Regarding Trump's attacks on VOA, and VOA's defenses, there are necessary nuances that must be discussed but are uninteresting, time-consuming facts *neither* side are raising or want to get into. 1/x VOA & USAGM’s defenders, if they are truly interested in the organizations and want to look long term, would invoke these points in defense of the mission but they won’t / can't because it creates a vulnerability to be exploited. 2/x

Trump's State Department is censoring Americans abroad if they disapprove of Trump. US Amb to Denmark "demanded" a Danish conference disinvite @srs2_ for a conversation on NATO because Stan is critical of Trump /1
buzzfeednews.com/article/miriam… This US Amb to Denmark is a former actress, chiro, "board member of major California institutions”; campaign, inauguration contributor; was rec'd by Calif. Trump supporter Eliott Broidy /2 vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/t…

Reactions to this article reflects our naivete & belief the US is in a bubble. There is a name for this activity: public diplomacy. Identify influencers & well, influence them to influence their government, their policies, and society at large. wsj.com/articles/the-n… We have practiced it officially — as in sponsored by the federal government — for a century beginning with the Box Indemnity Scholarships. We have used third-parties, cut-outs, direct engagement, and encouraged independent engagement with foreign publics since then.

Reactions I'm seeing to this article reflects our naivete & belief the US is in a bubble. There is a name for this activity: public diplomacy. Identify influencers & well, influence them to influence their government, their policies, and society at large.
wsj.com/articles/the-n… We have been practicing it officially — as in sponsored by the federal government — for a century beginning with the Box Indemnity Scholarships. We have used third-parties, cut-outs, direct engagement, and encouraged independent engagement with foreign publics since then.

For those unclear on USIA (active measures working group) & "info war" / political warfare, strongly suggest read this history on AMWG from NDU, really attention to the history section "Devaluing the Counter-Disinformation Mission: 1959–1977" ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Doc… Did you see these lines: The inclination to challenge Soviet disinformation declined over the 1960s until, by 1975, there was no organized, overt effort to expose Soviet disinformation at all....

Good defense of RFE/RL, VOA, etc again the false equivalency or RT (RussiaToday), Sputnik, etc by @washingtonpost EXCEPT... /1 washingtonpost.com/opinions/globa… Because of Obama Admin, current BBG CEO, and one board member, "which have been insulated” is now "was insulated" as there is no more board and the CEO is a political appointment (POTUS's nominee is still pending). /2

Hey @Garmin poor support on the Garmin V3 pedals. 16 Jun made web req to @GarminUK about replacing doors. Crickets. 21 Jun phone Garmin CH, told I'd get new battery doors mailed to me soon. 26 Jun @GarminUK emailed that I should have received email with code to order "doors" /1 Never received that email. Phoned @GarminUK 2 Jul & told my V3 not registered, merely "associated," to my acct & to use Garmin Express to register, & then "couple of hrs" promo code will be sent. GE not used to reg V3 & when did find how to reg the pedals, no email /2