Soft Power, Hard Truths

Wall Street Journal ^ | Victor Davis Hanson

[mal]

The adage goes that the European Union counts on a more sophisticated and nuanced "soft power." In reality, that translates to using transnational organizations and its own economic clout to soothe or buy off potential adversaries, while a formidable cultural engine dresses it all up in high sounding platitudes of internationalism and multilateralism. Everything from idly watching Milosevic and the Hutus butcher unchecked to unilateral intervention in the Ivory Coast or no action in Darfur usually finds either the proper humanitarian exegesis or the culpable American bogeyman. Yet contrary to the mythologies of Michael Moore and the high talk of Kyoto, most of the international sins of the recent age--selling a reactor to Saddam, setting up a new arms market in China, whitewashing Hezbollah, or subsidizing Hamas--were the work of European avatars of peace.

[MEG33]

Ping

[IronJack]

"soft power" ... translates to using transnational organizations and its [Europe's] own economic clout to soothe or buy off potential adversaries, while a formidable cultural engine dresses it all up in high sounding platitudes of internationalism and multilateralism.

Absolutely on target. Hanson's insight is almost eerie at times. It's one thing to see through the left's paltry tactics -- a blind man can do that with his cane. But it's another to be able to summarize the flaws so pithily, and with such ringing indictment.

I'm glad he's on our side.

[Mamzelle]

bumpmark

[meema]

bump

[G.Mason]

"soft power."

" In reality, that translates to using transnational organizations and its own economic clout to soothe or buy off potential adversaries, while a formidable cultural engine dresses it all up in high sounding platitudes of internationalism and multilateralism."

Precisely why the Europa dream will fail, should the 30 member states ratify the "constitution".

I think Italy and the United States dealt with the Mafia using this method once or twice, with limited success. ;)

[rbg81]

"avatars of peace"

Good term & observation. The Europeans fail to see (or maybe just won't admit) that their pursuit of peace actually makes war more likely. I think Sirens would be a more apt term. Sirens were creatures who appeared to weary sailors as seductive women singing a beautiful "siren" songs. When they approached them, their ships crashed into rocks, killing all aboard.

[geedee]

Sirens were creatures who appeared to weary sailors as seductive women singing a beautiful "siren" songs. When they approached them, their ships crashed into rocks, killing all aboard.

Maybe it was just because as they grew closer and closer to the Singing Sirens . . . they noticed . . .Yikes! What a dog!

. . . . .