Remember this?

Selling the 'brand'

Beers, a former advertising executive, concedes that America's "brand" is proving a tough sell in the Islamic world, where the United States is increasingly seen as an indifferent and arrogant bully.

As a first step, Beers’ marketing campaign uses polls and focus groups to learn how foreigners see the United States and what their impressions are based on.

"The way to open a door so firmly closed — as we learned in years of message-building in advertising — is to know and like the audience," Beers said. "Talk from their point of view, not yours. Think in terms of the response wished for, not what you want to say.”

So far the Bush administration has:

— Invited journalists from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, to tour the United States and explore how Americans and American Muslims live. The result: More than 60 articles, many quoting American Muslims talking about their ability to practice Islam freely in the United States.

— Worked with California-based Globe TV to fund an exchange of Arab and U.S. journalists, including the anchorwoman from "Good Morning Egypt."

— Produced short videos profiling Muslim Americans in professions such as teaching and firefighting to show that the United States is open and tolerant. The programs were tested in Jakarta and Cairo, where focus groups asked to learn more, and will be shown in nine predominantly Muslim countries this fall.

— Begun a search for the thousands of foreign professionals, students and artists who participated in government-sponsored exchange programs, in the hope they will agree to become mini-ambassadors.

— Opened an Arabic-language broadcasting service — Radio Sawa — that reaches across the Middle East.

http://www.gannettonline.com/gns/mideast/brand.htm

That was way back in 2002. On March 3, 2003, Charlotte Beers, Head of the State Department's Office for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs announced her resignation "for health reasons." What a coincidence, since on March 20, 2003 the invasion of Iraq began.

Now, as Glenn points out, we have a brand new brand management initiative. It appears that Al-Qaeda has outsourced their brand management to America, can you believe it? With a little luck Al-Qaeda may become as famous a brand as Philip K. Dick's Ubik (from the Latin ubique, ie., ubiquitous).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ubik%281stEd%29.jpg

That's been out there for awhile. Did you wet yourself from excitement when you saw it?

Note: Please do not consider this a dialogue. The question was purely rhetorical.

There are myriad constitutional questions about the type of Congressional authorization which would be required in order for the president to act militarily against Iran. But those would almost certainly be swept aside -- as most constitutional dilemmas have been -- by an administration that would claim that it already has such authorization either "inherently" or as a result of Iran's involvement in our war in Iraq. If the president were really intent on war with Iran, it is very difficult to envision Congressional Democrats, or really anything else, stopping him. -- GG

That's pretty much how I see it as well. Given the recent behavior of the Congressional Democrats, there is absolutely nothing, other than the will of the American people, standing in the way of war with Iran.

The last few days have had a plethora of Emily Litella type comments as opposed to the usual plethora of pinatas.

I found this short list at Wikipedia:

Saving Soviet Jewelry, Endangered Feces, Flea Erections in China, Making Puerto Rico a Steak ("..next thing you know, they'll also want Idaho a baked potato with sour cream!"), Pouring Money into Canker Research, the Eagle Rights Amendment, Busting School Children (bussing school children), Conserving our Natural Racehorses, Youth in Asia (Euthanasia), and Sax and Violins on Television.

OK Ta! Everything's OK ta! Everything's OK ta what?