See how American culture is spreading around the world today? — Steve Clemons

I’m coming out of the closet as a fan of David Makovsky.

I will be writing more soon about the just released Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, the first ever — but wanted to post this video of the event and the transcript of an exchange that I had with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Two things quickly.

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Tomorrow President Obama will offer remarks updating Americans on progress in Afghanistan and the nation’s next steps. Richard Holbrooke, was a key member of the team as Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has conferred the Hilal-e-Pakistan (Crescent of Pakistan), the nation’s highest civilian award on Richard Holbrooke for his service to Pakistan and contributions to US-Pakistan relations. Other American recipients of the Hilal-e-Pakistan are Richard Nixon, Joe Biden, and John Kerry.

For those following America’s increasingly high cost misadventure in Afghanistan, check out Elisabeth Bumiller’s account of the grim intelligence estimates on US progress there.

I’m one who believes that Hamas must be part of the equation of establishing a new equilibrium in the Middle East. Hamas is not al Qaeda and has evolved into a real, citizen-rooted political order and can’t be wished away.

There are two themes that seem to find themselves in much of the emerging commentary on the life and impact of Richard Holbrooke. The first is that he was a “bulldozer” and the second that “well, he had a bad relationship with Karzai so couldn’t do much with him.

(picture credit: Russell Totten; click image for larger version) Perhaps it is Richard Holbrooke’s passing that has drawn me to this image — but wanted to share this beautiful picture sent by a TWN reader in Lake Tahoe.