In social media, where does public diplomacy stop and virtual crusading start? By Rory Medcalf From coup rumours in China through crusade-mongering in Africa to revelations of revolution in the US State Department: social media is cutting a trail of creative destruction across international affairs in 2012. I have argued in previous columns how diplomatic and intelligence institutions need to move with the times and embrace social media to gather, share and spin information in their respective nations' interests. One would think that the foreign services of smaller nations have an opportunity here to erode the tyrannies of scale -- social media can be inexpensive and reliably agile. Curiously, though, it turns out that the United States is combining size and speed, taking a lead in the harnessing of internet 2.0 for foreign policy goals, thanks to some sustained and sweeping innovation at the State Department. This pleasantly surprising tale is told in a new research paper, Revolution@State , by Brookings Institution visiting fellow and Lowy Institute scholar Fergus Hanson. With tens of thousands of downloads (surely a think-tank record) in its first few weeks, thanks to assiduous dissemination via yet more social media, this paper tells a welcome good news story about how America's foreign policy establishment is transforming itself. Encouraged by social media convert Hillary Clinton, State is wisely showing itself willing to risk the occasional petty scandal by freeing up the talents of many hundreds of its staff online, including through blogs, Twitter accounts, wikis and even