, all the activities that once represented official America’s effort to reach out to the publics of foreign countries — exhibits and concerts, film showings, literary evenings, bi-national centers, American libraries — all these things are now gone, tagged passé. Also gone are the official American magazines and publications that were once published in dozens of languages around the world. Official American radio and TV broadcasting — such as the Voice of America — is also a shadow of its former self. [...] [...] This is the baleful balance sheet on what has become an American retreat from the public forms of overseas diplomacy. It is by no means a new story, but it bears repeating in the light of recent reports (see Melinda Bouwer’s latest “Diplomacy” blog). The truth is that while America has retreated into fortress embassies, all the activities that once represented official America’s effort to reach out to the publics of foreign countries — exhibits and concerts, film showings, literary evenings, bi-national centers, American libraries — all these things are now gone, tagged passé. Also gone are the official American magazines and publications that were once published in dozens of languages around the world. Official American radio and TV broadcasting — such as the Voice of America — is also a shadow of its former self. [...]

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