The New Old War

[raVeneyes]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/27/arts/27essa.html?pagewanted=all

with Washington now dusting off public diplomacy as a strategy to combat rampant anti-Americanism, is it time to revive cultural diplomacy?

The purpose would not be to mute American popular culture. Instead, rather than trying to compete for the attention of the masses, cultural diplomacy would aim to persuade political and intellectual elites of the virtues of American civilization.

This approach is now being quietly promoted by several arts lobbies in the United States. In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in July, a group called Americans for International Arts and Cultural Exchange wrote: "Our coalition believes America has many cultural capabilities and talents that remain underutilized in the international arena and which can be effective in reaching out and telling our story to the world."

...

In a joint study last year, Mr. Hodsoll's center and the Coalition for American Leadership Abroad offered suggestions: increasing cultural exchanges, facilitating visits to the United States by foreign artists and scholars, sponsoring trips abroad by American artists, reopening libraries and cultural centers and expanding English-language programs and cultural workshops.

It also proposed adding $10 million to cultural financing by the State Department (which stands, this year, at a modest $4.05 million) and called for greater involvement by the private sector. "Corporations could be doing much more," said Stefan Toepler, director of the Center for Arts and Culture. "They have a big stake in this. They have markets to protect."

Still, more than money will be necessary for cultural diplomacy to be effective; entrenched anti-Americanism will take years of persuasion - and, in some cases, policy changes by Washington - to be reversed. And here experts add a caveat: for cultural diplomacy to be effective, it must emphasize broader American values over the specific interests of any administration. In the cold war, at least, patience was rewarded.

And thus we get to what *I* see as the most important issue in America right now...Arts funding.

With better arts funding not only does our economy do better, but we present a better face to the world. I hope someone in the administration listens...