Looking for Answers in All the Wrong Places

Frustrated by survey results showing that "the bottom has fallen out of support for America in most of the Muslim world," Congress is asking the State Department to explain why U.S. image-enhancement efforts are failing. "When you consider that the State Department (DoS) has devoted more money and attention to public-diplomacy efforts in these regions in the past two years than anywhere since the Soviet Union's collapse, it's a sign that something's not working," writes Douglas Quenqua. As Congress sees things, "America's image-polishing campaign in the region should at least have eased the downward trend by now, if not reversed it. They want to know why the dial keeps moving in the wrong direction." (Maybe instead of asking the State Department for answers, they should just read our book.)