Getting Beyond Donald Rumsfeld

While most US citizens oppose the war in Iraq, just as many still favor the war on terror. Most US citizens are too impatient for the time-consuming process of soft power – as described by Harvard professor Joseph Nye, which changes attitudes with time, education and ideas. Policies of aggression and war only create new jihadists, Nye argues. The ideas spread by education, entrepreneurship or entertainment will never win over extremists like Osama bin Laden, but they can entice the young adults that he tries to recruit from around the globe. And soft power is a better strategy for introducing democracy and human rights. The nation can anticipate an ongoing struggle in winning global respect, if the public debate in the US continues to focus on which candidate is tougher and better suited for leading warfare rather than which is the most adept in the use of soft power. – YaleGlobal