Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

"Great Powers Grand Strategies" Looks at the Global Consequences of a Regional Conflict

Book Review

by Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations, Boston

How regional conflicts become global conflagrations and what to do about it.

Throughout 2017, U.S. foreign policy has been conflicted, confusing, and churlish with the US withdrawal from the Transpacific Partnership, spats between the President and the Secretary of State, a paucity of foreign affairs officers and the threat of armed conflict between the US and North Korea involving China and Russia.

In this muddled foreign policy environment comes Great Powers, Grand Strategies, offering a thoughtful analysis of how a regional trouble spot in the Pacific—the South China Sea—can have far reaching global consequences that impact major world powers. The volume, edited by Anders Corr Ph.D., delivers much-needed insight into China’s behavior and desire to project its power worldwide. Its behavior in this vital region for shipping, fishing, and oil exploration has on occasion sparked armed conflict between China’s warships and Philippine and Vietnamese commercial and military vessels. Amidst the ongoing disputes, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and other Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with a stake in maintaining peaceful, multifaceted trade relations with China are being blackmailed by China’s overreach. What is more, the United States needs maintain a Naval presence in the Pacific or cede American influence and power to China.

In an advance copy of Great Powers, Grand Strategies, to be released by the Naval Institute Press on January 15, 2018, Dr. Corr writes, "This book is the first to focus on major power grand strategies including economic, diplomatic, and military strategies, and their interrelationships so that we can explore how global actors are, on the one hand, contributing to the solution and, on the other hand, perpetuating conflict."

Dr. Corr, who publishes the Journal of Political Risk, cites China’s behavior in the Pacific and elsewhere in the world as ample reason for the US Navy to maintain its cautionary

Anders Corr with Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea

presence in the Pacific, which he regards as, "part of a global system of defense of not only the United States but its allies and values, which include international law, democracy, and human rights. To criticize the United States deployment in the Pacific as offensive without geographic context ignores the global picture and principles the United States is defending.”

He is quick to add, “Viewing China’s actions in the South China Sea as defensive against U.S. forward deployment ignores China’s similar offensive actions in the East China Sea and Himalayan region of India.” He decried China’s suppression of democracy, human rights, and international law in Asia and abroad and its efforts to remake global governance to its own advantage rather than on principles of democracy adding, “China’s South China Sea actions are offensive when viewed in this global context."

Dr. Corr calls into question China’s disputed claims to the Spratly Islands and sea lanes in the South China Sea and its maneuvering to control the territory militarily.  After having established its boot print in the area, Dr. Corr notes that China then began to demand joint oil and gas development and sovereignty agreements, with ASEAN nations. “Xi Jinping calls this a 'win-win solution,' I call it China’s take and talk strategy.”

The volume assembles the thinking of foreign policy scholars and practitioners Bill Hayton, Gordon Chang, Bernard Cole, James Fanell, and others who examine the conflict in the context of a global big picture. As editor, Dr. Corr juxtaposes the grand strategies of the great powers to determine the likely outcomes of the dispute, and suggests ways to defuse tensions that are likely to spill over to other regions.

Eric Gomez, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute lauded Great Powers, Grand Strategies “for exploring the strategies of ASEAN, Russia, and other important but overlooked actors in the dispute.”

Oct. 19 - the North Korean oil tanker Ryesonggang 1 connected to a Chinese ship. U.S. Govt. Satellite photo

Alessio Patalano, King's College London credited the book for examining, “the South China Sea as a locus of strategic competition where simmering maritime disputes have significant implications for major powers well beyond its confines, and where the international power balance is being redefined.”

Dr. Corr visited all South China Sea claimant countries, undertaking research in Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Brunei.  He has also conducted analysis for USPACOM, CENTCOM, and NATO, including work in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

Dr. Corr is the founder and CEO of Corr Analytics in New York, which helps governments and businesses evaluate strategic and international political risks as part of their decision-making process. 

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations an international corporate communications firm based in Boston, and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon" with Michael Morris that focuses on the events of April 1-30, 1975, the last month of Vietnam War.

 

 

 Great Powers, Grand Strategies

NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS

Publication date: 15 January 2018

China & the Asia Pacific | 336 pp.

Hardcover & eBook: $34.95

ISBN: 978-1-68247-235-4

VA Can't Decide Whether To Help Vietnam Vets With Bladder Cancer, Thyroid Disease, Parkinson's Like Symptoms, Other Ailments Linked to Agent Orange

VA Bungles Public Relations Messaging to Vietnam Veterans.

Right before Veterans Day, the VA tells ailing veterans we can't decide whether to help you.  

A decision linking four new diseases to Agent Orange exposure had been promised on November 1. 

Charles Ornstein, ProPublica

In a ProPublica article by Charles Ornstein, published days before Veterans Day, the Veterans Administration told Vietnam Vets who suffer from bladder cancer, thyroid disease, hypertension and Parkinson's like symptoms associated with exposure to Agent Orange to keep on waiting to find out whether they will be compensated for exposure to the deadly defoliant used throughout the protracted war in Southeast Asia.

Ornstein tells his readers that Vietnam Vets  "...have been waiting eight months for a decision to compensate.  Yet more than eight months later — and after his department promised a decision by Nov. 1 — the VA essentially punted, issuing a statement late Wednesday saying it would “further explore” the issue and pushing its decision to some undisclosed point in the future."

Help Us Investigate the Impact of Agent Orange

Fortunately ProPublica is on the case and is urging its readers to contact the editors with their experiences. "We're interested in hearing from veterans and family members for our ongoing investigation into the effects of Agent Orange on veterans and their children. Share your story."

In an official statement, "The VA said the department would now work with others in the Trump administration to conduct a legal and regulatory review of conditions for awarding disability compensation to eligible veterans." according to ProPublica.

"Many veterans said they thought that was exactly the review that has been ongoing since March 2016, when the National Academy of Medicine, then known as the Institute of Medicine, said there is now evidence to suggest that Agent Orange exposure may be linked to bladder cancer and hypothyroidism. The National Academy also confirmed, as previous experts have said, that there is some evidence of an association with hypertension, stroke and various neurological ailments similar to Parkinson’s Disease," Ornstein continued 

Air Force Capt. Dick Pirozzolo on the Saigon River

ProPublica quoted me in an article on the Veterans Administration’s latest stall on expanding benefits to Vietnam Vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. The VA was supposed to rule on linking hypertension, thyroid disease, bladder cancer and Parkinson’s-like symptoms to the deadly defoliant. That’s been kicked down the road.

Ornstein caught me by surprise when called with the bad news. My initial reaction: “'Son of a gun,'” said Dick Pirozzolo, 73, when he was informed of the VA’s decision to delay. Pirozzolo served as an information officer in the Air Force in Vietnam and has had bladder cancer and a thyroid condition called Graves’ disease. 'That sucks,'"

“The politicians all talk a good game about the VA, but then when it comes down to making a decision, they drag their heels.”

For the complete ProPublica Article

 Pirozzolo is a Boston Communication consultant, media relations manager for the Michael Dukakis Institute and coauthor of  "Escape from Saigon" a novel about the end of the war.

 

Can a Commodity Steel Producer in Vietnam Become a Global Brand? Can your B2B Company do the Same?

Intel, Stainmaster, Goretex prove the power of "ingredient" brands

By Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

“Building a brand is a long term investment in the financial health of the company.” Prof. John A. Quelch 

Can Vietnam’s leading producer of sheet steel, pipes and girders establish a global brand since the products it manufactures are components that go unnoticed by consumers?

According to Prof. John A Quelch the answer is an unequivocal, "Yes."

Prof. Quelch recently addressed some 40 senior managers of Hoa Sen Group who were at Harvard University to study contemporary marketing strategies—including the latest global branding principles. Harvard Graduate School of Business Prof. Quelch has just been named vice-provost for Executive Education and Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Miami.

Sell the Experience

Prof. Quelch told the executives a brand is not merely a trademark or logo; it is an “experience consistent with a promise.” He explained that when Starbucks, which started out in Seattle selling coffee beans to brew at home, expanded to become a global icon, the company did not focus on the coffee but rather on “providing a safe place for women to gather. The coffee is good, but it was secondary to the Starbuck's experience that customers participated in creating.”

Before a brand can rise to the level of a Starbucks, GE, Toyota, Apple, Coca Cola, or American Express to name a few big world brands, it must evolve through three distinct levels. Explained Prof. Quelch, the company must first have a history and a reputation for quality before it can move up to creating user imagery followed by winning over customers so that they come to appreciate the company values and establish an emotional bond with the brand.

Even though Hoa Sen, produces only components for the finished product—ingredients as Prof. Quelch notes—it is still possible to establish a Hoa Sen as a world brand. He pointed out a number of famous ingredient brands that are respected worldwide and showcased as part of the finished product’s quality positioning— Gore-Tex, Shimano bicycle shifters, Dolby Sound, NutraSweet, Stain-Master and Intel are among the examples.

For example, explained Prof. Quelch, Intel, the maker of computer microprocessors, launched the “Intel Inside”campaign to
co-market this internal PC component or ingredient directly to the PC customer. “Intel Inside” became a catch phrase synonymous with speed and reliability.

The same goes for bicycle racers who are assured by Shimano components or homeowners who perceive value in buying a new

Hoa Sen Group at Harvard University

carpet treated with Stainmaster to repel dirt and spills. Even though these ingredients are not immediately obvious, these brands offer convenience, assurance, satisfaction, product differentiation and affiliation. Rather than Hoa Sen, being perceived as a supplier of commodity steel products, Prof. Quelch said the company needs to focus on branding the experience of dealing with the Hoa Sen and its people. “Brands have value especially if things go wrong. When the computer system crashes, and the IT manager can say ‘I chose IBM’ it gets him out of a jam because he chose a brand that everyone recognizes and trusts.”

A number of brands engage their customers emotionally by getting them to feel they are part of an exclusive “club” such as Harley Davidson and American Express. Their products bestow prestige upon their customers who become attached to a larger family. To underscore the point, a Hoa Sen manager at the seminar said he likes to use the American Express Card when he checks into a hotel because of its prestige, and the feeling he will be treated more respectfully. This prestige comes in several levels ranging from green, to gold, to platinum and black—all at escalating prices.

Prof. John A Quench at Harvard Faculty Club

Though GE produces locomotives, jet engines, wind turbines and even toasters, that single GE brand is successful across the entire spectrum of business and consumer markets. In the case of Toyota, however, the market would not accept the company as a maker of luxury cars until it created the Lexus brand, said Prof. Quelch.

For the most part, new markets will accept the brand as is. However, adaptation may be required to respond to local conditions. When Marlboro entered China it also acquired a less costly local brand to tap into a segment of the population that could not afford the pricier Marlboro brand. Likewise, toothpaste companies had to introduce new flavors such as green tea to appeal to Chinese tastes. “Do not adapt for the sake of adaptation," warned Prof. Quelch, "Adapt because you will sell more product at a higher margin.”

And don’t hold back. When HSBC acquired Great Britain’s venerable Midland Bank, it immediately replaced Midland with the HSBC brand “despite protestations from Midland employees who believed the customers would be put off by losing the old name so abruptly.”

In addition to commanding a higher a well-known brand’s price and sales volume will fall less in poor economic times and recover more quickly when good times return. Additionally, brands enhance employee retention, speed distribution and encourage shareholder loyalty. Added Prof. Quelch, consumers do expect companies behind their favorite brands to have active Corporate Social Responsibility programs to channel some of their profits from the higher prices into social good works.

The Seminar was organized Tuan Anh Nguyen, CEO Boston Global Forum a think tank dedicated to the promulgation of peaceful solutions to global tensions.

The biggest brands in the world are: Apple, Google, Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM, Toyota, Samsung, GE, McDonalds and Amazon.

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations in Boston, a corporate communication firm serving clients in the US, UK, EU, China, Japan and Vietnam. He is active in Vietnam-US business and cultural relations as a member of The Boston Global Forum Editorial Board and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon."

 

Vietnam-US Relations Key to Power Balance in Southeast Asia, Anders Corr, "Great Powers Grand Strategies"

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's recent visit to the White House underscores the importance the United States-Vietnam relationship that has evolved positively over the past four decades. 

Vietnam, a nation of 90 million people, is today not only a trading partner but a key ally in the projection of US diplomacy and Naval power in the South China Sea— a region where China's rapacious behavior over shipping lanes, fishing, and other natural resources, as well as China's building of a military runway on the Spratly Islands has created an ongoing threat to peace.  During the visit Phuc told President Trump, the relationship has undergone significant upheavals in history, but that the two countries were now "comprehensive partners." 

In the  mid 90’s the US granted Most Favored Nation to establish open and vigorous trade relationships with Vietnam, which was seen as a new frontier to sell US brands, get cheap labor and buy agricultural products. Phuc is now replacing the cheap labor positioning with quality manufacturing given his county's nearly universal literacy, education, entrepreneurship and eagerness to learn strategies needed to penetrate the US market. This was evident when I took part in a panel discussion for Ho Ch Minh City's top 100 CEOs a couple of summers ago.

Vietnam has also become a hip travel destination for the been-there-done-that crowd. Some 400,000 Americans and 100,000 Canadians expected to visit Vietnam this year according to Vietnamese government figures.

Over the past two decades, The US-Vietnam relationship has become much more intertwined and multifaceted.  Americans now buy more Vietnamese products including electronics, clothing, rice coffee and oil than they sell—$30.6 billion, with US exports to Vietnam at $6 billion.  Cultural and academic ties are far more numerous and Vietnam has also become the key US ally in maintaining the balance of power in the Pacific.

In this environment comes fresh insight by Anders Corr, PhD in his forthcoming book, Great Powers, Grand Strategies: The New Game In The South China Sea, "This book is relevant to Vietnam, which is especially attentive to shifts in power between global powers in the South China Sea, including China, the U.S., Russia, the U.K., and France."

Anders Corr displays The Philippines Flag off Scarborough Shoals in the South China Sea

The book, Great Powers, Grand Strategies offers the analysis of a dozen experts on big picture approaches to the South China Sea dispute," according to publisher U.S. Naval Institute Press, "By exploring the international dimensions of this regional hotspot, coauthors Bill Hayton, Gordon Chang, Bernard Cole, James Fanell, and others examine how the military, diplomatic, and economic strategies of the major global actors have both contributed to solutions and exacerbated the potential for conflict."

 

 

 

As editor of the volume, Dr. Corr juxtaposes the grand strategies of the great powers to determine the likely outcomes of the South China Sea dispute, as well as evaluate the ways to possibly defuse tensions in the region."

As part of his research Dr. Corr, who is also the publisher of The Journal of Political Risk  visited all South China Sea claimant countries,  undertaking field research in Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Brunei. Dr. Corr has also conducted analysis for USPACOM, CENTCOM, and NATO, including work in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. Dr. Corr is also and active member of The Boston Global Forum, a think tank with ties to Harvard University Faculty, that focuses on peaceful solutions to global conflicts, including the current  tensions that plague the South China Sea.

Boston Global Forum was founded by Tuan Nguyen, who is the UCLA Chair for UNESCO and brought a free and open internet to Vietnam, and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.

Great Powers, Grand Strategies by Anders Corr is available from the U.S. Naval Institute Press

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations in Boston and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon" with Michael Morris that focuses on the events of April 1-30, 1975, the last month of Vietnam War.

Dick Pirozzolo Continues to Foster Positive US Relations, Economic Development and Freedom in Southeast Asia

Dick Pirozzolo: "Vietnam is growing steadily every day."

By

Nguyen Lan Anh

VietnamNet.Vn

Vietnam Net, Vietnam's largest online newspaper, published an interview with Michael Morris and Dick Pirozzolo, authors of  "Escape from Saigon - a Novel" chronicling the end of the Vietnam War or in Vietnam The American War.

Click here to read the original Vietnamese language version 

Saigon View from the Rex Bar in 1995

 Having returned to Vietnam many times since the war ended, communication consultant, journalist and US Air Force veteran Dick Pirozzolo chose trade, culture and tourism to establish a link between Vietnam and the United States. In so doing he has written articles and editorials on the reconciliation between two former foes.

Michael Morris was in Vietnam in 1967-1968 as a US Army infantry soldier and returned with Pirozzolo as part of a Boston Global Forum delegation of scholars, international marketing experts and journalists.

Vietnam Net: Congratulations, you have launched the book "Escape from Saigon -  a Novel” in 2017, what can you tell us about this book?

Mr. Dick Pirozzolo: Putting aside the past is a theme running throughout the book whose characters often come in conflict with their ideologies as they try to move forward. Even though "Escape from Saigon" is fiction it hews closely to historical events as it recounts the lives of both ordinary people as well as officials who are trapped in a city once called The Paris of the East.

The Continental Palace Hotel figures into "Escape from Saigon." While this classic hotel has been upgraded and retains its charm, it lacks the famous veranda where journalists and diplomats mingled during the war.

Some of these fictional characters include Lisette Vo, NBS-TV's first Vietnamese-American reporter who chronicled the fateful events of April 1975, Sam Esposito of The Washington Legend who writes about America's involvement and doing so angers US President Richard Nixon, an American businessman desperate to help his employees flee; Jean Paul Pelleran, a French pub owner, who wishes to remain in South Vietnam and continue running his piano bar, and US  Ambassador Graham Martin who becomes despondent and disillusioned over the April 1975 events.

Mr. Michael Morris: We concentrated on what happened during the last month when the Vietnam War ended on April 30. While the action occurs at that moment in time, reminiscences at Jean Paul’s bar and old newspaper stories are filled with historical events such as the partition of Vietnam that prompted Jean Paul to leave Hanoi for Saigon in the mid-1950s, or Sam Esposito who, before arriving in Vietnam in 1963, meets his old high school friend Billy Freda for beers at Mory’s in New Haven right after Billy returned from a year in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War was a major event in the lives of an entire generation of Americans who witnessed the war firsthand and had to deal with its aftermath. In our case, when we returned to the US we became professionals – I became a journalist in New York, and Dick became a journalist and media consultant in Boston. Even though the War ended 42 year ago, it is a permanent part of who we are.

Vietnam Net: As far as I know, a lot of American veterans have been writing about the war and the events of April 1975. What makes your book different, special?

The former US Embassy in Saigon remained vacant for over two decades before being razed to make room for new development in Ho Chi Minh City

Mr. Dick Pirozzolo: We have gotten a lot of praise for creating a unique work of fiction for example Winston Groom, author of "Forrest Gump," said, "Escape from Saigon offers a vivid unvarnished vision of the war-torn lives of people trapped in the capital.”

Casey Sherman, author of The New York Times Bestseller "The Finest Hours" and "Boston Strong" called, "Escape from Saigon … a sweeping saga in the tradition of Michener and Clavell.”

Llewellyn King, producer and co-host of PBS-TV's "White House Chronicle,” added, "Escape from Saigon is exceptional in its authenticity, with descriptions of Saigon that are in the tradition of American author Graham Greene's The Quiet American. "

Vietnam Net: You both recently returned to Vietnam with a Boston Global Forum Delegation of journalists and scholars. How did returning to Vietnam make you feel?

Mr. Michael Morris: For me personally, it was a meaningful trip. I did not know what to expect and did not know what my feelings would be. I could not even imagine seeing all that was new since I served in the country in the 1960s. And, finally I felt very satisfied. Like many American soldiers returning to Vietnam, I came here with an eye toward the future and was very happy to see the Vietnamese wholeheartedly welcome us. They are kind, treated me very well, invited me home for dinner. I was very much pleased with the experience.

Mr. Dick Pirozzolo: I have returned to Vietnam many times striving to cement relations between Vietnam and the United States. As part of my work, I became the media representative for Mr. Le Van Bang, Vietnam's first ambassador to the UN and later to the United States. Additionally, I’ve written articles and editorials on United States-Vietnam relationships and how they benefit both peoples.

Children peer into a US tank turret at a war museum in Saigon

During one of my trips to Vietnam I visited the Cu Chi tunnels outside of Saigon. One of the guides spoke in a very distinct American accent, that of New Jersey. When I asked him about it, he explained, “During the war, we took everything the Americans brought here including English which I got from listening to the US Armed Forces Radio and TV.”

 A fictionalized version of that tour guide appears in "Escape from Saigon,” arguing with one of the American characters over who in 1975 was the best pitcher in American baseball.

Vietnam Net: “Although we should not be not allowed to forget history we must live for the future.” What do you think of the message?

Mr. Dick Pirozzolo: The war ended 42 years ago, and I am confident that we are on track to further tighten relationships between the US and Vietnam. Those who are 30 years old or younger, know Vietnam only as a developing country, not a war and, overall, two-thirds of Americans were born after the war ended on April 30, 1975. This is similar to the Vietnam where 60 percent of the population was born after that historic milestone.

Since the 1990s, Americans have seen Vietnam as a market to promote brands and as a travel destination. According to government statistics, 400,000 people in the United States and 100,000 people in Canada are expected to travel to Vietnam this year.

Vietnam Net: Did you know that President Donald Trump has announced his visit

Ho Chi Minh City's iconic hotel

to Vietnam in November to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Mr. Dick Pirozzolo: That is a positive step. I had the opportunity to work with many Vietnamese leaders during the 1990s. At that stage, Vietnam was working to reconcile and begin trade relations with the United States as a Most Favored Nation.  I believe we will continue to develop in a positive direction. More and more Americans choose to buy Vietnamese products such as clothes, rice and coffee in large quantities. Moreover, the cultural and academic relations between the two countries are rich and multi-dimensional.

There is no debate, now is an important moment for Vietnam to become a closer partner with the US, playing a greater role in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region and the balance of power in the Pacific

Mr. Michael Morris: Economic relations are a very important bridge in international relations. I know American companies are increasingly looking to Vietnam to do business, and in so doing will help to boost your economy.

More people from our generation, veterans have brought their children and loved ones to witness Vietnam with their own eyes—a country that has a significant place in American history.

“Escape from Saigon – a Novel” is available on Amazon.com.

 

Trendy shops and cafés are emerging in Ho Chi Minh City

All images appearing in this article are protected by Copyright ©2017 Dick Pirozzolo. All rights reserved.

Boston Global Forum Airs Cyberwar and Fake News Issues During Latest Symposium at Harvard University

 

John Savage

Some of the world's leading experts on cybersecurity and fake news convened in Cambridge to discuss the growing threat of computer warfare—more specifically, computer hacking, the intentional spread of “click-bait” fake news, and the political and personal motives behind them.

The symposium was held at the Harvard University Faculty Club in connection with the 2017 Boston Global Forum G7 Summit Initiative titled:  Prevention of Cyberwar and Coping With Fake News.

Brown University Professor John Savage discussed the importance of tracking computer hackers in order to prevent cyberwar and stated without equivocation that Russia was resposndibe for hacking the DNC.

  Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer at Finnish computer security company F-Secure presented five types of computer hackers and how he tracks them and their Internet crimes.

Mikko Hyponen

They are:

White hat hackers who help corporations and government agencies identify and eliminate vulnerabilities,

Hactivists who break into computer systems as a form of protest,

Organized crime, which is motivated by greed and responsible for some 400,000 daily attacks,

Governments that engage in espionage, considered acceptable Internet behavior while hacking foreign corporations to steal intellectual property is frowned upon, and

Extremists, such as ISIS, the use the internet to cause harm as well as to recruit sympathizers.

Hypponen pointed out that cyber criminals are often undone by their own vanity, pointing to the alleged Toronto-based Yahoo hacker Karim Baratov, who was tracked down after showcasing his lavish lifestyle on Facebook by openly posting images of his luxury cars and watches.

The Yahoo subscriber hack cost the company $350 million in the sale of its assets to Verizon.

Thomas Patterson

Similarly the emergence of fake news, threatens global stability and democracy in the digital age. Harvard University Professor Thomas Patterson observed that even though the idea of “fake news,” was popularized by President Donald Trump, it has been around for a some time. During the 2016 presidential election, fake news circulated on Facebook exceeded real news coverage of the election.

According to Patterson fake news has become such a phenomenon because it is rooted in our deeply divided partisan political culture in this country in which people look for information to support their own biases and political beliefs, rather than being open to opposing stories. The unconscious engagement in selective perception allows members of both political parties to solidify their own worldview and maintain sometimes-blind partisan loyalty by voters who do not bother to check the “facts.”

Fake news is flourishing due to diminishing source credibility. Fewer people subscribe to legitimate newspapers, while more people are getting information from online posts on social media that are both true and false. This increased reliance on the Internet reliance contributes to public distrust of traditional media outlets. When the voters do not trust the media, they are more willing to trust alternative sources.

Repetition enhances the impact of fake news. The more individuals are exposed to a story, true or false, the more likely it is that they will believe it to be true. When fake news goes viral—often achieved by “like farms,” where people are paid to “like” fake news stories on Facebook to get them trending—people are exposed to the same link repeatedly, and as a result, are more inclined to believe it.

Fake news is spread by professional social influencers backed by their own political motives working every day to intentionally mislead the public and therefore influence voting and opinion polling outcomes. Patterson underscored the importance of nipping fake news at the source. Most fake news is generated by small, illegitimate websites, that are driven by online robots or “bots” that permeate the Web with the falsehoods. Patterson suggested that, as a society, strengthen the voices of reliable, sophisticated, news media, while encouraging bipartisan voices because fake news flourishes in a polarized political environment.

Dick Pirozzolo, a member of The Boston Global Forum Editorial Board and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon-a Novel" set in Vietnam during April of 1975 noted, "The novel underscores how cumbersome and slow news gathering and dissemination used to be. Forty years ago all Americans depended on only three national TV networks and at most two national newspapers creating a commonality of information.  Cable news and the explosion of media outlets is only hinted at in the novel that focuses attention on the media during the Vietnam War—dubbed 'America's first television war.'"

Gov. Michael Dukakis, Boston Global Forum chairman and cofounder  with Tuan Anh Nguyen, opened the session with honored guest Nicola De Santis, Consul General of Italy in Boston. 

For additional observations on Cyberwar and Fake News visit: THE BGF-G7 SUMMIT INITIATIVE

The Boston Global Forum was established in 2012 with the purpose of identifying threats to global stability and forming realistic solutions among academics and experts. According to the Forum’s website, its mission “is to lessen tensions, promote peace and security, and foster conditions that lead to greater social justice and broader economic prosperity.”

 

On Letting Go - to Move Ahead by The Rev. Sarah Robbins-Cole

It was a distinct honor to have been included in the Easter Sunday homily at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, in Holliston, Mass.

Earlier last week, I was chatting with Sarah—my friend and neighbor—who is otherwise known as The Rev. Sarah Robbins Cole. She told me she was working on her sermon for Easter Sunday, the theme was letting go. I suppose the idea is there cannot be rebirth without letting go of those things that tie us to the past.

"Any thoughts?" she inquired. 

Not missing a chance to plug "Escape from Saigon - a Novel," I mentioned that "letting go" is a theme running loosely throughout the story.  

The struggle with letting go is voiced by Billy Freda, the high school friend, who has to let go of the moment he scored the winning point in the championship game, US Ambassador Graham Martin who cannot let go of South Vietnam that had become intertwined with his identity, the reporters who devoted their youth to covering the war and have to find a new life elsewhere, and of course, the two Vietnam veterans who wrote the book—myself and Michael Morris, who saw combat in the Vietnam War as a young soldier in 1967.

That war ended on April 30, 1975—42 years ago on the last day this month.

Here is what The Rev. Sarah Robbins-Cole, Rector of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Holliston, Massachusetts told her congregation about letting go on Easter Sunday Morning 2017.

 

 Easter 2017

Marie Kondo of the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing is perhaps one of the best known books that has come our way from the field of decluttering and home organization. If you have not read the book, the basic premise of the book is to get rid of things that do not spark joy. Marie Kondo recommends taking out every item you own, in a particular sequence, and touching each item, and if it does not spark joy – out it goes. She has other helpful hints such as not buying more specialized storage containers to hold yet more clutter, and folding your clothes, for example your shirts, in a way that finding a shirt is as easy as flicking through record albums – because they all are standing on end.

The desire to hold on and to accumulate is as old as time and man. Perhaps it’s because we falsely equate accumulation with security. If I just hang on to clothes, household items, food, photos, books, I will never be in want. Who knows? I might need one of these things later.

Or we mistakenly believe that if we throw things away or recycle them – somehow we won’t remember or value what that item represented.

Or sometimes what is harder is we hold on to emotions and memories - something that has hurt us deeply. Maybe you are holding onto a grudge, or an imaginary contract with someone (that is, unless they do x, I will not forgive, move on, or be nice, etc.,). And somehow letting go would be to admit defeat.

When people have asked me this week what I am preaching on this week – and I tell them that I am working on a sermon about letting go – it has been interesting to hear people’s response.

When I told my neighbor Dick Pirozzolo, who has just published the book, Escape from Saigon - a Novel this year, he said, “funny you should say that”. He is himself a Vietnam Vet, but he said in his research and during his book tour, while he has encountered many veterans who live full and rich lives, he also said that he has met a fair number of veterans who live and breathe their days in Vietnam every day—even though the end of this month will mark the 42nd anniversary of the ending of that war. “After all,” Dick commented, “you are 19 years old, your friends are all back home working in a shoe store, and you are in a strange country, surrounded by people speaking a foreign language, and you are getting shot at.”

But he said, the problem is that what happens to some of us is that we get stuck at 19. Our entire identity is formed around being a Vietnam Veteran and that does not allow a new identity to form. Our lives are dedicated to remembering that time – from the stories we share to the social media platforms we belong to and contribute to.

Another friend of mine, who works with students, said to me, “that is such an important message” because she finds that some of her students cling to ideas, ideologies, and identities in ways that are unhealthy because they perpetuate their sense of being powerless victims in a hostile world.

Or another friend talked about a woman she knew who was the team mom of a volleyball team – and she did everything – she organized uniforms, social events, coaches gifts, the booster club – but at the end of her son’s junior year, at the end of season party, when he was not elected captain by his peers for the following year, she was absolutely devastated. She refused to talk to anyone for the rest of the party and her son never played volleyball again – so attached was she to the idea of her son being captain.

I am sure we all have examples from our own lives - elderly parents who cling to the idea of unrealistic independence, or children who can’t seem to quite realize they have actually reached adulthood, a parent who cannot let go of their adult children, etc., etc.,
The subject of letting go is not just a superficial self-help issue. They are deep spiritual concerns – which come to the very heart of our gospel lesson for this morning. Jesus tells Mary – do not hold on to me. Literally – do not cling to me as I am now. I am yet to ascend to the Father. Jesus is telling her that she must not cling to him because his time on earth is done. And why that is important is that first of all, after the crucifixion they can’t just go back to the way things were – and secondly, the ascension is necessary so that the work of Jesus will no longer be constrained to his little corner of Israel – but will spread to the four corners of the earth.

And it’s not just the idea of the physically present Jesus she is going to have to let go of. If she wants to share in that resurrected life of new life and rebirth – she is going to have to let go of everything that is holding her back – she may have to let go of her anger at the Romans for crucifying Jesus, she may have to have to let go of her feelings of resentment at the disciples for handing Jesus over, betraying Jesus, and falling asleep while Jesus was praying when he very clearly asked them to stay awake. She may have to let go of her bitterness toward a world that allows an innocent man to die. She may have to let go of her wrath toward her own people for their maleficent fickleness – who on Palm Sunday lauded Jesus as King – and then jeered Jesus just a few days later when he really needed them.

But let me be clear - there is a big difference between letting go and forgetting. Letting go – means having a willingness to move forward, to not be stuck in the muck and mire of past wrongs. Forgetting is pretty near impossible, and forgiving can be a very long process indeed.

What we celebrate today is the resurrection. We celebrate that when one thing ends – and when we let go and give it to God, and trust that God will do something good and meaningful and life-giving to that of which we let go – we too will live the resurrected life.

God invites us to new life each and every moment of our lives – not to cling to the past – but to be engaged in our lives right here and right now. It is just as Joseph Campbell, the preeminent expert in comparative mythology and religion who wrote: We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.


Along with being coauthor of "Escape from Saigon - a Novel" set during the final days of America's "first television war," Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations, an international communication firm based in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

Cyber Threats to Intensify Says "Cyber Security 2016" Report from Boston Global Forum

“While cyber-security measures continue to evolve positively, cyber threats from crime, terrorism, militarization, espionage, and censorship will continue or worsen in 2016.”

That’s how Boston Global Forum sees the future of cybersecurity in a just-published report titled “Cyber Security 2016” aimed at helping government, business leaders and individuals effectively deal with increasingly sophisticated and frequent cyber threats.

Cyber Security 2016 was published to coincide with the first annual Global Cybersecurity Day, to be held each year starting at noon, December 12 or 12-12-12. As part of the first Global Cybersecurity Day, policy makers, scholars and experts convened at Harvard University to air latest cyber security issues and announce publication of Cyber Security 2016.

“Conflict over cyber security will increase between the West and the states and criminals from which cyber threats emanate." This includes individual and terrorist groups from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, and many developing countries, according to the report.

“Increasing technical sophistication and vulnerabilities in infrastructure, military systems, industrial control systems, the internet of things (LoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, and mobile platforms will increase opportunities for states, criminals, and thrill-seekers to discover zero-day vulnerabilities and benefit from cyber tactics. 

“Individualized encryption and the use of crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin will continue to facilitate anonymous crime and terrorism, and thereby complicate the cyber-security landscape in 2016.” 

The report calls for a number of solutions including secure backdoors for legitimate governance and additional regulation of crypto-currencies.

For the individuals, business owners and professionals, the same advice still applies: practice good cyber hygiene. That means changing passwords frequently and, despite warnings to the contrary, do not use obvious passwords such as “1234” and birthdays. Though most folks say it can’t happen to me, savvy Internet users still get duped into responding to email requests for bank account and Social Security numbers.

Corr Analytics of New York contributed to the writing of this report. Corr Analytics was founded in 2013 and provides analysis to media, nonprofit and business clients, with a focus on strategic and international political risk. 

A complete copy of the 40-page Cyber Security 2016 report may be downloaded at: 2016 Report 

As part of the Global Cybersecurity Day program at Harvard, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung were named World Leaders for Peace, Security and Development and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received the World Leader in Cyberspace Award. For Prime Minister Abe’s acceptance speech click here. Consul General Tsutomu Himeno accepted the award on behalf of Prime Minister Abe from gov. Michal Dukakis, co-founder of Boston Global Forum.

Global Cybersecurity Day was created to inspire the shared responsibility of the world’s citizens to protect the Internet’s safety and transparency. As part of this initiative, Boston Global Forum also calls upon citizens of goodwill to follow it's Ethics Code of Conduct for Cyber Peace and Security (ECCC). 

You may also be interested in Dick Pirozzolo's article:  DDOS Attacks Threaten Foreign Currency Exchange in E-Forex Magazine.

Boston Global Forum, a think tank, with ties to Harvard University faculty, includes noted scholars, business leaders and prominent journalists among its leadership.

Vietnam-US Bond Grows Stronger Through Boston Global Forum Efforts

Dick Pirozzolo serves on a panel at Vietnam CEO Summit 2015 organized by Boston Global Forum and Richard Moore Associates. Boston Global Forum, a think tank founded by Tuan Anh Nguyen and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, fosters US ties with Vietnam through cultural events, innovation projects, peace initiatives and trade.

I was honored to serve on a panel during the Vietnam CEO Summit 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City, where over 100 of Vietnam’s top executives and business owners came to learn about American marketing principles and how to penetrate markets in the US.

Since I had worked very hard on reconciliation and trade between the US and Vietnam during the mid-1990s and had been absent for a long time, it was gratifying to see how much tighter the bond between Americans and Vietnamese had become over the years and how welcoming the delegates were to ideas from the USA.

The July CEO Summit featured Harvard professors, journalists and marketing experts. Prof. John Quelch of Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration led the all-day discussion, reviewing Harvard Graduate School of Business case studies covering The New York Times transition to the digital age and its formula for determining how many free views visitors get before a paywall pops up.  Quelch also reviewed Amazon’s phenomenal success as an online marketer, comparing retailing in Vietnam, which is extremely fragmented, to the US. The event was organized by Boston Global Forum, a Boston think tank, founded by former Governor Michael Dukakis and Tuan Anh Nguyen, who is responsible for opening Vietnam to the Internet, and Richard Moore Associates, a Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City marketing firm. In addition to organizing this event, Boston Global Forum takes on a key issue each year aimed at the promotion of peace and security in the world. This year The Forum is focusing on establishing an ethical code of conduct for the Internet in light of the rising tide of state-sponsored and other cyber threats around the world. 
 
When conference delegates asked how to promote Vietnam in the US, I urged them to rely on cultural events—including Vietnamese and Western classical musical performances—and celebrity to promote their nation. One recent example of the power of celebrity: President Clinton’s recent visit to Hanoi was big news in the US and had enormous impact by placing Vietnam in the front of Americans’ minds.  

The close relationship between Vietnam and the US is seen in ways big and small. For instance, you know Vietnam is integrated into our popular culture when Modern Family character Cam Tucker can pull off  a comical bit on how American’s can’t pronounce Pho, the traditional Vietnamese breakfast soup. Cam tries a couple of pronunciations on his adopted Vietnamese daughter's pediatrician who finally quips, "I wouldn’t know, I’m Japanese."

 Modern Family is the most popular show on American television, drawing an audience of 10 million—that means the writers are counting on a huge cross section of Americans to have enough awareness of Vietnam to get the joke. And, when you can comfortably bring in humor, that’s a big deal in terms of a positive relationship.
 

A stylish woman shops on Dong Khoi Street, the Newbury Street of Saigon.

Since the US formally recognized Vietnam in July of 1995 and granted most favored nation status, this nation of 90 million has become an important business and trading partner, travel destination and major ally in maintaining peace in Southeast Asia. Imports from Vietnam are increasing steadily with last year's imports totaling $30.6 billion. US exports to Vietnam are $5.7 billion. In the first four months of 2015, Americans imported products worth $15 billion from Vietnam and sold $2.6 billion worth of goods. Worldwide, Vietnam is increasing its exports of manufactured goods—electronic components and clothing, specifically. According to Vietnam News Service, the export of staples such as rice, coffee and seafood have all fallen off slightly while the value of crude oil exports fell by 45%. In Ho Chi Minh City signs of greater wealth, style and nightlife, especially among millennials, are everywhere. 

About 400,000 Americans and 100,000 Canadians are expected to visit Vietnam in 2015 according to Vietnamese government statistics. Vietnam is very welcoming, I never felt any residual animosity during my involvement with Vietnam over the years. Notably over 60 percent of the populations was born after the American War ended in April of 1975—40 years ago. A prominent Vietnamese leader who was a child at the time said of those years, we just wanted the war to end.

“To put that 40-year time span in perspective, 1985 marked the 40th anniversary of the end of World War II and Americans were driving BMWs and Toyotas with nary a thought and the Japanese and Germans were listening to Phil Collins and Journey. 
 
Panelists are from left  Moderator Nguyen Duc Son, brand manager, Richard Moore Associates, Michael Morris, journalists and author, Prof. Thomas Patterson, Harvard University, Tuan Anh Nguyen, chairman and co-founder of Boston Global Forum, Nguyen Van Tuong, president Tram Huong Khanh Hoa, a major agar wood supplier, Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations and editorial board of Boston Global Forum and Llewelyn King, host, White House Chronicles airing on PBS.

Click here for additional details and photos of Vietnam during the 90s
 

Two young executives at the Vietnam CEO 2015 Summit. One big change: Ho Chi Minh City has become more fashionable over the past 20 years. Navy blue and charcoal Western suits are commonplace among men and, except for special occasions and among hotel, airline, and conference greeters, the demure Ao Dai is seldom seen in the city.