| The great game Most modern dictionaries define shitposting as posting “something online (such as a comment, video, or meme) that is deliberately absurd, provocative, or offensive”. The idea is to get a rise, and, in the case of social media, generate engagement, responses and, thereby, revenue. Most dictionaries define foreign policy as a “government’s policy on dealing with other countries, for example in matters relating to trade or defence.” In an ideal world, there would be no intersection of the two, but as every day reminds us, this is not an ideal world — and modern diplomacy now has to deal with what can only be termed as shitposts (in addition to dealing with everything else it deals with). That isn’t the only change. The all pervasive nature of media means that it is no longer possible to separate political messaging meant for global audiences from those meant for local ones. Previously, the latter would be perused closely by interpreters (if in another language) and local diplomats, and diplomatic cables be sent on what this meant; now, everything happens in real time. It’s entirely possible that a junior minister’s indiscreet comment at an election rally in a remote corner of a country creates a diplomatic incident. What then, is the recommended playbook for diplomacy? One obvious tenet would be to be aware, but not react to everything (easier said than done given that there is an entire section of the media industry whose revenue model is built around throwaway statements and instant reactions), opting instead to respond carefully and strategically, and only when it becomes necessary to. Another is to be conscious of one’s own interests and positions (and clearly define red lines). And a third would be to ensure consistency of messaging — since it isn’t going to be possible to prevent people from speaking (or being heard), the least that can be done is to ensure that they all say the same thing. As India and the US move closer to a trade deal — the past 45 days have been rough — I am moving towards the minority view that, all things considered, New Delhi has made all the right moves (and also the right noises). On Wednesday, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that a deal would be closed soon. And on Thursday, Sergio Gor, the US President’s nominee for ambassador to India, said “India is one of the most important relationships our nation has in the world…” and that the two countries are “not that far apart right now on a deal”. To be sure, there’s the overhang of the Russian oil issue, and while stopping purchases of this will not result in either a shortage of fuel or a price-spike, a sovereign nation should be free to exercise its choices. Diplomacy isn’t the only area seeing the lines between the virtual world and the real one blur. | 
