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It’s only power if the recipients view the US positively, or if other countries view the US positively for that aid. Unfortunately I think it backfires when US
by kcplate 2y ago
It’s only power if the recipients view the US positively, or if other countries view the US positively for that aid.
Unfortunately I think it backfires when US power of all sorts (both hard and soft) is viewed as meddling.
At that point is the altruism worth the negative optics? I wonder.
- leptons 2y agoThere is aid, and there is meddling. The two aren't always intertwined. It's best when they aren't. If "The US" drops a bomb on civilians, by accident or not, does that make all Americans bad, when it was really just a few military people that ultimately pulled that trigger? With regards to optics, if the picture is blurry, then maybe put on your glasses. "The US" isn't only one thing or one entity.
- kcplate 2y ago> With regards to optics, if the picture is blurry, then maybe put on your glasses. "The US" isn't only one thing or one entity. If the optics are not crystal clear your soft power is not power at all. You don’t get to tell the world to “put on your glasses”. So if your altruism is not automatically perceived that way are you actually helping…or are you meddling?