OPINION
February 17, 2003 | Joseph S. Nye, Joseph S. Nye is the dean of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and the author of "The Paradox of American Power: Why the World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone (Oxford University Press, 2002).
The United States is the most powerful nation on Earth. Its stature in the world arena is more dominant, perhaps, than any other since the Roman Empire. But like Rome, we are not invincible. As we wend our way deeper into this struggle against terrorism, it becomes increasingly apparent that there are many things outside of U.S. control. We cannot hunt down every suspected Al Qaeda leader hiding in remote regions of the globe.
NATIONAL
March 18, 2007 | Josh Meyer, Times Staff Writer
Singled out in next year's State Department budget as its "principal counter-terrorism initiative," the Regional Strategic Initiative is aimed at using "soft power" rather than firepower to counter Islamic extremism. It was developed in response to the president's National Security Strategy released in March 2006, which called for a gradual refocus toward strengthening alliances to defuse area conflicts, and away from military might.
OPINION
September 2, 2007 | Joshua Kurlantzick, Joshua Kurlantzick is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the author of "Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power Is Transforming the World."
During the last two months, as Washington focused on Iraq, few people were paying attention to what was going in the remote Ural Mountains of Russia. There, under the auspices of the benign-sounding Shanghai Cooperation Organization, some 6,000 troops, combat vehicles and planes from six nations conducted a nine-day war game called "Peace Mission 2007."
ENTERTAINMENT
March 25, 2011 | By Lee Drutman, Special to the Los Angeles Times
In January, Chinese President Hu Jintao was in Washington. And while he and President Obama forged ahead on trade deals and wink-to-the-press bromides of cooperation, many Americans are not so optimistic about what China's rise means. In a recent poll, 61% view China as "a threat to American jobs and economic security. " One increasingly hears the sotto voce warnings that our children will soon be learning Confucius at the feet of our new Chinese overlords. Then again, maybe not. For geopolitical prognostications of a less alarmist varietal, with nuanced notes of optimism about U.S. ingenuity and leadership, try "The Future of Power.
BUSINESS
August 17, 2011 | By Benjamin Haas
Entering the campus of the largest animation production facility in China, visitors are greeted by life-size statues of Disney and Pixar characters: Belle dancing with the Beast, Mowgli and Baloo sitting on a tree trunk and Buzz and Woody in a classic buddy pose. But this isn't an overseas outpost of the American studios. Instead, these knockoff statues are meant to inspire a new generation of Chinese animators to make films that can compete with Hollywood blockbusters and classics such as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Jungle Book" and "Toy Story.
OPINION
April 25, 2004 | Joseph S. Nye Jr., Joseph S. Nye Jr. is dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and author of "Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics."
Power, simply put, is the ability to influence others to get what you want. Nations need power because without it they have a difficult time advancing their goals. But there are ultimately three main ways for a nation to achieve power: by using or threatening force; by inducing compliance with rewards; or by using "soft power" -- attracting followers through the strength of a country's values and culture.