The west is doing its best to help China

[xunzi]

Trump is a secret agent we install in the US office. LOL

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

Agree that human being is not entirely rational. In fact, they can go collectively quite irrational, like electing fascist leaders and cheering for them.

Hence the falsity of soft power. If people's beliefs, emotions, orientations are not really to be trusted, then, why build a soft power on those phony/shaky ground that may change/disappear overnight.

The US media, if they really wanted, can turn 85% of the US people against Japan in a month regardless of Pikachus and Manga. That's the reality. Power to mobilize resources is what really matters. This the source of US power.

China can spend a billion dollar to look very Pandaish in the eyes of the US people; but, the US government/media can turn the positive tide over easily. If nothing, they can even stage a false flag. Kill 2000 people in Madison Square Garden and blame it on China. Repeat it. Repeat more. I think they are capable of doing it.

So, what is left for China or other countries is hard power. Hard power so that people cannot reject it. Or, if they reject, the rejection brings costs only to them, not to China.

Soft power, however, may work on extremely poor countries. Not because they would love you for love's sake, but because they needed you (perhaps in return for development assistance or some investment.) I even tend see the close relationship China has with a certain power (which you guys do not like) under that light.

I am not debating here about Hard Power vs Soft Power.

Hard Power is ultimately the most important Power, no doubt about that.

I am saying that one needs both Hard Power and Soft Power.

In fact I would characterize it in three parts, one is hard power, the other soft power, and the other is the mixture of the two, where one leads to the other.

Also, yes people's beliefs and opinions can be changed, but that is not easy still, and if one possesses enough soft power one can resist.

The other thing is neutral venues, and home base.

I can see so many Chinese who blindly follow Western ideology, and political system, and are influenced by their rhetoric. This can lead to instability within China itself. For example look at Hong Kong, a completely Chinese territory was turned against China (not completely, but still in part) with some brilliant social engineering, and rhetoric. Look at what they did to Soviet Union. There was a time when umpteen number of Russians themselves believed that west was benevolent, and hence Russians were the first to actually vouch for the dissolution of Soviet Union.

Similarly in diplomacy. Soft Power can literally make friends and allies, or enemies and adversaries.

Soft Power can also create economic outcomes.

In fact, even nations themselves are based primarily on soft power because a nation is basically a group of people who feel a common belonging, and that belonging is ultimately an emotion, a feeling, a commitment.

Similarly, in the case of science. If your own scientists are influenced with western rhetoric, they will leave your country.

Think it like software. What is the use of the software, and the control system in a robot, an airplane, or indeed the entire army? It is incredibly important.

Soft Power is simply the software or the ability to attract humans. Ultimately humans are the primary components of the power of any nation, and the control over their minds is, has to be, the ultimate form of power.

 

[cloud4000]

That reaction is very Indian.

Nothing with being Indian since I grew up and live in US. It's just absurd that a political system like China -- with its centralization of power in one party -- is more conducive to systemic corruption than in the West.