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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > Exclusive: Will 'Soft Power' Undermine America's Profile Abroad?

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Five Sept. 11 Suspects to Face Trial in New York

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July 21, 2009

Exclusive: Will 'Soft Power' Undermine America's Profile Abroad?

James Carafano, PhD, Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade?

The administration spent the week making the case that it is at the top of its foreign policy and national security game after a whirlwind worldwide tour by the president with stops in Russia, Italy, and Ghana. While the president was out and about raising his global profile, this week his cabinet found itself struggling here at home. Secretary of State Clinton emerged from hiding to make what was billed as a major foreign policy address. Heritage Foundation analyst Nile Gardiner rated her address at the Council on Foreign Relations, as “underwhelming.” He concluded, “Clinton's low-key and at times overly cautious approach is symbolic of the Obama Administration's floundering foreign policy--one significantly lacking in coherence and direction.” 
 
Secretary Gates made news as well, taking Congress to task for pushing to add more F-22 fighter aircraft to the Pentagon’s budget. He is flat wrong argues Mackenzie Eaglen at the Heritage Foundation. She points out “Gates has insisted repeatedly that there is no ‘military requirement’ for more than 187 F-22s and that that level is sufficient to meet foreseeable threats. However, numerous air power studies, senior Air Force leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and independent analysts have all documented a military requirement of at least 243 F-22As.” Gates could well win his fight with the Hill—but the experts know he is dead wrong.
 
 As administration officials continue to promote the President’s “soft power” approach to foreign policy, they will likely face even more fights in the future. The White House is going to find that abandoning tough policies and military strength for “kind and gentle” diplomacy will actually undermine both. “If our country allows its hard power to wane, our leaders will lose crucial diplomatic clout. This is already on display in the western Pacific Ocean, where America's ability to hedge against the growing ambitions of a rising China is being called into question by some of our key Asian allies” writes Heritage foreign policy expert Kim Holmes.
 
Finally, the administration kept a low profile regarding two continuing hot spots on-going political turmoil in both Iran and Honduras as well as terrorists bombings in Indonesia. Lack of substantive engagement by the White House is sending the wrong signals.
 
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation. Feedback: editorialdirector@familysecuritymatters.org.
 
 
 
 

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