Think Again Soft Power(约瑟夫奈,重新思考软实力)

SUNCATEGORIZEDThinkAgain:SoftPowerIn1990,ForeignPolicywasthefirstjournaltopublishtheconcept“softpower”inanarticleIwrote.Sincethen,theideahascircledtheglobe,asaquickGooglesearchwillshow.ABritishrockband,Ladytron,evenusesitasthetitleofasonginitsnewalbum.Butasithasmovedintocommonusage,thetermhasbeenstretchedandtwisted,sometimesbeyondrecognition.Whatexactlyissoftpowerandhowusefulisitindealingwithtoday’schallenges?BYJOSEPHS.NYEJR.|FEBRUARY23,2006,12:00AMoftPowerIsCulturalPowerPartly.Poweristheabilitytoalterthebehaviorofotherstogetwhatyouwant.Therearebasicallythreewaystodothat:coercion(sticks),payments(carrots),andattraction(softpower).BritishhistorianNiallFergusondescribedsoftpowerasnon-traditionalforcessuchasculturalandcommercialgoodsandthenpromptlydismisseditonthegroundsthatits,well,soft.Ofcourse,thefactthataforeignerdrinksCoca-ColaorwearsaMichaelJordanT-shirtdoesnotinitselfmeanthatAmericahaspoweroverhim.Thisviewconfusesresourceswithbehavior.Whetherpowerresourcesproduceafavorableoutcomedependsuponthecontext.Thisrealityisnotuniquetosoft-powerresources:Havingalargertankarmymayproducemilitaryvictoryifabattleisfoughtinthedesert,butnotifitisfoughtinswampyjunglessuchasVietnam.Acountryssoftpowercancomefromthreeresources:itsculture(inplaceswhereitisattractivetoothers),itspoliticalvalues(whenitlivesuptothemathomeandabroad),anditsforeignpolicies(whentheyareseenaslegitimateandhavingmoralauthority).ConsiderIran.Westernmusicandvideosareanathematotherulingmullahs,butattractivetomanyoftheyoungergenerationtowhomtheytransmitideasoffreedomandchoice.AmericancultureproducessoftpoweramongsomeIranians,butnotothers.EconomicStrengthIsSoftPowerNo.InarecentarticleonoptionsfordealingwithIran,PeterBrookesoftheHeritageFoundationreferstosoftpoweroptionssuchaseconomicsanctions.Butthereisnothingsoftaboutsanctionsifyouareonthereceivingend.Theyareclearlyintendedtocoerceandarethusaformofhardpower.Economicstrengthcanbeconvertedintohardorsoftpower:Youcancoercecountrieswithsanctionsorwoothemwithwealth.AsWalterRussellMeadhasargued,economicpowerisstickypower;itseducesasmuchasitcompels.Theresnodoubtthatasuccessfuleconomyisanimportantsourceofattraction.Sometimesinreal-worldsituations,itisdifficulttodistinguishwhatpartofaneconomicrelationshipiscomprisedofhardandsoftpower.EuropeanleadersdescribeothercountriesdesiretoaccedetotheEuropeanUnion(EU)asasignofEuropessoftpower.TurkeytodayismakingchangesinitshumanrightspoliciesanddomesticlawtoadjusttoEUstandards.Howmuchofthischangeisdrivenbytheeconomicinducementofmarketaccess,andhowmuchbytheattractivenessofEuropessuccessfuleconomicandpoliticalsystem?ItsclearthatsomeTurksarereplyingmoretothehardpowerofinducement,whereasothersareattractedtotheEuropeanmodelofhumanrightsandeconomicfreedom.SoftPowerIsMoreHumaneThanHardPowerNotnecessarily.Becausesoftpowerhasbeenhypedasanalternativetorawpowerpolitics,itisoftenembracedbyethicallymindedscholarsandpolicymakers.Butsoftpowerisadescription,notanethicalprescription.Likeanyformofpower,itcanbewieldedforgoodorill.Hitler,Stalin,andMao,afterall,possessedagreatdealofsoftpowerintheeyesoftheiracolytes.Itisnotnecessarilybettertotwistmindsthantotwistarms.IfIwanttostealyourmoney,Icanthreatenyouwithagun,orIcanswindleyouwithaget-rich-quickschemeinwhichyouinvest,orIcanpersuadeyoutohandoveryourestateaspartofaspiritualjourney.Thethirdwayisthroughsoftpower,buttheresultisstilltheft.Althoughsoftpowerinthewronghandscanhavehorribleconsequences,itcaninsomecasesoffermorallysuperiormeanstocertaingoals.ContrasttheconsequencesofMohandasGandhiorMartinLutherKingJr.schoiceofsoftpowerwithYasirArafatschoiceofthegun.GandhiandKingwereabletoattractmoderatemajoritiesovertime,andtheconsequenceswereimpressivebothineffectivenessandinethicalterms.Arafatsstrategyofhardpower,bycontrast,killedinnocentIsraelisanddroveIsraelimoderatesintothearmsofthehardright.HardpowerCanBemeasured,andSoftPowerCannotFalse.WashingtonPostcolumnistJimHoaglandhascomplainedthatsoftpower,likeglobalization,istooelasticaconcepttobeuseful.Likeothers,hefailstounderstandthedifferencebetweenpowerresourcesandbehavior.Infact,itsquitepossibletoquantifysourcesofsoftpower.Onecan,forexample,measureandcomparethecultural,communications,anddiplomaticresourcesthatmightproducesoftpowerforacountry.Publicopinionpollscanquantifychangesinacountrysattractivenessovertime.NorishardpoweraseasytoquantifyasHoaglandseemstobelieve.Theapparentprecisionofthemeasurementofhardpowerresourcesisoftenspuriousandmightbecalledtheconcretefallacythenotionthattheonlyimportantresourcesarethosethatcanbedroppedonyourfoot(oronacity).Thatsamistake.TheUnitedStateshadfarmoremeasurablemilitaryresourcesthanNorthVietnam,butitnonethelesslosttheVietnamWar.Whethersoftpowerproducesbehaviorthatwewantwilldependonthecontextandtheskillswithwhichtheresourcesareconvertedintooutcomes.EuropeCountsTooMuchonSoftPowerandtheUnitedStatesTooMuchonHardPowerTrue.RobertKaganscleverphrasethatAmericansarefromMarsandEuropeansarefromVenusisanoverstatement,butitcontainsacoreoftruth.Europehassuccessfullyusedtheattractionofit