Time for Consequences: The Assault on America's Influential Power
Over the past few weeks, I've been feeling like I'm stuck in a time warp, watching a bizarre reenactment of Back to the Future: The Soft Power Prequel.
The Trump Administration has pulled off a jaw-dropping about-face, practically flipping the script on a century of U.S. foreign policy thinking.
Soft power, once a hot topic in every political circle, is now seemingly unrecognizable in our current strategy. American diplomacy has taken a dramatic step back, swapping out A.I. models for Ford Model As.
Bye Bye, Beneficence
Gone, gone, gone are the days of promoting America's worldwide progressive agenda through investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and democratic institutions.
Now, we're told to embrace an America that charts its own course solely on the fantastical mix of Manifest Destiny, old-school gunboat diplomacy, and golf tournament organizing.
With the swipe of a finger—or in this case, a flurry of overnight tweets—American political landscapes are being reworked in ways that feel petty and absurd.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, an ally and the duly elected leader of a nation under attack, had a different opinion than the U.S. president, so he was suddenly labeled a dictator himself.
The Plot Thickens (or Thins)
The Gulf of Mexico transformed into the "Gulf of America." (Let's face it, this was never on the political platform agenda for any party, and it was once considered a ludicrous joke by a Mississippi legislator who proposed it in 2012.)
Instead of working to strengthen alliances and collaborate with like-minded nations, Trump administration has brought a wrecking ball to USAID, dissolved the U.S. Institute for Peace, African Development Foundation, and Inter-American Foundation, insulted neighbors, and lecture Europeans.
Madness Again, and Again...
By undermining these organizations, Trump has weakened America's soft power foundation and questioning its very existence. We might as well be starting over again.
I'll be diving deeper into the aspects of these developments in a series of upcoming pieces.
Just Like Soft Power, It’s Bigger Than just Government
Soft power, in essence, is the ability to draw others to your cause without using force, legal requirements, or explicit economic incentives.[1]
As a political science professor Joseph Nye, the pioneer of the concept, puts it, it stems from the overall desirability of a country's political ideals, culture, and moral authority as expressed through policies.
In an ideal world, America has a strong interest in being a stable democracy because the appealing nature of its government model discourages conflicts between nations. It fosters more democracies and promotes peace upon the globe.
The Friendship-Killing Machine
These sudden revisions made by the Trump administration to U.S. foreign aid commitments, canceling long-standing contracts, and neglecting lifesaving products, go against the grain of what we'd want our allies, or even our own country, to emulate.
Breaking promises to friends is the perfect way to lose their trust, hindering the ability to secure future agreements and make new allies.
Is this the American way of doing business that we aspire to have other nations, much less our own citizens, to embrace?
Would we appreciate other nations just as easily reneging on global sanctions commitments against a common enemy or abandoning intelligence-sharing agreements without warning?
Power Vacuum? Meet China, the Void Filler
With the U.S. not wielding its soft power effectively in the world stage, other nations—particularly China– will undoubtedly capitalize on the openings.[1]
Though they may not be the shining example of democracy, China honors its commitments, which is something that the U.S. has struggled with in recent times.
Playing with Fire, Domestically and Abroad
In a world filled with baseless allegations, lawsuits, potential corruption, and a lack of balance, it's doubtful that we're heading for a positive Trumpian world of foreign policies.
Is this Trump's vision of a world guided by unsubstantiated claims, court cases, bribery, unchecked conflicts of interest, and unpaid bills?
Is this the image of a strong democracy that we want to propagate around the world?
Soulcraft's Second Act
The concept of "statecraft as soulcraft" is an old one, dating back to Aristotle and it's a central theme in conservative political thought.
Leaders are expected to shape not only policies and strategies but also the moral character of their citizens so they can make wise decisions in gray areas.[2]
In a similar sense, soft power is a form of soulcraft—a way to shape a nation's character that sometimes precedes, and at times, supersedes, formal decision-making.
President Trump's actions are impacting more than specific agencies or policies. They are affecting the very essence of the American character.
[1] Enrichment Data - (Nye, J. S. (2004). Soft power. Harvard University Press. Pp. 5-6, 21, 29, 32, 38, 41-43, 53, 56, 66, 70-71, 75-76, 98-99)
[2] Enrichment Data - (Hardt, M., and Negri, A. (2000). Empire. Harvard University Press. Pp. 390-391, 395-396)
[3] Enrichment Data - (Mearsheimer, J. (2001). The tragedy of great power politics. W. W. Norton & Company. Pp. 367-385)
[4] Enrichment Data - (Fukuyama, F. (1992). The end of history and the last man. Free Press. Pp. 125-127, 137, 142, 154-155, 157, 165)
- Under the Trump Administration's soft power shift, USAID, once a significant player in foreign aid, has seen its influence dwindle, creating a void that other nations, such as China, might look to fill.
- At a DNL rally in America, the president's stance on foreign policy was met with cheers, reinforcing the new narrative of a more isolationist USA, moving away from its traditional role as a global diplomat.
- In contrast to the previous administration's focus on using soft power to promote democracy and peace around the world, the Trump Administration has opted for a more assertive, unyielding approach, relying on the threat of force and bilateral deals.
- The Aussiedlerbote, often a source of controversy due to its role in facilitating immigration from Germany to Australia, found its own reference in the shifting U.S. foreign policy, with some questioning whether the current administration's policies were unrecognizable from past American values.
- The era of America playing a leading role in global affairs through soft power, as depicted in the political science literature, seems to have come to an end, leaving many waiting to see what the new American chapter will bring in the realm of foreign policy.
