The same game with a different playground

In the beginning, I want to emphasize that the new diplomacy is not much different from its former forms as for instance in Byzantine Empire 1500 years ago. It is still about bribery, dishonesty, dissemination of false information, gathering information, secrecy and showing off own power. All these features we can see all around us, usually, only with different names. As for instance bribery is called direct/indirect financial support (Israel’s lobbying groups in the UK)(1) . What is really new about the new diplomacy is sophistication and ideological fights. All this is accompanied by technologies which are new and give great power to states, development of psychology, and a wide spread of liberal democracies. Political changes in 20th century, when the most countries in the world became democracies and the growth of the most dangerous ideology ever communism, have changed the environment into which all greedy and power seeking entities had to get adapted. It would be silly to think that people are less greedy nowadays. They have to only find ways how to carry out what they want. Since the time of Edward Bernays, psychology and propaganda have greatly developed and have been used by many dictators and democratic states in promoting their own interest. Psychological warfare and public diplomacy is used in promoting state’s or individuals’ interest when attacked people are not aware of the attack (2). The most significant change is only in the methods, structure of the diplomacy and the potentials that super powers, as the USA, have.

1)http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23997.htm, pro-Israel lobbying groups in the UK
2)Former KGB agent explaining the Soviet psychological warfare in other countries, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj0Id3BLFco&feature=PlayList&p=66245842658CE1AF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3