Soft Power? What we need is "Smart" Power

The elements of national power within the U.S. are categorized into four areas: Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic (DIME).  Soft power is Diplomatic, Informational and Economic. Hard power is Military.

Soft power is best used to prevent conflict and Hard power (military) provides the credibility that Soft power needs to be effective.  The United Nations for example, is limited to employing Soft power.

The optimum application of “Smart Power” requires Quality Leadership.

The Focus Is On ‘Soft Power’, (Philadelphia Inquirer)…Trudy Rubin

At first glance, President-elect Barack Obama’s new national-security team of experienced heavyweights may not look like a change-oriented bunch. Look again. Robert Gates, the current and future defense secretary, and former NATO commander Gen. James L. Jones, Obama’s pick for national security adviser, advocate sweeping change in the way America pursues its security interests.

For example, the United States has more members of military marching bands than Foreign Service officers. Gates also noted that the number of Foreign Service officers was frozen as the number of embassies grew after the Soviet Union breakup. Meantime, “the United States Agency for International Development saw deep staff cuts … and the U.S. Information Agency was abolished.”

These were steps taken by the Clinton administration under pressure from Jesse Helms, the late Republican senator who chaired the Foreign Relations Committee.

The extent of the problem was described graphically in a report on the crisis in diplomatic readiness recently released by the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Stimson Center (available at www.academyofdiplomacy.org). The report details the shortage of Foreign Service officers, and particularly of those with training in critical languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Urdu.

 

Chertoff, Shifting Views On Security, Pushes Use Of ‘Soft Power’, (Wall Street Journal)…Cam Simpson

The Bush administration’s point man in protecting America against terrorism says U.S. investments in safety should not be restricted to airport screening machines or border fences. Michael Chertoff says the U.S. also should spend more on foreign-aid programs, scholarships for foreign students and other tools of so-called soft power.