About Matt Armstrong

Select Publications

• Reforming Smith-Mundt: Making American Public Diplomacy Safe for Americans at World Politics Review
• U.N. Peacekeeping as Public Diplomacy at World Politics Review
• The State of State: A Proposal for Reorganization at Foggy Bottom at PPI
• Hybrid Threats Require a Hybrid Government at the Stimson Center
• Hitting Bottom at Foggy Bottom, ForeignPolicy.com (9/11/09)
• Censoring the Voice of America, ForeignPolicy.com (8/6/09)
• Persuasive politics: Revisit the Smith-Mundt Act, op-ed, The Washington Times (12/19/08)
• "Operationalizing Public Diplomacy" in the Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy (2008)
• "Arming for the War of Ideas" in Threats in the Age of Obama (2009)
• "Rethinking Smith-Mundt" (2008)
• "Combat Robots and Perception Management" in Serviam Magazine (May-June 2008)
• "Beyond Government Accountability" in Serviam Magazine (March-April 2008)
• "Private Military Companies" in Handbook of Military Administration (2007)

About the Blog

This blog explores the issues impacting the global psychological struggle for minds and wills of men and women in the 21st century, whether bullets and bombs are flying or not. It challenges the concept of "winning hearts and minds" and argues the ongoing struggle for the mind not based on likability but on pragmatic choices for the future of individuals, groups, and modern nations. This struggle requires focusing on activities that influence, persuade, and dissuade the will to act, or not act, by people around the globe connected virtually and physically in ways that transcend political and geographic boundaries.

This blog is read by senior government officials, practitioners, trainers, academics, and analysts from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, Congress, related institutions, think tanks, and government agencies around the globe. Matt Armstrong is the sole publisher of MountainRunner.

Other

The answer is yes, I am (or "was") a "mountain runner," as I much prefer running trails than running on the road. However, the title "mountain runner" is an homage to my running partner, Luna. I titled the blog long before it become a hub it is now, back when it was simply a place for me to practice writing after leaving my career as a technologist.

My second dog, also pictured, was a mountain runner. The three-legged beast used to be good for six miles on the trails, but after "tri-pawed" tore his crucial ligament and meniscus, and after several thousands of dollars to repair him, he's sidelined to reduce the risk of injuring the other knee (which the doctor said was likely).

As for me, I am a "recovered" Ironman triathlete (5 races, last one: 2003), former ultramarathoner (last one: 2004), and former competitive ocean swimmer (1 mile and 3 mile distances). I made a brief living as a professional coach with coaching certificates from USA Cycling (Level II), USA Triathlon, USA Track & Field, and USA Swimming (or rather USA Swimming's accreditation organization); all now expired. I was also a founding board member of the Los Angeles Triathlon Club and a former coach and guide for blind triathletes.

I live in Los Angeles, CA, with my wife, two kids, and two dogs. Always happy to meet a "fellow traveler" so drop me an email if you're in town.