Advertising America in Arabic. The U.S. broadcasts television in Arabic in the Middle East. The NYT reports:

Between programs, Al Hurra presents unsubtle promotional spots. Heavy orchestral music surges behind images of horses running free, or men walking against the crowd, or eye after eye opening wide. "You think, you aspire, you chose, you express, you are free, Al Hurra, just the way you are," read the text on one.

I love the Mr. Rogers line at the end.

The overall tone of this, however, isn't really any sillier or more condescending than bad commercials aimed at Americans, which are really sillier in a way since they tend to assert that a car or a soda will bring us freedom and self-expression.

Mustafa B. Hamarneh, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, is critical:

"The people they have hired look modern, hip, and the beat is fast, but it won't have an impact on the perception of the United States ... I think the Americans are mistaken if they assume they can change their image in the region. ... People became anti-American because they don't like American policies."

But if that were really true, why would Americans spend so much money advertising to other Americans, about political matters as well as ordinary products? Why would we concern ourselves so much with the effect of money on political campaigns? It must be that advertising works, even on educated and sophisticated people. I can understand thinking that one is being talked down to and patronized when advertising (aka propaganda) is aimed their way, but I hope Al Hurra's target audience realizes that Americans advertise to Americans in the same way.