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Wed, Sep 3rd 2008, 02:25

Jim Rhodes

Methinks that Mr. Joseph S. Nye is bullsh*tting here. What exactly is this "Pew Poll" that he's talking about, suggesting that the USA tops "soft power" categories? I've read these Pew Polls over the past couple years, and they universally show that USA soft power is at its nadir, far below that of other industrialized countries. We are the world's most hated country by far, in fact, our problem is that we, like Russia, have been relying far too much on hard power and too little on soft power. We are seen as arrogant and meddling in the complicated affairs of other countries, lacking a sense of history and generally a bull in a china shop.

In contrast, China is seen as a country that doesn't butt into everyone else's affairs so much, and takes a more patient, historically-cognizant approach to things, less motivated by hotheaded passions and idiotic politics.

China isn't a democracy but it is evolving. They don't like what we call in the USA "democracy," since our system is a democracy only in name-- in reality, bought and sold by corporate lobbyists and propaganda-minded media organizations. China's system will have some elements of democracy, but hopefully a more intelligent, calmer version than the blundering stupidity that we have in the USA.

If you have any doubts, Mr. Nye, read the recent comments (including the top-rated ones) on the articles by Nicholas Kristof and Thomas Friedman on China (A Biblical Seven Years), in the New York Times. You'll see that even Americans are furious at the way our supposed "democracy" has been corrupted by stupidity and avarice, whereas China is overall seen as a rapidly improving and ever more open society. That, Mr. Nye, is soft power. You'd be wise to catch onto this and get with the program.