The enduring characteristic of empires is not that they rise, but that they fall. Some, such as Rome, fall due to corruption. Others, such as France, fall due to military defeats. Still others may fall due to technological deficits, as was the case with the Soviet Union, or due to societal unrest, as was the... Continue Reading →
Trump is back. Sort Of.
Last week, Facebook’s oversight board ruled that the company was right to suspend former President Donald Trump. According to the oversight board, Trump used his account to praise violent rioters that stormed Congress on January 6th. However, the oversight board did call on Facebook to re-examine its decision to ban Trump ‘indefinitely’. Notably, Facebook’s oversight... Continue Reading →
Biden’s 100 First Tweets in Office
The term ‘First 100 days’ in office was coined by US President Franklin D Roosevelt and referred to a windfall of legislation that Presidents promote during the earliest days of their administration. In Roosevelt’s case, the first 100 days were used to introduce 15 bills all meant to alleviate the Great Depression through ‘New Deal’... Continue Reading →
Biden Goes Viral; But Not Among Diplomats
On January 20th, as President Joe Biden took the Oath of Office, he also gained control of the @POTUS Twitter account (President of the United States), one of the most followed accounts on Twitter. Both his predecessors had amassed a vast following online with Donald Trump reaching some 90 million followers and Barack Obama 137... Continue Reading →
On Digital Attrition: Is Trump Losing His Twitter War?
Trump Triumphs? During the 2016 Presidential elections, Donald Trump argued that he relied on his Twitter account to bypass the liberal American media and communicate directly with the American public. Having been denied access to the public sphere by newsroom elites, “the Donald” used social media win over the American electorate. Some have asserted that... Continue Reading →
Can Digital Diplomacy Build Trust? The Case of Jason Greenblatt
Traditionally, diplomacy rested on proximity. Ambassadors to foreign nations resided in court so that they could assess the temperament of a monarch, create alliances with noble families, gather gossip from local scoundrels and coordinate action with their peers. Proximity has remained important in the 21st century. Ambassadors to multi-lateral organizations essentially reside in a new... Continue Reading →