> So to me, retracting from the global economy, bashing allies, and complimenting authoritarian monsters would seem to indicate he's cool with "retreating" from

> So to me, retracting from the global economy, bashing allies, and complimenting authoritarian monsters would seem to indicate he's cool with "retreating" from that role. Soft power is great when it works. Soft power leaves personal and bilateral relationships largely undisturbed and reinforces stability. The problem is this... it doesn't work when both sides do not share a strong incentive (or the same timeline) to reach a negotiated agreement. Hard power is required and not inherently bad when gridlock, urgency and incentives justify its use.