Is this "smart power"?
When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered Islamabad help last week in exporting mangoes to the US in a bid to dampen anti-American sentiment, it marked the latest chapter in the fruit’s curious history of diplomacy and intrigue.George Bush did the same thing a few years ago with India. Only he got them to allow the import of Harley-Davidsons to India in return. Plus, the Indian government is not actively participating in the killing of our soldiers. Really...smart power?
“I have personally vouched for Pakistani mangoes, which are delicious, and I’m looking forward to seeing Americans be able to enjoy those in the coming months,” Clinton said during her visit to Islamabad last week. The prominence of mangoes in South Asian diplomacy should come as no surprise since scientists believe the sweet and fleshy orange fruit originated in the region before Buddhist monks and Persian traders introduced the plant to other areas of the world.
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