January 24 2009
Obama takes ’smart power’ approach
Until Bush, the U.S. always knew military force alone wasn’t enough, even for a superpower. As it rediscovers this truth under Obama, some see an opportunty for a grand unified theory in foreign policy: “The rest of the world knows that the U.S. is the big kid on the block, and that this will likely remain the case for years to come. But our staying power has a great deal to do with whether we are perceived as a bully or a friend. Humility increases America’s greatness, it does not weaken it.” – U.S. vice-president Joe Biden, 2008
Barack Obama’s administration will be taking a “smart-power” approach to foreign policy. Just the phrase is comforting to a world fed up with recent U.S. “hard power” military strategy, where all relationships were subsumed into a with-us-or-against-us mindset. But what exactly is it? Smart power is the integration of hard and soft power, maintaining military strength while using persuasion and example to seed democracy, human rights and other Western ideas throughout the world. Diplomacy will again be the focus, Hillary Clinton said at her secretary of state confirmation hearings, but she’ll use “the full range of tools at our disposal – diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural – picking the right tool, or combination of tools, for each situation.” (The Star.com, January 24, 2009).