[pousada]

So far the current admin has been very successful in obliterating all the soft power the US built up through the decades.

[deadbabe]

I have no idea why they would do this, but I often wonder if maybe soft power becomes less valuable in a world where more countries are able to empower themselves on their own. Perhaps soft power itself is only valuable as long as this asymmetry is sustained. Otherwise, it’s all about hard power.

[gunsle]

Exactly. We are heading out of a time where soft power is stronger than hard. We are going back to the days of hard power being the only thing that really matters. As resource competition becomes more intense, and economies stagnate, you can no longer afford to play “nice” with your countries’ future. It’s pretty annoying to me a lot of commenters on the internet are apparently too ideological or immature to grasp that.

[diydsp]

Their soft power is being cashed in for the benefit of an oligarchy.

[indubioprorubik]

Because that softpower spread a toxic culture, that has poisoned western civilization from within?

[pousada]

What are you referring to? The US poisoned themselves or got poisoned by the people they exerted soft power over?