Washington Post Online. December 9, 2007 " title="External link to: Washington Post Online. December 9, 2007 " class="external">"Smart Power:" Saving America's Leadership

The manner in which the "War on Terror" has been conducted since 9/11 has rendered the United States as an uncompromising power and as a bully. Richard L. Armitage and Joseph S. Nye Jr. contend that it is Al-Qaeda's deliberate attempt to push the United States toward an ever more unpopular position in the international arena, thus corroding its credibility and authority, which would in turn inflict more damage than any individual terrorist attack. The authors go on to endorse Secretary of Defense Gates' thesis that America must focus on consolidating its "hard" and "soft" power capabilities into a more effective sort of power, which they call "smart power." In this spirit, the US ought to address all duplicitous activities that undermine its moral authority abroad, as is the case of instances such as Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. Furthermore, the United States must realize that cooperating is not relinquishing sovereignty or power, but rather gaining respect and support. Therefore, while maintaining its military hegemony, the United States must tackle issues of development, global public health, and environmental viability, among other things.

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