America Needs to Advertise

There is a new advertising campaign designed to convince people to come to the States for business and leisure travel – is this the beginning of the end of the "American Empire?"

It’s a fairly well-known fact that the biggest, most well-known brands – those that are veritable icons or entrenched in pop culture – rarely need to advertise. Well, apparently America no longer has the muscle to count itself among those top "brands," as a recent marketing campaign dubbed "The United States of Awesome Possibilities" shows all too clearly. The advertising effort, reported by Advertising Age, is intended to boost business and leisure travel in the U.S. so, to be fair, this is all about making the U.S. a travel destination more than anything else.

Still, at a time when the U.S. has been battered for years by a bad economy, crony capitalism and inept politicians, it just seems pathetic. Yes, America…it really has come to this. You need to advertise to be relevant again. That’s an oversimplification, of course, but what does it say about a country when advertising is necessary to convince people to travel here?

The website for the campaign offers some "useful tips" about American culture. They’d be useful if they weren’t so hilarious. One tip is this: "Be aware that Americans are fanatics about showering and hygiene." Other tips? "Health care is superior in the US but it can be very expensive because there is no universal health care." The question is – superior to what? Or how about this one – "some banking networks charge fees of $1-2 per transaction." Yup…that’s spot-on, though the number will eventually be even higher (and does run to $3 for some banks) if some big banks have their way.

Notes Chris Perkins of Corporation for Travel Promotion, "What is so compelling about the United States is that no one thing can explain who we are as a nation. Each visitor and each experience helps create the fabric of American culture, and Brand USA embodies this spirit. When we launch our global marketing and advertising campaign next year, we will be able to reach audiences around the world by showcasing the best of America and spreading the message that we welcome visitors with open arms." As long as they’re willing to shower regularly, pay exorbitant banking fees and part with their cash for "superior" health care, that is. 

Read More

Karzai aims to set limits on American troops

Afghan President Hamid Karzai sought to set limits on what American and NATO troops could -- and could not -- do in his country Wednesday in a lengthy speech to tribal elders.

"America is powerful, has more money, but we are lions here. Lions have the habit of not liking strangers getting into their house," Karzai said.

"We want our sovereignty from today. Our relations should be between two independent countries," he said in a speech that appears to have been designed to boost his nationalist credentials with a domestic audience.

He was also broadly critical of NATO, saying the intended departure of NATO troops in 2014 was "good for Afghans."

NATO plans to withdraw most combat troops by that date, but is currently negotiating what sort of long-term presence they might have here.
Karzai called the national assembly, or loya jirga, to sound out tribal elders on a long-term pact with the US military and harness their consent.

The conditions Karzai spelled out on a long-term foreign military presence were mostly formalizations of long-held Afghan complaints about the international presence here.

"I'd like to tell them they can't arrest any Afghan on our soil and they can't have prisons. We have a justice and security system and that is up to us," he said.

He said he thought a deal that enabled US forces to have bases in Afghanistan was beneficial but added they would not be able to attack Afghanistan's neighbors from inside the country, conduct night raids, search houses, or arrest Afghans.

He also said that night raids by foreign troops must stop completely and that NATO troops should not be allowed to search people's houses - complaints that have already prompted NATO to adjust its operations and incorporate greater Afghan assistance.

The speech was made before an audience who in part -- like many Afghans -- are skeptical of both his alliance with NATO and his leadership in general.

He was also keen to court Iran - and perhaps its supporters in the audience of elders - by saying: "We want to say that Iran is our brother. During the years of jihad, Iran has been one of the best countries for hospitality for Afghans. They are our brother."

He also voiced fears that Afghanistan could see the same instability and collapse witnessed after the Soviet withdrawal in the late 80s.

The loya jirga, or national assembly, is considered by many an important step towards any possible peace deal with elements of the insurgency.

Hundreds of community leaders have been invited from across the country, with the meeting a test of Karzai's potency as a cohesive leader.

The turnout Wednesday was considerable.

Troops, security officials, and police lined the roads outside the loya jirga tent, near the Intercontinental Hotel on the capital's outskirts.

The Taliban have long threatened to disrupt the event.

On Monday, security forces killed a suicide bomber near the meeting site. The attacker was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase when he was stopped, said General Ayoub Salangi, chief of Kabul police.

On Sunday, a Taliban-affiliated website published what it claimed was a leaked document containing confidential government security plans for the meeting.

The leaked security plans included a detailed satellite map of the area and purported details of the security arrangements, but the Interior Ministry immediately dismissed them as fake.

Read More