As a general proposition, it is refreshing to hear an American talk about “soft power.” Especially outside U.S. borders, in “old” Europe and the “new” emerging markets, hope inevitably rises that the United States is finally wising up. People there have long been befuddled by the United States’ penchant over the past decade to focus on the military (“hard” power) dimension of competition.

That inclination, after all, seemed to run counter to the great American talent — and the nation’s foundational belief, counseled by none other than George Washington — to focus on mutually beneficial, commercial relations. America, in other words, was that enlightened upstart that would make its mark by not obsessing about status and rank in the world, as 18th- and 19th-century Europeans were always wont to do. All would be fine, as long as dollars would be rolling in.

Read Here – The Globalist