On January 6th, 2021, riots broke out in Washington D.C. as an angry mob stormed the US Capitol. Though the rioters bore a striking resemblance to the inhabitants of trailer parks in Florida, scenes of armed and furious men seizing control of America’s seat of government shocked the nation, and the world. Some went as... Continue Reading →
The new “new” propaganda
The term propaganda has accompanied digital diplomacy since its inception more than a decade ago. Notably, although the propaganda has a negative connotation it actually dates back to the Catholic church that wished to propagate the faith. As technologies have evolved, so have the forms of propaganda. Under the reign of Henry VI, tapestries were... Continue Reading →
Monday’s #MustRead List
Each week, I publish a list of interesting articles, essays and reports that may be of interest to the digital diplomacy community. This week- U.S. and States Say Facebook Illegally Crushed Competition (The New York Times)Google and Apple are banning technology for sharing users’ location data (The Verge)Russia's FireEye Hack Is a Statement—but Not a... Continue Reading →
What Digital Diplomacy Adds to IR?
This post seeks to articulate how the study of digital diplomacy contributes to the study of international relations as a whole. To do so, it focuses on the image below. The picture depicts then US President Donald Trump holding a conference call between the leaders of Israel and Sudan, who agreed to normalize ties following... Continue Reading →
Nostalgia’s Role in Digital Diplomacy
On Nostalgia Nostalgia is a basic human emotion. Strangely, it is a combination of two contradictory emotions- a sweet longing for the past and a pain emanating from the fact that the past can never be fully experienced again. Throughout history, nostalgia has served as a social and political tool, a means of gathering support... Continue Reading →
Lightning Fast- How Worlds Leader Tweeted at Biden
On November 7th, 2020, CNN projected that Joe Biden had won the US elections garnering 273 electoral votes. Following the projection, a CNN pundit wondered if world leaders would rush to congratulate Biden given that President Trump was unlikely to accept defeat. Moreover, while Biden was the projected winner, he was not yet the official... Continue Reading →
Monday’s #MustRead List
Each week, I publish a list of interesting articles, essays and reports that may be of interest to the digital diplomacy community. This week- Budapest Times Interviews Irish Ambassador on Use of Digital Diplomacy During Covid (The Budapest Times)Biden Win Would be Good for Global Tech (ITPro)Global Leaders Congratulate Joe Biden on His Victory (CNN)Online... Continue Reading →
Russia’s Digital Kiev Offensive
World War 2 (WW2) features prominently on social media. Dates of important battles are commemorated by many European nations. Foreign ministries (MFAs) also memorialize brutal occupations and celebrate eventual liberations. For some, WW2 is an integral part of national narratives, as is the case with Israel and Poland. While the former claims to have been... Continue Reading →
The New Aesthetics of Leaders’ Images
Images of leaders have always played an important role in politics. Images can capture the supremacy of a king, the daring of a field marshal or the cunning of a shrewd politician. Indeed, Napoleon’s portrait, sitting upon a fiery steed and pointing to the alps, captures his audacity and ambitions. Yet images of world leaders... Continue Reading →
When Auschwitz Goes Digital
Several days ago I reached an important decision- I began following the Auschwitz Memorial on Twitter. That Auschwitz was recommended by the Twitter algorithm is not surprising as much of my digital activities date back to WW2. I often Google battles and skirmishes, view lists of WW2 facts or read Wikipedia pages of prominent Nazis.... Continue Reading →